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. 7.

Should ye not heare the words, which the Lord hath cryed by the ministerie of the former Prophets, when Ierusalem was inha∣bited, and in prosperitie, and the cities therof round about her, when the South and the plaine was inhabited?

* 1.1AS touching fasts, and other such like outward workes appoyn∣ted by God himselfe, neither are they also of themselues accep∣table vnto God, but those things rather please him, the which by his Prophets he hath alwaies required at the hands of men, yea, and euen at that time, when as they had greatest felicitie or successe of things. God indeed appoynted vnto the Iewes fasts, and other out∣ward rites or customes and fashions, but yet such notwithstanding as wherein he would not haue the chiefest part of his worship and seruice to bee placed consist, nay he gaue those ceremonies as to∣kens, and stirrings of vs forward vnto his inward worship only, the which he alwayes vrged or earnestly called vpon by his Prophets. Wherfore God doth not in this place cal back the Iewes vnto those ceremonies: but vnto those sermons and words, the which by his Prophets he had so often beaten into their heads, and set forth, and openly deliuered, and commanded that they should obserue or

keepe, the which are afterward declared verse 9. and in those that follow. So then the hypocrisie of men, and of the Iewes is shewed, who ouerpassing, nay neglecting and setting nought by the chiefe part of the worship and seruice of God, doe stay in these outward things, as the onely meanes to appease God withall. For these ce∣remonies are not properlie those words, the which God propoun∣ded or set forth by his prophets: but rather those things which fol∣low hereafter, and in the which there appeareth a true testimonie or witnes of godlines or loue. Further it hath an Emphasis or force, whereas God saith, that he cryed and sounded foorth those things, the which hee now also required of them, that both the trueth of God, and the conformitie or agreeablenes of his wor∣ship and seruice might be shewed: and also the care of God with a loude voyce to call them back vnto a better minde. And this al∣so hath a weight and force with it, where as hee saith that hee did the same, when as both the citie did as yet still florish, and all the o∣ther cities neere vnto it, yea and moreouer the whole countrie it selfe, so farre as it reacheth, and is stretched out toward the South both in the mountaines, and in the plaine. For this circumstance of time sheweth the great and daylie care of God for that peo∣ple, that is, those that are his, and also his continuall course and constancie in exacting and requiring still the same kinde of his true and inward worship and seruice. For like as the nature of God is one and the same alwaies: so also his true and inward wor∣ship, is, and hath been alwaies one, and the same.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Fasts and other outward works ordained by God, doe not of themselues please God.