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.

Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, least they should heare the law, and the words which the Lord of hostes sent in his spirit by the ministerie of the former Prophets: there∣fore came a great wrath from the Lord of hostes.

* 1.1THe fourth and last degree of the manifest rebellion of men, to wit not only the hardning of the eares of their body, but also the wilfull stopping of the eares of their heart. And this stub∣bornes is described or set forth, both metaphorically, and also by way of matching together of contraries. Metaphorically, in the word Adamant. For they did not lightly harden their heart, but most stubbornly, so that now their heart and rebellious mind a∣gainst God, was not only a stone, but also most hard aboue all stones, such as is the Adamant, so that it neither would, nor could by any meanes receiue the words of God, by meanes of that ouer much hardning. The matching together of contraries lieth in the descriptiō of that word which they despised. For it was the word of almighty God reuealed by his spirit, and so consequently ma∣kinge

for their saluation: and by the ministery of the prophets, not of any men whatsoeuer, but of most choice and approoued instru∣ments of God was the same word shewed & deliuered vnto them. Now euery one of these things seuerally, much more all of them ioyntly do increase this rebellion of the Iewes, or of men, and their contempt or despising of God.* 1.2 The rebellion of men being set downe, now followeth their punishment, that is to say, the iudge∣ment of God against them, and the same most iust, and also most greevous. And as against such kinde of men, the anger of God goeth before, and then followeth the punishment and paine: so is both of them in this place orderly described. The wrath of God therefore was iustly against so stifnecked disobedience, yea and that great wrath, the which appeared by the effects, that is the punishment, which followed. And by the proportion of the rebellion it ought to be great, that the punishment might be equal and aunswerable vnto the fault.

Notes

• * 1.1

  4. They made their heart as hard as an a∣damant.
• * 1.2

  The punish∣ment of their rebellion.