the Chaldeans vnto the setting forth giuing of the law of God vnto the people of Israel by Moses in the desert of Sinai This age comprehendeth 430. yeares as the holy Scripture it selfe doth declare Exod. 12. ver 41. Galat. 3. ver 17. This third age had these sixe Prophets well knowne Abraham Isaac Iacob who also is called Israel Ioseph Moses and Aaron as appeareth in Genesis the epistle vnto the Hebrews 11. cap. and infinite other places For whither in the meane season whilst the children of Israel liued vnder the Pharaos in Egypt after the death of Ioseph and before the birth or the wing of Moses there were any other Prophets of God of the Israelites abâ—ding in Egypt the holy Scripture doth no where plainly make any mention And therefore neither wil I affirme the â—ame Further whereas some will haue certaine propheticall writings of Abâ—â—ham the Patriarch to be extant they are childâ—shly â—â—ceiued foolishly setting one of the Rabbines called Abraham in steade of Abraham the Patriarch The 4. age from the Lawe to the buâ—lding of the temple by Salomon 480 yeres had many prophets as The fourth age of the worlde is to be reckoned of vs from the giuing of the Law in Mount Sinai vntill the building of the Temple of God at Ierusalem by Salomon the which falleth into the fourth yeare of Salomon his reigne This age conteineth 480. yeares as appeareth 1. Thing 6. cap ver 1. And in the 480. yeare after the children of Israel came out of the land of Egypt and in the 4. yeare of the reigne of Salomon ouer Israel in the moneth Zif which is the second moneth he built the house of the Lord. This age had store of many godly Prophets Josua Oâ—bora the Prophet 1. Sam. 2. ver 29. Samuel Daviâ— Nathan Gad. as these by the word of God well knowne vnto vs Iosua which succeeded Moses Deborah and a long time after that â—ame man of God seâ—t vnto Eli 1. Sam. 2. ver 27. Samuel David Nathan Gad. But whether those also were Prophets which wrote the books of the warres Num. 21. ver 14. and the booke of Iasher Ios cap. 10. ver 13. Also the bookes of Chronicles of the kingdome of Iuda and Israel whereof mention is often made in the bookes of the Kings is not set downe in the holy Scripture But that Dauid and Nathan and Gad were Prophets of God appeareth 2. Sam. 12. 1. Chron. 29. ver 29. and cap. 21. Besides these if there were any other Prophets in that age their names are not rehearsed For that which is written of Othoniel the Iudge in the third of the Iudges vers 10. and of other Iudges also that the Spirite of God fell vpon them when as they were called of God extraordinarily vnto that office this in my iudgement is not to be vnderstoode of the Spirits of prophesie as if then they became Prophets that is foretellers of things to come such as was Isaias Ieremias and others but it is to be vnderstoode of the spirite of fortitude or strength whereby they might be able boldly and without feare to resist and withstand the enemies of the Church were they neuer so much to be feared Neither are there any prophesies extant of those Iudges who after Iosua gouerned Israel as politique Magistrates in many ages neither are there any of them reckoned at any time among the Prophets but among the Magistrates of Israel Therefore that which is Hebr. cap. 11. ver 32. And what shall I more say For the time would be too short for me to test of Gedeon of Barac of Sampson of Iephthe and Dauid and Samuel and the Prophets doth not prooue those Iudges to be numbred among the Prophets but onely among godly men which by faith serued God For Paul Act. 13. ver 20. calleth them onely Kritas that is Iudges whereas he calleth Samuel who was himselfe a iudge in Israel a prophet also And albeit God Deu. 18.15 promised the Israelites that is his Church that it should come to passe that out of it he would raise vp Prophets euen after that Moses was deade yet was not this rancke and course of Prophets succeeding one an other continuall but oftentimes broken off as I haue said And in deede all the whole time in a manner of the Iudges it seemeth that there were none Few prophets in the time of the Judges or else very few Prophets of God in the Church Therefore 1. Sam. 3. ver 1. vision and prophesie is said to haue bin very rare and fayling in Israel that is in the Church and people of God But after Samuel it began to be both more common and also more knowne Therefore in his time there were many Prophets as appeareth 1. Sam. cap. 9. and 10. whose names notwithstanding the holy Scripture doth not set downe The 5. age froÌ„ the temple vnto the carrying away of the ten tribes by Salmanazar 294 yeares among many other had these prophets Proofe for this former spputation of time The fifth age of the world is from the Temple of God builded at Ierusalem by Salomon King of Iudah vnto the leading and carrying away of the tenne tribes of the kingdome of Israel by Salmanazar King of the Assyrians into Assyria and Mesopotamia that which fell into the eight yeare or there about oâ— die reigne of Ezechias king of Iudah like as the besieging oâ— Samaria by the same Salmanazar happened about the sixth yeare of the reigne of the said Ezechias 2. King cap. 17. ver 6. In thâ— ninth yeare of Hoshea the king of Asshur tooke Samaria and carruâ— Israel away into Asshur And cap. 18. ver 9 10. And in thâ— fourth yeare of king Hezekiah which was the seuenth yeare of Hâ—â—shea sonne of Elah king of Israel Shalmanesar king of Asshur camâ— vp against Samaria and besieged it And after three yeares they toâ—â— it euen in the sixth yeare of Hezekiah that is the ninth yeare of Hesheaking of Israel was Samaria taken This age hath two hundred ninetie foure yeares to wit thirtie sixe of those fourtie yeares in which king Salomon reigned after he had built the Temple of God and two hundred fiftie eight yeares after the setting vp oâ— the kingdome in Israel by Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat that is among the tenne tribes the which fell a way from the kingdome of Iudah by and by after the death or Salomon For so manâ— yeares namely two hundred fiftie eight continued the same kingdome of Israel rent from the kingdome of Iudah Nowe thâ— age had Prophets almost innumerable For there was neuer any age vnder the whole olde Testament more full of them 〈◊〉 more garnished with the gifts of God and prophesies that aâ— well the Iewes as the Israelites might be made inexcusable 〈◊〉 without excuse for the despising of God and his worde Wherefore both of them for this cause afterwarde were very sharpelâ— and iustly punished by God as appeareth 2. King chap.
and also the place where they shall be done The maner of the doing of these things is that God shall break all the strength of this kingdom 1. The maner of doing of these things The figure Synecdoche what it is see Amos cap. 5. vers 21. the which is here signified vnder the name of a bowe one part of the strength in warre being put for all by the figure Synecdoche So Dauid Psal 44. ver 6. when he sayth I doe not trust in my bowe neither can my sworde saue me meaneth that reposed not his confidence in any instruments of warre whatsoeuer but onely in the helpe of the liuing God The place wherein these things shall be done 2. The place wherin these things shal be done is the valley of Iizreel in the which Ioram his companions were slaine For as it is 2. King cap. 8. ver 29. King Ioramwent downe to Izreel to be cured of the wounds which the Syrians had giuen him at Ramah when he fought against Hazael King of Syria And there was slain by Iehu in Izreel where the Israelites shall sustaine a great slaughter of their enemies and Assyrians Vers 6. Shee conceiued yet againe and bare a daughter and God sayd vnto him call her name Lo-ruchamah for I will no more haue pittie vpon the house of Israel but I will vtterly take them away What this daughter betokeneth THe second birth of Gomer is declared And this a daughter that is a woman not a man whose name is expressed and the reason of the name This daughter doth betokeÌ„ the estate of the people of Israel such as it was after the death of this Ieroboam that is to say decayed weake and lying open vnto the strength of the enemie like as a woman is weake and little able to shift for her self And this fell out vnder Phace the sonne of Romelia 2. King 15. ver 29. where is shewed how the King of the Assyrians did vexe and molest them and tooke their cities in these wordes In the dayes of Pekah or Phace King of Israel came Tiglath Pileser King of Asshur and tooke Iion and Abel Beth-maachah and Ionoah and Kedesh and Hazor and Gilead and Galiah and all the lan◠〈◊〉 Naphtali and carryed them away to Asshur Wherefore the abâ—â—ged estate The daughters name Lo-ruchama No pitied and what it signifieth and the weake strength of this kingdome are compâ—â—â— vnto a woman and not to a man And this daughter is called 〈◊〉 ruchamah because that the estate of this people was in such soâ—â— afflicted by God that he would not afterward take any pittiâ— tâ—â—on nor afterwards rayse it vp and restore it albeit they themseâ—â—â— vnder King Oseas neuer so much attempted or assayed to doe 〈◊〉 same Hereof commeth the signification or reason of the 〈◊〉 For this daughter is commaunded so to be called because that 〈◊〉 hereafter would not pittie that is vse mercy towards this peopâ—â— but purposeth and mindeth vtterly to ouerthrow them as it caâ—â— to passe because of their desperate wickednes Vers 7. Yet will I haue mercie vpon the house of Iudah and 〈◊〉 saue them by the Lord their GOD and will not saue then by bowe nor by sworde nor by battell by horses nor by horsemen The figure Hypophora or answering of an obiection that might be made See what Hypophora is Amos cap. 5. ver 21. THis is the figure Hypophora or answering of an obiection thâ—â— might be made wherby God meeteth with a doubt of the godly and doth the more bite and grieue the Israelites And first heâ— dealeth with the question Whether then will God roote out and dâ—stroy al the seede of Abraham and Israel or will hee reserue and saâ—â— some God answereth that he will saue that other kingdome tâ—â— which was called the house of Iudah and was the true and lawâ—â—â— issue of Israel the posteritie of Dauid the very church of GOD where the Temple where the sacrifices ordayned by God and the true doctrine flourished And hee doth bite and grieue the Israelites that whilest they are destroyed their neighbours notwithstaâ—ding and brethren the Iewes and those whome the Israelites 〈◊〉 greatly hated and for their worshipping of the true God laugheâ— to scorne are neuerthelsse saued That which came to passe vndeâ— king Ezechias 1. The cause of the sauing of the Iewes Further both the cause and also the maner of this sauing and deliuering of the Iewes is expressed The cause is The onely mercy of God towards them the which Oseas foretolde before that these rebellious Israelites should be destitute or void of 2. The maner of their deliue â—ance As for the manâ—â— of their deliuerance it is extraordinarie For God at that time will help and saue the kingdome of Iudah by no weapons or horses or bowe battell or other meanes vsed among men in warre but by such a way as is altogether â—xâ—â—aordinary for the Iewes draue away their enemies by the onely inuocation or calling vpon of the name God when as Ieruâ—alem was besieged of Sennacherib and Rapsace 2. King 19. And so doth Dauid giue this glorie vnto GOD Psal 20. that hâ— will giue victory vnto his king neither by chariots nor horses but by his owne strength at the prayer of the faithfull I therefore doe translate this place thus But I will haue mercy on the house of Iudah c. So that by the way of contrariety and by the aduersatiue coniunction but I make this sentence of the sauing of the house of Iudah contrary vnto that which went before of the destruction of the house of Israel Vers 8. Now when she had wayned Lo ruchamah she conceiued and bare a sonne Vers 9. Then sayd God Call his name Lo-ammi for yee are not my people therefore I will not be yours The third birth or childe of Gomer THe third birth of Gomer the which sheweth what shall be the last state of the sayd people of Israel and at such time as they shall be destroyed But this childe was not forthwith and by and by borne but after some space time comming between within the which the daughter was wayned which was borne before him And doubtles this same kingdome of Israell albeit that it were cutte shorter continued yet a little space of time For Phace or Pekah the sonne of Romeleas reigned twenty yeares 2. King 15. ver 27. vnder whome notwithstanding the power and strength of that Kingdome was broken and weakned Three points of the 9. verse But this verse the 9. contayneth three things The sexe of the childe His name And the reason of his name This childe was a man-childe 1. The sexe of the chiâ—de which was a man childe For vnder Oseas the last King of the Israelites the strength of this Kingdome seemed after some sorte to be restored for albeit that they were now vnder the AssyriaÌ„s yet now notwithstanding the estate of that people seemed somewhat tollerable
day he will raise vp the tabernacle of Dauid that is fallen downe and close vp the breaches thereof and that he will raise vp his ruines and build it as in the dayes of old Reade the exposition of that place before 3. What the sitting or remaining of Oseas his spouse vnto him many daies ver 3. before doth signifie The third part of this explanation what the gesture of sitting or the commandement of sitting or abiding ver 3. before doth signifie namely that this kingdome vtterly ouerthrowne shall lye â—s 〈◊〉 were a dead bodie and shall so remaine a very long season For this kingdome shall lye without a king and without their prince as it now appeareth For no man doth now truely know where are those same ten tribes long agoe caried away by the Assyrians and which are their seates or abidings at this day For they haue not iâ— the whole vniuersall world any outward forme of their common weale kingdome or dominion Yet notwithstanding God hath a care of them in the meane season and they remaine as it were seede put into the ground or as a bodie buried to rise againe because of the old and ancient couenant of GOD with them the which in his due time shall shewe forth it selfe and declare and confirme the fulfilling of the things here spoken of But some hold opinion that the Turkes came of those ten tribes the which doe hate most deadlie all kindes of idolatries Vers 5. Afterward shall the children of Israel conuert and seeke the Lord their God and Dauid their king shall feare the Lord and his goodnes in the latter dayes Two parts of this Verse A Comfort the which doth altogether agree with the place of Paul Rom. 11. ver 26. of the generall conuersion of the Iewes But this verse containeth two things 1. A comfort The comfort and the time of the same The time is The ending of dayes the which I vnderstand not only of the time of Christ his being shewed in the flesh 2. The time of the same but also of the very last times and age of the world For then at the last shall all Israel be conuerted vnto Christ by faith in the Gospell to wit when as the fulnes of the Gentiles shall haue entred in For so doth Paul euidently expound this place The comfort The comfort which here is promised briefly is the conuersion of this people so cast off before and so past all hope of recouerie vnto God notwithstanding and their vniting and knitting into the Church They shall then be conuerted to wit vnto God and that by faith of the Gospell concerning Christ whom these shall embrace albeit the Iewes crucified him And further here is declared manifestly who shal be conuerted and after what manner And the children of Israel shall bee conuerted that is those selfe same which being seuered from the kingdome of Iudah were called Israel For Paul saith All Israel and not the Iewes alone shall embrace Christ through the preaching of the Gospell And they shall so repent that first they shall seeke the true God for their God and not straunge gods any more vnto whom they looked before but Iehouah that is the same God that is almightie Secondly the same Israelites shall seeke Dauid their king that is the true Christ of whom Dauid was a figure and the author of the seede For Christ as he is man is of the seede of Dauid In this place therefore Dauid is taken for that same true Dauid that is Christ who was the trueth of that Dauid which was the king and who hath an euerlasting kingdom in the Church of God the which is the house of Dauid And therefore Luk. 2. ver 32.33 the Angell telleth the Virgin Mary That the Lord God shall giue vnto him the throne of Dauid his father and that he shall reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdome shall be none end But these selfe same Israelites had wickedly pulled and rent themselues from the kingdome of Dauid that is from the Church 1. King 12. yet at that time they shall ioyne themselues vnto the Church and that most earnestly Lastly they shall with feare and admiration or wondering at so great a benefit of God towards them turne vnto God For this feare or trembling in this place is nothing else but an admiration that very exceeding at the so great mercy goodnes of God towards them So Ierem. 33. ver 9. God sheweth that he will in such sorte deale for Ierusalem and the captiue Israelites that all that shall heare of it shall feare and tremble for all the goodnes and for all the wealth that he will shew vnto that citie It is not then such a feare and a trembling as shall driue away and fray men from God but such as shall allure and draw men vnto God CAP. 4. Vers 1. Heare the word of the Lord ye children of Israel for the Lord hath a controuersie with the inhabytants of the land because there is no trueth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land Another sermoÌ„ against the people and priests ANother Sermon wherein first the people generally and afterwardes the Priests particularly are condemned of most grieous sinnes and therefore most heauy iudgements of GOD are threatned against them both And this threatning of God is herein this place set after the coÌ„fort going before both lest by means therof vngodly and wicked men should flatter themselues in their sins promise vnto themselues escaping without punishment also that it might be as it were an answering vnto an obiectioÌ„ as namely thus Obiection If God will hereafter acknowledge vs for his why doth he nowe bruise and in a maner kil vs with so many punishments Answere He answereth Because your sins deserueth is froÌ„ the which ye do not at al repent you â— Parts of this verse This verse hath three partes The first contayneth an exhortation to harken vnto the word yea and that of Iehouah that is the true God to the end they may appeare to be the more disobedient and stubborn if they do not now hear it being requested and exhorted thereunto 1. An exhortatioÌ„ Hereby is seene howe great our sluggishnes and sloth is who euen at that time must bee stirred vp and pricked forward to heare when as God himselfe speaâ—eth The second part sheweth who are so earnestly exhorted to heare namely The children of Israel 2. Who are exhorted that is the whole people and not only one part thereof This sluggishnes if it were in the people of God how great may it be noted to be and alwayes to haue beene in other mortall men The third part layeth foorth the matter it selfe 3. Whereunto they are exhorted vnto the hearing whereof both all of vs in generall and euery faythful person particularly ought to giue eare And this is a controuersie and contention of God agaynst all the
with it a great emphasis or vehemencie force because that it is obiected vnto these same people thus honoured and aduanced by God that they had contemned nay cleane forsaken the lawe of GOD and this peculiar couenant The thing it selfe here declared is the iudgement of God against them The thing it selfe which is declared is the iudgement of God against them and the same to come most speedlly and to be executed vpon them most mightily and with inuincible or vnouercomable power So an Eagle excelleth among other foules both in swiftnes and also in strength The reason is added because that this people had denied and forsaken God who was so bounteous towards them had shamefully transgressed and rebelled against him as is afterwards more largely shewed Vers 2. Israel shall crie vnto me My God we know thee Hypophora or the answering of an obiection what it is see Amos cap 3. vers 2. THis is the figure Hypophora or the answering vnto an obiection that might be made wherby he taketh away from themal excuse or hope of auoyding and escaping of this iudgement the which with the verse following is to be read by a Parenthesis which is the inclosing of a sentence within two such halfe circles as this the one at the beginning and the other at the ending of the same thereby signifiyng that if the sentence in such a manner inclosed were left cleane out yet were the sense ful and perfect notwithstanding If then they take exception and say We will crie vnto thee O Lord we haue knowen thee we are thine Israel wherefore these euils shall not touch vs. God answereth They shall indeede crie vnto me they shall say these things vnto me But for all that shall they not escape nor be free from this my iudgement Wherefore God by the figure Mimesis What the figure Mimesis is see Oseas cap 4. vers 18. or imitating and following their speech hath expressed the words and hypocrisie of this people promising vnto themselues deliuerance from the miseries and punishments threatned vnto them But in vaine do we promise vnto our selues deliuerance when God denieth the same Vers 3. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good The enemie shall pursue him The answere to the former obiection with a reason of the same THe answere vnto the obiection of the former verse together with the reason of the same Why those that doe crie vnto God shall neuerthele not be deliuered because al this their crying is hypocritical or dissembled A token whereof and the same most certaine is That this Israel who saith that he knoweth God and confesseth him to be good forsaketh him not withstanding that is to say departeth from all partes of his duety and of the will of God hath departed and yet still continueth in the same rebellion But sayth Paul let him depart from all iniquitie which calleth vpon the name of the Lord that he may giue out proofe and tryall that he calleth vpon God earnestly or in trueth 2. Tim. 2. ver 19. wherefore in as much as these Israelites are indeede most notorious hypocrites and stubborne Rebels they shall not escape the wrath and iudgements of God how great shew soeuer they make of godlines But theirenemie shall pursue them and they shal haue experience and trial of those iudgements of God the which are foretolde them by the word of God Vers 4. They haue set vp a King but not by me they haue made Princes and I knew it not of their siluer and their golde haue they made them Idols therefore shall they be destroyed An explanatiō of the first vers of this chapter A Making more plaine of the first verse of this chapter where it was said They haue forsaken the couenant of God for of this forsaking there are brought two examples and both of them very shameful wicked and horrible a most assured testimony or witnesse of theyr desperate rebellion and stubbornnes against GOD. They fell away from the kingdome the which God had set vp in the onely familie of Dauid representing Christ 1. They fell away from the kingdome of Dauid For they them selues and not God chose vnto themselues a King to wit Ieroboam the first 1. King 12. vers 20. w3812 here we reade thus And when all Israel had heard that Ieroboam was come againe they sent and called him vnto the assembly and made him King ouer all Israel none followed the house of Dauid but the tribe of Iudah onely Whereupon the other kings that followed were afterward after his example ordayned and allowed and kept among those ten tribes Obiection But if any man will obiect that which is 1. King 11. vers 11 and 29. that God ordayned Ieroboam to be king and foretolde the same first vnto Salomon and afterward to Ieroboam himselfe by his Prophet Ahiiah Answere I answere That it may appeare by the history of the creating of Ieroboam that the people was ignorant of that which was foretold vnto Ieroboam by the Prophet Ahiah Therefore of an only hatred and feare of Roboam whose Treasurer or Receiuer Aduram this people had slaine the ten tribes chose vnto themselues Ieroboam for their king least they should bee without a Captaine to fight against Roboam the which these ten tribes that fell a way did foresee would come to passe otherwise This is their falling away from the kingdome 2. They fell away from the worship of God from the priest hood Their second falling away is from the true worship of God and from the Priesthood and from the temple in the which priesthood there was another most expresse and plaine figure of Christ to come So then these men whilest they departe and fall away from the Temple the worship of God and the priesthood ordayned by God at Ierusalem so farre as in them lay they depriued themselues both of Christ and all the blessings of GOD which through Christ pertayned vnto them An amplificatiō of this their second falling away and finally from the couenant it selfe of God Furthermore this second falling away is amplified in this that they both most ingratefully or vnthankfully turned the benefites giuen vnto them of God as gold and siluer into the shame and reproach of God himselfe whilest they make calues thereof and also in this that they make these Idols themselues the which are but false Scarbugs and shapes of things altogether foolish and vnbeseeming God Wherefore God concludeth that it shall come passe that those iudgements the which he denounced or declared before shall fall out vnto them and that in such sorte that these two wayes vnfaithful and trecherous persons shal in the end be cut off and destroyed Vers 5. Thy calfe O Samaria hath cast thee off mine anger is kindled against them howe long will they bee without innocencie The figure Hypophora what it is see Amos cap. 5. vers 18. THe figure Hypophora or the answering
vnder the colour of attending vpon him that is vnder a shew of duety and as it were guarding and defending of him So the Israelites falling away from the kingdome of Iudah from the true priesthood the true worship of God the true Temple would seeme notwithstanding most busily to worship God and also most holily when as they set vp and ordayne the worship of the Calues in Dan and Bethâ—el 1. King 12. ver 26. so to the end of the chapter But al this worship was but deceit the which was done vnto God when as in truth not he but Idols were worshipped by them it was a lie because that then God was worshipped not according to his word but according to the deuises and dreames of men Confer this place with 2. King cap. 17. vers 9. and so following All idolators vnder the shew of duety religion doe mock and deceiue God So then vnder the colour and shew of duety and religion these Israelites and all Idolators do most grieuously and shamefully lye vnto God and craftily compasse him about as if they were his guarde whome notwithstanding so much as in them lieth they doe herein deceiue mocke and robbe of his honour And doubtles this sentence refuteth or ouerthroweth all the reasons and good intents of Idolators be they in shew neuer so glorious The Israelites fall first away Moreouer these tenne tribes then fell away at that time when as Iudah did yet still lawfully holde that gouernement and kingdome graunted vnto them by God and when as the whole nation remayned and continued constantly yea and generally in the worship of God and fayth of their Elders and of the Saints as were Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Dauid c. Wherefore the beginning of this falling away came first from the Israelites and the same prouoking and stirring vp themselues vnto this departure or euill without any example of their brethren to wit the kingdome of Iudah or of their auncestors and elders By howe much the more shamefull their wickednes appeareth for to be Thus Israel at that time fell away when as the raigne of Iudah was lawfull ouer them for by the appoyntment of the mighty God the house of Dauid had rule ouer them all and also when as the worship of God was yet pure and true fayth whole and sound in the other tribes that is in the tribe of Iudah and Beniamin Vers 2. Ephraim is fed with the winde and followeth after the East winde he increaseth daylie lies and destruction and they doe make a couenant with Asshur and oyle is carried into Egypt The second amplification of the falling away of the Israelites THe second amplification of this departure and falling away of the Israelites taken from the most lamentable issue and effect insuing thereupon among themselues first and secondly among the Iewes their neighbours and imitating or following their sins And first of all among the Israelites themselues this was a double effect of their departure from the worship of God and kingdome of Iudah 1. They multiply their lyes namely for that feeding themselues with those their vaine deuises they do multiplie and daylie more and more increase both their lies and also their miserie and destruction and secondly for that hauing now manifestly shaken off the helpe of God vtterly 2 Forsaking God they buy the help of Infidels and that most deerely they doe seeke the leagues of people that are infidels as of the Assyrians and Egyptians vnto whome they bring most large and precious giftes Ezech. 16. Thus the sinne of Idolatry in especial neuer standeth and stayeth in that first degree where it first beganâ— but dayly groweth and increaseth vntill that in the ende it lead 〈◊〉 wholly from God vtterly destroy vs. And this is the cause of the growing of it from worse to worse for that men do feed themselues with the wind that is to say do please like themselues in their forged superstitions and doe thinke the same to be a most safe defence against the threatnings of God the which are extant in his word against idolators Therefore whatsoeuer men forge and deuise in the worshipping of GOD the same doth the Prophet call The winde and the East winde that is to say a most pestilent and most hurtfull and vaine inuention From that fountaine doe dayly spring greater and greater euils and sinnes For deceits and lies doe increase daylie both toward God and also toward men For after that the feare of the true God is taken away from men there is now no conscience as Varro also affirmeth Surely so that hypocrites may beguile men only they haue no regarde at all of God whome they doe not truely know any longer after they haue once cast away his true worship and word But as they multiplie lies so doe they also their owne destruction and miserie for according vnto the greatnes of their sinnes so also doe the iudgements of God therein become the sharper and are multiplied Finally in the end they growe to this passe that these idolators doe trust in men and not any longer in God seeke the helpe of then and not of God and procure the same vnto themselues as things profitable for themselues with great summes of money and paying well for them notwithstanding And so did the Israelites 2. King 15. vers 19. Then Pul the sonne of Asshur came agaynst the land and Menahem gaue Pul a thousand talents of siluer Menahem redeemeth peace at the hand of the king of the Assyrians at a great price to wit 2. hundred thousand pouÌ„d at the least that his hand might be with him and establish the kingdome in his hand So doth Achaz king of Iudah and experience it selfe teacheth this to be true in other Princes at this day Vers 3. The Lord hath also a controuersie with Iudah and will visite Iaacob acording to his wayes according to his works will he recompence him Another most lamentable effect of the trasgression of the Israelites lighting vpon their brethren the Iewes imitating their sins ANother effect most lamentable of the same transgression of the Israelites against God falling not vpon themselues but vpon the Iewes a people neere vnto them to wit their brethren who imitated or followed this Idolatry of the Israelites and therefore complaint is made against them 2. King 17. vers 19. where it is sayd Yet Iudah kept not the commandements of the Lord their God but walked according to the fashion of Israel which they vised Reade before from the 13. verse of this selfe same 17. chapter concerning this matter also Wherein may seeme to be the second amplification of the former wickednes of the Israelites So then the Iewes also shall be punished by God And there is nothing more vsuall and more easie vnto men then to follow the vices one of another but God which is iust punisheth these also which are the imitators and followers of other mens
behalfe and therefore liue holilie and iustly The descriptiō of their miserie containeth soure things but the description of this miserie seemoth to containe these foure things First the assault breaking in of their enemies vpon thē For their enemies are said that they shall be breakers vp 1 The breaking in of their enemies for they shal not vse the Israelites whom they shall take gently and courteously but sharpely they shall handle them hardly and cruelly and shall leade them away as those sometimes leade a way vnto their quarries and mine pits such as were condemned to digge mettals For the enemies as they goe shall breake vp all things before the Israelites to shew the furiousnes of their mindes and their anger against them the which is a most miserable thing vnto them that are nowe captiues 2 They shall goe before thē and leade them through the midst of the ruines of their cities and bringeth great trembling and feare Secondly these enemies are sayd that they shall march or goe before the Israelites and lead them through the middest of the ruine of their cities to wit in despight and contempt and to increase and adde sorrow vnto them afflicted or troubled already Therfore both the enemies thēselues shall passe through the gates of the cities cast downe and broken by them and also shall leade the captiue Israelites in spite of their teeth by the rubbish of them miserable and lamentable to behold This may be the first sense or meaning or also that the multitude of the captiue Israelites may be shewed Another meaning of this place the Prophet sayd that it shall come to passe that the gates of their cities shall bee broken downe because it would be too tedious or troublesome and long to leade them through the gates by couples and two by two Therefore that they may go gathered together and by heapes and companies the gates shall be throwne downe and these poore miserable Israelites shall follow their enemies going before them as the flocke or heard followeth Polyphemus and their hangman Thirdly 3. The king of the Israelites shall be among them their King also is said that he shall bee among them captiue and after the manner and shew of a triumph the which by the enemies shall be made of them to be shewed first of all and to be led loden with chaynes and irons among the other captiues The which sight and shewe of captiuitie is no doubt most pitiful to wit when as not onely the people but also the king himselfe and the princes are seene to be in the same miserie yea and that formost 4 God himselfe shall goe before them as Captaine of their enemies band and put vnto vile shame and reproch Fourthly it is added God himselfe shall goe before as the Captaine of the enemies band as Abd. cap. 1. namely that both the Israelites and also other men may vnderstand that these things came to passe worthily for their sinnes and that they are the vengeance of God iustly angry against them from the which they cannot now deliuer themselues when as God fauoureth their enemies and in his anger hath forsaken them These questionles are fearefull things and to be trembled at the which ought to breede in our mindes a wonderfull and fearefull conceiuing of the iudgements of God and so consequently to call vs backe by times from all kinde of wickednes least wee fall into the same euils or punishments That which the Christian captiues at this day haue experience of vnder the Turkes as for example the Hungarians CAP. 3. Vers 1. And I said Heare I pray you O heads of Iaacob and yee Princes of the house of Israel The third Sermon to the princes especially of the kingdome of Israel should not ye know iudgement THe third sermon the which now appertayneth peculiarly vnto the Rulers and Princes of the people and especially of the people of Israel like as from the first chapter ver 6. vnto the 10. verse of this chapter he denounceth threatnings vnto the kingdom of Israel and from the tenth verse which followeth vnto the kingdome of Iudah Although it appeare out of other Prophets that the same vices raigned also among the Iewes as Dauid Psal 14.4 complaining that all things generally were out of frame in all estates sayth Doe not all the workers of iniquitie knowe that they eate vp my people as they eate breade they call not vpon the Lord. Now Micheas in order after that he hath generally described the sinnes of the whole people nowe sheweth peculiarly the notorious wickednes of the Princes vnto whom therefore he doth also threaten the greater and more heauy iudgements of God For princes by their vertue and godlines ought to shine as lights vnto the people And therefore Ieremie cap. 5. vers 5. when hee hath found things farre amisse among the vulgar and simple people thinking to finde the case better among the great ones saith I will gette mee vnto the great men and will speake vnto them for they haue knowen the way of the Lord and the iudgement of their God but these haue altogether broken the yoke and burst the bands Wherefore the higher that these be aboue the rest the more foule are their vices and giue vnto others an example and boldnes to sin So that such men need an especiall reprehension and the same more sharp then the rest of the people But in this place there are reckoned vp two sortes of men the which are aboue others to wit the politicke magistrates and the Prophets as they were then called And first of all hee setteth vpon the magistrates and afterwards these prophets 1 What is spokē Now in this verse there may be noted three things First what is spoken Secondly who speaketh it Thirdly to whom he speaketh it Concerning that which is spoken 2. Who speaketh it is sayd to be the duetie of the Nobles among the people of the magistrates of the Rulers and Princes and that aboue and before the rest To know iustice 3. To whom he speaketh or righteousnes and indeede to performe and execute the same Thereof they are called Mischphatim Iudges For Mischphat iudgement is not onely a bare knowledge and vnderstanding of that which is iust and right the which is without practise but the vse and exercise also of this knowledge when as the Magistrates themselues liue iustly and minister iustice sincerely For so doe I take the name of knowledge in this place as 1. Ioh. 2. vers 3. Eph 4. vers 21. To haue knowen God To haue learned Christ where with the knowledge of the trueth and of fayth the practise also and the same sincere or sound is ioyned Hee that pronounceth or speaketh this is God himselfe and especially speaking vnto and rouzing vp these Princes of the kingdome of Israel as if they were dease or soothes giuing little eare that these great Peeres might diligently heare the thing the which
