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. 18.

Wo vnto you that desire the day of the Lord: what haue y•••• to doe with it? The day of the Lord is darknes, and not light.

* 1.1A Sharpe rebuking of those, who after so many and so earnest ad∣monitions or warnings, were not moued with the threatnings of God, nor did tremble at them: who through a certaine brutish carelesnes being senseles, or waxen fierce through the contempt of God, wished to see those iudgements of God, that is to say, they did despise them. It appeareth by many places that the hypocrites of this nation wanted not their exceptions against the threatning•• of the Prophets: as namely, that they were Israelites, and so conse∣quently the seede of Abraham, and blessed of God: that they were circumcised, and therefore in the couenant of God: that they had the Temple of God, the which last exception was peculiar and pro∣per vnto the kingdome of Iudah: and not vnto the kingdome••

Israel also. This exception therefore of the hypocrites, the Prophet refuteth or ouerthroweth two wayes. First, by this reprehension (wo.) For this reprehension teacheth that they are farre and wide deceiued, which sayd these things. For circumcision which is out∣ward, or he which is a Iew outwardly, is not the seede of Abraham, or true circumcision, or a Iew indeed, or the sonne of Abraham. So Paul. 2. Col. 4. ver. 11. teacheth, that the inward circumcision is the true circumcision, speaking of the faithfull among them, and say∣ing: Inwhom (meaning in Christ) also ye are circumcised with cir∣cumcision made without hands, by putting off the sinful bodie of the flesh, through the circumcision of Christ. And to the Rom. cap. 2. ver. 28. he sayth: He is not a Iew, which is one outward, neither is that cir∣cumcision, which is outward in the flesh. And Rom. 9. ver. 7. They are not (sayth he) all children, because they are the seede of Abraham. Therefore by this answer they shal seeke vnto themselues destruc∣tion, and not helpe or ayd at all. For this wo is threatned vnto them in the name of God, that is, there is threatned vnto them a curse, & anger, and punishment. Secondly, the Prophet refuteth them by the description of the Day of the Lord, that is of Iudgement (the which these boasted that they would haue, & wished for to come) the which sheweth most heauie destruction to fall vpon them. For this day, although it be the comming and day of the Lord, yet shall it be vnto them not a day of light, but of darknes. So the Prophet Zephaniah cap. 1. ver. 15. sayth: That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and heauines, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of ob∣scuritie and darknes, a day of cloudes and blacknes. And the Prophet Isai. cap. 5. ver. 19. pronounceth a woe against them that, after this mocking manner of the Israelites in this place, wish for the proofe and experience of the Lord his worke and counsel, saying: Let him make speede: let him hasten his worke that we may see it: and let the counsell of the holie one of Israel draw neere, and come, that we may know it. The day of the Lord is indeed light in it selfe: but vnto those hypocrites it shall not be light.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A sharpe re∣prouing of those which were not mo∣ued with the threatnings of God, against the which they had many ex∣ceptions.