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. 18

How did the beastes mourne? the heards of the Cattell pine away, because they haue no pasture, and the flocks are de∣stroyed.

* 1.1AN amplification of this sharpenes of the iudgement of God against them, for that not onely they which haue sinned, doe beare and feele the same: but also all sortes and kindes of their Cattell, the which afterwardes are comprehended vnder the name of Oxen and Sheepe, by the figure Synecdoche, as which namely are more necessarie for the foode and vse of men, then the other beasts. The reason of the mourning of these beasts is, be∣cause they haue no pasture, for through the ouer great barrennes of that yeare, and because of the extreame drought or heate of the Sunne after those continuall showres, the grasse also was wi∣thered away in the fields, medowes, mountaines, and other pas∣ture places, so that there lacked meate as well for beasts, as for men, and therefore they were comprized vnder the same plague and punishment,* 1.2 albeit themselues had not sinned: but they were punished for the sinnes of men, vnto whom by God they are made subiect, Which creatures after their manner doe grone with the children of God, and trauaile in paine (as Paul speaketh R••. 8. ver. 20. &c.) Wayting when the sonnes of God shall be reueiled. Be∣cause the creat ure also shall be deliuered from the bondage of cor∣ruption into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God. Because the crea∣ture is subiect vnto vanitie, not of it owne will, but by reason of him that hath subbued it (namely God) vnder hope. Wherefore they al∣so did mourne, the which is spoken by an Anthropopatheia, or at∣tributing vnto beasts the affections of men,* 1.3 albeit after a sort by their outward sound or noyse and bellowing they also do wit∣nesse and bewray their want, and their affections among vs. Vn∣der

the name (Behemah) If any man in this place will vnder∣stand the wilde beasts also, I will not be against it: that by this word the wilde beasts may be noted: and by the name of Oxen and Sheepe, the home and tame beasts. Questionlesse it is true, that the wild beasts them selues at that time wanted not their mourning. For they also did lack foode, the which are fed with herbs, as the Hartes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An amplifia∣tion of the se∣ueritie or sharpe••ies of God his iudge∣ment against them. What the fi∣gure Synec∣doche is, see A∣mos cap. 5. v. 2.
• * 1.2

  The brute beastes puni∣shed for the sinnes of men.
• * 1.3

  Anthropopa∣theia what it is, see Mic. cap. 7. ver 8.