ver 8. who also was in the kingdome of Israel After Elias succeeded Elizeus Elizeus as is set downe 1. King cap. 19. ver 16. where God saith vnto Elias after this manner And Iehu the sonne of Nimshi shalt thou annoynt King oner Israel and Elizeus the sonne of Shaphat of Abel Meholah shalt thou annoint to be Prophet in thy roome And Elizeus liued a very long time namely vnto the dayes of Ioas King of Israel Elizeus prophesied 54. yeeres vnto the last age of Ioachas king of Iudah that is to say Elizeus prophesied almost whole fiftie fowre yeares to wit vnder the kings of Israel Ochosias Ioram Iehu and Ioachas all which together gouerned the kingdome of the tenne tribes by so many yeares namely fiftie foure and vnder the kings of Iudah Iosaphat the sonne of Asa Ioram Ochosias and in the beginning of the reigne of Athalia a woman But who succeeded next after Elizeus the Prophet is a great question Wherein I am no we to vnfold the order and course of those Prophets A great question which of the prophets succeeded Elizeus whose writinges in part are extant at this day For here once againe the succession of the Prophets seemeth to haue beene broken off for certaine yeares because in the worde of God it is no where set downe what Prophets were in Israel vnder the kings of Israel Ioas and Ieroboam his sonne or in the kingdome of Iudah also except Zacharias the sonne of Ioiada vnder the Queene Athalia and Ioas king of Iudah the sonne of Ochosias And yet this middle space oftime containeth almost fiftie seuen yeres in the which Ioas and Iereboam his sonne reigned in Israel But all thinges beeing cast I finde it to be thus namely that vnder this Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas and king of Israel was Ionas the Prophet that selfe same whose prophesie by the consent of all men is extant Jonas succeeded Elizeus concerning the ouerthrowing of the citie Ninive if it did not repent For hee liued and prophesied vnder this Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas 2. King cap. 14. ver 25. For he to wit Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas restored the coast of Israel from the entring of Hanah vnto the sea of the wildernesse according vnto the worde of the Lord God of Israel which hee spake by his seruant Ionas the sonne of Amittaâ— the Prophet which was of Gath Hephar Therefore to graunt as little time as possibly may be vnto this interrupted or broken off succession at the least wise there are still aboue thirtie yeares betweene the death of Elizeus and the Prophet Ionas who next succeeded Elizeus to wit the whole reigne of Ioas king of Israel the which continued sixteene yeares and a great part of the raigne of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas who raigned fourtie-one yeares Finally to gather the matter into a briefe Ionas the Gathire succeeded the Prophet Elizeus albeit that then this continuall course and succession of Prophets were for a time broken off and for certaine yeares A doubt who succeeded Ionas and were as it were vnioynted And here ariseth a greater doubt who succeeded Ionas I will touching this matter speake what I thinke and will not that therefore any man should be abridged of his iudgement I verily suppose that Amos succeeded next after Ionas Amos succeeded Ionas Neither doe I thinke that any great reckoning is to be made what others haue iudged of the order of the Prophets of the old Testament First for that as Ierome teacheth in the preface of his Commentaries vpon Ioel the Hebrues and the Greekes agree not within themselues concerning this matter and order Secondly because that also among the Ecclesiasticall or Church-writers them selues looke how many men in a manner there are so many are there opinions whilst that they marke not the times in the which euery Prophet flourished the which notwithstanding is set downe by all the Prophets themselues in a manner Therefore to rippe vp this whole matter the more deepely for their sakes that are desirous of this historie it is manifest The old Christians not so much carefull for the order of the Prophets and why that the first and auncient Christians which read the the writings of the Prophets were not much carefull for this order of he the Prophets either for that by old tradition it was then sufficiently knowne in the Church who succeeded each other that is what Prophets were first what were latter either for that when as they had receiued nothing from the Apostles concerning this matter they did thinke that they were not hereupon to contend The twelue Prophets are in deede numbred among the Canonicall bookes of the holy and sacred Scripture as in the Canons of the Apostles as they are called Canon 85. which is the last of all in the Councell also of Laodicea cap. 58. and in first Councell of Carthage Canon 24. and of Euseb Caesarien lib. 4. Histor cap. 26. and Epiphan de Mensuris but they are not reckoned vp in order who succeeded others Somewhere this onely is written that there is one booke of the twelue Prophets otherwhere that there are twelue bookes of the twelue Prophets But why should not the Greekes and Latines beeing straungers and Proselytes among the Hebrewes be ignorant of these thinges when as the Rabbines themselues The Rabbines themselues see not downe the order of the prophets exactly and the olde Hebrewes so carelesse were they of their owne historie doe not set downe this thing For Ecclesiast cap. 48. where no doubt the opinion of the Rabbines of that age is rehearsed Isaias is reckoned vp as he that succeeded next after Elizeus And cap. 49. of the same booke ver 12. there is onely saide to haue beene twelue Prophets but who they are or at what time they liued is not rehearsed such was the flouthfulnesse of this learned Hebrewes yet otherwise most curious in searching out of trifles In Iosephus the Historician Josephus and also a great Hebrewe of this matter all is whist when as this thing notwithstanding did especially appertaine vnto the vnfolding of the antiquitie of the Iewish nation And albeit the olde and first Christians as I haue saide haue left vs nothing at all touching this orderly placing of these twelue small Prophets as they are called yet haue the latter writers afterwardes diligently inquired of this matter In the which notwithstanding as I haue shewed they doe not consent nor agree within themselues For Epiphanius in his booke of the Life of the Prophets doth so place the twelue Prophets of the which we doe nowe speake for of the Prophets of whome I haue spoken alreadie there can be no doubt at what time they were namely that Oseas is the first of them twelue in order then Amos Micheas How Epiphanius placeth the xij small prophets Ioel Abdias Ionas Nahum Abakuk Sophonias Aggeus Zacharias Malachias for that Epiphanius
had receiued from the opinion of the seaventie Interpreters that they were so to be placed as Ierome sheweth in his preface vpon Ioel. But Augustine who was after Epiphanius lib. 2. de doctr Christ cap. 8. Augustine doth reckon them otherwise namely thus Oleas Ioel Amos Abdias Ionas Micheas Nahum Abakuk Sophonias Aggeus Zacharias Malachias and this out of the chiefe of the Hebrewes or Rabbines as the selfe same Ierome writeth who him selfe notwithstanding setteth not downe his owne opinion Jsiodorus Isidorus Episcop Hispalens lib. 7. Etymologic cap. de Prophetis doth number them thus Oseas Ioel Amos Nahum Abakuc Micheas Sophonias Abdias Ionas Zacharias Aggeus Malachias disagreeing from them both to wit the Hebrewes and the Seventie Out of all which appeareth howe diuerse the opinion of the Ecclesiasticall or Church-writers hath beene of the order and placing of the XII Prophets which are called the small Prophets And I doubt not but that more also may be gathered of the studious and diligent if a man would seeke after the opinion of euery one but I for shortnesse sake will be content with these by the which is vnderstoode howe that a man is not carefull of this matter in vain and that hee may without enuie set downe and shewe his opinion or iudgement also of these thinges Wherefore out of this by path to returne into the way at the length I say that by the consideration of the times it seemeth vnto me thus that Amos is to be set in the second place that is after Ionas because in time he followed next vnto Ionas Wherein this rule generally is to be followed of vs A rule for the finding of the antiquitie of one Prophet before another That those Prophets which doe witnesse that they prophesied vnder the former or elder Kings the same may also be deemed to haue beene former or more olde and auncient then those which prophesied vnder the latter Kings albeit that the same doe often concurie and meete with those other younger ones and liuce at the same time because that those former Prophets continued long in their office of prophesying So Oseas and Isaias doe liue and prophesie at the same time of the which notwithstanding without all doubt Oseas liued first or beganne to prophesie and therefore it is to be iudged to be first For Oseas maketh mention also of Ieroboam king of Israell who was the sonne of Ioas and witnesseth that he prophesied vnder him Nowe this Ieroboam was more auncient then those kings vnder whome Isaias witnesseth that hee was and also prophesied Wherefore in as much as Amos was and also prophesied vnder that same Ieroboam King of Israel and sonne of Ioas two yeare before the earthquake which fell into the second yeare of Vzias King of Iudah it appeareth that Amos was in age before him and therefore more ancient then Oseas Amos more ancient then Oseas and Isaias who notwithstanding prophesied under the same king Now Oseas prophesied long after that same famous earthquake and when as Vzias had bene and was now a good while confirmed in his kingdome in the beginning of which Vzias his raigne Amos notwithstanding began to foretel things to come by Gods commaundement VVherefore this must be the order of the xii Prophets Ionas Amos after Amos I place Oseas for Oseas began to prophesie about the last dayes of Ieroboam sonne of Ioas king of Israel Oseas as appeareth by his owne testimonie cap. 1. v. 1. The word of the Lorde that came vnto Oseas the sonne of Beeri in the dayes of Vzias Iotham Achas and Hezekiah kinges of Iuda and in the dayes of Ieroboam sonne of Ioas hing of Jsrael And Oseas prophesied in the kingdome of Israel at the which selfe same time albeit he began after him and were younger then he prophesied also in the kingdome of Iuda that same Isaias which was of the kings stocke After Oseas followeth in order Micheas another of the twelve who prophesied under Ioatham Achaz and Ezechias kings of Iuda Micheas before the carrying a way of the ten tribes by the Assyrians Mich. 1. cap. v. 1. Then worde of the Lorde which came unto Micah the Morashite in the dyes of Iothan Achaz and Hezekiah kings of Iudah c. And Ieremy also maketh mention of his prophesying under Hezekiah cap. 26. v. 18. in these wordes Micah the Morashite prophesied in the dayes of Hezekiah king of Iudah c. And these so many Prophets had this fift age that is to say these which follow and which are Nathan Ahias the Silonite Semeias Iadi Addo Obed Azarias Anani Iehu Elias Micheas the first Elizaerus Ionas Amos Oseas Isaias Micheas the second or the Morashite besides those that are not named by their proper names in the holy scripture The sixt age now followeth and the same continueth from the carrying away of the ten Tribes which were the kingdome of Israel made by Salmanazar king of the Assyrians The sixt age frō the carying away of the ten Tribes untill the full captivitie of Babylon 133. yeres had these prophets untill the times of the full captivitie of Babylon the which happened unto the kingdom of Iuda to wit after the overthrow of the kingdome of Israel namely when as the Iewes with their king Zedekias were wholly carried unto Babylon and Media by Nabuchadnezzar Emperour of the Babylonians and not onely begunne to be carried away For they beganne to be carried away vnder Ioacim king of the Iewes 18 yeres before their full and through captivity This sixt age containeth 133 yeeres For so much space of time passed betweene the ten tribes of the kingdome of Israel carried away by the Assyrians and that full captivitie of the Iewes made by the king of Babylon as it appeareth by the continuall succession of the kings of Iudah 2. King 17.18 cap. and so foorth For the first captivitie or carrying away of the Iewes by the Babylonians beganne in the reigne of Ioacim sonne of Iosias having reigned now 4 yeres as I haue saide already and appeareth Matth. 1. cap. ver 11. and in the first yeere of the Empire of Nabuchadnezzar Dan. 1. vers 1. And the last or full captivitie fell out vnder Sedechias the king having reigned no we eleven yeres In this age the Prophets so succeeded one another that there seemeth to have beene no interruption or breaking off For the prophets of God which lived in this ninth time succeeded next vnto Micheas the Morashite And the first of them in my iudgement and so farre as I can gather all things beeing considered was Nahum For he seemeth vnto me to haue beene Nahum and to have prophesied next after Micheas and after the carrying away of the ten Tribes of Israel by the Assyrians to wit vnder die king Ezechias when as yet now the Empire of the Assyrians florished in all respects and no man so much as once durst by dreame to thinke of the fall
afterwards he commeth vnto those which were peculiarly addressed vnto the Israelites vnto whom by name he was from God appoynted a Prophet Furthermore hee rehearseth those also which were ordayned against the Iewes themselues that is against the kingdome of Iudah because they also did vaunt themselues vpon the praise and title of the people and inheritance of God and that vpon better reason then the kingdome of Israel And thus much concerning the threatnings As for the promises Amos hath the same which other Prophets haue to wit first generall vnto all mankinde then particular vnto the true Church of God for and through the Messias promised vnto the Fathers that is our Lord Iesus Christ the which this our Prophet for the comfort of the godly doth excellently set downe But concerning the time wherein Amos prophesied The time wherein Amos prophesied thus I thinke sauing the iudgement of others the which I would not by this mine opinion haue to be forestalled Amos seemeth vnto me to haue been the second of all those Prophets whose prophesies wee haue in the volume as well of the great as also the small Prophets the which are extant or to be found in the Canonical bookes of the holy Scriptures And I thinke that he liued almost after fortie yeares at the least from the death of the Prophet Elizeus was by God raysed vp in the kingdome of Israel for that the same part of the people especially wanted earnest admonitions when as it had cast away the Word of God and the true Sacrifices and in the roome thereof set vp their owne The reason why the Prophet Amos is thought to haue prophesied about this time The reason of mine opinion is this because that Elizeus dyed at least about the first beginning of the reigne of Ioas the sonne of Ioachaz king of Israel for 2. King cap. 13. ver 14. mention is made that Ioas came to visite Elizeus lying in his death-bed in these words When Elisha fell sicke of his sicknes whereof he dyed Ioash the King of Israel came downe vnto him and wept on his face and sayd O my father O my father c. And that this was in the beginning of his reigne the diligent considering of that which followeth in that chapter and in the beginning of the next will easilie declare And from that time vntill the 27. yeare of King Ieroboam who was the sonne of this Ioas and in the first yeare in the which Vzzias began to reigne in Iudah which was the time of the beginning of this prophesie there doe come 41. yeares betweene So Amos then liued and prophesied in that age as he himselfe teacheth Ionai seemeth to haue been before Amos. But the Prophet Ionas seemeth in time to haue bin before him which Ionas his booke of prophesie is in the Canon or among the Canonicall bookes of the Bible for as much as either in the reigne of Ioas the father of this Ieroboam about the 27. yeare of whose reigne Amos might haue begun to prophesie or at least wise about the beginning of the reigne of this Ieroboam Ionas executed his office as appeareth 2. King cap. 14. ver 23. and so to the end of the chapter and as I haue shewed before in my notes before these Prophets So that the beginning of the Prophet Ionas may seem to haue bin some certain yeres after the death of Elizeus the succession of the Prophets for a time being discontinued as easily may be gathered if 2. King cap. 13. ver 14 be compared with cap. 14. ver 25. Wherefore among the Prophets Ionas the first in time of all the Prophets canonicall whose writings are in the Canonicall Scripture Ionas is the first in respect of time For that which is obiected of Micheas whose booke of prophesies is extant is against this nothing at all because that Micheas is not the same Micheas the which prophesied in the dayes of King Achab and was before Ionas And this our Amos is second Amos the second Oseas the third Oseas third who fell into the times of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas king of Israel and Vzzias the sonne of Amasias king of Iudah but because he is sayd to haue prophesied vnto the times of King Ezechias it is likely that he began not at the selfe same beginning and instant of time in the which those two Kings each in his kingdome began to reigne but a little after For by the space of 14. yeares they reigned together Ieroboam in Israel and Vzzias in Iudah Therefore if we do graunt that Oseas began to prophesie an yeare or two after that same earthquake two yeare before the which Amos prophesied Oseas must then begin to execute his office in the 31. or 32. yeare of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas king of Israel and in the 4. or 5. yeare of Vzzias king of Iudah For I hold that the same earthquake happened in the second yeare of the reigne of Vzzias and in the thirtith yeare of the reigne of this Ieroboam And Oseas prophesied vnto the beginning of Ezechias king of Iudah beginning at the 32. yeare of the reigne of Ieroboam sonne of Ioas which fell into the fifth yeare of Vzzias the king of Iudah that is by the space of full 70 yeares well neere Oseas prophesied almost full 70 yeares and Amos but 14. But Amos seemeth to haue finished his office within the space of that time wherein this Ieroboam of Israel and Vzzias of Iudah liued in one age together in their Kingdomes and Empires to wit by the space onely of 14. yeares For Amos maketh mention of no other King either of Israel or of Iudah but of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas and of Vzzias And thus much of Ionas Amos and Oseas Esaias the 4. Prophet in order and time The fourth in order and time seemeth to haue been Isaias and to haue begun his office after Oseas but to haue continued it longer namely vntill the times of King Manasses by whom about the beginning of his reigne Isaias was put to death For when as Isaias maketh no mention of this Ieroboam who was the sonne of Ioas but of Vzzias Ioatham c. only he seemeth indeed to haue begun to prophesie vnder Vzzias king of Iudah but that same Ieroboam being now dead vnder whom both Amos and Oseas had now executed their office of Prophets Therefore in as much as Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas king of Israel dyed in the 14. yeare of Vzzias the king Isaias cannot seeme to haue prophesied before this time but afterwards about the 16. yeare of the reigne of Vzzias From which time vnto Manasses and the beginning of his reigne there come betweene aboue 80. yeares all which time Isaias must haue executed the office of a Prophet for he himselfe cap. 7. maketh mention of three score yeares Vers 1. The words of Amos who was among the heardmen at Tecoa which he saw vpon Israel in
the dayes of Vzziah King of Iuda and in the dayes of Ieroboam sonne of Ioash King of Israel two yeares before the earthquake The proposition conteining fiue points THe proposition or principall ground of this whole booke and prophesie the which conteineth fiue poynts First the summed the matter the which is comprehended in this booke namely Words 1. The preaching of Amos. that is to say the preaching of Amos the which he vttered openly with a lowd voyce The second what manner of words the same words were that is to say the words of God wherein the certaintie and authoritie of these words 2. What maner of preaching it is namely such as was reueled by vision or prophesie is auouched For it is a vision that is a reuelation shewed by God himselfe and committed vnto the Prophet Thirdly vnto whom it was shewed to wit vnto Amos who by the addition of certaine circumstances is described what manner of man he was both for the laying out of his person more certainly 3. Vnto whom this preaching is committed that he might be knowne from others of the same name and also for the better and greater confirmation of his calling as which was altogether extraordinarie and raised vp by God for to beate downe the pride and outragious haughtinesse of the men of that age For God made choyce of this man whom he would send to terrifie or feare the kingdome of Israel the which at that time was most florishing And he choseth a man that is a Thecuite that is of the Iewes not of the Israelites such a one as Elias notwithstanding was and one of the shepheards that kept cattell as he confesseth of himselfe chap. 7. vers 14. saying I was no Prophet neither was I the sonne of a Prophet he meaneth of the ordinarie manner and calling of Prophets but I was a heardman and a gatherer of wild figges God sendeth a Iew vnto the Israelites to touch them the deeper by this meanes as if they were such manner of persons who now had none among them fit to teach them but stood in need of forrainers and strangers and especially Iewes whom notwithstanding they did deadly hate as may appeare by the rent and breach when the ten Tribes fell away from the other twaine vpon that that their request was not graunted by Rehoboam where they vpon that occasion speake thus 1. King cap 12. ver 16. So when all Israel sawe that the King regarded them not the people answered the King thus saying What portion haue we in Dauid we haue none inheritance in the sonne of Ishai To your tents O Israel now see to thine owne house Dauid So Israel departed vnto their tents God sendeth a Neatheaâ—d that by this obscure and base person in the world he may cast downe those high and loftie spirits For as it is 1. Cor. 1. ver 27.28 God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the mightie things And vile things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen things which are not to bring to nought things that are For as the same Apostle speaketh 2. Cor. cap. 10. vers 4 5 6. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mightie through God to cast downe holds casting downe the imaginations and euery high thing that is exalted agaynst the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ and hauing readie the vengeance against all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled Thecua of the which Amos in this verse is said to be was one of the cities in Iudah built by king Rehoboam sonne of Salomon as it is 2 Chron. cap. 11. vers 5.6 And Rehoboam dwelt in Ierusalem and built strong cities in Iudah he built also Beth-Iehem Etam and Tekoa Fourthly 4. Vnto whom Amos is sent here is taught vnto whom Amos is sent or against whom those things were commaunded by God to be spoken that is to say against the Israelites namely against that kingdome properly the which was separated and deuided from Iudah but yet because God is the keeper of his whole Church Amos doth also prophesie against the kingdome of Iudah that it also may be saued by God Lastly and fiftly 5. At what time Amos prophâ—sied vnder Vzzias king of Iudah and Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas king of Israel full two yeares before that same great earthquake happened in all that same whole countrey the which as I sayd seemeth to haue happened at the least about the second yeare of the reigne of Vzzias and the thirtith yeare of the reigne of this Ieroboam Vers 2. And he sayd the Lord shall roare from Zion and vtter â—e voyce from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shephearâ— shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither The summe of the iudgements of God against the Israelites THe summe of the iudgements of God the which should comâ— to passe against the Israelites to wit the vtter desolation or wasting of their whole countrey For all the best and fattest things 〈◊〉 this kingdome of the Israelites shall in such sort bee strookeâ—â— God in his iust iudgement and for their disobedience that boâ—â— the cottages of the shepheard themselues shall mourne to wit 〈◊〉 being destroyed and also Carmel that same most fruitfull mouâ—taine shall wither being touched with the heate of God his angeâ— Therefore it is certaine that these things are denounced and tolâ—â— against Israel by the place Carmel the which the Prophet reheâ—seth in as much as it is a famous mountaine in the land of Israâ—â— And here in this place the Prophet also by and by getteth authoâ—tie vnto his prophesie The Prophet winneth authoritie and attention vnto his prophesie that it be not contemned or despised aâ— attention or eare-giuing thereunto wherby be they neuer so proâ—â— and loftie otherwise he doth neuerthelesse terrifie or feare theâ— He getteth authoritie when as he teacheth that these things are â—â—nounced both by God himselfe and that they shall also be fulfillâ—â— and that by the same God the which is the God of Sion a plaâ—â— most knowne and most holy that is that these things doe coâ—â— from the true God and not from Idols And he getteth vnto himselfe attention or eare-giuing vnto that he speaketh by the figure which he vseth as this proposition and sentence is garnished wiâ—â— maiestie and loftinesse of words For God is sayd now to roareâ—â— gainst them with a great and terrible yelling as it were a lyonstâ—red vp and teased with anger For this roaring doth expresse boâ—â— the anger of the lyon and also the terriblenes or fearefulnes of 〈◊〉 voyce vnder which like phrase or manner of speaking the otheâ— Prophets doe describe the fierce wrath and anger of God as loâ—â— cap. 3. ver 16. The Lord also sayth he shall roare out of Sion
cart alwayes make a noise neither wil he break it with the teeth therof God then wil rise vp vnto the punishment of the Israelites that is the rebels against him not with a light hand or faint strength but with a great might force power Confer this kinde of punishment of the Israelites with that of the Moabites threatned Esay 25. ver 10 11. There wee reade thus For in this mountaine shall the hand of the Lord rest and Moab shall be threshed vnder him euen as straw is threshed in Madmenah And he shal stretch out his hand in the midst of them as he that swimmeth stretcheth them out to swimme and with the strength of his hands shall he bring downe their pride Vers 14. Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift and the strong shall not strengthen his force neither shall the mighty saue his life Vers 15. Nor he that handleth the bowe shall stand and he that is swift of foote shall not escape neither shal he that rideth the horse saue his life The prophet in these 2 verses answereth all their vain opinions for the escaping of their punishment to come AN explanation or more plaine laying open of their punishment For he setteth down the maner of this iudgement to come and in the meane season he answereth all their vaine opinions concerning the escaping of this punishment Now the maner of this iudgment is that all the refuges or wayes to escape the which euery one of them supposed that they had God shall make voide and vnprofitable and to stand them in no stead whether they bee naturall as swiftnes of foote and strength of body or attained vnto by industrie diligence and witte as power and authoritie among others skill in warre and fight or riches and trayned horses And hereby also appeareth the answere vnto the vaine cogitations or furmises of euery one of them to deliuer themselues from this iudgment of God For some of them did oppose or set their naturall strength against these threatnings of God and some their riches and authority But nothing besides the mercy of God it self can deliuer vs from his iudgements Only the mercy of God deliuereth from his iudgments the which his mercy is to be obtained of vs only by true repentance of mind through the promises of God in Christ Vers 16. And he that is of mighty courage among the strong 〈◊〉 shall flee away naked in that day saith the Lord. COmmoration Commoratio or staying in the setting out of the iudgements 〈◊〉 God against the mighty for to the end that the rest may vnderstand and be assured that nothing can set them in security or safeâ—â— against their sinnes and the iudgements of GOD he doth stay 〈◊〉 terrifying or fearing of the strong ones by name who thinke thâ—â— they aboue the rest can escape because they do excell in streng tâ—â— These therefore themselues also albeit neuer so valiant in body and strength shall flee as being afraid at the sight of their enemies yeâ— and they shall flee away naked to wit casting away their weaponâ— and armour as those that are afrayd are wont to doe and shall acknowledge themselues not able to match their enemies and to be affrighted And it is not some one or two that shall doe this but all Therefore they shal one with another by flockes and heaps shamefully run away either not at all withstanding their enemies or noâ— escaping those iust iudgements of God by means of their wondefull strength the which they boasted of before CAP. 3. Vers 1. Heare this word that the Lord pronounceth against you Oâ— children of Israel euen against the whole family which I broughâ— vp from the land of Egypt saying Another sermon threatning the iudgements of God against the Israelites ANother Sermon wherein Amos threatneth the iudgements of God against the said Israelites and that repeating expressing the commaundement of God least that because these men were wonderfully hardened the former threatning should by and by vanish away or least it might seeme to haue been threatned but for fashion sake as hypocrites with these toyes and iuglings are wont to shift of the threatnings of God be they neuer so great and earnest But this verse containeth two chiefe poyntes Two partes of this verse 1 Attention First it hath a commendation or getting attention or marking of the things that are to be spoken for the Prophet winneth authoritie vnto his ministerie from the Maiestie of God himselfe whome Amos doth witnes to speake these things rather then himselfe being but a man Therefore when as the Israelites doe heare these things they must giue eare vnto them not as the voyce of a mortall man but as if they should heare the sound of the euerlasting word of God This is the first point of this verse The second 2 Vnto whome this Sermon belongeth vnto whom this prophesie belongeth And generallie it belongeth vnto all the tribes the which God brought out of Egypt but especiallie vnto the kingdome of Israel that is vnto the ten tribes the which had separated themselues from the kingdome of Iudah And this rehearsall of the benefite which God did vnto them hath a secret accusing of their ingratefulnes or vnthankfulnes and a reason and repeating of their more streight bond to serue and worship God Vers 2. You only haue I known of all the families of the earth therefore I will visit you for all your iniquities The chiefe point of this sermon a rehearsall of the great benefites of God towards the Israelites and of their vnthankfulnes for the same THe proposition or maine point of the whole sermon and declaring of the threatnings of God against the Israelites the contemners of God and in deede more wicked then other nations and of themselues vnexcusable And therefore here is also briefelie shewed how iust the iudgements of God were against them This verse containeth two things first a short but yet a plaine and notable rehearsal of the singular greatest benefits of God towards the Israelites namely for that the Israelites through the singular goodnes and bounty of God were preferred before other nations of the world that they alone only shuld be the people inheritance of God For God himself only vouchsafed theÌ„ this special fouour care prouidence knowledge of himself This fauour of God towards them before and aboue other people Dauid commendeth Psalm 147. ver 14. saying For he hath exalted the horne of his people which is a praise for all his Saints euen for the children of Israel a people that is neere vnto him And Paul Rom. 3. ver 1.2 Affirmeth that the preferment of the Iewes is great in comparison of other nations in these wordes What is then the preferment of the Iewes Or what is the profit of circumcision Much euery maner of way for chiefelie because vnto them were committed the oracles of God And yet more plainely cap. 9. ver
bee looked for otherwise that is of the vnrepentant the which greatnesse is described and set forth by the adiuncts and the same diuers and sundrie 1. By the effect And first of all it is described by the effect because it shall be such and so grieuous a punishment plague the which remaineth for the obstinate and stubborne sinners as will not onely breed sorow and a bitter feeling and sadnes in their heart but also such as will procure open mourning that is to say publike gestures as witnesses and bewrayers of their great heauinesse because that this sorowe can be no longer smothered and kept in Now this punishment is most heauie the which shall draw forth and stirre vp such manifest and publike teares mourning and knocking of their breasts 2. By the place The second is described by the place for in all streetes and high waies these mournings and cryings shall be made The third by the persons 3. By the persons For they shal be made by all degrees of men yea euen by the husbandmen and vinedressers a kind of men otherwise most hard and tough and able to endure and beare out things and that most heauilie and in such sort as if they had been vsed and trained vp to mourning but because of the greatnesse of the punishments and miserie the which euen these hard men shall also feele they shall after this manner publikly mourne with weeping teares with others And that euen those persons the which are neuer so slow to repent may vnderstand all these things to be most true the Prophet rehearseth the power and maiestie and nature of God that cannot lye and whose power nothing can resist or withstand who threatneth these iudgements vnto them Titus 1. God then and that he which is the true Iehouah the Lord of hostes that is the Lord of heauen and earth threatneth these things and therefore they shall most assuredly come to passe vnto the vnrepentant Vers 17. And in all the vines shall be lamentation for I will passe through thee sayth the Lord. A reason why these kind of persons shall mourne THis is a rendring of a reason why the husbandmen being such persons as can abide and endure hardnes shall notwithstanding mourne namely because their labours and their fields and vineyards shall be vtterly wasted But it may also be an amplification as if not onely the husbandmen the which doe till the ground appoynted for corne and sowing but also the vinekeepers themselues the which doe deale with vines that is another kind of fields fit and necessarie for the vses of man his life shall lament after the same sort that the husbandmen do because of the like punishmenâ— and miserie the which they shall tast of in like manner for neithâ—â— shall these be free from the iudgements of God Wherfore by theâ—â— words husbandmen and vine dressers the Lord sheweth that 〈◊〉 will take from the Israelites all foode and meates necessarie for 〈◊〉 liue withall The reason is added Because I will passe through the midst of thâ—â—â— The passage of God is of two sorts God his passage ioyfull Fearfull The one ioyfull to be wishâ—â— for wherewith he doth recreate and refresh vs. The other fearfull wherewith as a burning fire he doth consume and deuoure vs. Oâ— the former sort was the passage of God by the houses of the Israelites in the land of Egypt where he spared them and slew the Egyptians whereof is mention Exod. 12. ver 13. in these words Aâ—â— the bloud shall be a token for you vpon the houses where ye are so wheâ— I see the bloud I will passe ouer you and the plague shall not be vpâ—â— you to destruction when I smite the land of Egypt Of the other paâ—sage vnto the destruction of those by whom God passeth we haâ—â— Exod. 11. ver 4.5 About midnight sayth God will I goe out into thâ— midst of Egypt and all the first borne of Egypt shall dye For as Mosâ—â— witnesseth Deut. 4. ver 24. The Lord is a consuming fire and aâ— alâ—â— God This place therefore of Amos must be taken of the latter pâ—â—sage of God And surely it is a fearfull thing to fall into the haâ—â— of God being angrie with vs. Hebr. 10. ver 31. Vers 18. Wo vnto you that desire the day of the Lord what haue yâ—â— to doe with it The day of the Lord is darknes and not light A sharpe reprouing of those which were not moued with the threatnings of God against the which they had many exceptions A Sharpe rebuking of those who after so many and so earnest admonitions or warnings were not moued with the threatnings of God nor did tremble at them who through a certaine brutish carelesnes being senseles or waxen fierce through the contempt of God wished to see those iudgements of God that is to say they did despise them It appeareth by many places that the hypocrites of this nation wanted not their exceptions against the threatningâ— of the Prophets as namely that they were Israelites and so consequently the seede of Abraham and blessed of God that they were circumcised and therefore in the couenant of God that they had the Temple of God the which last exception was peculiar and proper vnto the kingdome of Iudah and not vnto the kingdomeâ— Israel also This exception therefore of the hypocrites the Prophet refuteth or ouerthroweth two wayes First by this reprehension wo. For this reprehension teacheth that they are farre and wide deceiued which sayd these things For circumcision which is outward or he which is a Iew outwardly is not the seede of Abraham or true circumcision or a Iew indeed or the sonne of Abraham So Paul 2. Col. 4. ver 11. teacheth that the inward circumcision is the true circumcision speaking of the faithfull among them and saying Inwhom meaning in Christ also ye are circumcised with circumcision made without hands by putting off the sinful bodie of the flesh through the circumcision of Christ And to the Rom. cap. 2. ver 28. he sayth He is not a Iew which is one outward neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh And Rom. 9. ver 7. They are not sayth he all children because they are the seede of Abraham Therefore by this answer they shal seeke vnto themselues destruction and not helpe or ayd at all For this wo is threatned vnto them in the name of God that is there is threatned vnto them a curse anger and punishment Secondly the Prophet refuteth them by the description of the Day of the Lord that is of Iudgement the which these boasted that they would haue wished for to come the which sheweth most heauie destruction to fall vpon them For this day although it be the comming and day of the Lord yet shall it be vnto them not a day of light but of darknes So the Prophet Zephaniah cap. 1. ver 15. sayth That day is a day
