A fruitfull commentarie vpon the twelue small prophets briefe, plaine, and easie, going ouer the same verse by verse, and shewing every where the method, points of doctrine, and figures of rhetoricke, to the no small profit of all godly and well disposed readers, with very necessarie fore-notes for the vnderstanding of both of these, and also all other the prophets. The text of these prophets together with that of the quotations omitted by the author, faithfully supplied by the translatour, and purged of faults in the Latine coppie almost innumerable, with a table of all the chiefe matters herein handled, and marginall notes very plentifull and profitable; so that it may in manner be counted a new booke in regard of these additions. VVritten in Latin by Lambertus Danæus, and newly turned into English by Iohn Stockwood minister and preacher at Tunbridge.

Vers. 9.

And God said vnto Ionas, Dost thou well to be angry forth gourd? And he said, I doe well to be angrie vnto the death.

* 1.1AN amplification of this second sinne or anger of Ionas. And it is amplified by the reprehension or admonition of God, and the disobedience and contestation or auouchment of Ionas. The reprehension is here made by God, like as before ver. 4. Two things are to be noted in this reprehension. * 1.2 First, the manner o•• speaking, the which is an interrogation or asking of a question▪ For this doth more presse him, and more euidently lay before Io∣nas the fault of this his anger, & noteth out the same. For it doth containe the manifest anger and reproouing of God the iust e∣steemer and iudge of things, * 1.3 for the same. Secondly, the worde•• themselues are to be noted, Good, that is, well and rightly done according vnto the duetie of a godly man, who knoweth that God must be obeied. Furthermore (to be as it were redde angrie) that is, (although thou be angrie for a iust cause and matter) to be

mooued aboue measure, and altogether impatiently, through a raging heat of minde. Finally, for (a gourd) that is, a thing so light, and of so small an account.

* 1.4The stubbornes and disobedience of Ionas followeth descri∣bed by his own selfe, that his earnest repentance may be vnder∣stood, & that by this his exsample he may teach that all mortal men how godly soeuer & the seruants of God, doe notwithstan∣ding easily raunge beyond the bounds of their dutie, and fall into most vndoubted disobedience, vnlesse they wholly submit them∣selues and all their affections, albeit naturall and colourable vnto the will of God. For we are caried quite away, when as we yeeld vnto them neuer so little. * 1.5 And this contestation or auouchment & stubbornes of Ionas is grieuous and great. First in that answering he wrastleth against God so plainly speaking vnto him. Second∣ly for that in this place, like as before also, he doth contend or ear∣nestly maintaine the cause of this his anger to be iust, as if that he would reprooue God of vniust iudgement. Lastly, in that he doth not acknowledge this outragious excesse of his anger, by the which he was brought to wish for death. So are we in like maner blinded, when as we doe both rest vpon the iudgement of our owne wisedome, and let lose the bridle vnto the affections or de∣sires of our flesh, and are ruled by such beasts.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An amplifi∣cation of the anger of Jonas.
• * 1.2

  1. The maner of speaking.
• * 1.3

  2. The words here vsed.
• * 1.4

  The disobedi∣ence of Jonas, & what we are to learne there∣by.
• * 1.5

  Ionas his diso∣bedience very great. For 1. He striueth against God. 2. He iustifieth his anger. 3. He doth not acknowledge his excessiue anger.