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.

Ver. 4.

And he shall stand, & feed in the strength of the Lord, and in the maiestie of the name of the Lord his God, and they shall dwell still: for now shall he be magnified vnto the ends of the world.

* 1.1THe first confirmation of the former comfort, taken from the power and from the person of this Captaine, who is the author thereof. And this power and strength of this promised Captaine, is described three waies, or by three effectes. The first, That he shal stand, that is, shall haue a firme or sure and vnremoueable kingdom and gouernement, and euerlasting authoritie, not momentarie or such as shall continue but for a verie little while, the which shall perish by and by, or may bee ouerthrowen.* 1.2 So then the deliue∣rance of the church shall be firme and sure. The second effect is, That he shall feed, and gouerne and defend his people or church. And that not onely by the strength of man:* 1.3 but also being indued with the strength and power of the true God himselfe, by whom Christ in that he was man, was anointed, that he should feed then, and might feed also now at this day his church most mightily: for Christ shal not feed his church after the common and vsual maner•• but notably aboue and beyond the prophets, and in the excellen∣cie of the name and power of God, the which shall shine foorth in the workes and doctrine of Christ, more then in the ministerie of any Prophet. And therefore is it said of him Iohn 3. ver. 13. That no man ascendeth vp to heauen but he that hath descended from heauen, the Sonne of man, which is in heauen. And ver. 31. He that is come from on hie, is aboue all: he that is of the earth, is of the earth, and speak∣eth of the earth: he that is come from heauen is aboue all. So Mar. 1. ver. 22, it is recorded, That they were astonied at his doctrine. For he taught them, as one that had authoritie, and not as the Scribes. And Heb. 12. vers. 25: See that ye despise not him that speaketh: for if they escaped not which refused him, that spake on earth: much more shall we not escape, if we turne away from him, that speaketh from heauen. And by the word feeding is vnderstood both the gouernment and also the defence of the church, and not onely the instruction or doctrine the which Christ shall deliuer. Moreouer those which vnder Christ do lawfully beare rule in the church, they also haue the same spirit of God, wherewith they are led: but graunted vnto them by Christ

himselfe, and not in the same measure which Christ had it: for (as it is Iohn. 1. vers. 16.) Of his fulnesse all we haue receiued, and grace for grace. The third effect is, The most great fame and name of this Captaine, is here described; the which, because of his sundry works, the which shall be done in his name altogether by the power of God,* 1.4 shall be spred abroad vnto the ends of the world. And there∣fore Act. 1. vers. 8. Christ at his going vp into heauen telleth his disciples, saying: Ye shall receiue power of the holy ghost, when he shall come on you: and ye shall be witnesses vnto me both in Ierusalem, and in all Iudea, and in Samaria, and vnto the vttermost partes of the earth. Whereby appeareth that these effects are properly to be referred vnto the preaching of the gospell, and the fruites of the same.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A confirmatiō of the former comfort by three effects taken from Christ the au∣thor of the same.
• * 1.2

  1. His kingdome shall be vn∣moueable.
• * 1.3

  2. He shall feede and defend his people.
• * 1.4

  His name shall be spred abroad vnto the ends of the world.