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.

The breaker vp shall come vp before them: they shall breake out and passe by the gate, and goe out by it, and their King shall be before them, and the Lord shall be vpon their heads.

* 1.1NOw in this verse the great miserie and most heauy plight of the ouerthrow and destruction of the same people is liuely de∣scribed, as it were by a certaine laying of it open vnto the eye to be seene: namely, that both they with so many their miseries to come might be moured and repent: and we also which reade these things by this description or table of the iudgement of God against the rebels and vngodly and wicked men, might be afraide on our own behalfe, and therefore liue holilie and iustly:* 1.2 but the description of this miserie seemoth to containe these foure things. First, the as∣sault & breaking in of their enemies vpon thē. For their enemies are said that they shall be breakers vp:* 1.3 for they shal not vse the Israelites whom they shall take, gently and courteously, but sharpely, they shall handle them hardly and cruelly, and shall leade them away, as those sometimes leade a way vnto their quarries and mine pits such as were condemned to digge mettals. For the enemies as they goe shall breake vp all things before the Israelites, to shew the fu∣riousnes of their mindes, and their anger against them, the which is a most miserable thing vnto them that are nowe captiues,* 1.4 and bringeth great trembling and feare. Secondly, these enemies are sayd that they shall march or goe before the Israelites, and lead them through the middest of the ruine of their cities, to wit, in de∣spight and contempt, and to increase and adde sorrow vnto them afflicted or troubled already. Therfore both the enemies thēselues

shall passe through the gates of the cities, cast downe and broken by them, and also shall leade the captiue Israelites in spite of their teeth by the rubbish of them, miserable and lamentable to behold. This may be the first sense or meaning: or also that the multitude of the captiue Israelites may be shewed,* 1.5 the Prophet sayd that it shall come to passe, that the gates of their cities shall bee bro∣ken downe because it would be too tedious or troublesome and long to leade them through the gates by couples, and two by two: Therefore that they may go gathered together, and by heapes and companies, the gates shall be throwne downe, and these poore mi∣serable Israelites shall follow their enemies going before them, as the flocke or heard followeth Polyphemus and their hangman. Thirdly,* 1.6 their King also is said that he shall bee among them cap∣tiue, and after the manner and shew of a triumph (the which by the enemies shall be made of them) to be shewed first of all, and to be led loden with chaynes and irons among the other captiues. The which sight and shewe of captiuitie is no doubt most pitiful, to wit, when as not onely the people, but also the king himselfe, and the princes are seene to be in the same miserie, yea and that formost,* 1.7 and put vnto vile shame and reproch. Fourthly, it is ad∣ded, God himselfe shall goe before, as the Captaine of the enemies band, as Abd. cap. 1. namely, that both the Israelites and also other men may vnderstand, that these things came to passe worthily for their sinnes, and that they are the vengeance of God iustly angry against them, from the which they cannot now deliuer themselues, when as God fauoureth their enemies, and in his anger hath forsa∣ken them. These questionles are fearefull things, and to be trem∣bled at, the which ought to breede in our mindes a wonderfull and fearefull conceiuing of the iudgements of God: and so consequent∣ly to call vs backe by times, from all kinde of wickednes, least wee fall into the same euils or punishments. That which the Christian captiues at this day haue experience of vnder the Turkes, as for ex∣ample the Hungarians.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The great mi∣serie of the ru∣ine & destru∣ction of this people.
• * 1.2

  The descriptiō of their miserie containeth soure things.
• * 1.3

  1 The breaking in of their ene∣mies.
• * 1.4

  2 They shall goe before thē, and leade them through the midst of the ruines of their cities.
• * 1.5

  Another mea∣ning of this place.
• * 1.6

  3. The king of the Israelites shall be among them
• * 1.7

  4 God himselfe shall goe before them, as Cap∣taine of their enemies band.