knew to be God yea and peculiarly your God you haue cast away notwithstanding and in my roome haue placed others that is to say those same most vaine idols Vers 27. Therefore will I cause you to goe into captiuitie beyond Damascus saith the Lord whose name is the God of hostes A Commination A Commination or threatning the which is set downe by way of a conclusion that except they repent it will so come to passe that God will carrie them into captiuitie and that into farre countries and into great miserie that is beyond Damascus in the Caspian mountaines and among fierce cruell and vnpleasant nations This place doth Steuen also in the Actes cap. 7. vers 43. alleage against the Iewes and telleth them that for their many idolatries God threatned captiuitie vnto their fathers saying Therefore I will carrie you away beyond Babylon This threatning least these Israelites might thinke that they were both mocked and dallied withall or that they could auoide it doth God confirme by his power and the same infinite or endles For he the very same who threatneth these things is the God of hostes and hath authoritie and mere and absolute soueraigntie ouer all things the which hee exerciseth and vseth according to his owne pleasure Therefore nothing can withstand him CAP. 6. Vers 1. Wo to them that are at ease in Zion and trust in the mountaine of Samaria which were famous at the beginning of the nations and the house of Israel came to them This Sermon also doth peculiarly belong vnto the Israelites The opinion of most Interpreters touching this Sermon THis sermoÌ„ following like as al those before is properly directed vnto the kingdome of Israel albeit that in the beginning of thâ—â— Chapter mention be made of Zion and in the 8. verse of Iacob Which thing hath brought all the interpreters for the most part to this point that they would haue in this place both the kingdome of Iudah and also the kingdome of Israel to be reprehended or reproued and to be ioyned together But by the whole chapter it appeareth otherwise namely that these things doe especially appertaine vnto the kingdome of Israel onely vnto the which Amos was sent peculiarly for notwithstanding that there be mention made of Sion and of Iacob this is not simplie for it selfe Why mention is here made of Sion and Iacob if this Sermon appertaine not vnto Iudah but in another respect and for another purpose and for the confirmation of that reprehension which is here made concerning the Israelites For this cause is it I say why mention is here made of Sion and Iacob as it shall anon appeare by the exposition it felfe Moreouer as 〈◊〉 the chapter before going he reproued both the Nobles and also the Iudges or Magistrates of this kingdome of Israel did threâ—ten vnto them most heauie iudgements of God so in this hee first generally rebuketh the people themselues then afterwards those who among the people were of the wealthier sort the more mightie and richer and therefore the more insolent or proud against others God therefore among them was most grieuouslie offendeâ— by all sortes and degrees of men Three partes of this verse Now this verse hath three partes First a curse and the same doth the Prophet threaten from God himselfe For this is the proper signification of the word Hoi among the Hebrewes 1. A curse and of Vâ— among the Latines and ouai among the Greekes and in English Wo that it betokeneth threatnings not from men but froâ— God that is vttered from heauen And thus it is taken 1. Sam. cap. 4 vers 7.8 in these wordes Then the Philistines were afraide aâ—â— said God is come into the hoste therefore said they Woe vnto vs fâ— it hath not been so heretofore Wo vnto vs who shall deliuer vs out of the hand of these mightie gods These are the gods that smote the Egyptians with al the plagues in the wildernes And Isa cap. 1. ver 4. Wo finfull nation c. And Mat. 23. ver 13. Woe be vnto you Scribes and Pharises hypocrites c. And in many other the verses there following And Apocal. 8. vers 13. Wo wo to the inhabitants of the earth c. 2. To whom this curse is threatned The second part of this verse sheweth vnto whom he denounceth or to those that were subiect vnto the kingdome of Israel And these he describeth or setteth out by their sinne or qualitie in these words Which trust in the mountaine of Samaria For this was the chiefe cause of their securitie or carelesnes why they despised the iudgements of GOD because they iudged Samaria the chiefe citie of that kingdome to be inuicible or vnwonable For it was most hardly besieged by the King of Syria 2. King cap. 6. ver 24. c. Yet was it not wonne nor taken cap. 7. ver 6.7 And they supposed the power of the kingdome and their king also by whome they iudged that they should be well inough defended against all enemies to be vnconquerable Whereupon there was in them not only a certaine confidence or trust in the mountaine and citie of Samaria but also such a trust that they did wholly rest and stay therein as in a defence that could not be wonne And therefore they slept soundly and without all feare against enemies and the threatnings of God For such a kinde of securitie or carelesnes doth the Hebrew word Schaan betoken And that the citie Samaria was the head citie of that kingdome and seated or built vpon a Mountaine appeareth 1. King cap. 16. vers 24. in these wordes And he to wit Omri King of Israel bought the mountaine Samaria of one Shemer for two talents of siluer and built in the mountaine and called the name of the citie which he built after the name of Shemer Lord of the mountaine Samaria The third part of this verse 3. With what reasons he confirmeth his threatning 1. Reason teacheth with what examples and reasons the Prophet confirmeth this his threatning against these secure or careles Israelites And hee confirmeth it by two the first whereof is taken from their neighbours at home to wit in this verse from the kingdome of Iudah and men that were subiect thereunto who were both the people of God and had also themselues an head citie and a mountaine wherein they trusted 2. Reason The second reason and example is taken from strangers and those of other countries in the verses following Therefore mention is made but by occasion of Sion and of those that trust in it that is of the Iewes or of Iacob to wit that the Prophet might take from the Israelites that securitie or carelesnes 〈◊〉 might confirme his threatnings against them by an home exaâ—ple and such one as was neere vnto them Moreouer this reason was of very great weight For it is 〈◊〉 not only from the like or from the equall but also from the greâ—â— to
Apostles of Christ the which he sayth is no wonder 2. Cor. 11. ver 14. For Satan himselfe is transformed into an angell of light A most craftie counsell of the Papists vnto some gospellers And this doe the most sworne enemies of the trueth of the Gospell at this day the which would seeme â—ore reasonable then others of that crue to carrie a more fauourable mind towards such as are godly indeed or also towards the faithfull Pastors of the Church of God For vnder a colour of honest counsell and such as tendeth to their safetie so farre as in them lieth they doe moue and exhort them to leaue their standing and to giue ouer for a time or els vtterly to forsake and lay aside their ministerie and worke of God The which no doubt is a most great and most daungerous fetch and reach of the diuell against the which the spirit of wisedome is to be begged with most earnest prayers at the hands of our good and mercifull God For say they You may be safe and in honour or credit and reputation at home among your owne if you hold your selfe quiet and giue ouer the office or religion Doe not therefore so openly professe this â—eligâ—on but leaue of this ministerie of the gospell which you exercise At leastwise tarrie a leasure and put it off for a season c. Three notes of the great subtiltie of Amasiâ—s Furthermore that the subtiltie and cunning of this Amasâ—as was great as a chiefe instrument of Sathan like as also other varlets in such cases is wont to bee it may appeare by these three points First in that hee calleth him by that honorable naâ—â— of a Seer 1. In that he calleth Amos by the honorable name of a Seer as if he made some great account of him did acknowledge and confesse him to be the true Prophet of God For this 〈◊〉 the first and in old time was wont to be the name of a Prophe◠〈◊〉 we reade 1. Sam. 9. cap. ver 9. Before time in Israel when a mâ—◠〈◊〉 to seeke an answer of God thus he spake Come and let vs go to the Sâ—n for he that is called now a Prophet was in the olde time called a Sâ—â— So the craftier and closer enemies of the gospell are very liberal and franke in giuing of such titles vnto the true professors Tâ—â— second poynt is hereby to be seene 2. In that he seeketh to drawe him home into his owne countrey for that he draweth back 〈◊〉 vnto his owne countrie whereas he may be safe and withouâ— dâ—â—ger and liue commodiouslie and very well For our owne coâ—â—â—â—â— doth by a certaine naturall sense and feeling allure and deligh◠〈◊〉 He then doth not send him into the deserts and vnto far people 〈◊〉 the vttermost partes of the world as to the Garamantes and â—â—â—ans but among his owne people and countrey folkes Wheâ—â—â—â— the speech and perswasion of Amasias might seeme the moâ—◠〈◊〉 sonable and more full of goodwill and loue towards Amo◠〈◊〉 third poynt is this 3. In that he will not haue him vtterly leaue prophesying but that he prophesie not in Israel that Amasias desireth not that Amos henceâ—â—â—â— should not prophesie any more at all but that he should not 〈◊〉 here in this place that is in the kingdome of Israel and 〈◊〉 in Bethel but in Iudah where there are many other Prophets 〈◊〉 his place and like vnto himselfe and are heard there let him Pâ—â—phesie as much as him list and spare not What may seem◠〈◊〉 reasonable then these requests Vers 13. But prophesie no more at Beth-el for it is the King â—â—â—pell and it is the Kings court The reason why Amos might not prophesie in Bethel taken THis is a rendring of a reason why Amos neither ough◠〈◊〉 might prophesie in Beth-el especially these things which 〈◊〉 spake and vttered And this reason is twofold namely from the holines and also from the dignitie of the citie or place 1. From the holines of the place The Holines is described in these wordes It is the Kings chappell the which wordes doe sound thus much as if Amasias should say This place is vnto vs all a most holy temple ordayned by the commandement of the King â—e as vnto you is your Temple at Ierusalem most holy It is therefore vnlawfull for thee to speake any thing against the worship and holines oâ— this temple For thou mayest not here bee suffered as namely being one that is blasphemous against our gods and iniurious vnto this place the which is so holy After such like maner Ieroboam the first would haue maintained the false and counterfeit holines of his altar in the selfesame citie Beth-el against the Prophet of God but he was punished for his labor For when heâ— sâ—râ—tched out his arme to haue had the Prophet stayed his hand which hee put forth against him dryed vp and hee could not pull it in againe to him 1. King 13. ver 4. 2. From the dignitie of â—hâ— same The dignitie of the citie is declared in these words It is the Kings house that is to say it is the chiefest of the cities of the kingdome of Israel And therefore thou cause speake nothing against it but thou must drawe and pull the whole kingdome vpon thine head Therefore O Amos in vttering these things thou shalt stirre vp sedition either against thine owne selfe or else in this kingdome And as in this place falsely by this Priest so Psal 122. the commendation of the citie Ierusalem is truly bâ— the. Prophet drawne from the holines and dignitie of the place Reade the whole Psalme Vers 14. Then answered Amos and said to Amaziah I was no Prophet neither was I a Prophets sonne but I was a heard man and a gatherer of wilde figges The answer of Amos vnto Amasias twofold THe answer of Amos vnto the former and subtill admonition or counsell of Amasias the Baalamitish Priest This answer is also twofold 1. He directly deniâ—th to follow his counsell First in the which Amos directly and flatly denieth thaâ— be either may or ought with a good conscience follow and obey the counsell or commandement of Amasias because God expreslie hath giuen him otherwise in charge and that he ought rather to obey God then man And so are wee taught to doe by the answer which Peter and Iohn do make vnto the rulers of the Temple forbidding them any more to preach in the name of Iesus Act. 4. ver 19. For there they answer vnto them thus Whether it be right in â—he fight of God to obey you rather then God iudge ye For wee cannot but speake the things which we haue seene and heard Amos then declareth what God had commanded him to doe that is to preach those things the which he spake yea and that vnto the people or Kingdome of Israel and not vnto the Kingdome of Iudah whither he was sent by
declared vnto the Iewes and Israelites at that time because they weâ—â— accustomed and acquainted with these figures and kinds of speâ—king First of all therefore store and plentie of all kind of gooâ— things â— Al kind of good things promised and that in great plentie and abundance or all kind of good things is in this place promised and shâ—wed that this is a most true fruite of the kingdome of God And noâ— onely euery kind of good thing is promised but the same also in most great abundance For it is sayd that it shall come to passe that these shall bee cast vpon vs by God largely and plentifully in such wise that after the former the which wee haue alreadie receiued others forthwith shall succeed or follow yea whatsoeuer are necessarie and needfull for the life of man as are corne and wine whether they doe come by the industrie or trauaile of men as by plowing sowing vinedressing or whether they come of their owne accord from the earth as mountaines or hils doe vse to bring foorth many things of that sort There is a like place vnto this Leuit. 26. ver 5. where Moses telleth them that heare the lawe and followe the same that they shall haue all kind of blessings heaped one in the necke of another Your threshing sayth he shall reach vnto the vintage and the vintage shall reach vnto sowing time and you shall eate your bread in plenteousnes and dwell in your land safely But by these earthly things matters healthsome or concerning saluation and spirituall are of vs to be vnderstanded Vers 14. And I will bring againe the captiuitie of my people of Israel and they shall build the waste cities and inhabite them and they shall plant vineyards and drinke the wine thereof they shall also make gardens and eate the fruites of them The second fruit of the restoring of the kingdome of God THe second fruite of the Gospell or restoring of the kingdome of God to wit deliuerance and the same most full from all captiuitie For the greatest delicates and dainties are in exile and banishment vnioyfull and vnpleasant but in our owne countrey most welcome and ioyfull So Psal 137. ver 4. the godly answere vnto their scoffing enemies willing them to sing some of their Hebrewe songs How shall wee sing say they a song of the Lord in a strange land whereby they signifie that their musike could not be pleasant vnto them in their miserable captiuitie And therefore but a little before in the same Psalme they say that they hung vp their harpes and sate by the riuer sides weeping The godly therefore shall be deliuered and brought backe againe from that most miserable exile to wit from the captiuitie of Sathan and sinne and the lust of the flesh of the which tyrants men are held captiues before they haue faith in Christ Deliuerance from spirituall captiuitie and bondage And this deliuerance shall not bee slight and slender but a most full deliuerance because men may dwell in their owne cities and then plant there and plow and doe all those things the which all they whatsoeuer doe the which dwell in their owne homes in greatest securitie and safetie But these things are to be applied vnto the benefites of the Gospell towards the godly by Christ in a spirituall sense such as may proportionably be gathered from these earthly promises the which godly through Christ doe enioy great tranquilitie or quiet of mind and conscience euen whilest they liue here vpon earth and therefore much more in that euerlasting and blessed life Vers 15. And I will plant them vpon their land and they shall no more be pulled vp againe out of their land which I haue giuen them sayth the Lord thy God The third fruit THE third fruite the stabilitie or setlednes and continuance of euery godly and faithfull person in his owne seate and home that is in the same wherein he shall be placed by God the which is especially to be vnderstood of euerlasting life And this is as it were an accesse or increase of both the former benefites For many times neither doth pleÌ„tie of good things delight vs nor yet the dwelling in our own natiue couÌ„trey if in the same there haÌ„g ouer our heads continuall and assured feare that we shall forthwith be depriued spoyled of both these commodities but when as vnto the former benefites of God there commeth also a promise of continuall securitie or being without feare and daunger and of enioying and keeping of our goods then may we in deed and in trueth bee iudged most happie These things are chiefly to be vnderstood of our heauenly dwelling But these things as I haue sayd are rather to be vnderstood of that heauenly land that is of heauen in the which we shall be after this life then of that earthly mansion or dwelling for because that this seate onelie is firme stable stedfast and sure to wit heauen and eternall life ordained for vs of God And thus much doth the place of the Hebrewes cap 11. ver 14.15.16 a little before recited ver 13. of this chapter sufficiently enough declare But this earthly land is ofteÌ„ giuen vs of God to dwell in only for a time out of the which we are afterwards driuen into other seates either by enemies or by the ouerflowing of waters Wherefore let no man thinke himselfe to be here vpon earth placed by God in such sort that he cannot be pulled out but they which are in heauen they only and alone are so placed and dwell that they can neuer bee remoued FINIS A Commentary of Lambertus Danaeus vpon the Prophet Oseas CAP. 1. Vers 1. The word of the Lord that came vnto Hosea the sonne of Beeri in the dayes of Vzziah Iotham Ahaz and Hezekiah Kings of Iudah and in the dayes of Ieroboam sonne of Ioash King of Israel The great disobedience of the kingdome of Israel vnto God IT appeareth 2. King cap. 17. how great the disobedience and stubbornnesse of the people of Israel that is those which liued in the kingdome of Israel after the departure thereof from Iudah was against almightie God who had so long time been vnto them a most mercifull father The which also is confirmed Ierem. 25. for there was in them both vngodlines and iniustice most obstinate The long bearing of God with the Israelites albeit that the Lorde for the space of more then two hundreth yeares had borne with them and earnestly both day and night had admonished or warned them continuallie by his Prophets Whereupon that was needes to follow the which Paul saith 1. Rom. 18. That in the end the wrath of God was reuealed against them from heauen it selfe and that as it is Ephe. 5. ver 6. God should most sharply punish this disobedience For by meanes of the vngodlines and vnrighteousnes of men and of those especially which call themselues the sonnes of God the wrath of God is most
before they fell away from the Assyrians and vntill that Samaria was besieged by Salmanazar king of the Assyrians because of the trecherie and rebellion of King Oseas For euen yet then the strength of the Israelites was so great that for the space of three whole yeares they withstood the Assyrians and all their greatest forces 2. King 17. whereupon that estate of this kingdome although their last state is compared vnto a man childe and not vnto a woman And he is called 2. The name of the childe Lo-ghammi or Loghnammi Lo-ghammi that is Not my people as Paul doth expound it Rom. 9. ver 25. For there speaking of the calling of the Gentiles hee citeth the place of this Prophet cap. 2. vers 23. after this manner I will call them my people which were not my people anâ— her beloued which was not beloued alluding vnto the names of Lo-ammi and Lo-ruchamah 3. The reason of the name The reason of the name because 〈◊〉 should come to passe after this destruction that the same whole part of the seede of Iacob Abraham that is the ten tribes shoulâ— not any more be reckoned the people of God nor should retaine the couenant of God or any signe thereof but that they shoulâ— liue miserablie dispersed among barbarous nations among the which they should neither keepe nor celebrate circumcision and the memory of the true GOD as namely hauing forgotten altogether the God of Abraham when as the Iewes notwithstanding in the captiuity of Babylon diligently retayned both as a token oâ— the couenant of God yet remaining with them The people of Israel in their captiuitie retained no seale of God his couenant So then the people of Israel in their captiuity retained no seale of the couenant of God and there fore ceased to be the people of God and the true God ceased also to be the God of this people or to be counted and called and acknowledged their Father And therefore they were in deede Lo-ghammi that is Not his people Vers 10. Yet the number of the people of Israel shall bee as the sand of the sea which cannot be measured nor tolde and in the place where it was sayd vnto them yee are not my people it shal be sayd vnto them ye are the sonnes of the liuing God A comfort for the smal number of the godly yet remaining A Comfort which the Lord interlaceth to rayse vp cheare and comfort the small but yet deare number vnto him of the godly the which did yet remaine in that people For albeit this kingdome should perish yet should not the Church of GOD in that people perish therefore notwithstanding For God would gather it out of the middest of this people of the which notwithstanding being dispersed among the Assyrians there should not be any more a body and in which people there should remaine no signe visible oâ— to be seene of the couenant of God To be short God gathereth his Church out of all peoples much more out of the Israelites Wherefore this prophesie of the gathering together and preseruing of the church appertayneth vnto the calling of the Gentiles also not only vnto the calling backe of these ten tribes of Israel as Paul teacheth Rom. 9. cap. ver 25. alleadged before in the verse immediatly before going where the Apostle as it is euident to be seen of euery one doth purposedly cite it to proue the calling of the Gentiles Two parts of this verse This verse therefore contayneth two things one of the preseruing in the meane season and restoring of the church and the same most plentifull or in great number 1. The preseruing and â—estoring of the Church so that it may afterwardes be compared vnto the sand of the sea which is infinite and cannot be numbered nor measured And this did then come to passe when as the Gentiles through the preaching of the Gospel were called vnto Christ The other it declareth those 2. Out of whome God will gather his church out of whom GOD will afterwards gather the selfe same Church to wit out of all them the which were not his people before or at that time Therefore this promise is generall as Paul teacheth Ephes 2. ver 1. where he sheweth that God quickned the Ephesians which were dead in sinnes and tooke them also into the number of his Church as it followeth anon after the beginning of that chapter So then those which before were not the people of God the same afterwardes were made his not onely people and inheritance but also his sonnes and the Temple of the liuing GOD such as were both the Gentiles and also the Israelites being conuerted vnto the Gospel and gathered together by Christ into one sheepfold as Christ teacheth Iohn 10. ver 16. where speaking of the Gentiles in time to be gathered vnto the Church of the Iewes he sayth Other sheepe I haue also which are not of this folde them also must I bring and they shall heare my voyce and there shal be one sheepfold and one shepheard And vnto these doth Peter Epist 1. cap. 2. ver 9. giue very glorious titles when he calleth them A chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar or purchased people to shewe foorth the vertues of him that hath called them out of darkenes into his marueylous light Vers 11. Then shall the children of Iudah and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoynt themselues one head and they shall come vp out of the land for great is the day of Izreel A confirmatioÌ„ of the former promise consisting of three partes A Confirmation of the former promise of the restoring of the Church and that in most great number from the declaring of the thing and manner of the same albeit that the kingdome of Israel shall perish 1. The two kingdomes shall be frienâ—â—y vnited And here are three things told that they shall then come to passe when as GOD will gather together that same his Church First that Iudah and Israel that is both those kingdomes shall come together into one the diuision of mindes being taken away the which was before betweene them both For when as God through the Gospell gathered the Church vnto Christ all such distinction hatred and grudge of sexe of men kingdomes nations which was before was taken away 2. They shall all châ—se vnto themselues one and the same head The second poynt is That all these shall choose vnto themselues one and the same head to wit Christ giuen vnto them by God For it is not in the power of the Church to choose her owne head but he that is by God himselfe set for the head thereof he onely may be the head Eph. 1. ver 22. for so Paul there witnesseth of God That he hath made al things subiect vnder the feete of Christ and hath appoynted him ouer all things to be the head to the Church But when as men
sinne set downe a law to restraine the same Deut. 12. ver 13. where he speaketh thus Take heede that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in euery place that thou seest but only in the place which the Lord shall appoynt thee But there is a punishment prepared for this so vile a sinne A punishment answerable vnto their sinne and that according vnto the proportion of this spirituall fornication that is of Idolatrie with bodily fornication For God threatneth that it shall come to passe that those women whom among themselues they would haue to be most chast of all others the very same shall among themselues commit fornication or play the whores And these are their daughters and their spouses whom euery man would haue to bee chaste before his maydes yea in a maner before their married wiues And indeede the fornication of a spouse or betrothed wife with another before marriage is most filthy as is also a man his daughters vn married yet is not therefore the whoredome of the married wiues any whit the lesse or the lighter but the Prophet thus speaketh according to the iudgment of man that they should vnderstand that 〈◊〉 fornication should bee most grieuous vnto them like as their fornicatioÌ„ was vnto God most grieuous lothsome After this maner doth God repay home iust punishments vnto iniquitie and sin Vers 14. I will not visite your daughters when they are harlots nor your spouses when they are whores for they themselues are separated with harlots and sacrifice with whores therefore the people that doth not vnderstand shall fall A reason why these Idolators should in such wise be punished THis is a rendring of a reason wherewith the Prophet confirmeth it to be most meet and right that these fornicators against God should themselues also in their owne houses for a punishment see and suffer those most filthy fornications Therefore this part of this verse is to be read by way of interrogation or asking of a question as thus will I not or shall I not visit your daughters when they are harlots and your spouses when they are whores For that these separate with harlots the which they sacrifice with whores A comparison shewing that their punishment shall be proportionable or agreeable vnto their sin Further there is here set downe a comparison and proportion to expresse more cleerely this equitie of the punishment of God against them to wit That as these doe separate or put apart all the best most choyce of their goods to sacrifice vnto Idols together with their whores for with Idolators these vices for the most part are common and goe together to wit spirituall fornication and bodily whoredome the which are committed together and in the same Temples For as one sayth the women come thither that is to those Temples for to beholde and gaze they come that they may be beheld and gazed vpon and therefore that place sayth the same writer hath the hurts losse of chast shamefastnes that is in those places they are many times dishonested So theÌ„ as they giue bestow euery their best things vpon their Idols when as they commit spirituall whordome with them likewise shal those women kinde whom they account most deare as are their daughters their spouses play the whores and harlots most impudently or shamelesly among them Lastly the conclusion of this whole place is added in these wordes The conclusion of this place This people that doth not vnderstand shall fall or perish to wit because they are without the true knowledge worship and feare of God For here vnderstanding without the which the Israelites are sayd to be doth not only comprehend the true knowledge of God but also his true worship and fear or the practise of this knowledg as in 1. Ioh. cap. 2. ver 4. where he writeth He that sayth I knowe him that is God and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar and the trueth is not in him For these two are alwaies to be linked together to wit knowledge and practise Vers 15. Though thou Israel play the harlot yet let not Iudias sinne come not ye vnto Gilgal neither goe ye vp to Beth-auen noâ— sweare the Lordliueth An admonitioÌ„ for the kingdom of Iudah AN admonition the which properly appertaineth vnto the people and kingdome of Iudah at that time separated from the kingdome of Israel For the Iewes are admonished that they also sinne not after the example of the Israelites their brethren and neighbours and that they mingle not themselues with them or defile themselues in their Idolatries or any other their sinnes whatsoeuer For it appeareth sufficiently that the Israelites by the example of the Iewes and the Iewes by the following of the Israelites ranne into all wickednes Read for proofe hereof Ezech 16. from the verse 45. almost to the end of the chapter Moreouer experience it selfe doth teach that neighbour people are easilie corrupted by neighbour people For those things the which are practised or done among people dwelling neere together those which are their neighbours and doe dwell neere vnto them doe easily imitate or follow and take vp the same So the Romanes quickly receiued the South sayings of the Hetruscians Wherefore we are both publikely and priuately with all diligence to beware such so easie corruption and infection For in this case also doth the rule of Paul 1. Cor. 15. hold Euil communication corrupteth good maners 2. Parts of this verse But this verse hath two partes The first doth generally propound or set forth the prohibition or forbidding that the Iewes should nor corrupt themselues after the likenes of the Israelites 1. Generally setteth dâ—wne a prohibition fro Gâ—d vnto the Iewes and especially that they should not giue themselues ouer vnto Idolatry or Idols the which is expressed by the word Fornication or playing the harlot And this communicating or taking part with other men their wickednes god calleth sin or guiltines that is a most grieuous offence cleauing properly vnto them which doe sinne after the example of others whereby they also become guiltie before God as they in like maner are guilty whom they doe imitate or follow and therefore worthy of the iudgement of God This guiltinesse the which by the mouth of God him selfe is pronounced or declared against those which are partakers of other mens sinnes as Paul speaketh 1. Tim. 5. ver 22. where he saith to Timothie be not partaker of other mens sinnes is opposed or set against the many excuses the which those both alleadge and also faine vnto themselues that imitate or follow other mens deedes and sinnes for being reproued they make excuses for themselues The second part of this verse is an explication or making more plain of the sinne 2. Maketh the same more euident and plaine from the which the Iewes especially were to abstaine He therefore rehearseth two sortes of Idolatry common and most vsual among the Israelites I confesse but
yet horrible before God The one for that they went to Gilgal and Bethâ—el the which here is called Beth-auen that they might there doe seruice and sacrifice vnto their Idols 1. Their idolatry at Gilgal and Beth-el Gilgal in this place I take not for the border of the kingdome of Israel and as it deuided the boundes thereof from the kingdome of Iudah but for a most famous Idol Temple the which was builded in those places and was commonly of all the Israelites frequented or gone vnto and with great superstition worshipped and had in reuerence See hereafter cap. 9. vers 15. cap. 12. ver 11. And before Amos 4. ver 4. and cap. 5. ver 5. Beth-auen is named for Beth-el Why Beth-el is here named Beth-auen to procure hatred vnto that place by so hard and bad a name For it was now no longer the house of God as the name doth importe but an house of Idols or of iniquitie and wickednes as Beth-auen doth signifie Concerning the naming of it Beth-el read Gen. 28. ver 19. There was more ouer another Beth-auen and by the proper name thereof so called in the promised land the which is distinguished and seuered from Beth-el and was in the borders of the tribe of Beniamin neere vnto Hai whereof read Iosh cap. 7. ver 2 and cap. 18. ver 12 13. Hereof we doe gather that glorious and godly names of Cities doe not excuse them before God or couer the euils that are there by the citizens committed So the Temple of God is called a denne of theeues For the names are changed the things being changed or else godly names doe turne vnto the greater hurt both of the places and also of the inhabitants or dwellers in them if they in godlinesse bee not answerable vnto their names 2. Their abusing or swearing The second kinde of their most filthy Idolatry is the prophanation or defiling and abusing of swearing The which is then done wheÌ„ as we either sweare by the name of idols only as is fouÌ„d fault withall Amos 8. ver 14. when he sayth They that sweare by the sinne of Samaria and that say Thy God O Dan liueth the maner of Beer-sheba liueth euen they shall fall and neuer rise vp againe or when as together with the name of the true God the name of â—dols is vsed also in swearing So was it at that time vsed to be done by the Israelites the which the Iewes in this place are forbidden to imitate or follow And against these that sweare by God and by idols the Prophet Sophonias cap. 1. ver 5. threatneth that God will plague and punish them where he writeth that God will cut off them that worship the host of heauen vpon the house tops and them that worship and sweare by the Lord We must sweare by the name of God only and sweare by Malcham For wee must sweare only by the name of the true God and not by the name of Idols or Saints And therefore Deut. 6. ver 13. Moses giueth this commaundement vnto the Israelites saying Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serue him and shalt sweare by his name And Iere. cap. 5. ver 7. accounteth this swearing by other theÌ„ by the true God to be a forsaking of God and a sinne so great that God cannot spare them that vse it speaking there in the person of God after this maner How should I spare thee for this Thy children haue forsaken me and sworne by them that are no Gods Vers 16. For Israel is rebellious as an vnruly heifer Now the Lord will feede them as a Lambe in a large place A reason why the Israelites are not to be followed of the Iewes THis is a reason why the Israelites are not to be imitated or followed of the Iewes and this same reason is two-fold The first is taken from the most foule and filthie fruit of the idolatrie wickednesse of the Israelites And this is That the Israelites being giuen ouer vnto those their sinnes and throughly inured and acquainted with them haue now ceased by any meanes to bee ruleable and obedient vnto God nay they haue vtterly shaken off his gouernmeÌ„t and yoke as an vnruly heifer Therefore lest the selfe same doe happen vnto the Iewes let them not bee partakers of the sinnes of the Israelites And this is a description of wickednesse altogether past recouerie For they are not compared vnto men in such sort rebellious but vnto bruit beasts and vnreasonable creatures to the end that the blockishnes of these rebellious and stubborne persons may be shewed and their foolish and peeuish minde bee described and layd forth as it were in his colours 2. A second reason why the Iewes should not imitate the Israelites The second cause is a most lamentable effect of the same stubbornnes of the Israelites against GOD the which followed their idolatrie and falling away from the true worship of GOD. And this is a most grieuous iudgement of God wherewith they are â—â—â—ortly to bee punished the which estate and condition the Iewes should not vnwisely drawe and pull vpon themselues And this iudgement of God against the Israelites is painted out vnder a similitude taken from the estate of a poore lambe of an yeare olde and most fearefull yea solitarie also and feeding in a ground or field of roomth and largenes enough indeede but where as it can see no other sheepe with it Vnder this similitude is foretold the laying waste of the land of Israel by reason of their sinnes the which then first happened when as the three tribes which were beyond Iordan were carried away by the Assyrians and afterward when as the other tribes of the kingdome of Israel were caried away also by the same Assyrians Therfore let not the Iewes pull vpon themselues the like punishment and so consequently let them not bee partakers of their sinnes Vers 17. Ephraim is ioyned to idols let him alone The conclusion THis is the conclusion whereby the most miserable estate of the Israelites is described that they were now vtterly and whollie become idolaters and therefore there is no part to bee taken with them but they were to be forsaken and left in that their filthinesse as those that were not at all to bee cured Diuersitie of iudgements about the meaning of this place Now some doe attribute these words vnto God speaking vnto the Prophet others attribute them vnto the Prophet himselfe speaking vnto the Iewes In effect it is all one Yet I for my part had rather haue them to be the words of the Prophet concluding and ending that his exhortation vnto the Iewes in the name of God What the figure Epiphonema is see Ionas cap. 2 ver 9. It is therefore the conclusion by way of an Epiphonema or acclamation like as was before vers 11. of this chapter 1. What Synecdoche is see Amos cap. â— ver 21. This conclusion containeth two things
iudgement because hâ—â— willingly walked after the commandement THis is a rendring of a reason why the Israelites and especiallies their Princes as also those of Iudah shall be punished with so sore a punishment as hath been described before and shall also be shewed hereafter to wit that they shall be layd open for a pray and shal be bruised and oppressed with that weight of God his iudgement against them The cause of this punishments The cause I say hereof is this for that they both of them altogether wittingly and willingly and desirouslye embrace followe and keepe the Commandements the which are contrarie vnto the word of GOD. But the commaundements the which in this place are coÌ„demned Against what commandements the Prophet here speaketh are not politike lawes the which should prescribe true godlinesse and modestie among men 1. Tim. 2. for those we are to obey but they are such ordinances of Kings as being allowed of the Nobles and Peeres of the Realme the people was thereby at the first brought vnto idolatrie by Ieroboaâ— the sonne of Nabat the first founder of this kingdome of Israel and afsterwards by his Successors 2. King 17. So then these commaundements are that same will-worshippes which Paul condemneth Colos 2. ver 23. of which he sayth That they haue indeede a shewe of wisedome in voluntarie religion and humblenes of minde and mens sparing the bodie c. They are the precepts of men wherewith God euery where with so loude voyce doth witnesse that he is worshipped in vaine Isai 29. Amos 4. ver 4. where the Lord accounteth the for transgressions in what regard soeuer the people haue them For thus in that place he speaketh of them Come to Beth-el and transgresse to Gilgal and multiplie transgression and bring your sacrifices in the morning and your tithes after three yeares And Christ out of Isai Matth. 15. ver 9. telleth the Scribes and Pharises that they worship him in vaine teaching for doctrines mens precepts Idolatrie therfore without all doubt is in this verse condemned in both those kingdomes and out of this verse it is taught that it reigned among the people of them both And the same was alwaies set vp among the Israelites and Iewes by the edict or proclamation of their Princes as it is now a daies done in the Popedome by the writs and commandement of Princes Vers 12. Therefore will I be vnto Ephraim as a moth and to the house of Iudah as a rottennes The greatnesse of their punishment set out by two similitudes AS in the verse before going the Prophet described a very great sinne and such as was ratified and warranted by the authoritie of their princes and rulers so now he setteth downe and that vnto the princes both of Israel and also of Iudah the greatnesse of the punishment wherewith the selfe same princes shall be punished And this is no new punishment the which is here rehearsed but an amplification or a more especiall laying open of that which hath been alreadie threatned For he painteth out the greatnesse thereof by two similitudes And here are two things to be noted to wit 1. What punishment is threatned what punishment is here threatned and vnto whom The punishment is most heauie namely because these princes shall bee eaten vp and consumed in long continuance of time and by little and little 2. To whâ—m it is threâ—â—ned and not forthwith or at once neither shall they cease to bee vexed but as a moth vseth to eate a garment by little and little and to fret it by peece meale so shall they be vexed by little and little and continually So were they threatned before ver 7. to be consumed with a lingering disease as also Deut. 28. ver 51.52 Moses sheweth among other plagues that shall fall vpon them for the despising of God his commandements that forraine enemies shall waste them and all theirs both corne fruite and cattell wine and oyle c. by little and little vntill they bee quite and cleane destroyed The like similitude of a moth is vsed Psal 39. ver 11. where the Prophet writeth after this maner When thou with rebukes doest chastise man for iniquitie thou as a moth makest his beautie to consume surely euery man is vanitie Therefore as the moth doth eate away the beautie The simiâ—â—â—â—de of a garmâ—â—at eâ—ten with moths is vsed also Iob. 1â— ver 28. and euery the best part of a garment so shall euery the best things of both these kingdomes that is of Israel and of Iudah by the enemies be by little and little carried away and taken from them That which was done in the kingdome of Israel by the Assyrians and in the kingdome of Iudah by the Babylonians or Chaldees For by these was both these kingdomes at the first broken and spoyled of their richest countries and littled in their borders To the selfe same purpose appertaineth also the similitude of Rottennes in the latter end of this verse See Iam. 5. ver 5. to much like effect the like comparison of the rust and cancre in the gold and siluer of the cruel and merciles rich men the which he threatneth shall eate their flesh also as it were fire Further the punishment which the Prophet here speaketh of is threatned vnto both the kingdomes to with that of Israel and also that of Iudah and vnto those especially the which in them both were the princes and peeres of the people that men should not deceiue themselues with vaine names and titles Vers 13. * Further more When Ephraim sawe his sicknesse and Iudah his wound then went Ephraim to Asshur and sent vnto * A king that should help theÌ„ King Iareb yet could he not heale you nor cure you of your wound Their distrust in his promises reproued ANother sinne of both this people and the same most shamefull namely distrust in Gods promises and therefore their infidelitie is plainly reproued in this place And a most certaine and sure signe and proofe hereof is that both peoples when as they were pressed by their enemies ran not vnto the true God but vnto the helpe of people that were infidels to wit vnto the Assyrians Egyptians and vnto others as if there either had been no God among them or as if the true God had not been God and true of his promise So Ahaziah sending in his sicknesse to Baal-zebub to know whether he should recouer or no is sharply reproued by the Prophet Elijah 2. King 1. ver 6. who saith vnto his seruants in the name of the Lord Is it not because there is no God in Israel that thou sendest to inquire of Baal-zebub the God of Ekron And in the Psal 44. ver 20. the godly say If we haue forgotten the name of our God and holden vp our hands vnto a strange God shall not God search this out And therefore is there a very fore and heauie curse pronounced against those that
