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. 11.

* 1.1 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoul∣der, and stopped their eares, that they should not heare.

* 1.2GOd confirmeth the former doctrine by an example familiar and knowne vnto the Iewes, that they may bee the more mo∣ued, and giue heede vnto it. Whereby they are taught, that their forefathers selt punishments, and the same most grieuous, and the wrath of God, and that very great, because they worshipped and serued not God in such sort, that is, according vnto the rule set downe before. For they gaue heed only vnto those rites, and out∣ward ceremonies, mocking God, touching which, the people as yet propounded the question, as the chiefe part of God his wor∣ship and seruice, being in deed too much addicted or giuen vnto these outward things, and very wickedly, and through great error of minde, placing the whole sway and waight of their saluation, and peace with God, in these in a maner toyes, and trifles.* 1.3 But this narration hath two partes. The first sheweth the contempt of the forefathers of this people (who asked this question of God) concerning the true worship of God, and their rebellion.* 1.4 The second, the iudgement of God against them for the same. This their contempt is described by an amplification,* 1.5 the which conteineth a proceeding as it were by degrees, and also a recko∣ting vp of those partes (wherein their stubborne despising of GOD dooth consist) besides that the phrase also,* 1.6 and maner of speech of the Prophet, being knit together with many * copula∣tiue coniunctions, doth the better paynt out the greatnes of the rebellion of those former Iewes, that the iudgement and wrath of God against them may appeare to bee the more iust: and that their posteritie or others should not follow them, because that all ••en see that they are to be dispraised and discommended.

* 1.7And furthermore, this verse hath three degrees and partes of his manifest contempt, or despising of God, the which was, and appeared in the Iewes before they were so miserablie afflicted or punished in the captiuitie. The first degree is, They refused to har∣••••.* 1.8 For by little and little men doe fall into the manifest con∣tempt of God: and no man vpon the suddaine, and at a push be∣commeth most lewd and filthie. First, therefore men refuse to giue eare vnto those things, to considder and weigh those things, the which are said vnto them by the seruants of God. They doe

not at the first vtterlie refuse at all to heare, but they refuse to con∣sider, and to giue heed vnto the things, which they haue heard. The second degree, The pulled away the shoulder, or they set their stubborne shoulder against it. A Metaphor taken from men that do not willinglie take the burden,* 1.9 which is laid vpon them, nay which doe refuse it, and cast it off, and therefore withdrawe the shoulder, wherewith they should carrie the burden, and striue a∣gainst it. There is a like maner of speaking Nehem. 9. ver. 29. But they behaued themselues proudely, and hearkened not vnto thy commandements, but sinned against thy iudgements (which a man should doe and liue in them) and pulled away the shoulder, and were stifnecked, and would not heare. For those things which men doe willingly take vp, vnto them they are said to yeeld a willing shoul∣der. Sophon. 3.* 1.10 In the second place therefore men refuse to doe, and take vpon them those things, the which hauing heard before, they foreslowed to meditate or thinke vpon. In the end they stop their eares, and harden them, that now they will not so much as onely heare and hearken vnto those things, that is to say, they re∣fuse and disdaine so much as with the eares of their bodie onely, to receiue those things, the which before they onely despised to giue heed vnto, and to doe.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Or And
• * 1.2

  The former doctrine confir∣med by an ex∣ample familiar vnto the Iewes.
• * 1.3

  Two partes of this narration.
• * 1.4

  1. The contempt of their forefa∣thers.
• * 1.5

  2. The iudgment of God for the same.
• * 1.6

  1. And And And And
• * 1.7

  Three degrees of their con∣tempt.
• * 1.8

  1. They refuse to heare.
• * 1.9

  2 They pulled backe the shoulder. What the fi∣gure Metapho∣ra is, see Amos cap. 4. ver. 12.
• * 1.10

  3. They stopped their eares.