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 8.

Heare now, O Iehoshua the high priest, thou and thy fel∣lowes that sit before thee: for they are monstrous persons: but behold, I will bring forth the Branch my seruant.

* 1.1A Confirmation of all the former promises, which went be∣fore in this whole chapter. And it is taken from the cause, and the same necessarilie bringing foorth these promises, as his effectes. This cause is Christ that was long since promised vnto the Iewes, looked for of them, whose type or figure was Ieho∣shua, and also the whole order of the Priestes, and finallie for the loue and sake of which Christ or Messias, GOD dooth most entirelie loue his Church, and careth for those things which appertaine vnto it. For shee is the people or inheritance of Christ, and the fulnes of his mysticall bodie. For as it is Ephes. 1. ver. 22, 23. GOD hath made all things subiect vnder his feete, and hath appoynted him ouer all things to bee the head to the Church, which is his bodie, euen the fulnes of him that fil∣leth all in all things. And this bodie cannot GOD forsake. Wherefore GOD confirmeth that all the former things shall come to passe or bee, because that afterward hee giueth, and shall giue vnto his Church the cause of all these good things to wit, the very person of Christ, whom hee will send. Wee are therefore called backe vnto Christ, and it behooueth vs to looke vnto him, as often as wee doe doubt of the promises of God.

* 1.2But this verse hath two poynts. The first, a preface. The second, a promise. The preface teacheth that here is intreated of a matter of very great weight,* 1.3 whereunto consequently we must giue dili∣gent heed. And therefore it is sayd (Heare thou).* 1.4 And not only Ie∣hoshua is commanded to heare, but also his fellowes and compa∣nions, that this promise and comfort may be vnderstood to belong, [unspec 1] not onely vnto Iehoshua the high priest alone, but also vnto the whole order and ministerie of the Church.* 1.5 Wherein also there is a difference made in the order of the Church. For some are shewed to be in a greater place and degree, and some in a lesse, whē as some are sayd to stand before Iehoshua as before their Ruler and Cap∣taine, set ouer them by God: and Iehoshua is called the great or hie priest, that this distinction or difference may be vnderstood to bee true. For it was a part of the ceremoniall lawe, that the Church of God, which did wholly consist of the Iewish people, had then also one visible head, the which was a type or figure of Christ. The which notwithstanding the Church of God cannot now haue, be∣cause that according vnto the prophesies of the Prophets it is scat∣tered, and spread abrode throughout the world.* 1.6 Now why the An∣gel speaketh also vnto the whole order of priests, and comforteth them, the reason is, because that the Leuite Priests were despised & mocked of the other Iewes, nay, they were hated of them, as name∣ly being such, who did too much lay open, were too earnest vpon, and accused the sinnes of the people before God. Whereupon they are sayd to haue been monstrous persons, as Dauid also complai∣neth of himselfe Psal. 71. ver. 7. I am become as it were a monster vn∣to ••••ny: but thou art my sure trust. But the Lord on the contrary part doth comfort them.

* 1.7Now the promise is, that Christ or the cause of all the gifts of God toward his Church, shall come, to be made manifest, and to be giuen vnto the Church her selfe. Therefore these things are done in the fauour of Christ, to wit, that his people, inheritance, and seate decreed, and ordained by God, might be reserued vnto him. And this promise containeth two things. First,* 1.8 the manifest giuing of the person of Christ, which shall be done vnto the Church, vnder∣stood by these words, Behold, I will bring forth, or cause to come: the which is opposed or set against those promises, the which taught that he was yet to be looked for. And therefore Iohn sayth cap. 1. ver. 17. The law was giuen by Moses, but grace and trueth came by Ie∣sus Christ. And the word of exhortation (Behold) sheweth that the

thing shall be, and that speedilie, and certainlie, that they might by assured faith looke as it were into the thing present.* 1.9 Secondly, this same promise containeth a description of Christ, that wee should consider how great a benefite of God he is: and should not thinke this to be as a simple gift, or some common and meane thing. And Christ is called the seruant of God, to wit, in respect that he was made man. And yet not a seruant after the maner of the rest of the faithfull, the which in many things obey not the Lord their God, Malach. 1. but he is so called by a certaine excellencie. For he was in euery respect to fulfill all the will of God his father, and indeed in that he was man, he fulfilled the same Isai. 61. Moreouer, he is cal∣led a branch, as hereafter cap. 6. ver. 12. Behold the man, whose name is the branch, and he shall growe vp out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. So Isai 11. ver. 1. But there shall come a rod forth of the stocke of Ishai, and a graffe shall grow out of his rootes. Likewise God sayth in Ieremie cap. 23. ver. 5. Behold, the dayes come, sayth the Lord, that I will raise vnto Dauid a righteous branch, and a King shall reigne, and prosper, and shal execute iudgement & iustice in the earth. And he is termed a branch, not so much for that his condition and state is base,* 1.10 and here described vnto vs meane and simple in the iudgement of men, as for that he should alone be vnderstood of vs to bee the fountaine, roote, and spring of the whole Church. And therefore that he alone is he, by whose power, and Spirit, and word we are plants and trees in the Church of God: because he is he, of whom alone, as of a spirituall branch wee all are borne againe, and made heauenly plants. For as Iames witnesseth cap. 1. ve. 18. Of his owne will begat he vs with the word of trueth, that we should be as the first fruites of his creatures. And Peter Epist. 1. cap. 1. ver. 23. teacheth vs likewise, that we are borne a new, not of mortall seede, but of immortall, by the word of God, who liueth and endureth for euer. Which thing doubtles agreeth vnto Christ alone, into whom wee must be graffed, that we may be borne spirituallie, and be heauenly branches, Iohn 15.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A confirmation of all the for∣mer promises.
• * 1.2

  Two parts of this this verse.
• * 1.3

  1. A preface.
• * 1.4

  2. A promise.
• * 1.5

  Diuersitie of degrees in the priesthood.
• * 1.6

  Why the An∣gel speaketh vnto the whole order of priests, and comfor∣teth them.
• * 1.7

  2. The promise containing two things.
• * 1.8

  1 The exhibition or shewing of Christ in the flesh.
• * 1.9

  2 A description of Christ.
• * 1.10

  Why Christ is called a branch