gouernment of Othoniel R. Solomo Iarchi writeth that those things came to passe vnder the Iudge Othoniel How soeuer it be that lewd fact and so cruel and wicked deede of the Israelites is most old and auncient The stubborne disebedient nature of these Israelites Therefore they doe not nowe first of al begin to offend God in this manner without al seare but euen so soone as they entred into the selfe same lande which they then possessed as yet Afterwarde their obstinacie and stubborne nature is also declared as namly being such who were not brought vnto repentance no not with those most grieuous punishments the which they sawe by God to be laide vpon the Gibeonites because of that hainous offence For thereupon insued a most lamentable battel the tribe of Beniamin was almost vtterly rooted out by God the other eleuen tribes were grieuously slaine and that twise Yet did these men neuer cal to minde those so great iudgements of God that thereby they might become the better and might learne to be wise by their home punishments and examples So then that same so grieuous warre which at that time was made against those sonnes of Belial or wicked sonnes that is to say against those lewde Gibeonites in the which doubtles the most great displeasure of God appeared most manifestly against the wicked this warre I say mooued not them feared them not that is tooke not holde on them to wit that they did thinke vpon it and called to remembrance that both themselues and those wicked persons were for this cause punished by God and therfore that they should abstaine from sinne hereafter But from that day and time they alwaies waxed worse and continued in their wicked life The which was a most desperate boldnes and most stubborne rebellion against God Vers 10. It is my desire that I should chastise them and the people shall be gathered against them when they shall gather themselues in their two furrowes A conclusion for their assured punishmēt inferred vpon the former verse and also their vngodly life The punishmēt twofold A Consequence the which out of the former verse and their vngodlines iustly gathereth and inferreth as it were for an ouerplus aduantage this conclusion to wit that it shal come to passe that like as these haue liued wickedly according vnto their owne minde and pleasure so shal they be punished by God according to his wil and pleasure And this punishment also is in this selfe same verse more plainly laide out by way of explanation and it is here shewed to be of two sortes First they shal be chastised or bound by God that they shal not be able to defend themselues against their enemies rushing and breaking in vpon them 1. They shall be bound by God For they which haue their hands tied and which are bounde are not able to defend themselues against strokes but he open vnto other mens iniuries and stripes to be beaten at their pleasure By this means God teacheth that all the aydes weapons and furniture of warre diligently prouided by the Israelites shal stand them in no stead but shal be vnprofitable vnto them 2. Sundrie natiōs shal be gathered together against them The second punishment is That sundrie peoples and not one nation onely shall by God bee gathered together against them that they may vnderstand that albeit they were left loose and vnboūd yet that they should notwithstanding be oppressed and ouercome of so great a number of enemies Further to amplifie the matter withall it is added by God I will binde them in their lands grounds furrowes and dwellings the which they possesse and plow and where they liue and dwell daintilie For the kingdome of Israel was partly on this side the riuer Iordan and partly beyond the riuer Iordan also So then the Israelites shall be punished by God and that iustly and worthely in both those countries beyond and on this side Iordan the which he compareth to a plowed field Vers 11. And Ephraim is as an heifer vsed to delight in threshing but I will passe by her faire necke I will make Ephraim to ride Iudah shall plow and Iaacob shall breake his clods An amplification of the equitie of this punishment AN amplification of this equitie and iustice in punishing of thē because that the Israelites contemned or despised all the labour of God in calling them backe and dressing and tilling them as it were a field and mocked euen God himselfe the which is an vngodlines to be punished worthie of as great punishment as may be But because in the former verse God vsed the Metaphor of furrowes borowed from husbandmen and tillage What the figure Metaphora is see Amos cap. 4.12 put in that place for dwellings so he doth now also continue the same in this verse as he doth likewise in the verse following For by this meanes and similitude the great labour of God might the better bee expressed and shewed in tilling plowing and cherishing both those kingdomes and people to wit that of the Iewes and Israelites as appeareth by the parable of the vine Isai 5. Two parts of this verse This verse hath two parts The first appertaineth vnto the kingdome of Israel The latter vnto the kingdome of Iudah The whole kingdome of Israel is here by the figure Synecdoche vnderstood by the name Ephraim and the kingdome of Iudah 1. Concerning the kingdome of Israel by these words Iudah and Iaacob Therefore as concerning the kingdome of Israel or those ten tribes 2. Concerning the kingdome of Iudah The figure Synecdoche what it is see Amos cap. 5. vers 21. first God sheweth what their disposition nature was vnder the similitude of an heifer the which had rather to tread out or thresh the corne then to plow that is which was giuen to pleasure and ease and would take but little paine in doing her dutie but wished forthwith to redeiue the fruite of her labour For such are the cattel which had rather to tread out the corne that is quietly and eating to doe some thing lightly vnder the roofe and at home then to plow abroade and in the fields that is 1. The kingdome of Israel in the open ayre and heate to take great paynes and worke Thus then in these words doubtlesse is described the nature of dissolute or loose and idle persons and such as are altogether giuen vnto pleasures And albeit these by nature were such yet GOD notwithstanding with great diligence dressed and tilled them For he vsed both his lawe the which he gaue them by Moses and also the labour and trauaile of diuers Prophets the which he raised vp vnto them that he might ride vpon them and as an honorable Rider sit vpon them breake them beate downe the fiercenes of their nature and that he might rule and reigne in their hearts And these things are declared and made plaine by the selfe same Metaphor
borowed from horsemen and plowers Therefore the Lord sayth I haue passed by the fairenes of her necke that is to say I haue layd an honorable yoke vpon theÌ„ and I my selfe would ride vpon that people as vpon mine owne peculiar and proper horse for honor sake decked and trimmed by me Wherefore these words I haue passed by the fairenes of her necke are neither spoken against them in despite The words of the Prophet are spoken in the honour of the Israelites not in their reproch nor yet as if God infulted or triumphed ouer them as if God in contempt or despite cast downe bruised pressed and trode downe with his feete the fayre neckes of these men like as that vngodly Pope of Rome Alexander the third in reproch trode vpon the necke of Frederick the Emperour but there is in these words rehearsed a singular benefite of God towards the Israelites and an honor for them that God had them as it were an horse for his owne saddle made much of them handled vsed them And this do I referre vnto that time wherein God gaue his lawe vnto all Israel whereunto I am moued by the argumeÌ„t of the verse following For then God when he went about to bring that people vnder his yoke and when as it was at that time a most mightie and strong nation it is said then to haue had a fairenes of necke or a faire necke whereby the nobler and better kind of horses are wont to be knowne Hereunto also appertaineth that which is added I haue ridden Ephraim For God by his Prophets the interpreters of his law hath very often assayed throughly to breake that people and to bring them in subiection vnto him Isai 5. And thus much of Israel 2. The kingdome of Iudah Now Iudah found and felt plentifull fruite by the selfe same trauaile and labour of God For God did plow and harrow them vnto him By the words of plowing and harrowing I vnderstand the docilitie or aptnes of Iudah to learne that same their obedience whereby it came to passe that this kingdome both serued God and also receiued a most plentifull blessing of God and did very well prouide for themselues By which comparison the rebellion of the Israelites is shewed to be the greater For Iudah had no other precepts or commandements then Israel and the one was no more diligently dressed and tilled by God then the other And yet did not these things profite Israel because of the stubbornnes of his minde but benefited Iudah very much because of his aptnes to learne and heed taking Vers 12. Sowe to your selues in righteousnesse reape after the measure of mercie breake vp your fallow ground for it is time to seeke the Lord till he come and rayne righteousnesse vpon you A Making of the matter more plaine For GOD sheweth here what maner of riding vpon the neckes of the Israelites that of his was Namely that he gaue vnto them his law whereby they were taught to liue godly and holily to be obedient vnto him and finally to seeke and worship the true God And hereupon there was promised a great reward as appeareth by the second third and fifth precept of the Decalogue or ten Commandements What the riding and sitting of God vpon vs is Therefore the giuing of the law and the preaching of the word of God was and is yet at this day that same riding and sitting of God vpon vs the which he that casteth away and despiseth casteth away euen God himselfe as Christ telleth his Apostles Matth. 10. ver 40. saying He that receiueth you receiueth me and he that receiueth me receiueth him that sent me Moreouer this verse hath two parts The one setteth downe that doctrine which the law of God containeth Two parts of this verse And this is two-fold For first the law teacheth precepts of the whole righteousnesse 1. The doctrine which the law containeth being two-fold that is of liuing godly and iustly the which workes the same law willeth vs to sowe that is in very act and deede to performe The law then giuen by God teacheth to sow righteousnesse and that wholie that is to say both that righteousnesse 1. Teaching precepts of al righteousnesse whereby we are commanded to loue God with all our heart and also that righteousnesse whereby we are commanded to loue our neighbour as our selues that it may be a seede in vs and in our hearts the which may fructisie or bring forth fruite and increase in euery good worke as Paul willeth the Colossians cap. 1. ver 10. where he sheweth that he ceaseth not to pray for them that they might walke worthie of the Lord and please him in all things being fruit full in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of God Secondly 2. Promising all kind of good thinâ—s to the keepers thereof the same law promiseth vnto the keepers thereof an haruest of mercie that is euery kinde of good things to wit both spirituall also earthly as Paul teacheth 1. Tim. 4. ver 8. in these words Godlinesse is profitable vnto all things which hath the promise of the life present and of that that is to come And therefore the Psalmist Psal 31. ver 19. crieth out and sayth How great is thy goodnesse which thou hast layd vp for them that feare thee and done to them that trust in thee euen before the sonnes of men And this is more at large declared Deut. 28. and euery wherein the holie Scripture vnder the name of peace The same lawe willeth vs to breake vp our fallowe ground that is to cast off the oldeman to put on the new that laying aside our former kind of life we should consecrate and giue ouer our selues wholly vnto God and vnto his will For this was the end of the law and of the Prophets to teach vs new works that is such as are contrarie vnto our corrupt nature and fight and striue against the same the which workes we are to doe This is the fallowed ground of which the Prophet speaketh in this place See what Paul writeth to this effect 3. Colos ver 8 9 10. But now put ye away euen all these things wrath anger maliciousnes cursed speaking filthie speaking out of your mouth Lye not one to another seeing that ye haue put off the olde man with his workes and haue put on the new which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him And thus much hath the first part of this verse The second part coÌ„taining a reason why they ought so to sow and reape teaching two things The second part containeth a reason why they ought to sowe in such sort also to reape in such sort that is to say Because the time is come to seeke the Lord and because that he commeth and will after this sort teach vs righteousnesse By which appeareth two things First that God doth not at all times
sinnes For he hateth sin in all men and people whatsoeuer whether it be in them by the imitatioÌ„ of others or by any proper free motion inclinatioÌ„ of him that so sinneth Wherefore these idolatrous Israelites sowed a controuersie betweene God and Iudah or Iacob because they prouoked the Iewes to sinne by their example And sinne stirreth vp and soweth diuorcements and strifes or controuersies betweene vs and GOD. And accordingly vnto this doth Isai cap. 59. ver 2. teach the Iewes saying Your iniquities haue separated betweene you and your GOD and your sinnes haue hid his face from you that he will not heare And I doe referre the name of Iacob in this place vnto the kingdome of Iudah only as appeareth that it is sometimes so taken by that place of Genesis cap. 49. vers 7. I will deuide the Leuites in Iaacob and scatter them in Israel For there are two kingdomes rehearsed the which arose vp afterward in those twelue tribes or families and sonnes of Iacob vnder Roboam the son of Salomon And the Lord wil not only contend with Iacob or with the Iewes but wil also punish them because of their wayes and works that is to say because of their Idolatry the which they also followed but yet not so generally nor yet so outragiously and stubbornly as did the Israelites Wherein there seemeth a reason to be drawen from the lesse vnto the greater A reason from the lesse to the greater For how much more shall God contend with the Israelites and punish them if God contend with the Iewes and punish them which sinned lesse and through the example of the Israelites according vnto that saying If this be done in the greene tree what shall be done in the drie Luk. 23. vers 31. Vers 4. He tooke his brother by the heele in the wombe and by his strength he had power with God Another amplificatioÌ„ of the same falling away of the Israelites ANother amplification of the same departure and most shamefull falling away of the Israelites from the true God And it is taken from the indignitie and haynousnes of the matter the which is shewed by the comparing together of the persons to wit of these with their father Israel or Iacob Therfore in this place there is a comparison made of the posteritie with their auncestors and elders and especially with Israel their father of whome they were wont greatly to glory and boast both within themselues and also amoÌ„g other people Thus theÌ„ is the offence of the Israelites shewed to be so much the more shamefull and haynous by how farre away these do depart swarue from the vertues steps of Iacob that is of their father a most holy man and of whom they doe so well like and allow Therefore taking occasion by the word Israel vers 1. and Iacob vers 3. there is shewed what hee did how much hee laboured how much hee swet that he might both serue and worship that God The vertues of Iacob whom these his posteritie forsooke and cast away Finally here is described or set out with how great indeuour both of minde and body yea and from the very instant and minute of his natiuity or birth he diligently sued and sought after that same friendship and good will of the true God that these his posteritie may be made the â—â—â—le excusable And the selfe same may readily be obiected against vs who doe so coldly embrace the true light of the Gospel the which notwithstanding our auncestors so diligently sought after Signes of the carefulnes of Iacob to obtain the fauour of God and followed Now there are three signes described by the which it appeareth with how great earnestnes of minde Iacob or Israel for these are all one Gen. 32.28 sought embraced and retained the good wil grace and fauour of GOD. The first signe is That when as he was yet with his brother Esau in the womb of his mother hee held the heele of his brother Esau that Esau should not come first out of the wombe that is that Esau in respect of time should not bee the first borne and haue the blessing of God Gen. 25.26 Afterward came his brother out and his hand held Esau by the heele Namely as if Iacob thought very then when he was not yet borne into the light of the preuenting or going before Esau in the friendship and fauour of God and of getting the grace of God from him with so great a desire soothles was he holden euen then being as yet in the womb and an infant to win God on his side and to embrace him notwithstanding For when as the blessing of God by all likelyhood was due vnto the first borne this priuiledge of the birthright Iacob went about to take from his brother euen then like as hee did afterward Gen. 25. ver 31. When he said vnto him comming hungrie home Sel me euen now thy birth-right that by this meanes also he might get the blessing of God from his brother and conueigh it vnto himselfe That which afterward came to passe Gen. 27. And albeit these things so fell out by reason that God had foretolde that so it should be as appeareth Gen. 25.23 The Elder shall serue the yonger and by the election of God who loued Iacob and hated Esau Malach. 1. ver 3. yet notwithstanding is it true that these things also were done by Iacob in this sort when he was yet a childe according vnto the dispensation and measure of his faith the which being then an infant and yet vnborne hee had notwithstanding with God like as it is written of Iohn the Baptist Luc. the 1. ver 41. And of the Prophet Ieremie cap. 1. ver 5. who were sanctified in the wombe of their mothers and ordained vnto those great matters the which God effected afterward by their ministerie And all these things doe argue or proue the earnestnes of Iacob in getting the fauour of God and as it were forestalling of his grace euen from his mothers wombe and from the very first moment of his natiuitie or birth The which notwithstanding these Israelites that is to say his posteritie did not imitate or follow and therefore are they so much the worse The second signe is that the same Iacob as a most valiant prince and most strong and stout champion fought against the Angel himselfe which seemed to bring some let vnto him whilest he executed the charge of God concerning his returning into the land of Chanaan This is described Gen. 31. ver 3. where mention is made how God had said vnto Iacob Turne againe into the lande of thy fathers and to thy kindred and I will be with thee And againe cap. 32. ver 24. where Laban is charged from God not to hinder him in this course and to speake to Iacob nought saue good Whereby appeareth howe great earnestnes of minde there was in their father Iacob to serue God to doe his commaundements and
fallers backe that is the sinners and the wicked doe stumble and fall at the word of God because they doe despise it nay of purposed malice they doe breake it and so farre as in them lieth teare it in peeces Whereupon God is vnto theÌ„ a great hurt euen then when as he louingly exhorteth them vnto saluation he is I say vnto them a stone of offence at the which they stumble not of ignorance but willingly and doe offend wittingly and therefore doe prouide very ill for themselues whilest they will not and doe refuse to vnderstand and know those things the which God speaketh vnto them and the which hee teacheth them So Christ is called a stone of offence or stumbling namely vnto the wicked and such as are rebels vnto God Isai 8. vers 14. And he shall be as a sanctuarie but as a stumbling stone and as a rock to fall vpon to both the houses of Israel and as a snare and as a net to the inhabitants of Ierusalem So Simeon prophesieth of him vnto his mother Marie Luk. 2. ver 34. Behold this childe is appoynted for the fall and rising againe of many and for a signe which shall bee spoken against And so Peter speaketh of him 1. epist cap. 2. vers 7 8. Vnto you therefore which beleeue it is precious but vnto them which be disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the head of the corner and a stone to stumble at and a rocke of offence euen to them which stumble at the word being disobedient vnto the which thing they were euen ordained And those which stumble wittingly at that word and stone they are crushed in peeces and weyed and pressed downe by it as Christ himselfe teacheth Luk. 20. vers 18. saying Whosoeuer shall fall vpon that stone shall bee broken and on whomsoeuer it shall fall it will grinde him to powder This then is the estate and condition of wicked men and such as rebell agaynst God Wherefore we must desire of God by earnest prayer that we follow not their steps Prayse be vnto God The Commentary of Lambertus Danaeus vpon the Prophet Micheas CAP. 1. The scope and drift of this prophet twofold THe scope and drift of this Prophet like as of the rest is twofolde Threatnings and the promises of God and that against both the houses and families of Iacob 1. Threatnings that is the kingdome of Iudah and the kingdome of Israel 2. Promises albeit that many of the Prophets were seuerally sent some vnto the Iewes and others vnto the Israelites onely but this Prophet is sent vnto them both But as concerning the promises when as they appertayne onely vnto those that are godly or faithfull indeede or vnto the elect of God they seeme rather to be directed vnto the kingdom of Iudah in the which the Church was more pure then vnto the kingdome of Israel where the worship of God was vtterly ouerthrowne and a very fâ—w found truely fearing God But as for the threatnings they are alike denounced or declared vnto both kingdomes because of their outragious sinnes and deedes the which were full partly of impietie towards God and partly of iniustice towards men and did swarme euery where without punishment in both those kingdomes Therefore Micheas doth call men earnestly vnto repentance like as Amos doth also if not then he threatneth vnto them most grieuous iudgements of GOD the which doubtâ—es came to passe vnto both those peoples that wee at this day ought at any hand to waxe wise by the example of these two nations For A prudent man as Salomon sayth Prouer. 22. ver 3. seeth the plague and hideth himselfe but the foolish goe on still and are punished Vers 1. The word of the Lord that came vnto Micah the Morashite in the dayes of Iotham Ahaz and Hezechiah kings of Iudah which hee saw concerning Samâ—ria and Ierusalem Foure partes of this verse THis verse hath foure things to bee noted First the summe of this whole Prophesie and ministerie of Micheas And this is that he should shew the words and will of God extraordinarily reuealed vnto him and not his owne will 1. The summe of this prophesie or the will of any man else This will of God he declareth to haue beene reuealed vnto him and that extraordinarily when he saith which he saw or which came vnto him For this vision is not a seeing or beholding with the eyes of the body but a lightening and informing of the mind of man made by God touching his owne will and that by an extraordinary manner the which his will God will haue declared vnto others by him vnto whom he doth reueale or open the same And whereas this prophesie of Micheas is said to be both the word of God and also extraordinarily reuealed vnto him it is commended vnto vs in a double respect and great authoritie is gotten vnto it that no man should thinke that it can be contemned or despised without punishment For it is the voyce of God himselfe and not of man 2. To whom this reuelation was made The second thing here to be noted is to whome this reuelation was made that is to say of the things to be declared afterward to wit vnto Micheas who to make a difference betweene him and others calleth himselfe a Morashite to wit to distinguish or marke out himself from that Micheas the sonne of Imlah of whom mention is made 1 King 22. ver 8. and who was before this Prophet certaine ages This Micheas therefore was of the tribe of Beniamin out of the towne Morastha whereof mention is made hereafter vers 14. Finally Ieremie maketh mention also of this prophesie cap. 26 vers 18. saying Micha the Morashite prophesied in the dayes of Hezechiah king of Iudah and spake to all the people of Iudah saying Thus sayth the Lord of hostes Zion shall be plowed like a fielde and Ierusalem shall be an heape and the mountaine of the house shall bee as the high places of the Forrest 3. Tâ— whom this prophesie is directed The third poynt is vnto whom this prophesie is directed to wit vnto both the kingdomes of Iudah and Israel the which were the tearings in pieces the pullings in sunder and the renting of the one familie of Iacob And he first maketh mention of the kingdome of Israel because it was more guiltie before God and not because it was of greater dignitie 4. The time of this prophesie The fourth thing to be noted is the time of this prophesie For he was latter in age then Isaias like as Isaias himselfe followed Amos as I haue shewed before in Amos. And this our Prophet prophesied vnder three Kings of Iudah to wit Iotham Achaz and Hezekiah vnto whose time Isaias came also but not Amos. Now this noting of the time bringeth credit vnto this Prophet and historie For vnder these Kings the state was most corrupt and the manners of
of the whole earth Vers 5. For the wickednes of Iaacob is all this and for the sinnes of the house of Israel what is the wickednes of Iaacob Is not Samaria And which are the high places of Iudah is not Ierusalem A narration of the things reuealedly God vnto Micheas A Narration or plaine telling of the things by God reuealed vnto Micheas the which he first declareth vnto the Israelites and afterwards vnto the Iewes as he also was willed to deliuer them in this order and as these things were shewed vnto him before ver 1. But in this Prophesie of Micheas first the causes of the anger of GOD against them are set downe then the anger of GOD it selfe or the threatnings of GOD and his iudgements Now in this verse are conteined the causes of the iust anger of God and the threatnings in the verse following But all the causes are not here reckoned vp for there shall be others also added hereafter but the chiefe cause which is impietie or vngodlines towards God and the corrupting of his worship yea and moreouer the abolishing or dooing of it cleane away and the changing of it into mere idolatrie the which to haue been in both these nations to wit the Israelites and the Iewes this one verse alone doth sufficiently proue and shew Two parts of this verse In this verse there are two things to be obserued or noted The fault common vnto them both is vngodlines to wit for that they were Idolators and profane or wicked persons 1. The fault common vnto them both and open contemners or despisers of God himselfe as namely who either worshipped another God then the true God such as were the Israelites who set vp the Calues in Dan and Bersabe in the stead of the true Iehouah or else did not worship the true God lawfully or rightly as did the Iewes who in the high places sacrificed vnto God against his commandement For it is all one with God either not to worship him at all or else to worship him otherwise then hee hath commanded For God holdeth for idolatrie whatsoeuer is done and offered vnto him after the onely commandements and doctrines of men For what outward shew soeuer they may seeme to carrie of holines and religion and humblenes of minde and in not sparing the bodie as Paul Colos 2. ver 23. speaketh yet Christ sheweth Mat. 15. ver 9. That in vaine they worship him teaching for doctrines mens precepts Further both these impieties or vngodlinesses namely to worship a false God or to worship the true God falsely is noted by the name a word of most vile rebelliō Peschang as 1. Sam. cap. 15. ver 23. For rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is wickednes and idolatrie 2. The maner of speaking conteining The maner of speaking containeth both an amplification and also a most sharpe reprehension An amplification for that not euery citie whatsoeuer of both these kingdomes is here declared and pronounced guiltie of this wickednes 1. A◠amplification but the very chiefe cities of them both as Samaria in the kingdome of Israel Ierusalem herselfe in the kingdome of Iudah the which cities notwithstanding by their example and godlines ought to shine as lights vnto the other cities and not to bee ring-leaders vnto them vnto sinne The reprehension is contained in the interrogation or asking of a question 2. A reprehension and in the answer vnto the same For he sheweth that he called both men and God to witnes because of their notorious vngodlines and he doth in such sort set downe the same that he doth aske them that is hee stirreth vp and pricketh their consciences that these men should not dare to denie the thing that was known vnto euery man Vers 6. Therefore I will make Samaria as an heape of the field and for the planting of a vineyard and I will cause the stones thereof to tumble downe into the valley and I will discouer the foundations thereof A threatning of the anger of God against the Israelites AFter the shewing of the causes of the anger of God he describeth the anger it selfe of God against them and first of all against the Israelites whose head was Samaria For vnto it hee threatneth destruction or ouerthrowing of it vtterlie For both the citie it selfe shal be pulled downe into heapes of stone and rubbidge and these heapes of stone also shall be tumbled downe into the valley vnderneath it for Samaria was seated on the toppe of an hill that there should not any signe or senfie of a cittie remaine Finally the very foundations thereof shall be discouered and ouerthrowne least it might afterward be reedified or builded vp againe In a word it shall be made a place fit for the planting of vines that is to say it shal be vtterly cleared of houses and rid and made voyd of palaces Isai 15. Vers 7. And all the grauen images thereof shall bee broken and all the giftes thereof shall be burnt with fire and all the idols thereof will I destroy for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot and they shall returne to the wages of an harlot 1. An amplification of the punishment AN Amplification with the answering of an obiection that might be made The amplification of the punishment standeth herein that not onely priuate and profane or common things shall thus perish but also those things which among them are counted for holy and also testimonies and giftes of the fauour of God So then God will destroy both things publike and also things priuat both their vnholy things and also their holy thinges because of their impietie or vngodlines that they should not hope to haue any thing left vnto them and free from that iust iudgement of God The answering of an obiection The answering of an obiection that might be made consisteth herein that these selfe same things which they supposed to be holy thinges and gods and rewards or giftes and did thinke and call them witnesses of their thankefulnes vnto God and tokens of the fauour of God towards them and therefore deemed them to bee sure and safe stayes and defences vnto themselues these things I say are Idols and not gods but false Scarbugs of men not defences against calamities or troubles for so are Idols called they are rewardes of harlots and most filthy and not the signe of any fauour of God or pledge and witnes of any thankefulnes of men Wherefore all these things shall nothing at all helpe and defend them Ose 9. Vers 8. Therefore I wil mourne and houle I wil goe without clothes and naked I will make lamentation like the Dragons and mourning as the Ostriches An earnest mouing of affectiō A Vehement or earnest mouing of affection For the Prophet to strike into them who were to be destroyed a feare of their destruction doth paint out vnto them that his sorrowe and the same most great
by a certayne Hypotyposis What the figure Hypotyposis is see Amos cap. 8. ver 12. or liuely describing of the same that if it might be or if any feeling of saluation were left in them they might be moued and repent that is be conuerted vnto God For these things are neither spoken with a fayned minde by the Prophet nor excessiuely or beyond the trueth as Poets are wont to doe but of an earnest consideration of so great euill or miserie the which tarried for the Israelites that is men that were marked with the seale of the couenant of GOD to wit circumcision The mourning of the Prophet described But this his sorrow or mourning doth the Prophet describe two wayes First barely that is simply afterward by comparison Simplie in such sorte 1. Simplie that neuertheles he sheweth that by the deepe conceiuing of the iudgement of God to ensue against them he daylie more and more lamenteth their case and estate For hee vseth such a kinde of speaking the which ariseth and increaseth by degrees and sheweth the sorrow to be the greater For hee sayth I will mourne both in minde and gesture secondly I will howle Now howling is a crying and complaint of most bitter mourning last of all I will goe without clothes and naked the which the Prophets did to lay before the eyes of men the miserie at hand the which in their owne persons they did represent Isai 20. 2. By comparison Secondly he setteth out this his mourning by comparison by the which he declareth an exceeding and fearefull sorrow For he will so mourne as the Dragons being solitarie and voyd of all help are wont to doe whilest they seeke their young ones which are flowen away and being in feare make a great noyse as Aelianus writeth lib. 9. de Histor. Animal So Iob willing to expresse his great sorrow and heauynes cap. 30. ver 29. sayth I am a brother to the Dragons and a companion to the Ostriches Vers 9. For her plagues are grieuous for it is come into Iudah the enemie is come vnto the gate of my people vnto Ierusalem A rendring of a reason of this so great mourning of the prophet A Rendring of a reason of so great and heauie sorrowe described before and taken vpon him by the Prophet lest he might seem in vaine and without cause in such sorte to haue afflicted or tormented and grieued himselfe or be thought that he would astonish the Israelites with a needles feare And this reason is taken from the cause And affliction or trouble is the cause of sorrow among men Wherfore the cause of this great sorrow of the Prophet is the great miserie and affliction the which hangeth ouer the head of the Israelites howsoeuer it be not conceiued or felte of them despising the iudgements of God Now the greatnes of this miserie of the Israelites doth the prophet describe by the adioynts and consequents or things following after it The descriptiō of their great miserie by the adioynts and consequents as is the spreading it adroade vnto the neighbour nations the most sorrowful fame and report therof the great crying of men their fearefull fleeing and running away and such like other things the which are reckoned vp in the verses following But here is an adioynt set downe of great miseries the which consisteth herein whilest the trouble and hurte of the neighbour people shall reach vnto other people neere vnto them and certain peeces and sparkes of this affliction as it were out of a dangerous fiering of houses ioyning together doe flie vnto the people adioyning and do either scorch them or else burne them sometines also That which shal come to passe in the same ouerthrow of the Israelites For the force and fall thereof shall reach and breake out vnto the Iewes yea and moreouer vnto the very gates of Ierusalem that is the holy citie of God did this burning come For albeit this flame did not burne the gates of this citie yet it touched them and burnt vnto them Wherefore this miserie of the Israelites was to bee verie great The calamitie and misery of the Israelites reacheth also vnto the Iewes a kingdome seueral and distinct from it And in the wordes Iudah my people and Ierusalem there lyeth great vehemencie or force and amplifyings and that by degrees For it appeareth that the flame of that Israelitish burning was great the which brake out euen vnto the kingdome of Iudah that is a kingdome altogether seuered and diuers from this kingdome of Israel albeit in the scituation of place neere vnto it For warres are wont to be made and stayed and kept within the borders of those against whom they are taken in hand and not to be spread out into the boundes and borders of other nations and kingdomes the which are not enemies because that anger and iniurie doth for the most part pursue the autors and causers of the same and not others But in this case that commeth to passe which the Poet speaketh of Mantua vae miserae nimium vicina Cremonae Poore mantua too nigh alacke to wretched Cremone ' Land The Poet lamenteth the case of Mantua the which for that it was so neere vnto the citie Cremona was spoyled also by the souldiers of the Emperour Further this miserie and ouerthrow of the Israelites appeareth 01 therby also to be the greater because it redoundeth vpon that people in like maner which is the people of God that is whom God vseth with a certain especiall care to protect or defend and not to ioyne and mingle them with the ruine or fall of other peoples Last of all this selfe same ouerthrow is seene to be most great for that it ranged also euen vnto the gates of Ierusalem that is the holie citie and alwayes preserued by God And all these things came to passe when as Sennacherib after that he had destroyed the kingdome of the Israelites besieged Ierusalem it selfe For he was a king of Assyria as was Salmanazar who ouerthrew the kingdom of Israel For as it is 2. King 18. vers 9. In the fourth yeare of King Hezechiah which was the seuenth yeare of Hosea sonne of Elah King of Israel Shalmaneser King of Assyria came vp against Samaria and besieged it And as it is also in the 13. of the same chapter In the fourteenth year of King Hezechiah Sennacherib king of Asshur came vp against al the strong cities of Iudah and tooke them And this voiage of Sennacherib into the kingdom of Iudah was as a continuing and pursuing only of the victorie of the King of Assyria and of the ouerthrow of the Israelites So we see how God oftentimes doth plague neighbour nations as it were houses standing one vnto another for the wickednes vngodlines of those that dwel neer vnto them So great a commoditie it is to haue a good neighbour either people or priuate person that is to say a man fearing God Vers 10.
