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. 11.

And hee shall goe into the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waues in the sea, and all the depthes of the riuer shall drie vp: and the pride of Asshur shall be cast down, and the Scep∣ter of Egypt shall depart away.

* 1.1THis is the answering of an obiection, that they should not de∣spaire, or be without hope of the returne of their brethren, ei∣ther for the hardnes of the waies, and iourneyes, or for the power of the kingdomes,* 1.2 in the which they are exiles or captiues, the which peraduenture would withstand or let them being willing to goe away. All this shall be no let, answereth the Lord. For as concerning the iourneyes and waies bee they neuer so hard and combersome, they shall not let, neither the sea, nor the riuers, nor the waues, or floodes. For the riuers shall drie vp, be they neuer so deepe, when they shall returne vnto Ierusalem: this people retur∣ning shall passe the sea, being so straite and gathered in, as they did of olde in Egypt, so that it may be gone through on foote. Finallie, the waues and flouds shall fall, and being strooken, as they were some times with the rod of Moses, shall sinke downe. So then in this place there is an allusion or resemblance vnto those miracles, the which were wrought by God in the first deliuerance of the people, that nothing should be any let vnto the people, going vn∣to the place that was promised vnto them. He therefore promi∣seth that the same help of God shall be readie for them, when as they shall returne vnto Ierusalem from the captiuitie of Baby∣lon: the which thing came to passe, Esdras and Nehemias being their Captaines, See Isai. cap. 40. ver. 12. And cap. 43. ver. 1.2. in these words, But now thus saith the Lord, that created thee, O Ia∣akob: and he that formed thee, O Israel, Feare not: For I haue re∣deemed thee: I haue called thee by thy name, thou art mine. When

thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the flouds, that they doe not ouerflowe thee. Wher thou walkest through the verie fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle vp∣on thee. But these things in a prouerbiall kinde of speaking doe declare, that it shall come to passe, that all waies shall be easie vnto them, and such as they may passe through. So it appeareth to haue come to passe Esdr. 8. ver. 21.22. where he saith, And there at the Riuer Ahaua, I proclaimed a fast, that wee might humble our selues before our God, and seeke of him a right way for vs, and for our chil∣dren, and for all our substance. For J was ashamed to require of the King an armie, and horsemen, to helpe vs against the enemie in the way, because we had spoken vnto the King, saying, The hand of our God is vpon all them that seeke him in goodnes, but his power, and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. So we fasted, and be∣sought our God for this: and he was intreated of vs.

* 1.3Further, as touching the kings, in whose dominions and coun∣tries the Iewes were, and who as yet at that time seemed to bee e∣nemies vnto the Iewes, and not to fauour them, as the Persians were (albeit that they had before giuen the Iewes leaue to de∣part) neither shall they also be able to stay or let them, that God should not bring his people out of their kingdomes, as of olde Pharao withstood the Israelites. The reason is, because the pow∣er both of the Assyrians the which the banished Iewes doe feare: and also the kingdome and scepter of the Egyptians, shall be cast downe, and shall perish, so that then it cannot be any let or stay vn∣to them. In a word, nothing can let the worke of God, and the decree of the deliuerance and redeeming of his Church Isai. 40.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The answering of an obiection against their returne.
• * 1.2

  1. The hardnes of the waies, might seeme to be a let vnto them.
• * 1.3

  2. The power of the kings in whose lands the Iewes shall be, might also seeme to be a stay vnto their returne.