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. 21.

And in that day I will heare, sayth the Lord, I will eue•• heare the heauens, and they shall heare the earth.

* 1.1LIke as in the verses before the Prophet repeated or rehearsed a∣gaine some spirituall blessings, to the end that he might beate them the more and more into our heads, and shewe that they were diligently to be considered and weighed of vs: so doth he here al∣so repeate or rehearse againe, and set downe certaine earthly bene∣fites, both that they might assuredly perswade themselues in the penurie and want of all things, that yet notwithstanding these should come, and that they should be giuen them of God: and al∣so that they might vnderstand by what meanes and after what sort so great store and plentie of good things, as was promised be∣fore ver. 19. might be powred out vpon them. And this selfe same is of force to confirme and strengthen vs also in the promises of God, how greatly soeuer we are to struggle and wrastle with a de∣sperate estate of all things.

* 1.2But here are three things to be noted. The one, the time, (In that day) that is, at that time, in the which God shall gather his Church of the remnants of Israel:* 1.3 and not forthwith, or at such time as they peraduenture might thinke that it should come to passe, the impa∣tiencie of their mindes pressing them.* 1.4 The second, who promiseth these things, that is, Iehouah, that is to say, he that is the true God, true of his word, and almightie, whose will nothing can withstand. The third,* 1.5 what he promiseth, to wit, a most readie and most cer∣taine way, whereby great plentie and store of all things and earthly blessings shall insue and followe. For the Lord God shall heare the heauens, and the heauens the earth: and on the contrary side great scarcitie and want of all things happeneth, when as the heauen is of brasse, and the earth of yron Deut. 28. that is to say, the tempera∣ture and disposition of the heauen is not answerable nor agreeable vnto the earth, that it may bring forth her fruites, and God giueth not the euening and morning rayne Iam. 5. ver. 7. The which the godly husbandman with long patience looketh for at the hands of God. For, Behold (sayth Iames) the husbandman wayteth for the

precious fruite of the earth, and hath long patience for it, vntill he re∣ceiue the former and latter rayne. And so doth Zacharie teach them to begge the same of God for the increasing of the fruites of the earth, cap. 10. ver. 1. saying: Aske you of the Lord rayne in the time of the latter rayne: so shall the Lord make white cloudes, and giue you showres of rayne, and to euery one grasse in the field.* 1.6 But God is sayd (to heare) the heauen, because the heauen after a certaine manner doth pray vnto God, that it may doe his duetie in making of the earth fruitfull, and so the same may bring forth food and sustenance for men. For all creatures after a sort doe feele that they were made for the sake of men: and therefore they doe groane with them, and doe labour and trauaile in the helping of them, according vnto the charge layd vpon them by God, the which their charge that they may fulfill, they are sayd to pray vnto God, and to be heard of him. And touching this poynt, Paul writeth Rom. 8. ver. 22. after this manner. For we know that euery creature groaneth with vs also, and trauaileth in paine together vnto this present.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Why certaine earthly bles∣sings are here againe repea∣ted.
• * 1.2

  Three things to be noted.
• * 1.3

  1. The time.
• * 1.4

  2. Who promi∣seth.
• * 1.5

  3. What he pro∣miseth.
• * 1.6

  How God is sayd to heare the heauen.