Declare ye it not at Gath neither weepe yee for the house of Aphrah roule thy selfe in the dust THe second adioynt or consequent whereby the greatnes of the same ouerthrow of the Israelites is declared The second adioynt declaring the miserie of the Iraelites to wit for that by this meanes they be vtterly mocked and laughed to scorne of their enemies and prophane or wicked neighbours And therefore the Prophet forbiddeth that it should be shewed or tolde vnto any profane people were they neuer so neere vnto them such as were the Philistines which dwelled at Geth or Gath. For from the west that parte of Palestina was neerest of all others vnto the Iewes and also vnto the Israelites The like is 2. Sam. 1. ver 20. concerning the death of Saul the which is forbidden to bee tolde among their neighbours the Philistines lest they should triumph against them in these wordes Tell it not in Gath nor publish it in the streetes of Ashkelon lest the daughters of the Philistims reioyce lest the daughters of the vncircumcised triumph It appeareth therefore that it should be a great ouerthrow whereof the enemies of the Israelites should be so glad and ioyful and reprochful against the Israelites as Psalm 137. where the Edomites so triumph against their brethren the Iewes and stirre vp the rage and cruelty of the Babylonians the more against them For or in the house of Aphrah roule thy selfe in the dust This is the figure Hypophora What the figure Hypophora is see Amos cap. ◠ver 21. or answering of an obiection the which like as the sentence before is added by the Prophet to moue affection for the comforting and stirring vp of the Israelites For when as he forbad the Israelites to mourn at Geth or Gath it seemed that he forbade them all mourning and that so hee tooke from the Israelites that which is wont to be a great easement and comfort vnto men in miseries But he addeth that he doth not forbid that they mourne not at all nay that he biddeth them doe it and that in as ample maner as they are wont to doe which are most heauy and oppressed or ouertaken with greatest sadnes and mourning And therefore graunteth that they wholly roule themselues in dust and ashes but in a place remoued and far distant from those prophane or heathen nations and men such a place as Aphrah is where also by the name and significatiō of the word which is dust they are stirred vp to that fame rouling themselues in the dust and most great mourning Now this Aphrah is a place in the borders of Beniamin and signifieth dust Iosh 18. ver 23. And this granting nay exhorting vnto so great lamentation made by the Prophet sheweth the greatnes of this miserie whe which he threatneth vnto them So Paul 1. Thes 4. ver 13. when he sayth I would not brethren haue you ignorant concerning them which are asleepe that ye sorowe not euen as others which haue no hope forbiddeth not that they should mourne for the dead at all but that they should not mourne after the maner of infidels So then moderate mourning in miseries is granted vnto Christians Ecclesiast 3. Act. 8. Vers 11. Thou that dwellest at * In the fine place Shaphir goe together naked with shame she that dwelleth at * In the places full of cattel Zaanan shall not come foorth in the mourning of * Places adioyning Beth-ezel The enemie shall receiue of you * His standing for his standing A Staying in the further opening of this matter the which by an Hypotyposis that is a liuely setting out of things done afterward Hypotyposis what this figure is see Amos cap. 8. ver 12. painteth foorth and sheweth the greatnesse of the punishment that was to insue vpon the Israelites to the ende that they themselues may feele and conceiue the same and repent at the last if it may be being moued with the grieuousnes of their owne case For there is no other end of this narration or telling of things to come which followeth then that the people of God through the feare of their so great destruction should turne themselues vnto God and that whē these things should afterwards come to passe they might bee vnderstood for their cause to come to passe in the iust iudgement of God because that they were foretold that they should fall out vpon the impenitent or such as would not repent This speech therefore is not a poeticall Hyperbole or excessiue and beyond the truth but a sorowfull description of a most grieuous ruine which troubleth the Prophet himselfe but yet commanded by God to bee tolde in this sort that the weight of the punishment may be shewed to bee the greater and consequently to be to be auoyded Moreouer this whole oration following is full of Prosopopoeiaes What the figure Prosopopoeia is see Oseas cap. 6. ver 1. or feining of persons by the Prophet directed vnto the places themselues townes and cities and full of descriptions of places predictions or foretellings of things to come and counsailes that these men shall take to helpe themselues withall that these rebels might bee the better touched and brought as it were into the view of the matter present before their eyes and finally that their passing miserie might in a maner be layd plainly before them for to see and behold Two things to be noted in this verse But this verse hath two poynts to be noted The matter it selfe or the Hypotyposis or liuely setting out of it painted forth by the figure Prosopopoeia or feining of person and the Antithesis or contrarieties to be noted in the words of the Prophet full of great force efficacie 1 The matter it selfe to wit the fearefull fleeing of the whole nation As for the matter it is the most fearfull fleeing and running away of that whole nation sometime most braue and beautifull and well tilled by the Israelites For I suppose the things which the Prophet here speaketh to belong vnto the Israelites and not vnto the Iewes For their destruction and not the Iewes is here now properly described yea and whereas there is in this place mention made of Ierusalem and of the citie Lachis this is not rehearsed for it selfe but onely to amplifie the ruine of the ouerthrow threatned vnto the Israelites Therefore the places which are here called both Saphirical that is to say beautiful pleasant fine and Zaanana that is pasture grounds and full of cattell I doe thinke the same to be to be referred vnto the kingdom of Israel not vnto the kingdom of Iudah because that that the same kingdom of Israel was also most rich fruitfull and hauing store of all things as was also the kingdom of Iudah For it also was a part of the land promised by God vnto the children of Israel and so consequently blessed albeit that at the same time the Israelites had cast away
the true worship of God It appeareth by the diuision of the land described in the booke of Ioshua and by cap. 4. of the first booke of Kings that there were belonging vnto this kingdome of Israel both most fruitfull places and also fine and beautifull places The Antithesis or contrarietie the which is manifestly seene in this sentence of the Prophet 2. The Antithesis or matching of contraries one against another expresly to bee gathered out of the words of this verse is first in the word Saphir the which signifieth fine and beautifull and faire and in these words naked with shame So then the places which before were fine and faire places and a pleasant dwelling the same shall now become naked yea and that with shame because the fearfull tokens of the most iust wrath of God shal be extant and remaining against that countrie Againe there is an Antithesis or setting of contraries one against another in these words goe or flee and the inhabitant of the place that is full of cattell shall not come forth to helpe thee or to receiue thee or ayde thee that is no husbandman or farmer albeit that he neuer so much haue or receiue of thee that his standing to wit both his house which he dwelleth in in the fieldes and the cattell themselues which he feedeth For the farmers and tillers of farmes in the countrie haue them for the most part of the citie owners hired for a rent or for a reward vnles that they themselues bee rich and the owners of them But the Prophets meaning is that those farmers which shall hold these farmes of them shal not meet them when they flee away that they may refresh and helpe their Landlords The reason is added because that the husbandmen being so awhaped and frighted shall not doe it for feare so that they shall not dare to goe out of their rockes fields and farmes For saith the Prophet there shall be mourning and it shall bee heard euery where both in the places and houses the which shall be adioyning and neere vnto these farmes Finally both in the townes and in the fields there shall be great feare great trembling great dismaying abashment so that not so much as the countrie seruants who in their farmes haue their foode and dwelling of their masters shall come out of those their farmes and houses to comfort and meete their masters nor to bring them any helpe at all when as they slee and passe by that way And this doubtles is a description of exceeding great miserie calamitie or distresse to be lamented whereas for feare the very lawes of nature and humanitie are altogether neglected and forslowed Vers 12. For the inhabitant of Maroth waited for good but euill came from the Lord vnto the gate of Ierusalem A yeelding a reason of this so great abashment THis is a rendring of a reason of this so great an abashment the which shall be in the inhabitants of the pasture place and full of cattell that is to say in the husbandmen For albeit that it was shewed before that this should come to passe because of the feare of the husbandmen yet here is now declared how iust this feare is and that it cannot bee accused or found fault withall Therefore sayth the Prophet the inhabitant of the place abounding with cattell the which is here called the inhabitant of Maroth or of the rough place that is of the rocks and mountaines for in the mountaines as well as in the valleyes there are wont to bee places for pastures and flocks and heards of cattell that same inhabitant I say that is the husbandmen shall mourne and shall wonderfully bee tormented with in themselues and shall be afrighted for the benefit and commodities of victuals and of the countrie by the enemies gotten from them that is taken away by force And especially when as they shall see this euill or punishment to be from God to haue reached and come euen vnto the gates of Ierusalem that is of that holie citie There is a like place to cause the people to bestirre themselues looke about them Mat. 24. ver 15. when they shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet standing in the holie place For then sayth he let him that readeth consider it We are taught by this example that the afflictions or punishments which God sendeth vpon his Church The iudgemēts of God vpon his Church ought especially to be regarded are especially to bee considered of vs and regarded For they are most assured tokens of his wrath against the world and most true prognostications of great miseries the which shall afterwards insue vnto therest of mortall men Ezech. 9. And therefore Peter sayth 1. Epist cap. 4. ver 17. If iudgement first begin at the house of God what shall be the end of those that obey not the Gospell of God Vers 13. O thou inhabitant of Lachish binde the charet to the beasts of price or dromedaries she is the beginning of the sinne to the daughter of Zion for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee THis is a descending or comming downe vnto particulars For after that he hath generally shewed the laying waste and destruction of the whole land to come A comming vnto particulars that he might declare the greatnes of this punishment and ouerthrowe he now commeth downe vnto certaine places and describeth what trembling and miserie shall be in them especially What the figure Prosopopoeia is see Oseas cap. 6. ver 1. as in this verse by Prosopopoeia or feining of a person the Prophet speaketh vnto Lachish a citie of the kingdome of Iudah the which he sheweth shall bee punished for the same impietie or vngodlines which was in Israel that thereby Israel himselfe may iudge that is that kingdome that he must be punished for the like vngodlines Two parts of this verse Wherefore there are two things here to be noted One the speedie fleeing and feare of the citie Lachish and of the citizens The other 1. Their speedie fleeing the cause of the same The fleeing and that not onely vpon horses such as posts are wont to ride on but also vpon Dromedaries And this is a kind of beast most quicke and swift 2. The cause thereof farre exceeding the swiftnes of horses as writers of histories doe affirme For they are called Dromedaries of their swiftnes in running But whereas it is sayd that this calamitie or miserie shall make the citie of Lachish it selfe afrayd it appeareth to be great Ierem. 34. ver 7. Lachish and Azekah are called strong cities of Iudah For Lachish was a strong citie in the kingdome of Iudah but yet such a citie the which Sennacherib afterwards wonne as it is Isai 36. ver 2. and the citizens thereof as wee see them here in this verse willed for to doe ranne away most fearefully whilest Salmanazar taketh Samaria and spoyleth and wasteth
it The reason and cause of this their punishment and fleeing away with shame is because this citie was partaker and partner in those impieties the which were vsed in thâ—â— kingdom of Israel to wit that she might offer vnto God a strange worship For the citie Lachish sacrificed vnto God in the high places Neither is she sayd to be partaker onely of the same impieties or vngodlines but she was the author ringleader vnto the kingdome of Iudah yea and vnto Ierusalem it selfe of receiuing those idolatries whereby appeareth that she was the more iustly punished Vers 14. Therefore shalt thou giue presents vnto Moresheth Gath the houses of Achzib shall be as a lye to the Kings of Israel A digression with an amplification of the miserie of the citie Lachish A Digression wherein is contained by the way an amplification of the miserie or punishment the which shall happen vnto the citie Lachish For it shall send presents vnto cities most farre off that they would giue her entertainment when she fleeth and let her haue place to flee vnto them to wit vnto Morestha or Moresheth the which citie is neere vnto the Philistims and vnto their towne Gath or Geth shall Lachish humbly send gifts that it may be lawfull for her to flee thither so great shall be the feare of the citizens of Lachish and so wide their flight But by the sentence following the which is contained in this selfe same verse the Prophet seemeth to signifie that this helpe sought after by them of Lachish shall stand them in no stead and be vnprofitable vnto them For the Prophet addeth The house of Achzib the which is neere both vnto Morestha and Maraschah shall deceiue euen the Kings of Israel themselues vnto whom notwithstanding this house shall promise ayde and shall receiue gifts of them as Morestha did of thee O Lachish Whereby appeareth that there shall at that time be a great abashment of all peoples neere vnto the Israelites when as none shall then dare to ayde and helpe either the Israelites themselues or els one another for feare of the enemies Whereof may worthilie be now vnderstood and concluded that this ouerthrowe of the Israelites shall be very great the which God would haue signified vnto them by these so many narrations and foretellings of things to come Why the Prophet maketh mention of Achzib Further the Prophet doth very fitly make mention of the treacherie and lying wherewith the inhabitants of Achzib deceiued the Kings of Israel to shew that this ayd of them of Lachish should be but vaine Wherein also he pleasantly alludeth and hath resemblance vnto the name of Achzib for Chasab from whence it is deriued signifieth a lye Therefore these shall indeede receiue the wages gifts and money giuen them by the Kings of Israel yet shall they not keep their promise nor send souldiers nor promised aydes but shall disappoynt them Now if these of Achzib being both farther off from the kingdome of Israel then those of Moresheth from the citie Lachish and being of more power to defend themselues against the Assyrians then they of Moresheth namely when as they of Achzib are an whole house and familie possessing many townes and a strong nation and populous and Moresheth vnto which they of Lachish shall flee is but one only towne of Iudah finally if they of Achzib being both requested and receiuing gifts of the Kings of Israel deceiued them notwithstanding and were no ayde vnto them what may they of Lachish hope for at the hands of those of Moresheth Iust nothing For they of Moresheth are not more constant or true of their word then those of Achzib nor bolder then they nor better nor farther off from the danger of that destruction nay these cities are neere one to another Morestha Marescha Achzib Iosh 15.44 Vers 15. Yet will I bring an heire vnto thee O inhabitant of Mareshab he shall come vnto Adullam the glorie of Israel A particular shewing what shall fall out vnto Mareshah ANother descending or comming downe vnto particulars the which describeth what shall come to passe peculiarly vnto the towne Mareshah the which was neere vnto Achzib and Moresheth as the Prophet shewed before concerning Lachish And this also appertaineth to the amplifying of the greatnes of the fall of the Israelites the which shall reach vnto so many townes being farre off from them How great therefore shall it be among the Israelites themselues vpon whom the greatest waight and burden of this destruction shall lie In the meane season the Prophet teacheth what punishments the Lord will send vpon the Iewes also because of their sinnes that being admonished or warned by these predictions or foretellings they might repent and amend their life Two parts of this verse But this verse hath two parts One which threatneth a punishment to come vpon them of Mareshah 1. The punishment of Mareshah the other the Epiphonema or exclamation of the Prophet in these words O glorie of Israel or the glorie of Israel The punishment of them of Marescha shall be this That both they and their borders shall be possessed of those forraine enemies and peoples 2. The exclamation of the Prophet the which by the Assyrians shall be brought as Inhabitants into the kingdome of Israel and Samaria The which things doubtles came to passe after the ouerthrowing of that Kingdome by Salmanazar 2. King 17. ver 24. the wordes whereof are these And the King of Asshur brought folke from Babel and from Cuthah and from Aua and from Hamah and from Sepharuaim and placed them in the cities of Samaria in stead of the children of Israel so they possessed Samaria and dwelled in the cities thereof The Assyrians therefore at that time when as they tooke Samaria inuaded also the towne Marescha albeit that it appertained vnto the kingdome of Iudah Iosh 15.44 And they inuaded also the townes thereof and the coastes and borders of that countrie euen vnto Adullam And those coastes they afterward retained and replenished or filled with new inhabitants by them brought thither the which new inhabitants the Prophet termeth possessors or heires that is winners of Marescha nay inuaders of other mens goodes and not the lawfull owners and such as held those places by good right Whereupon they were afterwards turned out of those places by Iosias King of Iudah 2. King 23. ver 4.8 And these Assyrian new possessors shall come as farre as vnto Adullam and so they shall also get a great part of the kingdome of Iudah because that the shardes of the ruine and ouerthrow of Israell shall reach and leape out euen into the kingdome of Iudah For Adullam is in the tribe of Iudah Iosh 15.35 and a stonie and rough countrie And this is the punishment and ouerthrow the which from that burning and firing of the kingdome of Israel shall reach vnto the citie Marescha and the borders thereof 2. What the sâ—gure Epiphonema is see Iona.
these peoples shall be so cast downe and darkened that neither people shall euer afterward be able to lift vp themselues vnto the olde dignitie which they had vnder their kings Therefore I take the worde Romah in good parte in this place This to bee true that which fell out vnto them hath declared For the kingdome of Israel vtterly perished and the kingdome of Iudah was neuer afterward restored vnto his former glory renowme no not after their return from the captiuitie of Babylon as may appeare Ezechiel 21. vers 26 27. of that which is threatned concerning the fall of Zedekiah and his Kingdome neuer to be restored to his former dignity in these wordes Thus sayth the Lorde GOD I will take away the Diadem and take off the Crowne this shall be no more the same I will exalte the humble and abase him that is high I will ouerturne ouerturne ouerturne it and it shall bee no more vntill he come whose right it is and I will giue it him The reason followeth in our Prophet A reason of this so great punishment because all that time following shall be an euill time and a time of affliction or trouble For albeit that the affliction of the Israelites and especially of the Iewes were eased and diminished or lessened by GOD and their condition or estate changed yet the print and token of this iudgement of GOD the which is nowe threatned agaynst both those peoples remayned and abode still alwayes euen very grieuous and are manifest also at this day It shall therefore be an euill time By these so many true and earnest descriptions of the punishment to come the purpose of GOD was to recal them vnto a better and more sound minde were they neuer so great Hypocrites and stubborne the portion giuen them sometimes by GOD the Lord in token of his fauour Vers 6. They that prophesied prophesie ye not They shall not prophesie to them neither shall they take shame The figure Hypophora or answering an obiection What this figure is see Amos cap. 5. ver 21. THis is the figure Hypophora wherby he answereth an obiection or exception of that stubborne people especially the Israelites and by the selfe same the Prophet not onely signifieth but also declareth and liuely painteth out as it were in colours the impietie or vngodlinesse and the more then bruitish contempt of God among them in this nation This then was the exception of this people and the same springing from notorious impudencie or shamelesnes contumacie or stubbornnes against God to wit The Prophets shal not prophesie among vs that is to say wee will not suffer them to threaten these things vnto vs yea if any messenger of such feare threatnings shall come vnto vs we will send him packing and will not suffer him to speake to terrifie or feare our men So Amos 7. ver 12 13. Amaziah sayth vnto Amos O thou seer goe flee thou away into the land of Iudah and there eate thy bread and prophesie there but prophesie no more at Bethel for it is the Kings chappel and it is the Kings court So Isai 30. ver 10. The people say vnto the Seers See not and to the Prophets prophesie not to vs right things but speake flattering things vnto vs prophesie errors This was passing wantonnes against God and blockishnes vnheard of as if God therefore could be letted in his worke because some stoppes and lets are layd in the way of his ministers and for that they are forbidden to threaten those iudgements of God by the vngodly The Prophet therefore answereth this disobedience two wayes 1. God his Prophets shall prophesie whether they will or no that forbid thē First nay the Prophets of God shall preach and prophesie among you in spite of your teeth and in your hearing notwithstanding Hereof there is example 1. King cap. 22. ver 8. in the Prophet Michaiah who telleth the trueth notwithstanding the wicked King Achab hate him neuer so much and cannot abide to heare him And Amos 7. ver 16. the Prophet ceaseth not to denounce God his iudgements against Amaziah the priest albeit he were forbidden by him to prophesie in the land of Israel Secondly albeit these Prophets of God preach not Though the Prophets being forbidden prophesie not yet shall not the people therfore escape vnpunished or prophesie not vnto this people shall this people therfore feele no punishment Therefore in my iudgement the second part of this verse is an interrogation or asking of a question thus If the Prophets prophesie not to wit as being stopped and letted by one meanes or other shall they therefore namely the people not take shame And it is easily vnderstood what the Prophet would haue vnderstood to wit This people shall not therefore bee free from the punishment to come although they will not haue the Prophets of God to threaten the same vnto them The reason whereof followeth in the next verse Vers 7. O thou that art named the house of Iaacob is the spirit of the Lord shortned are these his workes Are not my words good to him that walketh vprightlie A rendring of a reason of the former repreheasion THis is the rendring of a reason of the former reprehension taken from the nature of God and the force and power of his spirit the which by no meanes can be let changed restrained shortned shifted off or pent vp but that it will effect or bring to passe those things which God willeth and hath decreed howsoeuer men seeke shifts and starting holes Three partes of this verse and goe about to mocke and dallie with God And this verse hath three certaine pointes to be noted 1. The maner of speaking The first is the maner of speaking The second the epithet or title the which is giuen vnto the Israelites vnto whome the Prophet speaketh in this place The third the manifold reason 2. The title giuen to the Israelites for the which they are shewed to be reproued worthely and this their cogitation or surmise and mocking of God declared to be altogether absurd or foolish and blasphemous For the first 3. Many reasons why they are reprehended the maner of speaking is an earnest interrogation or asking of a question and the same repeared wherewith the dull consciences of these men are not onely pricked and stirred vp but also is prooued albeit they would denie that which is here set downe that the same notwithstanding is true and acknowledged of all other people Hereunto therefore appertaine the so often interrogations of this verse Now the title which is here giuen vnto the Israelites doth the more condemne them and make them vnexcusable who thinke such things of God and by this cunning goe about to limit the wordes of God or to disanull them to wit looke by how much the more they doe glorie and boast of the true feare and true knowledge of the true God vnder this selfe same
mighty a Monarchie or Empire is most easie and now already fore thought vpon by God as who hath euen now in a readines and at hand all the instruments and furniture to doe it withall For as much then as the forces of the kingdome of the Assyrians were so great and the same fearfull vnto all men in that age when as according vnto man it seemed a thing easie vnto none that so mighty an Empire so large and wide vpholden with so great wealth should notwithstanding bee cast downe by the power of men God by such an hypotyposis or liuely description as is set downe in this whole chapter sheweth that this is not onely easie and ready vnto him but also layeth downe the meanes and way which was to come of performing and executing the same both to comfort the godly and his people which were afflicted by them and also to terrifie or make afraide the vngodly and the Assyrians vnto whom nothing can bee safe God being wroth and angry with them Two partes of this verse 1. A destroter shal come vnto the Assyrians This verse hath two partes in the former hee sheweth the Assyrians that there shall come those which shall destroy them he calleth them destroyers or scatterers Others notwithstanding translate the word Mephits a club The club is come vp against thee O Niniue that by this kinde of armour might be signified what maner of enemies they are and from what countreyes they should come namely Chaldees For Herodotus in Polymn or libr. 7. writeth that the Chaldees in warres vsed this kinde of weapon as also shieldes and speares Doubtles the Prophet Isai writeth that the Empire of the Assyrians was chiefly destroyed by the Chaldees cap 23. vers 13. Beholde saith he the land of the Chaldeans this was no people Asshur founded it by the inhabitants of the wildernes they set vp the towres thereof they raysed the palaces thereof and he brought it to ruine And of these Chaldean enemies I take this whole chapter to intreate For whereas Herodotus in his Clio The error of Herodotus or first booke saith that the besieging of Niniueh was first attempted by Phraortes the king of the Medes but was continued by his sonne Cyaxaris and Niniueh taken and that finally the Empire of the Assyrians was destroyed by the same Cyaxares I auouch and say that the Medes are there taken for the Chaldees For we must rather beleeue Isai the Prophet of God cap. 23. then Herodotus And it is an vsuall thing with the Greeke writers commonly vnder the name of the Medes to vnderstand the Chaldees and Babylonians wherefore the Chaldees the Babilonians the enemies of the Assyrians which shal be their destroiers shal come vp against Niniueh Now howe this was brought to passe by Arbaces King of the Chaldees throgh the connsel of Belesus bringing first the Persians Arabiās Bactrians into his society cōfederacy withdrawing them from the rule dominion of the Assyrians Diodorus Siculus teacheth lib. 3. Biblioth cap. 7. For we haue no records now remayning which are more anciēt then those histories So thē the first part of this verse sheweth that the Chaldees shal come against Niniueh 2. Encourageth the Assyrians vnto their own desence and the defence of their citie Niniueh The second exhorteth and encourageth the Assyrians to defend themselues in their citie Niniueh but in mockage For the Assyrians shall not thereby escape So Malach. 1. vers 4. You shall build and I will destroy sayth God But by this meanes is declared that the Assyrians shall not be negligent or slothful in defending of themselues Finally the same Diodorus Siculus cap. 7. lib. 3. writeth that Sardanapalus king of the Assyrians fought thrise agaynst Arbaces going about to take the Empire from him and from the Assyrians Therefore the Niniuites when as these destroyers shall come vp to besiege them shall diligently keepe their towres which they had many Niniueh had in it a thousād fiftie towres and to the number of one thousand and fifty as the same Diodorus reporteth lib. 3 cap. 1. towarde the end shall fortifie their citie with a trench walles bulwarke shall looke to the wayes of their enemies to wit that if there be on that side any entrances or breaches vnto the citie or to pull down the walles they may repayre and make them vp againe stop the passage vnto their enemies and that the Niniuites may gather their forces vnto them on euery side Lastly they shall encourage one another of themselues and euery man shall make himself ready to defend and fight for his countrey and shall bring with a manly courage shall make strong his loynes And by this phrase or kinde of speaking according vnto the vse of the hebrew tongue the force and strength of the body is wont to bee signified And therefore by the trembling of the loynes weakenes and faintnes of the body on the contrary is noted as where Dauid sayth Psal 69. vers 23. Let their eyes be blinded that they see not and make their loynes alwayes to tremble Vers 2. For the Lord hath turned away the glory of Iaacob or The Lord shall cause the excellencie of Iaacob to returne as the glory of Israel or and as it were excellencie vnto the Israelites for the emptiers haue emptied them out and marred their vine branches Why the Assyrians shall not bee able to defend thēselues THis is the rendring of a reason why the forces of so mighty an Empire as that of the Assyrians was at that time shall neuerthelesse not be able to defend themselues I answere because God shall take vengeance on them and that for the sake of the Iewes and Israelites whom they most miserably and most cruelly afflicted Therefore God shall cause the excellencie of Iaacob to returne and as it were excellencie vnto the Israelites and shall not be angry with them any more but shall shew his fauour toward both those peoples the seede of Abraham Wherefore he shall bring to passe that they which before seemed vtterly to be offeasts captiues miserable and were so shall now be made manifest shall be deliuered from that bondage in the which they were and shall bee taken and acknowledged for excellent people and people acceptable vnto God For this is the excellcēie both of Iacob that is of the kingdome of Iudah and also of Israel that is of the kingdome of Israel namely to haue God mercifull fauourable and louing vnto them For then appeared the dignitie greatnes strength authoritie and commendation of that nation aboue others euen then when they were captiue the which also in a manner had the gouernment of the Empire of the Chaldees vnder which the Iewes were captiues as Daniel among the Babylonians Nehemias among the Persians So then God will cause that this his fauour shall appeare towards this people and that the excellencie and preciousnesse of this people shall returne vnto
them as namely being now pacified and appeased with them This selfe same thing doth Isaias teach cap. 10. ver 12 22 25. It shall come to passe that when as the Lorde shall haue made an ende of his worke in Sion he will visite the proud heart of the Assyrians Further the prophet speaking of the kingdome of Iudah sayd fully The excellencie of Iacob but when as he speaketh of Israel that is of the other kingdome of that nation he sayd diminishingly as if it were the excellencie because that the chiefe fauour of God appeared toward the Iewes and he cherished them most especially because they had retayned and kept still his worship and law and sacrifices the which the Israelites had despised and cast a side Therefore God ouerthrew both the Assyrians and also the Babylonians afterward rather for the Iewes sake then for the Israelites Now the cause of this anger of God against the Assyrians is The cause of this anger of God against the Assyrians because they spoyled or emptied both the Iewes and also the Israelites so far as in them lay vtterly corrupted and cutte off their branches and issue that was to come that there should no hope be left of stocke or nation of them hereafter to be restored And this cruelty is set downe also for one of the causes why God destroyed Babylon Isai 47. ve 6. I was wroth with my people I haue polluted mine inheritance and giuen them into thine hande thou diddest shew them no mercie but thou diddest lay thy very heauy yoke vpon the ancient As for these Assyrians they went about vtterly to destroy the whole seede of Abraham without any mercie or compassion Vers 3. The shield of his mighty men is made red the valiant men are in scarlet the chariots shall be as in the fire and flames in the day of his preparation and the * Or the ashe trees firre trees shall tremble A description of the enemies of the Assyriās 1. Their shields red A Description of the enemies whome before the Prophet named scatterers or destroyers of Niniueh And first of all their apparell and altogether warlike furniture is set forth Their shield shall be coloured with red as namely paynted with vermilion or some such other colour And that the Chaldees in warres vsed shieldes and speares wee haue shewed before out of Herodotus The Lacedemonians also when they went vnto warres being valiant souldiers indeede were delighted with red colour as were other nations also that their wounds which they receiued in battell might by this meanes be the more easily couered So also did the Chaldees vse this colour in battell as appeareth by this place And not onely their shieldes 2. Their apparell also was red but also the apparell and garments of the men themselues and especially of their captaines in warre was And by Men I vnderstand the Captaines of their armies their standard and ensigne bearers who had rules of their bands or part of them All these the Prophet sheweth vsed and were delighted with this colour also to wit the red colour For reason both had and also hath her colour the which she vseth peculiarly both in warre and also in peace 3. Yron chariots And among armour are hooked or yron chariots also to be numbred which they of olde time vsed in battels long agoe and both before the dayes of Homer and also in his age Iosh 17. vers 16.2 Sam. 10.18 Horner also in his Iliads euery where whence is that saying also of Virgil lib. 1. Aeneid Instabat curru cristatus Achilles By Stanyhurst thus In coach runs helmed Achilles In english by Phaerthus Here they of Troy be chased afore Achilles wilde in chare And these charrets of the Chaldees shall be feareful both for their swiftnes and also for their brightnesse and terror which they shall strike into them For they shall feare men like vnto burning torches and shall dazell the sight of the eyes that no Assyrian shall be able to abide the brightnes and glistering of this kind of armour when as they shall come vnto the battell and fight and the armies of the Chaldees shall be set in aray and armed and ready to giue the onset in battell Thus then it appeareth that the Chaldees then excelled in this kind of furniture aboue other peoples namely in the swiftnes of hooked or yron charets in diligēce in arming them and in skilfulnes in turning and driuing them Finally when as the Ashes shal tremble that is to say the Ashen speares shal be shaken and tossed by them 4. Their Ashen speares the Assyrians shal take such a feare that they shal not dare to stand against them Therefore there is no credit to be giuē to Diodorus Siculus who cap. 7. lib. 3. saith that the Chaldees were thrise ouercome in sight by the Assyrians when as they came in armes to besiege Niniueh For here it appeareth that the Assyrians were foorthwith afrayd of the army of the Chaldees that they durst not often to go against them Beroschim What the figure Metonymia is See Oseas cap 4. ver 1. Moreouer I translate the word Beroschim Ashtrees and not Firre trees Then by the figure Metonymia I take Ashetrees for Ashen weapons that is for speares and pikes the which Herodotus lib. 7. writeth that the Chaldees and the Babylonians vsed in battaile and in fight For that place of Herodotus sheweth what the word Ashtrees here meaneth And the Ashe as Plinius saith is an high tree and a tall of a white wood somewhat soft and shaking strong and without knots of which stuffe at this day notable speares and pikes are made whereof also Homer saith that Achilles his pike was made Therefore when as those Ashen speares or pikes shall be shaken in battaile by the Chaldees the Assyrians shall flee like as no nation at this day can easily abide and stand against the Heluetian armie of pike men but all men giue place vnto it Ver. 4. The chariots shal rage in the streetes They shall runne to and fro in the high wayes they shall seeme like lamps they shall shoote like the lightning An amplification of the former feare AN amplificatiō of the former feare which those chariots of the Chaldees shall strike into the Assyrians Whereof is to be gathered therefore the Assyrians shall easily be ouercome by their enemies how mighty and warlike soeuer they seeme now for to be For then they shal not be able to beare the assault and force of their enemies weapons In a word it is true that the Chaldees were more skilfull then other nations in this kinde of warlike furniture here mentioned by our prophet And then is euery nation most chiefly feared when as he fighteth with those weapons wherein he excelleth aboue others as the French in horsemanship the Heluetian in footemanship the English with the bowe the Scot in skirmishing These warlike chariots therefore of the Chaldees shall be
