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. 2.

Ephraim is fed with the winde, and followeth after the East winde: he increaseth daylie lies and destruction, and they doe make a couenant with Asshur, and oyle is carried into Egypt.

* 1.1THe second amplification of this departure and falling away of the Israelites, taken from the most lamentable issue and effect insuing thereupon, among themselues first, and secondly among the Iewes their neighbours, and imitating or following their sins. And first of all among the Israelites themselues this was a double effect of their departure from the worship of God, and kingdome

of Iudah,* 1.2 namely, for that feeding themselues with those their vaine deuises they do multiplie, and daylie more and more increase both their lies, and also their miserie and destruction: and second∣ly for that hauing now manifestly shaken off the helpe of God vt∣terly,* 1.3 they doe seeke the leagues of people that are infidels, as of the Assyrians and Egyptians, vnto whome they bring most large and precious giftes Ezech. 16. Thus the sinne of Idolatry in especial, neuer standeth and stayeth in that first degree, where it first began•• but dayly groweth and increaseth, vntill that in the ende it lead 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wholly from God, & vtterly destroy vs. And this is the cause of the growing of it from worse to worse, for that men do feed themselues with the wind, that is to say, do please & like themselues in their for∣ged superstitions, and doe thinke the same to be a most safe de∣fence against the threatnings of God the which are extant in his word against idolators. Therefore whatsoeuer men forge and de∣uise in the worshipping of GOD, the same doth the Prophet call The winde, and the East winde, that is to say, a most pestilent and most hurtfull, and vaine inuention. From that fountaine doe day∣ly spring greater and greater euils and sinnes. For deceits and lies doe increase daylie both toward God and also toward men. For after that the feare of the true God is taken away from men, there is now no conscience, as Varro also affirmeth. Surely so that hypo∣crites may beguile men only, they haue no regarde at all of God, whome they doe not truely know any longer after they haue once cast away his true worship and word. But as they multiplie lies: so doe they also their owne destruction and miserie: for according vnto the greatnes of their sinnes, so also doe the iudgements of God therein become the sharper, and are multiplied. Finally in the end they growe to this passe, that these idolators doe trust in men, and not any longer in God, seeke the helpe of then, and not of God: and procure the same vnto themselues as things profita∣ble for themselues, with great summes of money, and paying well for them notwithstanding. And so did the Israelites 2. King. 15. vers. 19. Then Pul the sonne of Asshur came agaynst the land, and Menahem gaue Pul a thousand talents of siluer,* 1.4 that his hand might be with him, and establish the kingdome in his hand. So doth Achaz king of Iudah: and experience it selfe teacheth this to be true in o∣ther Princes at this day.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The second am¦plification of the falling a∣way of the Is∣raelites.
• * 1.2

  1. They multiply their lyes.
• * 1.3

  2 Forsaking God, they buy the help of Infidels, and that most deerely.
• * 1.4

  Menahem re∣deemeth peace at the hand of the king of the Assyrians at a great price, to wit, 2. hundred thousand poūd at the least.