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. 6.

At the same day saith the Lord, will I gather her that hal∣teth, and I will gather her that is cast out, and her that I haue af∣flicted.

* 1.1AN explanation, or making of the matter more plaine, the which by the reckoning vp of the partes, sheweth that which ver. 4. was said before, to wit that the estate of the church should be hap∣pie, and that it should be restored at the comming of Christ, and by the preaching of the gospell. But here are three things reckoned vp, the which how far past recouerie soeuer the state of the church might seeme to be in affliction or trouble, doe shew notwithstan∣ding that the renuing of it, & the restoring of it vnto the old estate, shall be easie. The first is, that looke what things were in it before maymed, out of ioynt, weake, torne and lame,* 1.2 the same shall bee restored, gathered together, be healed, and shall not perish, nay they shall abide and remaine found and strong. And therefore they pray Isai. 35. vers. 3. Strengthen the weake hands, and comfort

the feeble knees. And cap. 66. vers. 20. And they shall bring all your brethren for an offring vnto the Lord out of all nations, vpon horses, and in chariots, and in horse litters, and vpon mules and swift beastes, to Ierusalem mine holy mountaine, saith the Lord, &c. This hath Christ performed, first bodily, then spiritually, healing all, whosoeuerby fayth came vnto him Mat. 8 vers. 16.17: where it plainly appea∣reth that he healed all that came vnto him, in these words. When the eeuen was come, they brought vnto him many that were possessed with deuils, and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sicke, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaias the pro∣phet: He tooke our infirmities and bare our sicknesses. And cap. 9. vers. 35. we read how by preaching he cured their soules, and by working of miracles healed their bodies: for thus he writeth: And Iesus went about all cities and townes, teaching in their sinagogues, and preaching the gospell of the kingdome, and healing euerie sickenesse and euery disease among the people. The second thing is, that he shall gather together into one,* 1.3 those that are cast out, and his that are scattered abroade, from whence afterward shall arise a greatnati∣on, and not one, but many nations. So is it said Psalm. 107. ver. 2.3. Let them which haue been redeemed of the Lord shew how he hath de∣liuered them from the hand of the oppressor, and gathered them out of the lands, from the East, and from the West, from the North, and from the South. So then there shall not onely some few remaine, which shall bee healed, but also they shall make a most strong bodie of a people. The which came to passe, both when they returned from Babylon Esd. 2. and also when as the Gentiles came vnto the church of God through the preaching of the gospell, the which may also be gathered out of the reuelation of S. Iohn cap. 7. vers. 9, where he saith: After these things I beheld, and lo, a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the lamb, clothed with long white robes, and palmes in their hands.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A making of that more plaine, the which was spo∣ken ver. 4. Three things prouing the restoring of the church to be easie.
• * 1.2

  1. All imperfecti∣ons shall be cu∣red.
• * 1.3

  1 The scattered shall be gathe∣red into one.