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.

Pleade with your mother: pleade with her: for she is not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wife, neither am I her husband: but let her take away her fornica∣tions out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts.

* 1.1AN admonition, whereby the true Israelites are taught what is their duetie, when as they heare these promises of God, to wit, that they reproue others of their people that are obstinate and stub∣borne for their idolatrie, that they call them back vnto repentance, and finally foretell them of the most heauie iudgement of God a∣gainst them, if they hereafter abstaine not from their receiued ido∣latrie, and the rest of their sinnes. And this admonition hath God set downe, both to shewe that his good will towards them, which are saued out of this whole people which are most corrupt, is alto∣gether free without any their deseruing, and also to make those stubborne Israelites excuseles: in as much as being admonished both by God himselfe, and also by their brethren, that is, men most deare vnto them, yet they repented not, and turned vnto him, which kind of offward and vntoward dealing Christ complaineth of against the Iewes of his time, who could not any way bee with∣drawn from their sinnes, neither by gentle, nor yet by rough admo∣nitions, of whom he sayth Matth. 11. ver. 16. Whereunto shall I liken

this generation? It is like vnto little children, which sit in the markets and call vnto their fellowes, and say: wee haue piped vnto you, and ye haue not daunced, we haue mourned vnto you, & ye haue not lamented.

* 1.2But there are two things especially to be noted in this verse. The one, the kinde of speaking it selfe, the which is most significant by the doubling of the word (pleade ye, pleade ye):* 1.3 and by the often re∣peating of the whoredoms, that is, the idolatries of this people, the which they had both diuers and manifold, and the same such also as they were most dearely in loue withall: which thing the plurall number (fornications) doth declare, and also these words (sight, or face, and breasts) in which parts of their bodie the Israelites are said to haue openly shewed and cherished or sostered that their filthi∣nes, after the maner of desperate and common or shameles strum∣pets, the which doe carrie both in their face, and in their breasts, and bosomes, their paintings, sosse and slabber, & wanton attirements, and artes, wherewith they prouoke and stirre vp men vnto filthie lust, and to lye with them: for they dresse, trimme, attire, and colour and paint both their face, and also most shameles breasts to entice and allure men withall.* 1.4 And these things are to be noted in the kind of speaking. The other poynt to bee here marked containeth the thing or matter it selfe, the which of the godly Israelites is to be told by way of admonition vnto the whole bodie, that is, to the rest of the Israelites, to wit, that they had violated or broken that same ho∣lie couenant or marriage of God with them. And therefore that now they are not the people, wife and spouse of God, by reason of those their most filthie fornications. For that spirituall marriage is broken, and God is not now the husband of this people, because he hath forsaken them, or put them away as it were by diuorcement. For so are sinners to be terrified or feared with the threatnings of the iudgements of God, that they may repent. Conferre and com∣pare with this place other the like in the other Prophets, as first that of Isai cap. 50. ver. 1. in these words: Thus saith the Lord, where is that bill of your mothers diuorcement, whom I haue cast off? Or who is the creditor, vnto whom I sold you? Behold for your iniquities are ye sold, and because of your transgressions is your mother forsaken. Se∣condly, Ierem. 3. ver. 8. where GOD speaketh thus: When I saw, how that by all occasions rebellious Israel hath plaied the harlot, I cast her away, and gaue her a bill of diuorcement: yet her rebellious sister Iudah was not afraid, but she went also and playd the harlot. And third∣ly, almost the whole 16. chapter of Ezechiel.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An admonitiō fer the godlie.
• * 1.2

  In this verse to be noted,
• * 1.3

  1. The phrase or kind of spea∣king it selfe.
• * 1.4

  2. The matter it se••fe.