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. 15.

The Lord hath taken away thy iudgements: he hath cast out thine enemie: the King of Israel, euen the Lord is in the midst of thee: thou shalt see no more euill.

* 1.1A Yeelding of a reason. For he bringeth foure causes, why the church of God ought to reioyce after the same maner, as I haue sayd before, all which hang vpon the meere and onely free good will of God towards it: and not vpon the workes of the Church. And the cause which is here first rehearsed, is the foundation and ground of the rest,* 1.2 to wit, forgiuenes or doing away of her sinnes, yea and that of all her sinnes, the which, if it went not before, God would bestow no other benefites vpon vs. And this forgiuenes is the free pardoning of the iudgements, or iust vengeance of God a∣gainst vs, to wit, by reason of the pardoning of all our sinnes for and by Christ, in whom God hath chosen vs before the foundations of the world, that we should be holy and blameles before him in loue, &c. Eph. 1.4. This benefite therefore of forgiuenes is described by the ef∣fects, or consequent, when as the Prophet saith, He hath taken away thy iudgements.* 1.3 The second benefite and gift of God toward his Church, is the deliuerance of her from all forraine enemies, whom God sayth, that he hath dispatched or emptied, or cast out. Where∣fore whether the inward quiet, that is, of conscience: or the out∣ward, from the feare of our enemies, be considered, the Church of God is altogether without danger and happie or blessed. For as it is in Luk. cap. 1. ver. 74. We are deliuered by Christ out of the hands of all our enemies,* 1.4 that we should serue God without feare, all the dayes of our life, in holines and righteousnes before him. The third benefit is, the presence of God himselfe in the midst of it, who doth both go∣uerne and defend it. For albeit that the Lord be euery where, yet is he not in such sort euery where,* 1.5 as he is in the Church. The fourth gift in this place rehearsed, is the perpetuitie or cōtinuance of these benefits: because that the Church shall not any more see, or feele

anie euill, or any miserie: for God shall defend her. All these things cannot be vnderstood except through Christ, of his hea∣uenlie kingdome, and of the state and saftie of the Church vn∣der him, the which doe here, that is to saie, on this earth fall out vnto vs but in part: but fullie and throughlie when as we shall be receiued in heauen So then let vs suppose & thinke the promises of God towardes those that are his to be especiallie heauenlie: and therefore let vs set our minde on lyfe euerlasting, and there looke to inioye them most fullie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Foure causes of the former ioy of the Church.
• * 1.2

  1. Forgiuenes of her sinnes.
• * 1.3

  2. Deliuerance from all her e∣nemies.
• * 1.4

  3. The presence of God in the midst of his Church.
• * 1.5

  4. The perpetui∣tie continu∣ance of these benefits.