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. 11.

Behold, the dayes come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famin in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the word of the Lord.

* 1.1 AN amplification of this punishment described before, by an e∣speciall effect, the which shall follow of the same, namely, That those which shall also be then left in their owne countrey, together with those which shall bee carried away into strange landes, shall want the most true foode and comfort of their soules, that is to say, the preaching of the word of God. And to the end that some weight may be added vnto this threatning, God rehearseth that he himselfe, who threatneth the same, is the Lord of all things, and that same Iehouah the creator of all things, most knowne vnto them.* 1.2 And this verse containeth a description both of the Time and also of the matter. Concerning the time, these wordes, (Beholde, the dayes come) doe declare that it will presently come to passe.* 1.3 For they signifie, that those dayes are by and by at hand. So then the miserie the which is in this verse told of, did both follow after the captiuitie of this nation, and also went before it. For the Israe∣lites wanted also the preaching of the word of God before their exile and captiuitie, and carrying away by the Assyrians.* 1.4 As for the matter then or the effect, it is here set downe to bee horrible and fearefull: The bereauing them of the pure and outward preaching of the word of God, the which the Israelites feeling before hand the euils hanging ouer their heades, or now alreadie suffering them, longed after in vaine, and a little before their captiuitie, and also in their captiuitie.

* 1.5Further, by an argument taken from a comparison, it is shewed, how great a punishment and heauie a judgement of God against men fed before with the word of God, it is to bee left without the pure and outward preaching of his holy word, as it is said Psal. 74. ver. 9. where the faithfull complaine of this great miserie of wan∣ting the foode of the word, saying: Wee see not our signes: there is not one Prophet more, nor any with vs that knoweth how long. First, therefore in this comparing of the foode of the worde with the foode of the bodie, the greatnes of the miserie in wanting the same is declared in this, that it is called (a famin:) Secondly,* 1.6 in that as it is in deed, so it is also said to be greater then the Famin of the bodie, be it neuer so great, that is to say, wherein wee vtterly want both

meate, and also water, hauing not so much as it to quench our thi•••••• withall.* 1.7 These things are of great force against the Schuenfeldians and Anabaptists, which contemne or despise the outward ministe∣rie of the gospell.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An amplifica∣tion of the for∣mer punish∣ment by an e∣speciall effect insuing of the same.
• * 1.2

  Two things in this verse.
• * 1.3

  1. The time of this miserie.
• * 1.4

  2. The matter it selfe.
• * 1.5

  The greatnes of the miserie to want the true preaching of the word shew∣ed by a reason taken from a comparison.
• * 1.6

  1. A famin.
• * 1.7

  Two Sects of Heretakes.