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. 1.

Aske you of the Lord raine in the time of the latter raine: so shall the Lord make white cloudes, and giue you showres of raine, and to euery one grasse in the fielde.

* 1.1THe scope and drift of this chapter is to teach the Iewes, and consequently the church of God, how she ought to behaue her selfe, in whom alone she is to trust, vnto whom she must hearken, ••••till the full accomplishment and performance of all the former promises dooth appeare, which is Iesus Christ the Messias which was for to come. And the summe of the doctrine here deliuered is, that they relie vpon God alone, and that they detest, and shunne all idols, and worshippers and seruers of idols, because that God will grieuouslie punish such pastors or shepheardes of the people, and will gloriouslie defend and aduance his people that serueth him, and cleaueth vnto him. So then this chapter is both an hol∣some admonition, and also as it were a certaine answer of an ob∣iection that might be made, and a forewarning against the idola∣tries that should fall out among this people (such as were diuers brought in among the Iewes in the time of the Antiochi, and o∣thers Kings of Syria) that being betimes warned to auoyde them, they might learne to bee wise, and contrariwise knowe what they were to hope for, and to follow.* 1.2

* 1.3But this verse containeth two things. First of all a precept or commandement for the relying vpon God alone, the calling on

him,* 1.4 and seeking vnto him in all things, that shall be needefull for them. The second, an excellent promise of God concerning the hearing of their prayers, that is, the prayers of the church. The commaundement is deliuered by the figure Synechdoche,* 1.5 setting downe the part for the whole, for albeit it speake onely of the lat∣ter raine to be asked of God, yet doth it generallie shew, that wee are whollie and altogether to depend vpon that same Iehouah a∣lone (that is, the true God) and whatsoeuer wee desire, to aske the same of him. But by the name (of the latter raine) the Prophet by a Metaphor taken from fruite and seasonable raine,* 1.6 doth sig∣nifie, that whatsoeuer holsome and profitable thing for vs in re∣garde either of the soule or bodie is to be wished for, that all the same is to be asked of God alone. Of the profitablenes of the lat∣ter raine, consider what is written Deut. 11.14. in these wordes, where God saith: I also will giue raine vnto your land in due time, the first raine and the latter, that thou maist gather in thy wheate, and thy wine, and thine oyle. And Iames cap. 5 ver. 7. borroweth a similitude from thence to moue the godly with patience to waite vntill it please the Lord to heare them, saying: Bee patient there∣fore, brethren, vnto the comming of the Lord: Beholde, the husband man waiteth for the precious fruite of the earth, and hath long pati∣ence for it, vntill he receiue the former, & the latter raine. And this is set against that drought and barrennes, the which the Iewes felt of late in their ground, as appeareth Agg. 1. v. 11. where the Lord faith, And J called for a drought vpon the land, & vpon the mountaines, & vpon the wine, & vpon the oyle, and vpon all that the ground bringeth forth: both vpō men, & vpō cattell, & vpon al the labour of the hands: the which drought the more grieuous it was vnto them, so much the more welcome vnto them should this promise of fruitefulnes, and seasonable raine, be. For by earthly benefites they, yea, and also we, in such kinde of promises are put in minde of heauenlie benefites. Therefore after this commandement there is set downe a promise of God, and the same also most notable and excellent, concerning the hearing of the prayers of those that doe call vpon him. For God in great aboundance will giue that same rayne as∣ked of him, yea with lightning and thunder. And these indeed for the most part are the adioyntes, or things that come or follow after great raines, and with great raines. So Virgill lib. 4. Aeneid. describeth or setteth forth a great tempest.

Interea magno misceri murmure coelum Incipit, insequitur commista grandine nimbus.

Thus englished by Phaer.

By this time heauen with rumbling noyse and clowdes is ouer cast, And thunders breake the skies, and raine outragrous powreth fast, and showres of haile and sleet so sharpe,—

Moreouer, the Lord shall giue plentious raine, that is, raine of showres. For that is most plentifull, much, and grea••ly moystening the earth. So Dauid painteth forth God his blessing and increasing of the fruites of the earth by these meanes, Psalm. 65. ver. 9.10. after this maner: Thou visitest the earth and waterest it: thou makest it ve∣rie rich: the riuer of God is full of water: thou preparest them corne: for so thou appoyntest it. Thou waterest abundantly the furrowes there∣of: thou causest the raine to descend into the valleyes thereof▪ thou ma∣kest it soft with showres and blessest the bud thereof. I hese words ther∣fore of Zacharias (white clowdes, and showres of raine) declare the kinde of this raine. Lastly, by the effects is this raine described, the which shall in such sort make the earth fruitfull, that euery man in his owne fielde and ground shall haue both grasse, and hay and corne (for I take the word grasse generally in this place): and shall seele no barrennes of the earth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The scope and drift of this chapter.
• * 1.2

  Two partes of this verse.
• * 1.3

  1. A commande∣ment to seeke vnto God in all our necessities.
• * 1.4

  2. A promise that our prayers shall be heard
• * 1.5

  1. What the fi∣gure Synecdo∣che is, see Amos cap. 5. ver 21.
• * 1.6

  What the fi∣gure Metapho∣ra is, see Amos cap 4. ver. 12.