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.

Open thy doores, O Lebanon, and the fire shall denoure thy Cedars.

* 1.1THe drift and purpose of this Chapter is twofold. First, to fore∣tell that there shall bee warres in Iudea, and in the countries neere vnto it,* 1.2 both vnto the terrifying or fearing of the wicked, and the fore arming of the godly and faithfull: and also for the yeelding of a reason, and making more plaine of the promise made before touching the victorie which the Iewes should haue against their enemies. For to what end should he speake of victo∣rie, but because that there should be warres? So then in this place are briefelie foretold both the warrrs which were before the Ma∣chabees, and also those which were in their gouernement, yea and also in those countries afterward, euen vntill the comming of Christ: for I doe not thinke that here are rehearsed those warres, the which fell out after the comming of Christ. Albeit that the things, which here are spoken, may bee applied also vnto all the afflictions of the church at any time, that the godly may be fore armed, and that the wicked, and such as are hypocrites in the Church, may bee called backe vnto repentance, if it may bee, for feare of the calamities or punishments, hanging ouer their heads. This is the first drift of this chapter.* 1.3 The second is that the cau∣ses of so great afflictions of the Church of God may be declared, and that by this meanes all men may be put in minde of their du∣tie, both the rulers of the common wealth, and the rulers of the Church, and also the Subiects. The causes of these euils and pu∣nishments here recited, the which afterward fell out, and doe al∣so now a dayes fal out vnto the church of God, are the negligences of the pastors or rulers as well of the common wealth, as of the

ciuill Magistrates: as of the Church, as the Priestes and Leuites then, and the Ministers of the word of God now. By which re∣citall the rulers of that nation were betimes put in minde of the performance of their dutie: and yet notwithstanding did that negligence indure, nay became alwaies worse and worse, vntil that God did vtterlie breake off the olde couenant of that people, and sent hi•• Christ, who gaue new pastors vnto his Church, Matth. 25. And the selfe same causes doe also make the pastors of the Church guiltie euen at this day, if so bee they shall bee careles, and neg∣ligent.

* 1.4Now this first verse foretelleth the desolation, or laying wast of a countrie, the which among many other neere vnto the Iewes, was more further off from Iudea, to wit, of Coelosyria, the which is contained betweene the two mountaines Libanon. The which fell out not vnder Alexander the Great, winning Asia, and Syria: but vnder his successors, to wit, the Kinges of Syria, such as were the Antiochi, the Seleuci, and others, the which made and had continuall warres in those countries with the Ptolomees of E∣gypt, and often with the Syrian Kings, as appeareth most mani∣festlie by Iustinus the hystorian, and by Appianus in Syriacis, and by the continuall historie of that time. But in this place, and in those that follow, for the mouing and stirring vp of affections, God vseth the figure Prosopopoeia,* 1.5 and the same is directed not vn∣to men, but vnto mountaines, and things without life, as in Mi∣cheas often, and in the Prophet Isai, cap. 1. ver. 2. Heare, O Hea∣uens, and hearken, O earth, &c. For the Lord, or the Prophet spea∣keth vnto Libanum, a mountaine of Phoenicia, or rather of Syria, to open his doores and gates. And why I pray you doth he this? To wit, that the Cedars, and most excellent trees, the which this mountaine Libanus dooth beare, as his riches, wealth, and orna∣ments, might be burnt, and consumed. For that there doe growe the good••y Cedars the Psal. 29. ver. 5. doth witnes, where it is said, The voyce of the Lord breaketh the Cedars, yea, the Lord breaketh the Cedars of Lebanon. By this kinde of speaking the Prophets also doe shew that things without life doe notwithstanding heare the voyce of God: and therefore that men ought so much the more to heare the same. Further, doores or gates, are attributed vnto Libanus, because as Plinius saith, lib. 5. Nat. hist. cap. 20. A∣gainst the mountaine Libanus, the mountaine Antilibanus is set or lieth out in leng••h, ioyned vnto it as it were with a certaine

wall: so that these were, and are narrow passages, and gates, kept also some times of the kings of Persia by a wood ward or a wood∣reeue, that is, a speciall officer for that turne, as appeareth Nehem▪ 2. ver. 8. where mention is made of Asaph the kings keeper thereof, that he should deliuer from thence timber for the building at Ierusa∣lem. By the name of Cedars some will haue all the most notable men of that countrie to be signified, whose destruction is signi∣fied, that the Church should not be troubled by meanes thereof.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The dirft of this chapter,
• * 1.2

  1. To forewarne them of warres to come.
• * 1.3

  2. To shew the causes of so great afflicti∣ons of the church.
• * 1.4

  This verse con∣taineth the de∣struction of Coelosyria.
• * 1.5

  What the fi∣gure Prosopo∣poeia is, see Ose∣as cap. 6. ver. 1.