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. 13.

For lo, he that formeth the mountaines, and createth the wind, and declareth vnto man what is his thought: which maketh the morning darknes, and walketh vpon the hie places of the earth, the Lord God of hosts is his name.

* 1.1THe garnishing, or rendring of a reason of the former exhorta∣tion, least that the Israelites should either but coldly be moued at the same, such was the hardinesse of these men: or should heare it sleightly, as if God were not so greatly to bee feared, such was forsooth the pride of these men, and their confidence or trust in the helpe of men. Therefore here is shewed by a description of the maiestie of God himselfe, how he is both to be giuen eare vnto, and also to be feared. So Paul 1. Tim. 1. ver. 17. when as he sayth (Now vnto the King euer lasting, immortall, inuisible, vnto God onely wise, be honor and glorie for euer and euer, Amen) by shewing that glorie is due vnto God, he doth paint forth before our eyes the maiestie of God in liuely colours, because of our dulnes, who in our minds doe not conceiue it to be such, and so great. Now this the most sacred maiestie of God is in this place layd forth vnto vs by diuers effects indeed of his power, but not by all: yet especially by his name it selfe, whereby the true God is called the God of hosts. And so is he in like maner described Psal. 68. ver. 4. by his name, in these words: Sing vnto God, and sing prayses vnto his name: exalt him that rideth vpon the heauens, in his name (Iah) and reioyce before him. For names are not without cause giuen vnto God, nor in vaine. But the effects whereby the maiestie of GOD in this place is described, are here

reckoned vp to be fiue, takē partly from the first creation of things: and partly from the ordering and gouerning of them alreadie crea∣ted, * 1.2 and the same most free and mightie, that is, according vnto his owne will, pleasure and power, without the controlement of any. Vnto the creation of things it perteineth, for that GOD is called both the former of the mountaines,* 1.3 and the creator of the windes. So Psal. 104. ver. 4.8. the making of the windes and mountaines is at∣tributed vnto God: the windes where he sayth: He maketh the spi∣rits his messengers,* 1.4 (for by spirits he vnderstandeth the windes) and a flaming fire his ministers. The mountaines, in these words: And the mountaines ascend, and the valleyes descend to the place, which thou hast established for them. And 3. Iohn. ver. 8. Christ vnto Nicodemus speaketh of the winde as directed to blow when and where GOD will, saying: The winde bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it commeth, and whither it go∣eth.* 1.5 To the ordering and gouerning of the things created belon∣geth, that the same God is sayd to be the knower of the thought of man, nay the iudger thereof, yea and of man himselfe also: for God knoweth vs better then wee doe our selues. And therefore Paul to shewe that there is nothing so secret or deepe, but that the spirit of God doth pierce and sound the same, and so consequently know∣eth the very innermost thoughts of men, sayth Cor. cap. 2. ver. 1••. The spirit searcheth all things, yea the deepe things of God. And Ioh. 3. ver. 20. Christ in that his long conference with Nicodemus, teach∣eth, that euery man that euill doth, hateth the light, neither commeth to light, lest his deedes should be reproued. By the which he sheweth, that as by the light of the Sunne men their actions are in such for manifested, as all men may discerne of them, being done in the same: so much more Iesus Christ, who in that which goeth imme∣diatly before calleth himselfe the true light, doth looke into the darkest corners of the hearts of men, and doth discouer and reproue the same. * 1.6 So doth it in like manner appertaine vnto the ordering and gouernment of things created, that God is sayd by the Prophet in this verse, when it pleaseth him to make darke the very light of the Sunne, and the morning, and in steed of the day to make dark∣nesse. So God by the hand of Moses maketh thicke darknesse in E∣gypt for three dayes together, as it is in Exod. cap. 10. ver. 22. The Moses stretched out his hand toward heauen, and there was a black•• darknesse in all the land of Egypt three dayes. And when Christ suf∣fered, God caused on the sudden that there was a darknesse ouer

all the land of Iewrie for a certaine space, as Matth. cap. 27. ver. 45. doth witnesse saying: Now there was a darknesse ouer all the land from the sixt houre vnto the ninth houre. Lastly, in that God is sayd, * 1.7 To wake vpon the high places of the earth, this also appertaineth thereunto, namely, to declare the absolute, meere and alone power of God in the gouernment of the world, that we might vnderstand that nothing is able to withstand his will.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A reason of the former ex∣hortation.
• * 1.2

  Fiue effects of the maiestie of God.
• * 1.3

  1 He formeth the mountains.
• * 1.4

  2. He createth the wind.
• * 1.5

  3. He knoweth the thoughts.
• * 1.6

  4. He maketh light darknes.
• * 1.7

  3. He walketh vpon the hi•• places of the earth.