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. 13

And rent your heart, and not your clothes: and turne vnto the Lord your God: for he is gratious and mercifull, slow to anger, and of great kindnesse, and repenteth him of the euill.

* 1.1A Laying open of the former matter more plainly which shew∣eth the chiefest part of repentance, and teacheth the same to be inward that is, to be placed in the inward feeling and lothing of a man his sinnes: and not in a certaine outward renting of clothes: such as was indeed wont to be vsed of the Iewes in great mourning: but feynedlie and hypocriticallie many times: and when as they did signifie that they did greatlie detest or loth any thing So Iob expresseth his sorrow cap. 1. ver. 2. where it is said, that he arose and rent his garments, and shaued his head, and fell downe vpon the ground and worshipped. And Mat. 26. ver. 65. The high priest renteth his clothes pretending in hypocrisie great sorrow, for that Christ (as he blasphemously charged him,) had blasphe∣med.

* 1.2This verse hath two partes. First a description of this inward repentance, by way of contraries matching it with the false. For in the false the heart is not inwardly rent before God,* 1.3 but the garments are torne outwardlie, onelie before men But in the inward repentance, the heart especially is humbled vnto God, and broken before him, that is, is pressed, troubled, and afflicted of our selues, with great sorow, the which we conceiue for the sinnes, the which we haue committed. So Paul 2. Cor. cap. 7. ver. 11. attributeth vnto true and inward repentance these effects, Care, indignation, punishment. And Dauid Psal 51. ver. 3. sayth: I know mine iniquities, and my sinne is euer before me.* 1.4 The second part of this verse, sheweth the foundation or ground of true re∣pentance, that is, both of our feeling, or sorow: and also of our true turning vnto God. And this is true fayth, whereby we do ac∣knowledge God to be our father in Christ. Otherwise we should be lost through despaire, neither would we euer returne vnto God, when as we feele our sinnes to be so grieuous against him: But (like vnto runne away seruants, which looke for no hope of pardon at the hands of their maisters,) we would quite and cleane and euery day depart alwaies further from him, and would neuer turne or flee vnto him. This appeareth by the true patterns and examples of repentance, as of Dauid, who that he might earnest∣lie

repent, doth set before himselfe the mercie of God, that is, his fatherlie mind toward him, Psal 51. and of Peter also, who re∣membring the saying of Christ, wept bitterlie Mat. 26. ver. 75. For then the feeling of the good will of Christ did strike the heart of Peter. Lastlie the parable of the prodigall sonne Lu. 15. ver. 18.21. So then fayth, which layeth hold vpon, and setteth before vs this mercie of God in Christ towards vs, doth also bring vs vnto God, whom we haue offended. For it teacheth, what, and after what manner of sort the minde of God is toward vs pecu∣liarlie, by the meanes of his couenant: and consequentlie assureth vs that God will be fauorable vnto vs, that is, easie and readie to pardon our sinnes. For through Christ he is mercifull, long suffe∣ring, rich in kindnesse towards those that are his, whom according vnto his couenant he hath adopted or chosen for his sonnes. Fi∣nallie, who also doth often call backe againe the sentence of his iudgement,* 1.5 when as it hath been giuen against those that are his, namelie, because it was not giuen as of his decree, and vnspeake∣able purpose, but onely of a minde to threaten them, that by this meanes he might make them afrayde. So to the Niniuites, so to King Ezechias death is threatned.

Furthermore, the word repenting is sayde of God by an An∣thropopatheia,* 1.6 or attributing vnto God the affections of men, that is, not in respect of God, as if he did alter or chaung his mind and sentence: but onely in respect of vs, who feeling diuers effects of the prouidence of God,* 1.7 doe thinke that God hath altered his sentence, and consequently that he doth repent.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A making more plaine of the inward re∣pentance.
• * 1.2

  Two Partes of this verse.
• * 1.3

  1. A description of inward re∣pentance.
• * 1.4

  2. The foundati∣on or ground of true repētance.
• * 1.5

  God sometimes calleth his sen∣tence backe a∣gaine towards those that are his, and when.
• * 1.6

  Repentance how it is attri∣buted vnto God.
• * 1.7

  What Atuhro popatheia is, see Mich. cap. 7. ver. 8.