17. anâ— Zach. chap. 1. Further many of the writings of the Prophets the which are extant or remaining euen vnto this day were sâ— forth and written at that time and by the same Prophets whicâ— liued in that age Prophets in this fifth age Therefore let vs now speake in order of the Prophets of that age as many as are extant for we haue not all theâ— names nor writings at this day The first then of these seemeth to haue beene Ahias the Silonite Ahias the Silonite for he liued in the daies of Salomon euen vnto the beginning of Roboam king of Iudah and Ieroboam king of Israel nay which more is he did foretell of the renting in sunder into two parts of this bodie consisting before of twelue members and tribes 1. King 11. cap. from the 29. verse vntil the 40. So that this Ahias was a very old man about the beginning of the reigne of Ieroboam 1. King 14. cap. ver 4. where it is said of him that he could not see for his sight was decaled for his age Therefore he is reckoned as if he succeeded the Prophet Nathan 2. Chron. cap. 9. ver 29. where the Acts of Salomon are said to haue bin recorded by Nathan the Prophet and in the prophesie of Ahiah the Silonite and in the visions of Iddo the Seer And Nathan seemeth to haue come almost vnto the times of the midst of the reigne of Salomon So then the Prophet Ahias the Silonite succeeded Nathan Afterward liued Iadi and was in the selfe same time with Ahias Iadi but he seemeth in age to haue beene younger then Ahias Some thinke this Iadi to be the same which is called Addo and Oded the which I doe not suppose to be true He was therefore Iadi There was also at that time Semeias Semeias of whome we read 2. Chron. 12. ver 15. The Acts also of Rehoboam first and last are they not written in the booke of Semaiah the Prophet c. There was likewise in the same times that same man of God and Prophet his prophesie is extant or remaining concerning the ouerthrowe of the Altar at Beth-el 1. King 13. From the first verse vnto the fourth yet is not his name set downe like as theirs is not also which in the selfe same chapter are called the Prophets of God There was moreouer at the same time Addo Addo 2. Chron. 12.15 but he was yonger then this Prophet and Semeia and Iadi after whom also he is set of whom I haue also spoken alreadie Furthermore there was at that time also Azarias the sonne of Obed Azarias the sonne of Obed. younger then Addo of which Azarias mention is made 2. Chron. 15.1 Then the spirit of God came vpon Azarias the sonne of Obed. For Azarias the sonne of Obed liued in the dayes of Asa king of Iuda who succeeded his father Abias his grandfather Roboam But Ahias Iadi and Semeias and Addo liued in the daies of the kings Roboam and Abias CoÌ„sider if there be not some error in this placing of these Prophets wherefore this shal be the order course and succession of these Prophets to wit Abias Iadi Semeia Obed Addo and Azarias vnder Roboam Abias and Asa kings of Iudah and vnder Ieroboam and Nadab his sonne kings of Israel Further after the Prophet Azarias who liued and prophesied about the middest of the reigne of Asa king of Iudah there were and flourished these Prophetes Hanani Iehu Elias Micheas Elizeus as appeareth by the holy historie And as for Hanani it is plaine that hee liued in the dayes of Asa 2. Chron. cap. 16. ver 7. At the same time he speaketh of the comming of Baasha King of Israel Hanani against Asa Hanani the Seer came to Asa king of Iudah and saide vnto him c. Iehâ— the Prophet was yonger then Hanani Iehu as beeing his sonne as it is saide 1. King cap. 16. vers 1. Then the word of the Lord came vnto Iehu the sonne of Hanani against Baasha c. He liued in the daies of Baasa king of Israel vnto whome and his whole house hee threatned destruction from God But he seemeth to haue foretold those things in the beginning of the reigne of Baasa So that from that time it may appeare that Prophesie ceased for a time in the kingdome of Israel and was broken off vntill the dayes and age or Elias the Thesbite For Elias the Thesbite oâ— whome there is 1. King cap. 17. succeeded this Iehu the Prophet the sonne of Hanani whereof it insueth that Prophesâ—â— seeme to haue ceased in that age among the tenne tribes renâ— from the kingdome of Iudah by the space of thirtie whoâ—â— yeares at the least Therefore after that the Prophets had kepâ— silence so many yeares in the iust iudgement of God againâ— the Israelites beeing idolatours who worshipped the calues 〈◊〉 Beth-el and Dan and when as the true worship of God amonâ— the Israelites seemed to be vtterly banished bv Achab king 〈◊〉 Israel Elias the Thesbite his Lawe whole blotted out this Elias the Thesbite appeâ—â—red or arose vp sent from God as it were from heauen to restoâ— both the worshippe of God and also the true doctrine of tâ—â— Lawe Therefore like as C. Marius was called of the Romane the second builder of the citie of Rome so was this Elias as it wâ—â— an other Elias compared with Moses and a second Moses who all things beeing past hope aâ— all religion banished was extraordinarily raised vp of God aâ— confirmed and commended vnto the people by the fast of fouâ—â— daies as Moses was to be briefe he spake familiarly with God Moses did nay he beheld God as did Moses deliuered reâ—â—â—red againe the law of God vnto the Israelites Whereupon of 〈◊〉 Prophets Elias alone was present with Christ with Moses gâ—â—testimony vnto him when he transfigured him selfe For he was a new restorer of that same law the which Moses at the first dâ—â—uered by the commandement of God Mat. 17. In a word when now by the space of many yeres there had bin no prophet aâ— the Israelites then stood vp Elias of his cuntry Thesbe called 〈◊〉 Thesbite in whom was renued prophesie it selfe the authoâ— of the Prophets For during the whole time of Baasa Ela Zambri Ambri kings of Israel and in the beginning of the reigne of Achab the tenne tribes were destitute or voide of Prophets because of their idolatrie In the which age idolatrie and all kinde of superstition was maruailously confirmed among them And this did Elias partly represse and stay and partly take cleane away For he brought againe into vse among some godly persons the worship of God the which before was cleane buried This Elias succeeded that same Iehu the sonne of Hanani of whome I haue spoken alreadie In the time of Elias was that Micheas Micheas the sonne of Imlah of whome mention is made 1. King cap. 22.
thereof yea finally when as hitherto it had felt no hurt from any people and as yet had not growen into contempt the which notwithstanding happened vnto his Empire aftervvard to wit vnder Sennacherib who succeeded Salmanazar For under him first of all the Assyrians received that great overthrow at the besieging of the city of Ierusalem of the which mention is made by Isaias cap. 37. ver 36. to wit how the Angell of the Lord went out and smote in the campe of Ashur an hundreth foure score and five thousand c. At which time the Emperour of the Assyrians first doubtlesse began to waxe vile and to be contemned or despised of his subiects And of this his overthrow and losse for to come prophesied Naum also cap. 1. ver 14. in these wordes And the Lord hath gîven a commandement concerning thee that n◠more of thy name be sowen out of the house of thy goddes will I cut off the graven and molten image I will make it thy grave for thee for thou art vile Therfore after this overthrow the people that were subiect vnto the Assyrians and especially the Babylonians or Chaldeans began to lift up themselves into a kingdome of their owne and to fall away from the Assyrians A proofe whereof is this for that under Salmanazar king of the Assyrians the Babylonians are reckened vp as wholly subiect unto the Assyrians and vvithout any king of their owne 2. king cap. 17. ver 24. where we read thus And the king of Ashur brought folke from Babel by vvhich it may appeare that Babylon was then subiect unto the Assyrians and from Cuthah and from Ava and from Hamah and from Sepharhaim and placed them in the cities of Samaria in stead of the children of Israel c. But after that same great overthrow the vvhich Sennacherib king of the Assyrians and successour unto Salmanazar received in Iudea the same Babylonians are rehearsed as those who had novv a king of their ovvne and did seeke and sue for the fellovvship and friendship of other people which were enemies unto the Assyrians Isai cap. 13. ver 1. At the sametime Merodach Baladan the sonne of Babadan king of Babel novv Babylon hath a king of her ovvne sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah c. Out of vvhich appeareth that vvhich wee haue saide that the Assyrian Empire began first to fall to decay under king Sennacherib and to grovve into contempt among men so that novv all men might easily thinke upon the mine of the same But that the same should come to passe Nahum by revelation from God had foreshevved before this time For what matter of great importance had it beene Nahum prophesied of the ruine of Assyria or neede of any especiall prophesie to shevve unto the Assyrians their destruction then that is to say when as all men of by reason of that overthrow vvhich before they had received might easily gesse and by vvise coniecture gather that the same vvoulde by and by insue VVherefore every one not given to contende may novv easily understand at vvhat time Nahum prophesied Namely in that middle space of time vvhich passed betvveene the carrying away of the ten Tribes by Salmanazar and the destruction or overthrovv of the host of Sennacherib And this is the space of 8. yeres under the reigne of Ezechias So then Nahum prophesied in the dayes of Ezechias king of Iudah from the seventh yeere of his reigne unto the fourteenth yeere as may be gathered by the 2. King cap. 18. vers 10 and 13. Next after Nahum prophesieth Ieremie namely the thirteenth yeere of the same Ezechias as hee him selfe doth clearely shevve chap. the first verse the second Ieremie vvhere he saieth that the word of the Lord came unto him in the dayes of Iosiah the sonne of Amon King of Iuda in the thirteenth yeere of his reigne He seemeth to have mistaken Hezechiah for Josiah Ioel. who a very long time used this office in Iudeah namely by the space of 40 yeres After Ieremy I doe place Ioel for Ioel doth foreshew that same famine the which Ieremie the Prophet did foretell also and the which was under Iosias after the 16 yeere of his reigne as suppose Of the which read Ieremy chap. 14. from the first unto the seventh verse After Ioel followeth Olda the Prophetesse Olda the prophetesse of whom the holy history maketh mention 2. Chron. cap. 34. ver 22. Then Hilkiah and they that the king had appointed went to Olda the Prophetesse c. For she was of great authority in the dayes of Iosias at that time especially when as the booke of the law was found in the Temple of God that which fell out in the 18 yere of the reigne of Iosias as appeareth in the 8. verse of the 2. Chron. cap. 34. And Ieremie the Prophet had now begun to prophesie sixe yeres before namely in the 13. yeere of the reigne of the said Iosias I also doe place the prophesie of Ioel before the finding out of the booke of the law as I doe the famine in like manner the which was foretold by Ioel Sophonias After Olda I doe next set the prophet Sophonias who prophesied in the latter dayes of King Iosias to witte after the purging of the Temple of God by Iosias and that same famous keeping of the passe over in Judea wherof read 2. Chr. 35. 2. King 23. when as the glory and state of the kingdom of Judah seemed to florish and to be now throughly restored I doe therefore place the prophesie of Sophonias after the twentieth yeere of the reigne of Iosias at what time the overthrow of the kingdom of Iudah the which Sophonias foretelleth was lest looked for of any man because that the worship of God was now thoroughly restored by Iosias After Sophonias succeedeth the prophet Abdias Abdias for Abdias seemeth to haue prophesied not onely after that Iosias was slaine in battell by Pharao Necao king of Egypt when the kingdome of Iuda being novv very sore afflicted the enemies thereof and the next borderers did rush in upon it on every side but especially the Idumaeans but also afrer that Ioakim king of Iuda was fore pressed of Nabucadneza◠king of the Chaldeans Syrians Moabites Ammonites and other people borderers and was troubled and shut up in Ierusalem when as also the first captivitie of the Iewes was neere at hand as it is to be seene 2. King 24. v. 2 3. 10. Among which borderers the Idumeans no doubt were the most deadly enemies because they were the brethren of the Iewes Therefore aboue all other neighbour nations they onely wished the destruction of and overthrow of the whole nation of the Iewes and did urge the same because of their old hatred against the Iewes unto whom after that Ierusalem was taken and the Iewes all slaine they were and remained notwithstanding deadly enemies as appeareth Psalm 157. where the Iewes pray against him for
the lesser After what manner this reason may be taken from the like or equall From the like or equall thus as is here set downe 〈◊〉 Israelites trust in the mountaine Samaria so doe the Iewes inâ—â— mountaine Sion The mountaine Samaria is the head of the peoâ—â—â— of Israel and a place well fortified and fenced so mount Sioâ— the head of the kingdome of Iudah a place likewise well fortiâ—â— fenced The Israelites haue the strength of their kingdome the placed there doe they hold their iudgements and in the adâ—â—stration and ordering of publike matters thither haue they 〈◊〉 recourse and resort as it were vnto the Chamber of State oraâ—â—ctuarie and place of refuge and the Oracle temple of the 〈◊〉 land after the same manner resort the Iewes vnto Sion Bâ—â—â— as the Iewes were not in safetie from the threatnings of Godâ— cause of that their Sion no more shall the Israelites be for that 〈◊〉 Samaria And concerning the Iewes there was then a fresheâ—â—â—ple of their miseries and of the wrath of God against them 〈◊〉 Ioas the father of this Ieroboam vnder whom Amos spake 〈◊〉 things had taken Amasias the King of Iudah made the citied â—â—rusalem subiect vnder his power and had lately in part brâ—â— downe the wall thereof as appeareth 2. King cap. 14. vers 1◠〈◊〉 where it is thus written But Iudah was put to the worse before 〈◊〉 and they fled euery man to their tents But Iehoash king of Israel 〈◊〉 Amasiah king of Iudah the sonne of Iehoash the sonne of Ahaziâ—â— Beth-shemesh and came to Ierusalem and brake downe the wall 〈◊〉 â—â—rusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate foure hâ—â—drâ—â— cubites So then the mount Sion did not defend them from 〈◊〉 wrath of GOD. And this is the reason the which in this place 〈◊〉 Prophet taketh from the like The which reason notwithstandâ— may be from the greater to the lesser How this may be a reason froÌ„ the greater to the lesser as thus If mount Sion wâ—â—â— hath so many peculiar and singular promises of God the Temâ—â— of God it selfe the Sacrifices deliuered not the kingdome of Iâ—â—â— from the iust iudgement of God much lesse shall the mountâ—â—â— Samaria defend the Israelites froÌ„ the threatnings of the same 〈◊〉 when as it hath no manner of such promises But concerning 〈◊〉 mount Sion notable is that which is by Dauid spoken of it Psalâ—â— ver 15.16 The mountaine of God he meaneth mount Sion is like the mountaine of Bashan it is an high mountaine as mount Bashan Why leape ye ye mountaines As for this mountaine God delighteth to dwell in it yea the Lord will dwell in it for euer Vers 2. Goe you vnto Calneh and see and from thence go you to Hamah the great then goe downe to Gath of the Philistims be they better then these kingdomes or the border of their land greater then your border The second example or reason whereby he confirmeth the threatnings of God against them THe second example whereby the Prophet confirmeth the threatnings of God against the Israelites And it is taken from forreine and strange people to wit from the vncircuÌ„cised yet their neighbours notwithstanding and such as were knowne vnto the people of Israel it is also taken from the like after this manner If God because of their vnthankfulnesse haue punished the nations and people borderers neere vnto you vnto whom he had giuen both power and also a large dominion and kingdome shall he not also punish you being no lesse vnthankfull then they were and vnmindfull of the benefites of God and of power and dominion bestowed vpon you in fresh memorie and of your kingdome also inlarged These things which are rehearsed concerning the enlarged borders of the kingdome of Israel and of the making greater of the same were benefites of God then most fresh among them For this selfe same Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas vnder whom Amos liued and prophesied had enlarged those borders of the kingdome of Israel and through the singular benefite of God and compassion mercie towards the people of Israel had also obtained and gotten great power in comparison of those Kings which had gone before him For it is recorded of him 2. King 14. ver 25. That he restored the coast of Israel from the entring of Hamath vnto the sea of the wildernesse according to the word of the Lord God of Israel which he spake by his seruant Ionah the sonne of Amittai the Prophet which was of Gath Hephar And in this place there are three kingdomes reckoned vp for example sake namely the kingdome on the East the head whereof was Calnch Calnch and it was a parcell of the kingdom of Nimrod sometimes as it is Gen. 10. ver 10. for there it is written That the beginning of his kingdome was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh in the land of Shinar The secondis the kingdome of Syria whose chiefe citie in times past was Chamat a great citie Chamat of the which the Scripture maketh mention in many places The third kingdome is of the Philistims Gath. whose head citie was Geth or Gath. And all these kingdomes did God sharply punish vnder Seâ—nacherib afterwards but yet euen then he had begun to weakâ—â— them vnder this Ieroboam Vnto these therefore doth God bid the Israelites turne their eyes and learne to be wise by the examplâ— and punishments of others Vers 3. Ye that put farre away the euill day and approach to the sâ—â— of iniquitie The rendring of a reason whereby they are proued guiltie of many sâ—nnes THe rendring of a reason whereby the Prophet doth conâ—â—â—â— the Israelites or proue them guiltie of many faults very gâ—â—uous belonging some vnto the first table and some vnto the â—â—cond table of the law And touching the first table he proueth 〈◊〉 guiltie of the manifest contempt or despising of God his thâ—â—â—nings of outragious wantonnes and crueltie concerning the second table But this verse declareth that their manifest contempâ—â— the threatnings of God and the most shamefull effect of the saâ—â— The contempt is conteined in these words What it is to put farre away the euill day They put farre 〈◊〉 from them the euill day that is through their reasons and eâ—â—â—tions they perswade themselues that the afflictions or trouâ—â—â— which are threatned doe not appertaine vnto them or at least 〈◊〉 shall not so soone come vpon them The effect of this contemâ—â— comprehended in these words and approach to the seate of inâ—â—â—tie that is by this meanes and mocking and contemning of 〈◊〉 iudgements of God ye establish the seate of iniquitie to wit 〈◊〉 doe confirme and strengthen them in their sinnes and giue aâ—â—â— course vnto wickednesse And thus much of the vices of the whoâ—â— people in generall against whom the iudgements of God are heâ—â— set downe Vers 4. They lye vpon beds of yuorie and stretch themselues 〈◊〉 their
is which hath power ouer all things whome nothing can withstand who according to his pleasure and yet the same very iust changeth and ouerturneth when him pleaseth the nature and course and state of things Finally who giueth vnto all things their being which are and haue a being A descriptiō of God his omnipotencie by the effects of the same to wit Therefore this verse containeth a royall description of the omnipotencie or almighty power of God partly by the effects and partly by his name Iehouah that is euerlasting in himself and giuing vnto al things life and strength The effects are of two sortes First the Creation of all things of nothing 1. The creatiō of all things Synecdoche what it is see Amos cap. 5. ver 2◠contayned vnder the word Heauen by the figure Synecdoche Therefore God created the heauen of how long soeuer space and manifold stretching out it doe consist as it were of diuers lower roumes and vpper roumes The which heauen also he made most firme and also hanging ouer the earth And both these things to wit the Creation of the heauen and also the firmnes of the same is both a great myracle and also a notable worke and witnesse of the omnipotencie or almighty power of God 2. The power and rule of God ouer all creatures The second effect of his almighty power is the rule and authority of GOD ouer the things created the which at his becke and pleasure he changeth and establisheth for example whereof there is in this place reckoned vp the ouerflowing of the Sea into the maine land and the drowning of the same as it sometime fell out in the vniuersall flood and hath also often afterward since that time fallen out and doth euen yet in some places at this day come to passe as it did in Holland and Friezland some threescore years sithens nay not past twenty yeres agone as may be vnderstood by the Chronicle history of those countries for in those places many countries haue been drowned with waters Vers 7. Are ye not as the Ethiopians vnto me ô children of Israel sayth the Lord Haue not I brought vp Israel out of the lande of Egypt and the Philistims from Caphtor and Aram from Kir A Third confirmation from the person of those whom God speaketh vnto A third confirmation of this miserie from the person of the Israelites who so farre forth as they are considered in themselues are in no further regard and account before God then other nations Therefore God will no more spare them then other peoples as the Ethiopians or Arabians whome the Lord spared not for the same sinnes being angry with them Wherefore to make them know their original and first estate and pedigree hee telleth them by his Prophet Ezechiel cap. 16. ver 3. Thine habitation and thy kindred is of the land of Canaan thy father was an Amorite and thy mother a Hittite And so doth Ioshua also shew them cap. 24. ver 2. where he saith vnto them Your father 's dwelt beyond the flood in olde time euen Terah the father of Abraham and the father of Nachor What Hypophora is see Antos cap. 5. ver 21. The Hypophora or obiections of the Israelites might be we were remoued from Egypt of God his especial fauour therefore he will not punish vs. and serued other gods But there is added in this verse a secret Hypophora or answering beforehand of an obiection that might be made least because God vpon especiall fauour brought them out of Egypt they might thinke that therefore it was lawfull for them to doe any thing and that when they sinne they haue an especiall priuiledge before any other people The Lord indeede of his speciall grace brought them out of the land of Egypt and slew mightie kings for their sakes and as it is in the Psalme 135. ver 12.13.14 He gaue their land for an inheritance euen an inheritance vnto Israel his people For the which the Psalmist highly extolleth the name of the Lord immediately and sayth Thy name O Lord endureth for euer O Lord thy remembrance is from generation togeneration For the Lord will iudge his people and be pacified towards his seruants The answer of God is that this followeth not Because he spareth not other nations in their sinnes whom he remoued out of their owne land as well as them But the Prophet Amos here answereth that GOD brought other people as well as hee did them yea and such as were their neighbours from one countrey into an other whose sinnes notwithstanding he did not therefore leaue vnreuenged and vnpunished as they themselues with their eyes doe see And these people which in this place he speaketh of are first the Philistims whom GOD caused to remoue from Cappadocia into a countrey neere vnto the Iewes So also did he sometimes bring Aram that is the Syrians who themselues are borderers likewise vnto the Iewes So also did he sometimes bring Aram that is the Syrians who themselues are borderers likewise vnto the Iewes from the citie Kyr or Cyr or Cyrus into Syria Of this remouing of nations something is spoken not impertinent vnto this place Deut. 2. ver 23. for there Moses sheweth how the Anims the old inhabitants of the land of the Philistines were driuen out by the Caphtorims which are now the new Philistines and had their originall from Caphtor a towne in Cappadocia who came and dwelled in their steads Vers 8. Behold the eyes of the Lord God are vpon the sinfull kingdome and I will destroy it cleane out of the earth Neuerthelesse I will not vtterly destroy the house of Iaacob sayth the Lord. A fourth confirmation both from the iustice and also the prouidence of God Parts of this verse A Fourth confirmation both from the iustice of God also from his prouidence the which is contained in a very notable and excellent common saying And the prouidence of God is described herein for that God doth behold the meanes and doings of all kingdomes His iustice in that he punisheth vniust kingdomes in the end destroyeth them But this verse hath two parts The one in the which this confirmation is declared The other the which comprehēdeth as it were an exception of this sentence in the kingdome of Iudah 1. The confirmation it selfe As touching the declaration of the sentence or threatnings there are two things in the same to be noted First 2. An exception from the same Two parts of the confirmation that not only certain smal or light punishments are in this place threatned vnto whole kingdomes but also that their desolation and laying waste yea and finally their vtter ruine and ouerthrow is here foretold Secondly that this punishment is threatned vnto all vngodly and sinfull kingdomes that is to say 1. Vtter ruine in the which the contempt of God and iniustice doe raunge without punishment and scotfree For how great and florishing soeuer they are
2. To sinfull kingdomes yet God is more mightie then they and therefore he wil vtterly destroy them And so doth God threaten Isai 60. ver 12. The kingdome that will not serue me shall perish saith the Lord. But there is an exception added concerning the kingdome of Iudah peculiarly The exception touching the kingdome of Iudah not to the end the bridle should be let loose vnto that kingdome and people for to sinne for God hath most sharply punished the sinnes of this kingdome also but to shewe the singular and especiall fauour of God toward that kingdome aboue the rest because of the couenaÌ„t and the Messias promised vnto the same The which benefite of God other people at that time wanted and were without accordingâ—y as it is in the Psal 147. ver 20. He hath not dealt so with euerie nation neither haue they knowne his iudgements Vers 9. For loe I will commaund and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations like as corne is sifted in a sieue yet shall not the least stone fall vpon the earth The last conclusion THe last conclusion in the which the same threatnings against the Israelites are both confirmed and also more plainly layd open and declared They are confirmed in as much as they are so often and so earnestly repeated and rehearsed They are laid down more plainly because the manner is shewed after which God will destroy and ouerthrow them What the figure Metaphora is see Amos cap. 4. Ver. 12. And here vnder the Metaphor of a winower or sifter of corne is threatned vnto euery particular Israelite and not onely vnto the bodie it selfe of the people this most sharpe and grieuous punishment For God will in such sort comprise al and singular the Israelites within this vanne or sieue of affliction or punishment that not one of them although he bee neuer so small or little shall escape and shall be free voyd or dye without this tossing and shaking to and fro and vp and downe For hereunto appertaineth the similitude of a little stone the which albeit he be small and neuer so little yet shall he not then fall vnto the earth without shaking that is to say but that he shall be shaken but that he shall be tossed and shogged to and fro with others in that same vanne or sieue Iohn the Baptist like as the Prophet Amos in this place hath also vsed the similitude of a vaÌ„ne or sieue Mat. 3. ver 12. speaking of Christ his iudgement in these words Which hath his vanne in his hand and will make cleane his floore and gather his wheat into his garner but will burne vp the chaffe with vnquenchable fire But here the manner how God will doe this The manner how God will deale with the Israelites is declared For all nations are sayd shall be stirred vp against the Israelites and their kingdome least that either the power or the populousnes of that realme or kingdome might seeme to be able to place them in safetie against God Vers 10. But all the sinners of my people shall die by the sword which say The euill shall not come nor hasten for vs. An other explanation AN other explanation or making more plaine of the matter where the kind of punishmeÌ„t is more specially declared wherewithall the Israelites are to bee destroyed to wit they shall perish with slaughter and with the sword that is by a most cruell death and full of terror and feare And there is added in this place also an explication or laying open of the matter more plainly of the most impudent or shameles lewdnes of these men to the end that their so grieuous punishment may seeme to be the more iust What manner of sinners the Israeliâ—es wâ—â—e For they were not only wicked and sinners in such sort as all men generally and naturally are but notoriously vnfaithfull and scoffers at God his word as namely being such who openly scorned the threatning of God and the oracles or prophesies of his Prophets and denied that these so great calamities or punishments should either come at them at al or els that they should come so soone and speedilie to wit mocking God carelesly as if they had made a couenant with death it selfe Against such kind of scorners speaketh God by his Prophet Isai cap. 28 ver 15. which say We haue made a couenant with death and with hell are we at agreement though a scourge runne ouer and passe through it shall not come at vs for wee haue made falsehood our refuge and vnder vanitie are we hid But reade what followeth in that place touching their punishment And thus farre hath Amos threatned punishments vnto the Israelites Vers 11. In that day will I raise vp the tabernacle of Dauid that is fallen downe and close vp the breaches thereof and I will raise vp his ruines and I will build it as in the dayes of old The last part of this prophesie THere followeth the last part of this booke or prophesie wherein are contained comforts the same very great and eternall founded and in the end fulfilled in the Messias promised vnto the whole familie and house of Israel or Iacob For he is the cause and the foundation of all the promises of God towards his elect or chosen as Paul 2. Cor. cap 1. vers 20. speaketh That in him namely Christ all the promises of God are yea and are in him Amen vnto the glorie of God through vs. And these selfe same promises â—re euery where to be found in the other Prophets also because that one and the same Christ alone was the end of the Lawe and the Prophets vnto whon they all do send vs backe Iames also maketh mention of this prophesie Act. 15. ver 16.17 in these words After this I will returne and will build againe the tabernacle of Dauid Iâ—â—es tâ—e A◠〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—eâ—h 〈…〉 prâ—phesâ—◠〈…〉 aâ—pertaine vnto the calling of the Gentiles which is fallen downe and the ruines thereof will I build agâ—ine and will set it vp that the residue of men might seeke after the Lord and all the Gentiles vpon whom my name is called sayth the Lord which doth all these things And this prophesie doth he teach to appertaine vnto the kingdome of Christ spread abroad by the preaching of the Gospell and vnto the calling and conuersion of the Gentiles vnto the true GOD like as the true fulfilling of the same was both at that time and also is now at this day But Amos doth in such sort deliuer this comfort and promise that first he promiseth the restoring of the kingdome of God by the Messias and secondly sheweth the fruite and profite which shal ensue of this kingdome Two parts of this verse This verse then hath two things to be obserued and noted First a description of the restoring of the Church it selfe or kingdome of God promised here figuratiuely 1. A
