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. 2.

Behold, I will make Ierusalem a cup of poyson vnto all the peo∣ple round about: and also with Iudah will he be, in the siege against Ierusalem.

* 1.1THe first similitude, whereby is shewed how great a burden Ie∣rusalem, and consequently the Church, shall bee vnto her ene∣mies inuading or setting vpon her, as it hath appeared in the time of the Machabees, and alwayes at all other times. He therfore com∣pareth her vnto a cup of confusion, or poyson, that is, the which be∣ing drunke of, great distemperature or trouble is bred in the minde of the drinker. Such is the riuer Gallus sayd to be, whereof who so drinketh,* 1.2 as Ouid affirmeth, runneth mad by and by. The people therefore which shall assault Ierusalem shall do nothing with good and aduised counsell, but like vnto mad men they shall destroye themselues, and theirs, and deale in all things disorderously, as if they were drunken with the wine of giddines or brainsicknes, as they in the Psalme 60. ver. 3. doe complaine, saying, Thou hast she∣wed thy people heauie things: thou hast made vs to drinke the wine of giddi es. And vnder a much like similitude doth he expresse the greatnes of the plagues that shall in the end fall vpon the wicked, when they shall haue taken their full draught of the wine of God his vengeance, Psal 75. ver. 8 in this maner: In the hand of the Lord is a cup, and the wine is red: it is full mixt, and he powreth out of the same: surely all the wicked of the earth shall wring out, and drinke the dregges thereof. Some translate it, a cup causing sleepe, that is, making drunke, the which is all one. For drunken men doe nothing right∣ly, and with aduise, but confound all things, or doe all things out of order.

* 1.3But here are three things to be noted. First, who shall thus make Ierusalem? Secondly, vnto whom he shall so make it? Thirdly, whē he shall so make it.* 1.4 I, sayth he. So then he which is almightie, shall doe it, albeit this seemed a matter not to bee beleeued, because of the fearfull and lamentable estate of that citie vnder the Kings of Sy∣ria, and because that the Church is alwayes a small flocke, yea, and moreouer almost also of no strength. So Christ affirmeth that num∣ber to bee small, Matth. 7. ver. 13.14. when he sayth, Enter in at the straight gate: for it is the wide gate, and broade way that leadeth to de∣struction:

and many there be which goe in thereat, because the gate is straite, and the way narrow that leadeth vnto life, and fewe there bee that finde it. And Luk. 12. ver. 32. Feare not, little flocke, for it is your fathers pleasure, to giue you the kingdome. Secondly,* 1.5 he shall make Ierusalem a cup against all people neere vnto it, because that they aboue the rest were most deadly enemies vnto the Iewes, that is, the Church. Lastly, he shall make it such a cup against the ene∣mies, especially in the time of the besieging of it, that is,* 1.6 when as it shall be besieged, and pressed, or hardly vsed by those people, and this shall God doe for Iehudah, that is, that in that citie the rem∣nants of the true Church may be preserued and saued.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The first simi∣litude, shewing how great a burden the Church hath alwayes been vnto her ene∣mies.
• * 1.2

  The riuer Gal∣lus.
• * 1.3

  Three things to be noted.
• * 1.4

  1 Who shall make Ierusa∣lem so?
• * 1.5

  2. Vnto whom he shal so make it?
• * 1.6

  3. When he shall so make it.