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.

The iust Lord is in the midst thereof: he will doe none ini∣quitie: euery morning doth he bring his iudgement to light, hee fayleth not: but the wicked will not learne to be ashamed.

* 1.1AN Antithesis, or matching of the contrary vertues in GOD a∣gaynst the former vices in the Priests & other Rulers, the which amplifie••h the causes of the iudgement of God rehearsed before. For against the former vngodlines of all estates, the which is mani∣fest, bee matcheth the manifest iustice of God, the which cannot, especially in his owne people, and in the midst of that citie (the which he hath chosen vnto himselfe, as wherein he dwelleth and liueth, to be holy, and consecrated vnto himself) suffer these sinnes, and leaue them vnpunished, ••east by winking at them, himselfe might seeme to be a companion of wicked persons, and to be de∣lighted with iniquitie as well as they. Wherefore he setteth downe three things, first, the iustice of GOD, when as hee sayth,* 1.2 The iust Lorde. Secondly, the worke and making manifest of the same iu∣stice, the which shall bee done both foorthwith,* 1.3 and also e∣uidently, when as hee sayth, Hee shall bring foorth iudgement into light, and that he will doe it quickly and speedily, Morning, mor∣ning, that is, euery morning. Thirdly,* 1.4 the obstinacie or stub∣bornnesse of the wicked in the meane season. Further, by the waye of confession or yeelding so much vnto them, hee con∣fesseth that GOD is and dwelleth among them, to wit, because

of the Temple, and the rest of the worship and seruice of God, the which by God was deliuered onelie vnto the Iewes (which thing they had as a defence for all their sinnes, and a readie ex∣ception against all the threatnings of the Prophets. But the Pro∣phet turneth backe the selfe same thing vpon their owne heades, when as he teacheth, that God himselfe which dwelleth among them, cannot shew himselfe vnto them to be a partaker of their vyces: nay that he will be a reuenger of the sinnes, which they committed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An amplifica∣tion of the for∣mer vices by setting against them the con∣trary vertues in God.
• * 1.2

  1. The iustice of God.
• * 1.3

  2. The worke of the same.
• * 1.4

  3. The stubborn∣nes of the wic∣ked.