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. 9.

Thus sayth the Lord of hostes. Let your hands be strong, ye that heare in these dayes these words by the mouth of the Pro∣phets, which were in the day, that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hostes was layd, that the Temple might be builded.

* 1.1AN exhortation, the which is ioyned vnto the former doctrine, & confirmeth the same by the causes thereof, the which are here alleaged. And he exhorteth them vnto the building of the Tem∣ple, the which was begun before, but yet was afterward left off, be∣cause of the latter decree of Cyrus, and Assuerus: but was taken in hand againe vnder Darius, but yet faintly forwarded by the Iewes, because they preferred the priuate buildings of their owne ho••ses, before the Temple of God, as Aggeus sheweth cap. 1.

* 1.2This verse containeth three things. First of all, the thing it selfe, that is, the summe of the exhortation. And it is, that they would strengthen their handes vnto that building of the Temple of God to be lustilie finished,* 1.3 the which they went slowlie and slacklie about. So Isai vseth the like exhortation, but in an vnlike sence cap. 35. ver. 3. where hee saith, strengthen the weake hands, and comfort the feeble knees. So Hebr 12. ver. 12. Wherefore lift vp your hands which hang downe, and your weake knees. In this exhor∣tation their negligence in the former time is briefelie, but yet sharplie noted and touched. The second thing is,* 1.4 who are in this sort stirred vp vnto this work, to wit those which liued at the selfe same time, and had heard, and yet did heare with their eares the promises of God touching the restoring of the Temple Esdr. 5. For they are worthelie accused of great negligence, as who name∣ly being stirred vp, and admonished by GOD, were not moued therewithall notwithstanding. Againe God would haue these selfe same see the fulfilling of these promises, the which they had heard, that they might learne to trust God, and might bee confir∣med or strengthened against all doubtings. The third thing,* 1.5 hee setteth downe the time, wherein they had ceased, and shewed themselues to bee faint and careles, to wit, not for one yeare or twaine onely, or for some short space: but from that space of time, wherein the temple began to be builded. And this if it bee gathered out of the 3. Esdr. 2. Ioh. and 7. of this prophesie, it shall be found to haue been the time of 44. yeares, in all the which the Iewes were negligent.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An exhortatiō vnto the buil∣ding of the Temple.
• * 1.2

  Three partes of this verse.
• * 1.3

  1. The summe of the exhorta∣tion.
• * 1.4

  2. Who are stir∣red vp vnto this worke.
• * 1.5

  3. The time how long they had left of this worke.