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.

And thou Beth-leem Ephrathah art little to bee among the thousands of Iudah, yet out of thee shall he come foorth vnto me, that shall be the ruler in Israel: whose goings forth haue been from the beginning, and from euerlasting.

A Comfort, or an answer, lest the miserie and punishment descri∣bed in the verse before,* 1.1 might seeme to remoue and take away the deliuerance of the Church: for it shall not be able to doe it. For there shall arise vp a Captain and deliuerer vnto Israel, out of a most small towne (if ye consider it as it was in the time of the Prophet) to wit, out of Beth-lehem, which shall deliuer the Church out of these miseries, namely, that same euerlasting vnconquerable Cap∣taine of his Church, appoynted of God vnto this purpose from e∣uerlasting, he, I say, shall arise and bee borne out of that towne. Wherefore here also are two things to bee considered. The one, what God promiseth:* 1.2 the other, in what phrase and maner of spea∣king. He promiseth that there shall come a Captaine vnto his Church,* 1.3 and such a one as hath bin appoynted vnto the same long

sithence, my one that is from euerlasting, who shall deliuer the same. And he addeth the place also from whence he shall come, to wit Beth-leem Ephratah, that is, which is in the tribe of Iudah. Neither ought the sight and condition of the place, as it then was, to terrifie or dismay them. It was in deed a small towne at that time, among the Captaines, tribes, and other townes and cities of Iudah: neuertheles notwithstanding out of it shall that same Cap∣taine which shall be the deliuerer of the people, be borne Mat. 2. ver. 4.5 6. Where the chiefe Priests and Scribes of the people assem∣bled by Herod, and demaunded of the place of the birth of Christ, make answer, that it should be in Beth-leem. And for proofe thereof doe cite this place of our Prophet. For so doe the counsels of God dif∣fer from the counsels of men, and God choseth those things which are abiect or base and of small accountes among men. For as hee teacheth vs by his Prophet Esai, cap. 55. ver. 8. His thoughts are not our thoughtes, neither are our waies his waies.

* 1.4Furthermore in this place is set forth the foundation and ground of all the promises of God towards his church, to wit Christ. For in him, as Paul witnesseth 2. Cor. 1. vers. 20. All the promises of God are yea, and are in him Amen, vnto the glory of God through vs: who hath deliuered his church, by whose Spirit they were strengthened, who both before these times, and also afterwards deliuered the same, as in times past the Iudges and Kings: and after the captiui∣tie of Babylon Zorobabell, Iesuah, the Machabees. Finally this selfe same is from euerlasting, both in that he is equall vnto his fa∣ther, and also in that he is appoynted the mediator and head of his church. And thus much of the matter or thing it selfe.

* 1.5As for the phrase, or maner and kind of speaking, it is an Apo∣strophe, or turning of speech, wherewith by way of contrarietie GOD in the person of the Bethleemites doth especiallie stir vp, and comfort those that are his, matching that contemned village against the great troupes and bands of strong and mightie enemies mentioned before, and their deliuerance through the meanes of that eternall Sauiour, and consequently in their persons ministring comfort and hope of like help vnto his poore afflicted Church in all ages. And therefore I reade and translate this sentence by the aduersatiue coniunction (But) after this maner, But thou Beth-leem Ephrathah art little, &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A comfort for the godly.
• * 1.2

  1 What God promiseth.
• * 1.3

  2. In what ma∣ner of speaking.
• * 1.4

  Christ the foundation of all the promises of God toward his church.
• * 1.5

  2 What the fi∣gure Apostro∣phe is, see Amos cap. 8. vers. 4.