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. 5.

And he shall be our peace, when Asshur shall come into our land: When he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we rayse a∣gainst him seuen shepherdes, and eight principall men.

ANother confirmation of the former comfort, the which is taken from the remouing or keeping vnder of the enemies,* 1.1 by the which the Church was troubled before. In the which selfesame there is secretly made an answer vnto an obiection and doubt of the church demanding, whether then also, that is, after that this Captaine shall come, shee should haue peace, in as much as there should neuer be Assyrians wanting, that is, most wicked and noy∣some enemies vnto the Church. The Prophet maketh answer, that the Church shall then haue peace, and that the Assyrians, that is, these enemies shall be vnder the power of this Captaine, whom be∣ing quiet hee shall quietly gouerne and keepe vnder: but those which shall rebell and resist, hee shall bring downe and correct by force, and by the sword, that they shall not be able to hurt. So hath been shewed before cap. 4. And so Act. 9. ver. 31. Luke maketh mention, That the churches had rest through all Iudea, and Galile, and Samaria. And Paul Rom. 16. ver. 20. comforteth the faithfull with this, That the God of peace shall short lie treade downe Sathan vnder their feete. And 2. Cor. 10. ver. 4. hee sheweth That the wea∣pons of their warfare are not carnall, but mightie through God, to cast downe holdes.

This verse hath a promise of peace, and the most milde and gen∣tle gouerning of those (who when as they were before the enemies of Christ,* 1.2 yet notwithstanding they shal afterward yeeld ouer thē∣selues

vnto him to be gouerned quietly.)* 1.3 Therefore after the Assi∣rians shall haue spoyled the holy land, yet shall they neuertheles be subiect vnto God, and Christ his captaine, the keeper and Sauiour of that land and of his church. And he shall gouerne them, setting ouer them seuen or eight, that is, a very few rulers: namely so easie shall they shew themselues to be taught by the Spirit of God, and so obedient, and those rulers shall also bee taken from out of the people and common sort of men, such as are for the most part and haue been the preachers of the gospell, by whom God hath ouer∣come and conuerted vnto him those which were before his most cruell enemies, to wit, by the preaching of the gospell. Thus then shall these at the first in deede bee his enemies, but then conuerted vnto Christ, they shall, I say, be so gentle, that is, so easie and ready to obey: and so fearing God, that they shall not despise the base flock of those (by whome through the guidance of Christ, they shall bee trulie fed and gouerned) nor disdaine them for their Pa∣stors and Shepheards. See Isai. cap. 11.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An other con∣firmation of the former comfort.
• * 1.2

  1. A promise of peace.
• * 1.3

  2. The mild go∣uerning of those which some∣times were the enemies of Christ.