their husband and prouoke him agaynst her as iâ— is Ezech. 16. Moreouer God by this similitude teacheth that his anger towards this people is most iust as who namely hath receiued so great an iniury at their hand 2. That therfore his anger is most iust towards them for the husband hath most worthy cause to be angry with his wife that still continueth playing the harlot Further the name of the Prophets wife is here set downe 〈◊〉 wit Gomer that is to say Perfection such a one as God had made this people after his marriage with them The name of the Prophets wise to wit most plentifuly enriched and garnished with all giftes and graces And this Gomer was the danghter of Diblaim that is of a most desolate anâ— waste wildernes For at the first the condition and estate of thâ—â— family or house that is the familie or house of Abraham and Iacob of the which this people was borne was most lamentable and base in Assyria in Egypt euen like vnto the estate of a nation as vnknowen dwelling in a place that is vtterly desolate or a meere wildernes and destitute or voyde of all things Thus much of this marriage and of that wife And as for the fruit of this marriage they are three children begotten of Gomer of the which the first who he was and what is the signification thereof according vnto the meaning and minde of GOD the verse following doth declare Vers 4. And the Lord said vnto him call his name Izreel for yet a little and I will visit the blood of Izreel vpon the house of Iehu and will cause to cease the Kingdome of the house of Israel The children begotten by this marriage represent the state of the Israelites past present and to come THe Lord purposing to set down what the estate of the people of Israel both before time was and also what it was at that time and in time to come should bee doth in like manner set downe three children as if they had been by the Prophet begotten of Gomer the harlot the same being of diuers names and also sexe And as touching the first of these children it is a man childe whose name should be Izreel The signification and reason of this name is expressed hereafter This Izreel doth declare the estate of the people of Israel such as it was before that is from the time that Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas began to raigne vntil the beginning of this prophesie For as much then as the state of this kingdome was not onely tolerable but also flourishing and that this Ieroboam had restored the olde borders vnto the kingdome of Israel taken away before by the Syrians this their estate is very well and worthily compared vnto a man that is vnto a male childe The first childe named Izreel and what this name betokeneth But this male childe is called Izreel according vnto the name of the Citie where Iehu had before slaine the posterity of Achab 2. King cap. 9. wherein there is no doubt an allusion or resemblance made both vnto the name of Israel betwixt which and Izreel there is a great likelyhoode both in sound and letters by the which this people being deuided from the kingdome of Iudah did name it selfe and vaunted of the same and also vnto that citie the which Izreel the chief citie of the Israelites was first to seele the heauy iudgements of God as it was first made by Iehu famous renowmed through the reuengement of the contempt or despising of the true God for in the same the first murthering of the house of Achab was coÌ„mitted so was it first of all to feele these most greuous threatnings of God against this people And this doth the reason of this name here yeelded shew the which containeth 3. things first the cause of God his iudgement vpon that Citie Izted especially secondly the time of the same the third the misery and condition or estate of this whole kingdome the which should afterwards ensue Why the childe is called Iizreel And the cause of this name was that Iizreel that is this man childe should betoken that same before time most flourishing and mighty citie the which in the Kingdome of Israel was called Iizreel and was the palace of the house of Iehu For God against that citie and territorie of the same and the inhabitants therof would auenge the blood which was shed by Iehu whilest that of himselfe and by his he doth destroy the house of Achab for hee slew Ioram in the territory or fielde of Iizreel and the rest of the sonnes of Achab which were left aliue albeit they were slayne in the Citie Samaria yet are they said to bee slaine of the Princes and nobles of the citie Iizreel at lestwise the heads of them being murthered were brought thither that is to Iizreel vnto King Iehu as as appeareth 2. Why Iehu is punished in his family for doing that which God commanded King cap. 9. and 10. Further God auengeth this blood of Achab vpon the house of Iehu although that it were shed by his commandement because that Iehu in the destroying of the house of Achab did not fulfill the will of God but his owne will that is to say he did not restore the worship of the true God but he suffered the same Idolatrie to be in that kingdome the which was there before Wherefore these slaughters are reckoned and that worthily to haue been meere or no better then killing and cutting of throats by the high way sides the which were committed by Iehu Therefore Iehu slew Ioram his Lord rather to obtayne the kingdome then to restore vnto the true God his right For all was the which are vniust be they either ciuill or forraine are great throat-cuttings 2 The time of the fulfilling of these things And thus much of this name of his sonne Iizreel As for the time of the fulfilling of this iudgement hee sheweth that there remaineth a very short space for the same by these wordes yet a little For Oseas began to prophesie about the ende of the raigne of Ieroboam and after the death of the same Ieroboam came these things to passe the which are here spoken of or at leaâ—â— wise began to bee fulfilled 3. The condition or estate of this people Lastly the condition or estate of the whole people is here declared and shewed what it 0173 0203 V 3 shall bee to wit it is foretolde that it shall come to passe that the said Houseâ— Israel shall vtterly and throughly cease to bee a kingdome The which afterwardes came to passe vnder King Oseas about fortie yeares more or lesse after these things were foretolde Vers 5. And at that day will I also breake the bowe of Israel in the valley of Izreel Two parts of this verse A More plaine making of the former matter For hee declareth both the maner of the doing of these things
vnto himselfe such a wife But he sheweth that this selfe same whom both her first husband loued and which the Prophet had appointed for his wife was at the first of very base regard and of a seruile condition For the Prophet bought her vnto him and that not for so great a priâ—â—â— as other bondslaues are wont to be sold for but farre better cheap For other seruants for the most part according vnto the law of Goâ— Exod. 21. ver 32. were esteemed at 30. sicles of siluer that is at fâ—â—teene Talers but this his wife that should bee is bought but for fâ—â—teene sicles of siluer that is for seuen Talers and an halfe a smâ—â— matter and of very little price being added vnto the sayd summe The Taler or Daler is an outlandish coyne of some fiue shillings valew or there abouts of the which there are very many seuerall sorts and of seuerall prices such as might be the valew of an homer and an halfe of barley Anâ— these things doe the more notablie set forth and shewe how greâ—â— the mercie and fauour of God was towards this people chosen 〈◊〉 him to be his inheritance and how great on the other side was the vnthankfulnes of this people towards God that we also may applie the selfe same vnto our selues Vers 3. And I sayd vnto her Thou shalt abide with me many daiâ—â— thou shalt not play the harlot and thou shalt be to no other 〈◊〉 and I will be so vnto thee THe third part of this vision or commaundement of God vnto Oseas The third part of this vision And it containeth what he was to doe before that he maried to wife this woman the which had before so shamefully playd the whore And he must keepe her with him a good space betrothed onely vnto him and as yet not his married wife yet so that in the meane while she should not play the harlot but containe and keepe her selfe chast and reserued for the mariage to come Therefore the promise force and remembrance of the condition of mariage to come betweene that woman and the Prophet remained still So then there ought to be no playing the harlot in the meane season But the fit time of consummating or finishing vp the marriage was of that Spouse quietly to be wayted and tarried for For in the meane while both of them ought to addresse reserue and stay themselues vnto the marriage to come by vow mind and that most assured promise not to commit whoredom with any other Vers 4. For the children of Israel shall remaine many dayes without a King and without a Prince and without an offring and without an image and without an Ephod and without Teraphim AN explanation or laying open of all this matter more plainlie For he sheweth more plainlie the signification of that time wherein the marriage betweene Oseas and the woman betrothed vnto him was commaunded so long to be differred or put off A more plaine laying open of the differring of this mariage And this is by such a kind of signe and token that God sheweth that it shall come to passe that the people and that same kingdome of Israel for a very long season and for many not onely dayes or yeares but whole ages shall remaine in such sort ouerthrowne and lye cast downe as hath been foretold and shall not by any meanes at that time bee acknowledged for a people or nation And yet notwithstanding that in the meane season this selfe same people is not vtterly accursed with God or cleane out of remembrance For the hope and most assured promise remaineth of a couenant and spirituall mariage that shall yet now hereafter be entred into and made againe with God Therefore God is alwayes mindfull of that people Three parts of this explanatioÌ„ This explanation containeth three parts The first rehearseth the time that is those many dayes in the which this Spouse of the Prophet remained only a spouse 1. The time of Oseas his wife remaining only betrothed and not married And those dayes are that same long ages in the which that same kingdome and people of Israel remayned and doth yet now at this day remaine in banishment and abandoned and cast off by God vntill as Paul sayth the fulnes of the Gentiles bee entred in So then this people of Israel hath now this long season layen and yet presently doth lye as it weâ—e vnknowne and almost blotted out by destruction And these dayes are to bee measured or reckoned from the time of the captiuitie of the ten tribes vntill that age wherein God casting off the Gentiles shall bring backe and call againe all Israel vnto him as I haue sayd and as it appeareth Rom. 11. ver 26. alleaged oftentimes before That which shall at the last come to passe and bee fulfilled in the latter times of the world as is shewed ver 5. hereafter For albeit when as God deliuered the Iewes out of the captiuitie of Babylon and not the Israelites properly certaine of these Israelites mixed and ioyned themselues vnto the Iewes returning and together with them came againe into the holie land as appeareth by the booke of Esdras cap. 7. and albeit that by the preaching of the Gospell done by the Apostles and their Successors afterward many out of euery nation came vnto Christ as is gathered out of the Acts cap. 2. and by the conuersion of the Gentiles and so consequently many of these Israelites also were gathered vnto the Church of God yet al this notwithstaÌ„ding the fulfilling of this time whereof here is spoken shall be then at the last when as the whole Israel shall be conuerted vnto Christ the Gentiles because of their horrible and notorious blasphemies being refused of GOD. And this is the first part of this explantion 2. What it signifieth that this spouse is said not to haue played the harlot during the time of her espousage The second part is what it signifieth that this selfe same spouse is sayd not to haue played the harlot in the meane season to wiâ— that this nation so long as they liued in that their miserable estate and condition had no publike or open idolatries as it had when iâ— was a kingdome deuided from the kingdome of Iudah Therefoâ—â— al that whole time of their banishment vntill that their conuersion they were and shal be without idols idoll Temples manifest and open worshipping of idols without images nay also without Ephod and Teraphim or any similitudes and pictures all which liâ—e they vngodly had and openly retained during the time of their florishing and prosperitie But when as the selfe same nation shall be called vnto Christ yet shal it not put in vre againe their outward common wealth gouernment and politike lawes of Moses as Bernard writeth vpon the Canticles Serm. 67. and 68. whatsoeuer others would go about to proue and conclude out of the 9. of Amos ver 11. where GOD sayth That in that
doth adde and set downe the punishment of this so great and so wicked stubbornnes and disobedience 2. The punishmeÌ„t of their great disobedience the which by the former description appeareth to be most iust And this punishment containeth the ouerthrow and destruction of the whole nation and of the Princes themselues especially the which here alsâ— are noted by the name of Ephraim and Israel All these Princes Priests and nobles therefore shall fall that they themselues together with their dignitie shall nowe bee no more at all in this kingdome For this kingdome also it selfe shall bee destroyed for the same cause Wherefore by this it appeareth most plainly hoâ—e greatly the sinnes of the Rulers doe hurt both themselues and also the whole people and kingdome ouer which they doe rule There is added moreouer in stead of a confirmation The figure Hypophora What this is see Amos cap. 5 vers 21. and as a certaine Hypophora or answering of an obiection Iudah also shall fall For the Israelites albeit that themselues were neuer so corrupt and wicked were wont notwithstanding against such threatnings of the Prophets to obiect the examples and manners of the Iewes who were neuer a whit better then they yea many times worse and yet were they called and sayd to be the people of God by the same Prophets and such as should be saued and the beloued of GOD. And to shew that the Iewes were worse sometimes then the Israelites the testimony of Ezechiel cap. 16. ver 51. is sufficient where he speaketh of them thus Neither hath Samaria by which hee meaneth the Israelites coÌ„mitted halfe of thy sinnes but thou hast exceeded them in thine abominations and hast iustified thy sisters in al thine abominations which thou hast done The Prophet Oseas therefore answereth The Iwes also shall fall because of the same sinnes that you should not for this cause sooth and delight your selues in your sinnes or in them promise vnto your selues escaping without punishment because others also sinne as well as you Vers 6. They shall goe with their sheepe and their bullockes to seeke the Lord but they shall not finde him for hee hath withdrawen himselfe from them THe amplification of the former iudgement or punishment pronounced against them An amplification of the former punishmeÌ„t because that then how earnestly and diligently soeuer they goe about and labour to appease God with their sacrifices and to seeke him they shall not haue him either mercifull vnto them notwithstanding or finde him And surely this is a most iust punishment of so great disobedience of men continuing in sinne that like as they themselues were hardened at the admonitions of God so God also should waxe hard and deafe at their prayers And that nowe therefore he should not heare them nor helpe them being oppressed although hee bee called vpon by them neuer so much So Hebr. 12. ver 17. it is saide of Esau making at the first small account of the blessing That afterward hee was reiected and found no place to repentance though he sought the blessing with teares And Ierem. cap. 11. vers 11. God sayth of the obstinate Iewes Behold I will bring a plague vpon them which they shall not be able to escape and though they crye vnto me I will not heare them And to the same effect and almost in the same wordes he speaketh Ezech. 8. ver 18. Therefore will I also execute my wrath mine eye shall not spare them neither will I haue pittie and though they crie in mine eares with a loude voyce yet will I not heare them This verse hath two chiefe poynts to be considered The one 2. Parts of this verse The preposterous or ouerthwart desire of the vngodly persons who then at last remember God in their most grieuous miseries and afflictions or troubles 1. The wicked flee vnto God onely in their troubles that they dreame that they can appease him with externall or outward things onely as with fatte or costly sacrifices or with a great company of sacrifices And therefore in such a case or at such a time they spare neither sheepe nor the whole heard it selfe of greater cattell But they offer not vnto God those things which are true sacrifices indeede and acceptable vnto him as is faith repentance of minde conuersion or truely turning vnto him the remembrance of the couenant made with them for the Messias sake And therefore Dauid Psal 40. ver 6. knowing that God respecteth not the outward sacrifice onely sayth Sacrifice and offering thou didst not require for mine eares hast thou prepared burnt offering and sinne offering hadst thou not required But Psal 51. ver 17. he sheweth with what sacrifices God is well pleased where he sayth The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirite a contrite and a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise Wherefore Paul Rom. 12. vers 1. exhorteth the Christians that they giue vp their bodies a liuing sacrifice holy accept able vnto God which hee sayth is their reasonable seruing of God But God is then said to be found of vs who otherwise is euery where when he is felt of vs to be fauourable a helper mercifull and hearing vs. 2. Why God is not found of them that seeke him The other poynt here to be noted is why God is not found of them that seeke him to wit because God doth altogether withdrawe draw himselfe from obstinate persons and such as are past hope of amendment For they haue cast away all faith in him yea that which they had once tasted of of which like kinde of men you read Hebr. 6. And without fayth no man can finde God God indeed hateth sinnes and the same doe driue away God from vs. And Isai cap. 59. ver 2. telleth the people of his time saying Your iniquities haue separated betweene you and your God and your sins haue hid his face from you that he wil not heare To which purpose see Psal 5. God forsaketh not al sinners at the first But God doth not forsake all sinners nor yet forthwith and by and by so that he will quite and cleane turne himselfe from them For he is present with them that call vpon him But when as men haue willingly fallen into so deepe a gulfe of vngodlines that they are past amendment and doe sinne with the whole affection and delite of their minde then God doth forsake them and withdraweth himselfe from them For they which are such haue vtterly cast off the holy Ghost nay to say the trueth they neuer truly had him but were hypocrites and dissemblers of whom Iohn saith epist 1. cap. 2. vers 19. They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had been of vs they would haue continued with vs. And therefore cap. 3. vers 9. hee further affirmeth That whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not that is giueth not himself ouer wholly vnto sinne for his seede remaineth in him
of an honest life vnto the rest of the people Vers 3. They make the king glad with their wickednes and their Princes with their lyes The second amplification of the wicked life of the Peeres and Nobles THe second amplification of the wicked life of the Nobles and Peeres of Israel taken from the effects of the same They with their lewdnes which is heathen like and shamelesse doe corrupt and vtterly spoyle not onely themselues but also the King himself and other princes the which retained or kept some parcell of modestie godlines and honestie Two partes of this verse Two things therefore are to be noted in this place first whom they make to be worse Secondly by what meanes they doe it And for the first They corrupt not the people alone for as I haue sayd before 1. Whom they corrupt they doe put aside and turne the people also out of the right way by their example but also the other Princes 2. By what mean in whome there remained some sparkes of godlines And not only the princes but they corrupt and spill the king himselfe also 1. The people and other Princes and the King himselfe also By how much the more hurtfull is the wickednes of these Nobles vnto the whole cōmonwealth For what can there be hole sound in the rest of the body when as the king and the head it selfe of the kingdom is sick and ill at ease And therefore in a sense not much vnlike Christ sayth of his Apostles and disciples Mat 5. ver 13. Ye are the salt of the earth but if the salt haue lost his sauour wherewith shall it bee salted It is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to bee troden vnder foote of men And cap. 6. vers 22. The light of the body is the eye if then thine eye be single thy whole body shall be light But if thine eye be wicked thē al thy body shal be dark Wherfore if the light that is in thee be darkenes how great is that darkenes Doubtles the manners of the courtiers of our time are here by the Prophet most truely described so that they cannot be more truely paynted forth by the pensil of the Painter 2. With their flat teries lies and wickednes The Prophet likewise setteth downe by what meanes these selfe same doe win the Kings vnto them to wit They make them merrie and glad with their flatterings lyes and wickednes They deale therefore after this sorte as that they would seeme onely to delight the king whilest they liue so wickedly forge lies and finally deale so lewdly Thus then by little and little and as it were by drop meal they do drop powre in the vilenes of their life into the mindes of kings vnder a pretence and seasoning or sawcing of the same with pleasure the which they bring vnto Princes and doe teach them to liue and to deale after the same manner and with the same allurements A point worth the noting Pleasure sayth Plato is the bayte of euill For we doe easily drinke in those vices the which doe make vs merrie and withall doe offer and shew vs delight although they be most shamefull and present poysons Wherefore euen kings are to abstaine from all filthy pleasure and to keepe a diligent watch and ward ouer those that are their friends and familiars Let them shunne the wicked and take vnto them the godly and vertuous according vnto that patterne which Dauid setteth downe for the ordering and reforming of a Princes house and Courte Psalm 101. Vers 4. They are all adulterers and as a verie ouen heated by the baker which ceaseth from raysing vp and from Kneading the dough vntill it be leauened A lewd bad practise of some wicked courtiers A More plaine laying open of this matter For he sheweth forth that kinde of wickednes of Courtiers especiallie wherewithall lewd and baggage Courtiers doe make glad and delight the king And this is first of all whoredome it selfe and secondly the rehearsing and boasting of their most shamefull companying and vnlawfull lying with women whereby they stirre vp the king vnto lust and delight him The figure Auxêsis or increasing is when as by degrees as it were we do go from the lower vnto the higher yea vnto the highest and aboue the highest sometimes as here the Prophet from their whoredome goeth as it were ene stephigher and increaseth the same by likening it vnto the extream heat of an ouen made so hote as possibly the baker by all diligence can deuise make it So then these wicked Noble men are fornicators nay most filthy whoremasters and most earnestly giuen that way first themselues and secondly they are most shameles baudes vnto their kings For by the figure Auxêsis or incereasing of the matter as it were by degrees by a similitude taken from an ouen or furnace and a Baker is declared how burning hot this fleshy lust of these men that is of these Courtiers is for looke howe a furnace or ouen once heated by the baker and from out of the which the fire hath not been remoued or taken away through any negligence or slouth of the baker looke I say how greatly that same furnace burneth and is glowing hot so hote raging and burning is the lust of these Nobles and Courtiers vnto the which also they doe stirre vp the king himself and do in such sorte make him glad and corrupt him And what is more knowen and common at this day them these Arts in the Courts of Kings and princes to allure kings and to drawe them vnto their partes and sides Vers 5. This is the day of our king the Princes haue made him sicke with flagons of wine he stretcheth out his hande to scorners AN amplification of the former wickednes of the Nobles and Courtiers from three places namely from the time the adioints The former wickednes amplified from three places and persons And from the time for that euen at the selfe same day that the king holdeth the remembrance of the kingdome either giuen him by God or obtayned by himselfe 1. From the time or keepeth his birth day neither doe they themselues abstaine from these intemperancies vices corruptions and drinkings neither doe they suffer or grant the king himself or other Princes to abstaine Yet these a e such daies in the which thanks are rather to be giuen vnto God both by the Kings themselues and also by their Princes then after this maner to giue ouer themselues vnto wantonnes and sinne in as much as then they call to minde againe the remembrance of the benefite receiued from God and the same indeede a most singular benefite Example in the Psalm 2. and 18.21 and 22. where Dauid celebrateth or keepeth the remembrance of his enstalling in his kingdome or of his coronation Example also in Mat. 14. ver 6. where the birth day of King Herod is holden albeit not
licentiousnes or ouer great libertie of vices The first of these is a most exceeding great heate and violent sway of al vices the which boyleth vp Of their great earnestnes in committing all kind of sinnes and heateth in the breasts of these men as a most hote furnace And surely experience of things teacheth this to be most true that nothing can be seene more wanton then the manners of these once forlorne Nobles nothing more malapert then their lust nothing more shamelesse then their boldnes and finally nothing more hote and earnest then their desires be they neuer so vniust and vnlawfull in such sort forsooth doe they abuse the height and glorie of their authoritie and dignitie as if there ought to be no let vnto them nothing to hinder their wishings and as if all things were to be at their becke and commaund Therefore whatsoeuer enterprise they would haue effected be it neuer so shamefull filthie vngodly and vniust they thinke it lawfull to bring it to passe and therefore in all their actions their desire of bringing the same about and of putting them in practise boyleth and seetheth as it were a most hote and fierie furnace 2 Of their eating vp the Kings treasures and ouerthrowing of the state The second effect is that these same wicked Courtiers doe consume their Iudges that is both their Kings and also their Princes whome they ought to maintaine increase For partly they emptie and draw drie the treasuries of their Princes whome they haue at their owne commaund and doe robbe and spoile the same craftily getting and stealing the Kings coyne into their owne handes and partly they doe ouerturne and in the end destroy their Princes and their most florishing estate with those their wicked counsels The which thing to be most true both the historie of all ages and also this time of ours will most euidently and clearely witnesse For the Nobles and these lewd and bad Courtiers doe in the end bring their Lords and masters into such narrow straights for money and other matters through their most wicked vices counsels charges and priuie whisperings that their Kings themselues can not afterwards winde out againe from this pouertie but lie ouerwhelmed in the same and perish therein at the last with their kingdome 3 Of their driving away of all feare of God and godimes out of the harts of their kings and rulers The third effect that by the meanes of these Nobles and badde Courtiers all feare of God and godlines is in such sort shaken off from the Kings that when as they perish they call not vpon God as namely beeing vtterly vnmindefull and forgetfull of him the which is great vngodlines vnto the which notwithstanding those Princes are drawne which giue care vnto these lewd Courtiers or beare any fauour or liking towards them This because it hath appeared sufficiently in the Kings of Israel many of the which haue died naturally or bin slaine violently without the calling vpon of the true God there is no neede that it should be confirmed or prooued with any more examples But here out appeareth vnto what passe in the end that estate groweth of a kingdome or common-wealth wherein such Nobles and wicked Courtiers mockers of God can doe all things and haue the Kings at their becke and what manner of death and life that of their Kings themselues in such a state vseth for to be such namely as the death and life of Atheists or godlesse and most wicked persons accustomably is See the Psal 101. in the which Dauid maketh protestation that he will purge his Court and kingdome of such bad members And Psal 75. he complaineth of the like growing of thinges out of square through the badde practises of such kinde of persons and sheweth that he will be carefull to bring things vnto a better course and that hee was not tongue-tied at such abuses in the wicked in these wordes The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolued but I will establish the pillers of it I said vnto the foolish Be not so follish and to the wicked Lift not vp the horne And there is an old saying and a true concerning those Courts where such wicked Courtiers beare all the rule and sway Let him get him out of the Court which hath a desire to be godly Vers 8. Ephraim hath mixt himselfe among the people Ephram is as a cake on the hearth not turned The conclusion describing their vngodlines and the iudgements of God bent against them for the same THe Conclusion wherein is described the vngodlines of these men and the iudgements of God against them declared Their vngodlines in this that Ephraim hath mixed himselfe with the Heathen and such people as are altogether Idolatours both in making marriages with them by the which they became more corrupt and also in other things leagues traffiques and entring into societies or fellowships all which things by the lawe of God they were forbiddē for to do So thē here in this place Ephraim is shewed to haue become vtterly Heathenish and so consequently that Israel whome God had chosen and culled out as a peculiar people vnto himselfe and had commanded by Moses to be holy and to remaine pure and seuered from the vncleannes of the infidels And so much the more sharnefull and vnexcusable the sinne of this people appeareth nowe for to be and their rebellion the greater The word Ephraim albeit by consequent it may signifie the whole people of Israel yet properly and chiefly in this place it is here taken for the Nobles For their ruine and fall doth shewe and drawe with it the miserie and destruction of the whole people the which was afterwards to ensue And this was one vngodlines of the Israelitish Nobilitie as the fountaine and originall of al their wickednes and corruption to wit their common mingling of themselues and their societie or fellowship with vncircumcised people For godlines was then vtterly exstinct or put out among them Now followeth and is described their punishment to wit these selfe same both Nobles and people 2 Their punishment for the same shall be most pleasantly deuoured and eaten vp of these Heathen vnto whome they a dioyne themselues as if they were some fine and daintie cake the which is wont to be baked onely on one side that it may be the more pleasant in eating For such iunkets spice cakes and such like other daintrels are wont to be baked but on one side and not on both sides Therefore looke howe greedily those cakes are eaten vp by the guests so sweetly is the whole cuntry of the Israelites eaten vp that is to say consumed wasted pilled deuoured of the infidell people with whome they mingle themselues That which euen at this day also appeareth to be true in those common-wealths and godly kingdomes the which draw and seeke vnto themselues forraine helpes and aydes especially of Infidels For in the ende they are vtterly consumed
and right So we see that the Princes and heads of the people turned away from the true worship of God many otherwise godly Kings as Asa Ioas and others more For they seeme especially to haue been authors of Idolatrie And therefore the Prophet Isaias also inueigheth especially against them cap. 1. But Micheas setteth vpon the heads themselues and not only vpon the common sort and people to shew that he doth his duetie without accepting of persons that he is the seruant of God and not of men as those false Prophets were finally that he is indued with that true cōstancie of the which he spake in the verse before Vers 10. They builde vp Zion with blood and Ierusalem with iniquitie An amplification of the sinne of the Rulers AN amplification of the crime whereby the selfe same thing is proued the which verse 8. he sayd to be in the Iewes to wit that there is in them wickednes and not onely sinnes as in the Israelites And therefore he sheweth the grieuousnes of the sinne the which was peculiarly committed by the heads of the kingdom and people of Iudah Further he accuseth them for that they builded with blood and that ouen Sion or Ierusalem it selfe that is the citie of God the which alwayes in euery part of it ought to be holy Wherein Micheas condemneth these gouernours of the people both of cruelty and also of couetousnes and the same sacrilegious in that they vsed both these sinnes vnto the dishonour of the citie of God and of that place where the diuine that is the pure Temple was builded that is to say vnto the manifest reproch of God himselfe See in euery respect the like complaint of God against this people Nah. 3. vers 1. in these words O bloodie citie it is full of lies and robberie the praye departeth not Also Ezech 24. vers 9. Woe to the bloodie citie for I will make the burning great So Habac. 2. vers 12. Woe vnto him that buildeth a towne with blood and crecteth a citie by iniquitie And in this word buildeth he answereth a secret vaine excuse of theirs for they defended themselues vnder this pretence or colour that this which was found fault withall turned vnto the ornament and garnishing of the Citie of God And therefore that their enterprize was rather to bee praysed then accused The Prophet answereth that God will haue no such ornaments of his citie nor any such building For God delighteth not in any iniustice and cruelty Psalm 5. and they which doe so and spoyle others vnder a pretence or colour of religion they make God a fellow and partner of their robberies See Isai 66. vers 2 3. Mar. 7. ver 11 c. Vers 11. The heads thereof iudge for rewards and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof prophesie for monie yet will they leane vpon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among vs No euil can come vpon vs. A particular setting downe of the sinnes of euery order of gouernours among them A Laying out of the matter more plainely For he now sheweth particularly how these heads or euery order of these heads deale vngodly and wickedly and vse themselues euery man in his charge Wherein hee distinctly describeth or setteth out and increaseth the proper wickednes of euery one of them by contraries Further he maketh three kindes or orders of these Heads or Gouernours namely Iudges Priests and Prophets It is the part of Iudges to abstaine from giftes that they may giue iudgement 1. Iudges and minister law holily and not be corrupted So Iethro when he sheweth vnto Moses what Iudges hee should make for his helpe and ease in the burden and charge of the common wealth of Israel among other poynts requireth especially that they be such as hate couetousnes Exod. 18. vers 21. Moreouer sayth he prouide thou among all the people men of courage fearing God men dealing truely hating couetousnes and appoint such ouer them to bee rulers ouer thousands rulers ouer hundreds rulers ouer fifties rulers ouer tennes But these Iudges of whom Micheas speaketh receiue gifts and accordingly as any thing is giuen them iudge in fauour of this man or that man the which is a great sacriledge or notorious offence against God And vnder the name of Iudges all politicke Magistrates are generally comprehended There followeth the order of Heads or rulers of the people or of Church-gouernours as I may so call them And these are of two sortes to wit ordinary as in times past the Priests and Leuites now Pastors and Doctors in the Church of God and extraordinary as in times past the Prophets the which are now either none at all or very tare and seldome The Priests or ordinary gouernours of the Church did teach for rewarde the which is not onely most filthy 2 Priests but also sacrilegious For accordingly as euery man gaue them a rewarde for their seruice so did they set downe and determine euery man his sinnes to be great or small and did not follow the determination of the law of God without respect of persons For such the Priests ought to be not swaruing one whit from the trueth and equitie of the law of God as it is Malach. 2. vers 6. The lawe of trueth was in his mouth and there was no iniquitie found in his lips speaking of the Priests office he walked with me in peace and equitie and did turne away many from iniquitie 3. Prophets The extraordinary gouernors of the Church as the Prophets euen they also prophesied for money And therefore their couertousnes and sacriledge is more manifestly described then that of the former For there was some colour of the Priests and Magistrates in these words rewards giftes or hire but in the worde money and in Prophets there is none at all nay there is an open mart merchandise of the word of God such as Peter epist 2. ver 3. and 15. findeth fault withall in the false teachers of his time of whom he sayth Through couetousnes shall they with fayned words make merchandise of you and forsaking the right way haue gone astray following the way of Balaam the sonne of Bosor which loued the wages of vnrighteousnesse And the saying of Christ Mat. 10. is to be applyed vnto this place Yee haue receiued freely giue freely And yet for all this is not the due and reasonable wages of the Pastors teachers in the Church condemned as Christ himselfe teacheth in the same place Mat. 10. Paul 1. Cor. 9. Finally to the ende he may paynt out the filthy couetousnes and vngodlines of these false Prophets the more cleerely who at that time as the Monkes at this day greatly deceiued the people the Prophet by the figure Mimesis What the figure Mimesis is see Oseas cap. 4. ver 18. or imitation setteth down their wicked words when as they had receiued money for their diuination or prophesying For they prophesied that it
