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. 13.

Woe vnto them: for they haue fled away from me: destruc∣tion shall be vpon them, because they haue transgressed against me: though I haue redeemed them, yet haue they spoken lyes against me.

* 1.1A Reprehension: for God doth most sharply inueigh against the Israelites, because that they haue both departed from him, and when as they fained that they would returne vnto him, that was done wholly in great hypocrisie and dissimulation of minde.* 1.2 Here therefore are three things to be noted: A most grieuous kind of re∣prehension or reprouing, the which this word (woe) declareth.* 1.3 The punishment threatned vnto them by this (woe) namely, vastation, that is to say, laying of them waste,* 1.4 and destruction of the whole countrie. The cause of this punishment, the which is here alleaged to be three-fold. One, for that they were manifestly departed from the lawe and worship of the true God,* 1.5 and had forged vnto them∣selues other gods, and worshipped them: moreouer they had fol∣lowed another rule of life, then the law of God giuen them by Mo∣ses. And the Prophet vseth such an Hebrew word, the which shew∣eth the singular in constantnesse or vnstedfastnesse of this people a∣gainst God.* 1.6 For suddenly and for a most light cause fell they away from God through their idolatries. This is one cause. Another cause is, because that they dealt vnfaithfully besides the couenant, name∣ly, made and set downe betweene God and them,* 1.7 I will be thy God, and thou shalt be my people. And of this couenant renued more fullie to the faithfull in Christ Peter maketh mētion, to put them in mind that in life and conuersation they be answerable thereunto Epist. 1. cap. 2. ver. 9. where he sayth: But ye are a chosen generation, a royall Priesthood, an holie nation, a peculiar people, that ye should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknes into his meruai∣lous light. The third cause,* 1.8 for that when as they called vpon God in their afflictions, or troubles, and God deliuered them, and redee∣med

them from their enemies, they did this dissemblingly, and ly∣ing vnto God. For they fayned and made as if they worshipped the true God, when as notwithstanding they did nothing from their heart, and in true godlines and faith. Conferre with this place that of the Psalm. 78. vers. 36. where, after that Dauid had shewed before, that their fathers in their afflictions called vppon God, and sought him early, and acknowledged him to bee their strēgtth & their redeemer, he addeth: but they flattered him with their mouth, and dissembled with him with their gongue. But God, as Pla∣to sayth, is not a Sophister, neither is mocked, nor will be mocked, as Paul also telleth the Galathians cap. 6. ver. 7. where he sayth vn∣to them: Be ye not deceiued: God is not mocked: for whatsoeuer a man soweth, that shall he also reape.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A reprehensiō.
• * 1.2

  Three things to be noted.
• * 1.3

  1. A grieueus re∣buke.
• * 1.4

  2. The punishmēt threatned thereby.
• * 1.5

  3. A three-fold cause of the same.
• * 1.6

  1. Their falling away from the law of God. Nadedu.
• * 1.7

  2. Their breaking of the couenant betweene God and them.
• * 1.8

  3. They lyed and dissembled with God, whē in their trou∣bles they called vpon him.