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, 12.

And the land shall bewaile euerie familie a part, the fa∣milie of the house of Dauid apart, and their wiues apart, the familie of the house of Nathan apart, and their wiuer apart. Vers. 13. The familie of the house of Leui apart, and their wiues apart: the familie of Shemei apart, and their wiues apart. Vers. 14. All the families that remaine, euery familie apart, and their wiues apart.

* 1.1THe second amplification from the maner of the mourning, and the number of the mourners. And it is amplified, to shew, both how great that deliuerance shall bee, the minister and Cap∣taine whereof shall be had in so great regard and estimation of

the whole people: and also to teach that the remembrance and death of the good Captaines of Israel (especiallie so farre foorth as they were a type or figure of Christ) ought to bee deare and pre∣cious in the Church of God. But of olde in the time of the lawe, this funerall pompe and maner of mourning was more tolerable, or to be borne withall, then now it is, because that the godlie and faithfull were yet vnder ceremonies,* 1.2 but are not now so: & yet is it not forbiddē Christians after a moderate sort to mourne for theirs that are dead, 1. Thess. 4. Act. 8. ver. 2. where the godlie and faith∣full mourned for the death of Steuen. The maner of the mourning in this place is, that not euery one alone by himselfe, but gathered together shall mourne.* 1.3 And this is a publike testimonie or witnes of mourning, and publike sorowe, and not onely a signe of the pri∣uate heauines, and sadnes of some fewe. Againe, for that the men or males by themselues shall mourne, and likewise the women by themselues and apart, as well for ciuill honestie and comelines, the which the Iewes also do at this day obserue in their publike assem∣blies (for they are not wont to mixe both sexes together in those publike meetings, as it may also appeare Exod. 15. ver. 20. that this order in their meetings was obserued, by this that Miriam and her women doe apart by themselues praise God for their deliuerance) as al∣so that euery sexe may the more freely lament, and that one sexe for shame of another should not bee withholden and kept from powring foorth their teares.* 1.4 The number also of the mourners is here described or set forth, to wit, first and generally, the whole land of the Israelites, and all the families. For that whole people shall bewaile those Captaines of their deliuerance, and figures of Christ: and then afterward the Princes also of this people, and euery the most honorable among all that people of God, shall bewaile those Captaines: as for example, the house of Dauid: the house of Na∣than, which succeeded in dignitie, when the house of Salomon de∣cayed, Luk. 3. the house of Leui, in the which also the Priests are contained. Lastly, the house of Semei, who among the other Le∣uites was at that time most famous, and well knowne, 1. Chron. 6. ver. 17.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The second amplification taken from the maner of the mourning, and number of the maners.
• * 1.2

  Moderate mourning for the dead per∣mitted vnto Christians.
• * 1.3

  1. The maner of their mour∣ning. Men by them∣selues, and wo∣men by them∣selues.
• * 1.4

  2. The number of the mourners.