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. 7.

But they like men haue transgressed the couenant: there haue they trespassed against me.

* 1.1AN Antithesis, or setting downe the contrarie vnto that which went before, wherby God sheweth, and opposeth, or matcheth the stubborne and most shamefull disobedience of the Israelites a∣gainst his diligence, in prescribing or setting down of holie and ho∣nest things vnto them. For this all care, and doctrine of GOD in teaching of them, did them no good at all: nay, they stoutly despi∣sed it, and treacherously brake the couenant of God. There is a like place, and setting downe of the contrarie vnto that which God re∣quired at their hands Psal. 81. ver. 10, 11. expressed in these words: I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt: o∣pen thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people would not heare my voyce, and Israel would none of me. and so forth.

* 1.2This verse containeth two things. One, to wit, the contempt it selfe of God and his couenant shewed by the Israelites. The other, the maner, or the amplification of this contempt.* 1.3 As touching the contempt, these men transgressed the law of GOD, whereof hath been spoken before. And this his law hath God set downe & made as the marke and rule of all our actions, [unspec 1] without or beyond the cō∣passe whereof if any man raunge, he no doubt goeth awrie, and out of the way. Furthermore, he calleth this law a Couenant, because that by the comming in of this law, God and the people conditio∣ned and couenanted to and fro, or each with other, touching a cer∣taine

mutuall and perpetuall priuiledge and couenant betweene themselues, Exod. 20. Deut. 6. Rom. 9. ver. 4. Ephe. 2. ver. 12. And the people for their part couenanted to obey God: and God for his part conditioned to shewe himselfe a father of this people, by how much the more shamefull on their behalfe the breach of his law ap∣peareth for to be.

[unspec 2] The amplification of this contempt is herein, for that the Israe∣lites are sayd first, to haue transgressed and despised this couenant of God so contemptuously and reachelously, as if this couenant of God had been the couenant and condition of some vaine and mor∣tall baggage fellow, or some weake person of no request & regard. Secondly there is added, that they did this selfe same thing trea∣cherously, and against their expresse promise, and faith giuen vnto God.* 1.4 For so doth the Hebrew word signifie. And therefore this sinne and rebellion is the greater.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An antithesis, or setting down the contrarie vnto that which went before.
• * 1.2

  1. The contempt of God.
• * 1.3

  2. The maner of the same.
• * 1.4

  Bagedu.