prophet 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 The scattered shall be gathered into one those that are cast out and his that are scattered abroade from whence afterward shall arise a greatnation 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 deliuered 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 Vers 7. And I will make her that halted a remnant and her that was cast far off a mightie nation and the Lord shall reigne ouer them in mount Zion from hence forth euen for euer 3. God shall reigne as a King in the middest of his Church THe third point is conteined in this seuenth verse to wit that the Lord himselfe will reigne in the mids both of them and also in mount Sion the which without all doubt did represent the true church of God In which third poynt the stedfastnes glory and full happines and restoring of the church is contained For what can be more happy and safe then when as God not onely dwelleth in the midst of vs but also raigneth and as a King hath care of vs And this cheerefell fauour of God towards his and the assured perswasion thereof was it which more reioyced the heart of Dauid then all other earthly blessings could do the worldlings insomuch that Psal 4. vers 7 he sayth Thou hast giuen mee more ioy of heart then they haue had whē their wheat their wine did abound Concerning this restoring and protecting of the church reade Zach. 2. Further that the godly might hope and beleeue that these things although they be wonderfull and almost incredible or vnbeleeueable in so great ruines of the church that they shall notwithstanding most assuredly come to passe there is added a necessarie preface or forespeech That these are the promises of the eternall GOD and his saying not the wordes of Idols nor of men and to the ende that the greatnesse of this happinesse of the church might bee esteemed of vs accordingly and draw vs into an admiration or wondering thereat it is sayd that it shall be perpetual that is for euer and beyond For God will not only gather together and defend those that are his here vpon earth but also in the euerlasting and heauenly life the which is a most singular benefite so that as Paul writeth vnto Timothie 1. cap 4 vers 8. godlines hath the promise of the life present and of that that is to come Vers 8. And thou O towre of the flocke the strong holde of the daughter Zion vnto thee shall it come euen the first dominion and kingdome shall come to the daughter Ierusalem An amplification of the former benefite AN amplification of the benefit going next immediately before For God himselfe shall not onely then raigne in the Church when as he shall restore the same but the Church her self also together with him shall obtaine a kingdome and gouernement and that such as it had before wonderfull and to bee marueiled at of the gentiles the church herselfe I say Two parts of this Verse and Ierusalem the daughter of her the which was before in such sorte destroyed and wasted by the enemies But in this verse there are two things to be obserued or noted the one the thing it selfe which is promised The other 1. The promise it selfe the phrase or maner of speaking whereby it is promised 2 The maner of promising the same Concerning the matter it selfe it is a promise of the former estate and kingdome of the church to be restored Wherein God doth not onely promise vnto her a kingdome but also such a one as it had before to wit vnder Dauid and Salomon For Saul is not here to bee reckoned among the kings when as he was not giuen of God but set vp and asked by the people So then it shal be a notable kingdom most large flourishing rich peaceable fearefull vnto the nations nay such also as shall subdue the nations and bring them vnder her subiection The Church long sithence hath enioyed these things and doth also at this day enioy them through Christ and by the preaching of the Gospel Psal 2. And Luk. 1. vers 32 33. the Angel doth foretell of this flourishing estate of Christ his spirituall kingdome saying He shall be great and shall be called the sonne of the most high and the Lord God shall giue vnto him the throne of his father Dauid and he shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdome shall be none ende And this is signified also by the submission and reuerence of the 24. Elders Reuelat. 4. vers 10. The foure and twenty Elders feldown before him that sate on the throne and worshipped him that liueth for euermore and cast their crownes before the throne c. And this so happie an estate is not promised vnto euery company of men The true church marked out from other assemblies of men by sundry titles but only vnto the true Church of GOD. Therfore it is here by the Prophet diligently distinguished or marked out from other congregations of men by sundry epithets or titles to wit it is called The towre of the flocke because that in Ierusalē 02 the same towre was then chiefly to be seen aboue others being scituated neere vnto the market and gate of the sheepe and the poole of the sheepe 1 The towre of the flocke whereof mention is made Iohn 5. vers 2. and the scituation of the whole citie it self was on a high place Therfore both of the scituation of the place and also of this part the whole citie of Ierusalem is called a towre and therefore the true Church of God is signified thereby whereof Ierusalem was at that time the house and
in the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen him selfe for me Vers 20. Thou wilt performe thy trueth to Iacob and mercy to Abraham as thou hast sworne to our fathers in old time The conclusion of this place Chapter THe conclusion of this whole place and chapter the which also containeth a reason and cause of this bounteousnes of God taken from his expresse nay repeated word So then God will performe these things vnto those that are his namely because he hath so expresly promised that not once only but oftentimes Moreouer he doth not promise these things in a bare promise alone and in wordes the which notwithstanding is alwaies most true Tit. 1. ver 2. but also plainely setting downe an oth So Zacharas in his song Luc. 1. ver 73. sheweth that God in regard of his couenant and oth made vnto the fathers performed the redemtion deliuerance of his people Lastly he hath not now first promised this selfe same thing concerning the deliuerance of his Church but long sithens and from the daies of olde that this should not be thought to be a new and strange doctrine and vnheard of but olde and confirmed now in many ages Wherefore the Prophet in this place maketh mention of Iacob Abraham the other fathers Gods promise caâ—led vnto whome long sithens the promises concerning Christ and so consequently of the perpetuitie or continuance of the Church haue been either made or repeated and rehearsed againe Mercie And they are called the Mercie or benefite of God if both the cause of them and also the matter it selfe which they comprehend be considered For the free goodnes of God is the cause of them and that selfe same thing which these promises conteine Trueth is a singular benefite of God towardes the godly They are also termed the Trueth of God if the certantie of these promises be looked vnto For they are most true and altogether and in euery respect to be in deed and trueth in their due time fulfilled For God which cannot deceiue hath promised them with an oth So the Author to the Hebrewes cap. 6. ver 18. Saith that God willing more abundantly to shew vnto the heires of promise the stablenes of his counsell bound himselfe by an oth that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lye we might haue strong consolation which haue our refuge to holde fast the hope which is set before vs. FINIS The Commentary of Lambertus Danaeus vpon the Prophet Nahum The Argument FOr as much as the kindome of the Assirians endured and continued from the yeare of the destruction of the Cittie of Samaria atchieued by Sennacherib about the first yeare of Nabuchadnezzar by whom the Assirians were vtterly depriued of their Empire and brought into the forme of a prouince by the space almost of 108. yeares to wit The time of the Prophet Nahum from the sixt yeare of the reigne of Ezechias king of Iuda vnto the fourth yeare of king Ioacim this Prophet Nahum without all doubt was and liued in this meane time But vnto many this seemeth to be more likely to be true namely that he prophesied about the beginning of the reigne of Iosias king of Iuda God now being appeased and pacified with the Iewes as appeareth cap. 2. ver 2. Others referre this prophesie vnto the beginning of the raigne of Ioacim yet before the fourth yeare of his raigne as seemeth may be gathered by the 3. cap. ver 8. that is to saye before the beginning of the raigne of the Babilonians or Chaldees to wit when as yet the Monarchie or Empire of the Assirians florished and stood vnder Asarhadon or his successor Iosephus of whose beginning of his reigne mention is made 2. Kings cap. 19. ver 37. Esdr 4. ver 2. And nothing lesse might be feared then the ouerthrow of the same Ioseph lib. 9. Antiq. Iudaic. cap. 12. writeth that Nachum set foorth this prophesie and foretelling of the ouerthrow of the Assirian kingdome by the commaundement of God anon after that Teglath Phalasar king of Assyria had carried away captiue the ten tribes of Israell At which time surely the state of that Empire of Assyria was most mightie and it seemed vncredible or not to be beleeued that this so great a kingdome should be ouerthrowen And these things fell out vnder Ezechias king of Iudah 2. kings cap. 17. at which time Nahum prophesied a little after the death namely of Oseas and Micheas whom he succeeded and that next of all Which iudgement I like moued with the reason of the 15. ver in this first chapter Before this time I graunt and about the very beginnings of the raigne of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioas king of Israell the Lord would haue destruction threatned vnto Niniue by the prophet Ionas but because the Niniuites repented Ionas threatneth destrustition vnto Niniue God refrained from the destroying of that citie Further in this Prophet the destruction is threatned not onely of that one Citie the which Ionas did before although it were the head Citie of the whole Empire of the Assyrians but also of the whole kingdome of the Assyrians the which afterwardes was in deed performed by the Chaldees as appeareth by the 23. cap. of Esaie ver 13. Behold the land of the Chaldeans this was no people Asshur founded it by the inhabitants of the wildernes They set vp the towers thereof they raised the palaces thereof and he brought it to ruine Three cheefe causes of the destructioÌ„ of the Assyrians Now the cause or reason why this Empire should by God bee vtterly destroyed was manifold but especially threefold First the conspiracie and hatred of the Assyrians against the people of God Secondly their robbing and spoyling of all nations practised by the sayd Assyrians Thirdly the spreading abroad of outragious idolatrie and chiefly of Magicke by the Assyrians into all people and nations of the world afterward The principal poynts of this prophesie and taking beginning from them And first of all God sheweth and describeth his surpassing might and power Secondly he taketh away from the Assyrians all hope and aydes of shifting off and setting naught by this iudgment of God agaynst them Thirdly by the fearefull description of the enemies which he will send vpon them and by the example of other cities as mighty as they the Prophet declareth that the execution of these his threatnings shall be easie vnto God Vers 1. The burden of Niniueh The booke of vision of Nahum the Elkeshite 1. The summe of the Prophets charge THis most shorte verse comprehendeth three things First the summe of his charge For hee declareth against Niniueh the most grieuous threatnings of God Secondly 2. The name of the Prophet the name and noting out of the Prophet by his countrey Helkos Thirdly the certainety of this prophesie or of his calling in that it is a vision from God
Then secondlie he threatneth that all their Gods also shall be destroeyd the which is a most greeuous punishment in the iudgement of Idolators The third thing is He foretelleth that it shall come to passe that before these things fall out vnto them they shall become vile among other Nations 3. They shal wax vile amâ—ng other nations where they sâ—metime were famous among whom both the Niniuites and also the Assyrians were famous and renowned before So doth GOD by his Prophet Esaie cap 10 ver 12 c. threaten to bring downe the pride of the king of Assyria and to turne their glorie into shame saying But when the Lord hath accomplished all his worke vpon mount Sion and Ierusalem I will visit the fruite of the proud heart of the King of Asshur and his glorious and proud lookes c. Therefore shall the Lord God of hostes send among his fat men leannes and vnder his glorie he shall kindle a burning like the burning of fire The like is in Ieremie cap. 49 ver 34 c. Concerning the Medes and Persians vnto whom the Lord threatneth like shame and coÌ„fusion But as touching the Assyrians the dignitie honor of that kingdome especially began to waxe vile after that ouerthrowe which Senacharib king of the Assyrians receiued in Iudea when as he besieged Ierusalem whereof God prophesieth by Esaie cap. 14. ver 25. in these words I will breake to peeces Asshur in my land and vpon my mountaines will I tread him vnder foote so that his yoake shall departe from them and his burden shall be taken from of their shoulder And cap. 37. ver 37 is expressed his departure with shame from Ierusalem after that the Angel of the Lord had slaine so many thousands in his Campe in one night So Saneherib King of Asshur departed and went away and dwelt at Niniueh For the strength of the Assyrians began to be deminished their power to be despised yea their Royall authoritie to be contemned and ciuell warres arose among the Kings sonnes the which afterwardes were the vtter ouerthrow of that nation laied them open as a praye vnto the Kings of Babilon Xenophon as Xenophon also teacheth in his bookes of the education or bringing vp of Cyrus Vers 15. Behold vpon the mountaines the feete of him that declareth and publisheth peace O Iudah keepe thy solemne feastes performe thy vowes For the wicked shall no more passe through thee He is vtterly cut off What the figure Epiphonema is see Ionas cap. 2. ver 9. THe figure Epiphonema or acclamation whereby both the former deliuerance is confirmed vnto the Israelites and Iudah also that is the brethren of the Israelites are for this cause exhorted to reioyce For as yet the kindgdom of Iudah was safe and vntouched But they are stirred vp to reioyce at this so happie a condition which should be of Israell as of their brother and at the fall of the Assyrians as their common enimies as a thing most assured certaine For no man is in vaine or to no purpose exhorted by God to giue thanks sing praises and to reioyce but for that the same thing shall altogether come to passe What the sigure Apostrophe is see Amos cap. 8. ver 4. for the which these things are commaÌ„ded of God to be done This therefore is a mostapt fit Apostrophe or turning of speech vnto the Iewes that they also may reioyce at the destruction of their common aduersaries For the Assyrians were enimies vnto the Iewes also that is vnto the kingdom of Iudah as appeareth in the historie of Ezechiah the king 2. Kings Yet out of this place cannot be gathered that Nahum prophesied vnder Ezechias king of Iudah at that time after that Ierusalem was deliuered from besieging that is after that it was deliuered out of the hands of Senacherib king of the Assyrians For here he foretelleth things to come the which notwithstanding after the manner of other prophets he setteth foorth as if they were all readie fulfilled for the greater certantie of the thing to come This place is like vnto that of Esaie cap. 52. ver 7. How beautifull vpon the mountaines are the feete of him Three kinds of ioyes that declareth and publisheth peace that declareth good tidings and publisheth saluation saying vnto Sion thy God reigneth 1. Tidings of peace But here in this place of our prophet Nahum are reckoned vp three sorts of ioyes First an happie and ioyfull tidings and neere at hand concerning peace that was to insue vnto the land of Iudah because the enimies of that kingdom to wit the Assyrians are destroyed For the feete of the men and messengers signifiyng and bringing the same 2. The keeping of their solemne feastes did euen now appeare in the mountaines neer vnto them so that the Iewes should by and by heare the same The Second the most free holding and keeping of their feastes the which was an holie and solemne and most great and lawfull ioye of the Iewes The third the paying of their vowes that is the acknowledging and confessing of extraordinarie benefites of God the which was done by the performing of vowes 3. The paying of vowes and by the offring of Sacrifices of thanks giuing The reason of this ioye is because that there is now ordeined sure and certaine peace for the Iewes by God for as I haue said he hath cleane taken away their enimies the Assyrians so that they shal now no more come into the landes of the Iewes CAP. 2. Vers 1. The destroyer is come before the face keepe the munition looke to the way make thy loynes strong increase thy strength mightily An other Sermon contayning the vtter destruction of the Assyrians AN other Sermon of Nachum ayming vnto the same marke whereat the former also did namely to threaten vtter destruction vnto the Citie of Niniueh and vnto the Assyrians But in this the execution of the same iudgement of God is so liuely described and by particulars layd before the eyes and view of men by the figure Hypotyposis What the figure Hypotyposis is see Amos cap. 8. ver 12. that the thing it selfe may seeme now not to be tolde but to be done And this God doth to this ende first that this threatning of punishment may bee beleeued to bee true when as all the circumstances thereof how farre off soeuer it may seeme to be are notwithstanding here set downe the which in a false matter cannot be done Secondly that when as this fall of Niniue shall come to passe men as well the vngodly as the godly may vnderstand by the things which are here reported that the same is the fulfilling of the iudgement of God the which Nachum had foretolde long before and that this came not to passe at all aduentures or by chance and fortune Lastly that by this description both the Godly and also the Assyrians may vnderstand that the ouerthrowing of this so
2 The name and stock of the prophet This prophet then is Ioel and that not euery Ioel for it may be that at the same time there were many famous knowen men of that name but he which was the sonne of Pethuel so consequently most knowne among others of the same name For I thinke the name of the Father added here in this place elswhere by the Prophets to shew that they for as much as they were of an honest and knowen family or house were voyd of all suspicion as if after the example of the false Prophets they did preach for couetousnes and gaine or did any thing of flattery for vaineglory sake or tooke vpon them to deale publikely but God in such sort mouing and commaunding them Ver. 2. Here ye this O Elders and hearken ye all inhabitants of the land whether such a thing hath bin in your daies or yet in the daies of your fathers The proposition by way of amplification Insect a are a kind of small vermin deuided in the body betweene the head and the taile hauing no flesh bloud sinnues c. as are flies gnats bees antes waspes hornets and such like THe Proposition or priucipall poynt by way of amplification And this amplification was needefull because of mockers and scorners of God For when as the Prophet was to speake of locusts palmer wormes grashoppers caterpillers which are filly creatures and of the kinde which they call insecta and of their power against men and the kingdome of Iudah he should by by moue laughter vnto these scoffers in that he should thunder and so greatly go about to fray men so exceedingly with so smal and light matters He doth therefore by the effects describe the matter it selfe both as in part it was euery where felt already and was more to be perceiued yet hereafter sheweth that it is a most grieuous fearefull iudgement of God the which they otherwise peraduenture would haue contemned or despised So Exod. it appeareth that God by locusts ouercame the Egyptians And this plague among the rest is reckoned vp Psal 105. ver 34 in these wordes He spake and the grashoppers came and caterpillers innumerable So 1. Kinng 8. ver 37 such kind of creatures beasts are reckoned vp among the most bitter scourges whippes of God And elswhere they are called the great army or host of God For nothing is light or weake the which God armeth against vs. 1 Who are stirred vp to heare This verse hath two things to be noted For we must marke both whom he stirreth vp to heare and why he stirreth them vp And first of all he stirreth vp those who among that people are Elders in age 2 Why they are stirred vp and might haue noted and marked both more and greater iudgements of God by reason of the length of their yeares Secondly al the rest of the inhabitants of the land of Iudah as namely all vnto which this speech is directed And all these doth God wil to heare these things which follow not only with the eares of their body but also earnestly to applie their minde thereunto to weigh and thinke vpon them with themselues and diligently to hearken vnto them But why the Prophet thus dilignetly warneth them to heare both the regard of the mttaer and also the greatnes of the daunger wherein they either already are or presently are like to be doth perswade For as it is here sayd in that kinde there yet had neuer bin any daunger or hurt like or equall vnto it either in the memory or remembrance of those which were aliue or else in the times of their elders For where as it is sayd of the grashoppers which God in his anger sent vpon Pharao and his land that they were such as neither their fathers nor their fathers fathers had euer seene vpon the earth vnto that day that maketh nothing against this which is here spoken For there he speaketh not of the multitude of those kinde of creatures but of the greatnes of them that there should neuer after be the like of them that is so big great in the quantity of their bodies as those then in Egypt seemed and were Exod. 10. ver 6.14 Ver. 3. Tell you your children of it and let your children shew to their children and their children to an other generation A Confirmation of the greatnes of the daunger and of the extraordinary matter which was to come A confirmation of the greatnes of the daunger And it is taken from the commaundement of God who will haue it told vnto posterity vnto the third and fourth generation for the praise and glory of his power and Iustice towardes men and for the fearing of his church hereafter that they should not in such sort offend God as they had offended him who were punished after these so fearefull wayes manners For God will haue the notable and extraordinary testimonies or witnesses especially both of his Iustice and also of his mercy to be remembred and kept among men And therefore it is said Psal 22. ver 31. They shall come and shall declare his righteousnes vnto a people that shall be borne because he hath done it And Psal 135. ver 13. Thy name O Lord endureth for euer O Lord thy remembrance is from generation to generation And yet are not the daily and ordinary examples of them both that is of his iustice and also of his mercy therefore of vs to be forgotten or neglected and not cared for or to be passed ouer with blinde eyes Vers 4. That which is left of the palmer worme hath the grashopper eaten and the residue of the grashopper hath the canker worme eaten and the residue of the canker worme hath the caterpiller eaten A Making plaine of that which was set downe before For now in bare and simple speech he layeth forth the matter it selfe the which is to be heard and not any more in figuratiue speaking as he did in the former verses Hee sayth therefore See before ver 2. that in the iust iudgement of GOD there was a most grieuous famine brought into all the lande of Iudah by these foure kindes of creatures called Insecta or diuided the which in this place are recited namely the Palmer worme the Grashopper or Locust the Canker worme or the Melolontha which is also of the greater sorte of Locusts and the caterpiller All these sortes and kindes of Insecta doe croppe the fields eate the grasse and deuour the corne hurt the haruest and the graine waste the fruites and all leaues of trees Whereupon Plinius lib. 17. Natur. Histor. cap. 28. and other writers of naturall things doe reporte that medicines and remedies haue been inuented agaynst these beasts and wasters and spoylers of corne and trees Yea moreouer the same Plinius lib. 11. cap. 29. doth write being otherwise a prophane or heathen man that the multitude great numbers of these
was made flesh and dwelt among vs and we saw the glory thereof as the glory of the only begotten sonne of the Father full of grace trueth Accordingly whereunto writeth Paul 1. Tim. 3. ver 16. And without controuersie great is the mystery of godlynes which is God is manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirit seene of Angels preached vnto the Gentiles beleeued on in the world and receiued vp in glory Thus therefore I do expound this last verse of our Prophet Ioel of the comming of the Sonne of God and our Lord Iesus Christ into the flesh and of the benefites through him bestowed vpon the Church Praise be vnto God The Commentary of Lambertus Danaeus vpon the Prophet Sophonias CAP. 1. The Argument THis Prophet containeth partlie threatnings and partlie comforts Threatnings of God touching the destruction of the citie of Ierusalem very shortly to insue touching the most grieuous punishments of the nation of the Iewes both for their incredible and notorious impietie or vngodlines towards God and also their iniustice towards meÌ„ Yet because the Lord gaue some spare time notwithstanding in the meane space therefore the Prophet exhorteth the Iewes vnto earnest repentance Sophonie exhorteth vnto earnest repentance and that they should mitigate or asswage the wrath of God by changing of their life This selfe same Prophet also doth comfort the Church in that by reuelation made vnto him from God he promiseth that God will not vtterly cast it away and destroy it but will leaue some seede of it because he had decreed also to enlarge it to scatter and spred it abrode vnto the Gentiles And consequently that both in Christ and for Christ his sake it should afterwards be restored and sanctified and that indeed after a more excellent maner then euer it was before In the end he promiseth in the person of God that the enemies of the Church shall be taken away and at the last be vtterly destroyed This booke hath three Sermons the which are comprised in so many that is to say three chapters Three Sermons of this Prophet The Prophet Sophonie liued and prophesied vnder the King Iosias to wit The life and prophesying of the Prophet Sophonie more then thirtie yeares before the destruction of the 〈◊〉 foretold by him when as the state of the kingdome of Iudah â—â—med as yet to bee flourishing enough and mightie and so consequently much rather to be a tolerable estate and the quiet and dignitie of the citie Ierusalem to be in safetie and without danger Yet notwithstanding long before him did Isaias also prophesie that it should bee destroyed as appeareth 2. King cap. 20. ver 16.17.18 in these words And Isaiah sayd vnto Hezekiah heare the word of the Lord. Behold the dayes come that all that is in thine house and whatsouer thy fathers haue layd vp in store vnto this day shall be carried into Babel nothing shall be left sayth the Lord. And of thy sonnes that shall proceed out of thee and which thou shalt beget shall they take away and they shall be Eunuches in the palace of the King of Babel Some wil haue this Prophet to haue prophesied with Isaias others that he prophesied three yeres before Ieremie For that Ieremie began to prophesie in the 13. yeare of the reigne of Iosias and Sophonias in the 10. Therefore he is to be conferred with the Prophet Ieremie vnto the 20. chapter Now where he prophesied is not expressed whether in the citie it selfe as Ieremie did or whether abiding in some other place yet notwithstanding in the land of Iudah did he both liue and also prophesie Vers 1. The word of the Lord which came vnto Zephaniah the sonne of Cushi the sonne of Gedaliah the sonne of Amariah the sonne of Hizkiah in the dayes of Iosiah the sonne of Amon King of Iudah The first Sermon Three causes of the destruction of Ierusalem THe first Sermon of the destruction of the citie Ierusalem the wonderfull spoyling and laying waste of the same which was to insue whereof there are here reckoned vp three causes First the outragious and horrible idolatrie of the Iewes Secondly the contempt or despising of the true God and of his threatnings yea and the same very manifest Thirdly all kind of iniustice towards their neighbours the which might bee done either by deceit or els by violence or force Three parts of this verse This verse containeth three things First a commendation of the doctrine following and a declaration of the calling of Sophonias Secondly the stocke kinred and noble and renowmed house and familie of this Prophet both for godlines 1. CommendatioÌ„ of doctrine and also for seruice in the Common wealth 2. The stocke of the Prophet the which was now knowne vnto all men by singular duties towards the Common wealth For as God had Amoâ— Shepheard to his Prophet so also had he this and other Prophets which came of great and noble houses The third thing is the time wherein he prophesied 3. The time of his prophesie namely vnder Iosias King of Iudah wheÌ„ as the state of the Iewes was not only tolerable as I haue sayd but also as yet flourishing and when as godlines it selfe the worship of God seemed to be restored least that wee our selues being lulled a sleepe with the happines of things present should either forget our sinnes past or els imagin God to be contented with a sleight and outward godlines performed as it were for fashion sake only such as was then vsed among this people as is to be seene 2. King cap. 23. ver 25.26 where albeit Iosias haue his singular coÌ„mendation for his rare godlines and forwardnes in religion yet it is sayd That the Lord notwithstanding turned not from the fiercenes of his great wrath wherewith he was angrie with Iudah because of all the prouocations wherewith Manasseh had prouoked him And Ieremie cap. 17. ver 1. complayning of the disorderednes of the people sayth That the sinne of Iudah is written with a pen of yron and with the poynt of a diamond and grauen vpon the table of their heart and vpon the hornes of their altars So the Prophet Hosea reporteth of the people of his time saying cap. 5. ver 4. They will not giue their minde to turne vnto their God for the spirit of fornication is in the midst of them and they haue not knowne the Lord. And 2. Chron. cap. 34. ver 24.25 Huldah the Prophetisse returneth answere vnto the messengers of Iosiah in the name of the Lord in these words Thus sayth the Lord Behold I will bring euill vpon this place and vpon the inhabitants thereof euen all the curses that are written in the booke which they haue read before the king of Iudah because they haue forsaken me and burnt incense vnto other gods to anger me with all the workes of their hands therefore shall my wrath fall vpon this place and
ver 41. generally applye this saying of Habacuck vnto all the wicked 2. The thing it selfe foretold by the Prophet The second poynt which is here worthie the noting containeth the matter it selfe the which the Prophet foretelleth shall come to passe namely that same worke the which the Lord was to doe in their age and time Whereby appeareth that this prophesie went not long before those times wherein those things which are here threatned came to passe and wee haue sayd alreadie Further this worke is the rushing breaking in of the Chaldeans into the land of Iewrie and the destruction of Ierusalem For these euen at that time did God ordaine and prepare to bee the executioners of the people of the Iewes and the reuengers of the contemning or despising of his name Concerning this matter see Ierem. 5. Also Ierem. 13. ver 20. and 21. the are willed to enter into the consideration of these things in these words Lift vp your eyes and behold them that come from the North where is the flocke that was giuen thee euen thy beautifull flocke what wilt thou say when he shall visite thee for thou hast taught them to be captaines and as chiefe ouer thee shall not sorowe take thee as a woman in trauaile To this effect reade also the 20. and 25. chapters of his prophesie Furthermore God did thus prepare the Chaldeans vnto this Empire began to arise vp and gathered strength and power The Chaldeans growing in strength and power might the more easilie execute God his iudgements against the Iewes for so by this meanes it did the more easilie execute those iudgements of God against the Iewes Those increasings therefore of the Empire of the Chaldeans the which at that time began to waxe very great among other nations neere vnto them were as a gathering together and making readie of rods the which God would vse to whip his people withall And the Iewes are willed to marke this that very diligeÌ„tly because that within short time afterward they were to be punished and sharply corrected by those Chaldeans So in the times of our Elders when as God raysed vp the Empire of the Turkes all the Christians ought to set their eyes thereupon as on whippes The kingdome of Spaine likely to be a whip to correct the sins of the professors of the Gospell the which God ordained for them So if any idolatrous kingdome such as is that of Spaine in God his will and purpose do afterward gather great increase let vs Christians and the faithfull take it as if euen now there were by God ordayned correctors of our sinnes and of the nought setting by the doctrine of the Gospell and fearfull reuengers of the despised name of God Wherefore let men that are Christians at the least now at length begin to abstain from their sinnes and with speede and earnestly turne vnto the true God when as they see these things to be done and to be in preparing by God in the word Vers 6. For loe I raise vp the Chaldeans that bitter and furious nation which shall goe vpon the breadth of the land to possesse the dwelling places that are not theirs What that wonderfull worke is the which God shal worke against the Iewes A Making more plaine of that which went before For he sheweth what that so wonderfull a worke is the which God shall shortly worke against the wicked Iewes And it is this namely God shall raise vp and send in the Chaldeans most cruell and most mightie enemies that the Iewes may be punished by them And this agreeth with the threatnings of God the which are extant and to be found Deut. 28. ver 36.37 The Lord shall bring thee and thy king which thou shalt set ouer thee vnto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers haue knowne and there thou shalt serue others gods euen wood and stone And thou shalt be a wonder a prouerbe a common talke among all people A liuely de scription of the power and cruâ—â—ltie of the Chaldeans whither the Lord shall carrie thee Further there is added a liuely and effectuall description or setting out of the power and crueltie of the Chaldeans that hypocrites should not thinke that they can escape the iudgements of God or that they are impossible because of that strength of their owne the which such as it was they had in some measure at that time in the kingdome of Iudah Conferre this place with that of Ieremie cap. 6. ver 22.23 c. Thus sayth the Lord Behold a people commeth from the North countrie and a great nation shall arise from the sides of the earth With bow and shield shall they be weaponed they are cruell and will haue no compassion their voyce roreth like the sea and they ride vpon horses well appoynted like men of warre against thee O daughter Zion Two things here to be noted This verse hath two things especially to bee noted One the name it selfe of the Enemies whom God shall bring and raise vp against the Iewes And these are the Chaldeans 1. The name of the Enemies Now who these were it is knowne by other places of the holie Scriptures and also out of the prophane histories themselues or Chronicles of the heathen The second thing is the description of this nation 2. The description of that nation whereby the same appeareth to be very terrible or much to be feared And first of all it is said to be a most bitter nation namely 1 A most bitter nation such a nation as is bitter ouer other nation because of their hard rule and gouemment ouer them For the rule of the Chaldeans ouer the Iewes which were vnder their subiection was a Manlian gouernment that is most cruell tyrannicall as is the rule of masters ouer their slaues or of the Spaniards ouer the West Indians and not as of a father ouer his children It was a quick and hastie nation that is 2. A quicke and hastie nation diligent in the executing of matters And such must all nations be the which of small beginnings and kingdomes doe gather vnto themselues great power and beare rule ouer others to wit diligent and speedie in the dispatching of things Such were the Romanes at the first as Salust teacheth in his Catilinarie warres in these words But the Romanes are diligent at home and in warre speedie readie incouraging one another going against their enemies 3. A nation ranging farre abrode The same nation of the Chaldeans was ranging farre abrode and walking vpon the breadth of the land For the Chaldeans made warre vpon sundrie nations and waged battaile farre abrode as appeareth Iere. cap. 25. Finally they were desirous of other mens goods 4. Desirous of that is none of theirs or of that which was not theirs as namely being couetous and ambitious or proud such as is the nation of the Spaniards the which for praise gaines sake is
the day which the Lorde hath made let vs reioyce and be glad in it Further in the description or setting forth of the comming of this king there are three things to be noted namely 1. The qualitie of the King the qualitie of the king the maner of his comming 2. The maner of his comming and the cause of the same The qualitie is twofold For this King of whose comming the Prophet saith that they are to reioyce is indued with iustice whereby he shall euery where set downe lawfull and good order 3. The cause of the same he shall take away things disordered keepe back violence defend the good and he is also indued with saluation whereby he will deliuer those that are his out of dangers And for as much as this King was and is Christ the Messias the true and euerlasting King and keeper of his Church he is said to be indued with saluation and iustice in respect that he is a man and not in respect that he is God For in respect that he is God he hath both these of himselfe and not of any other But in respect that he is a man he hath receiued the same both from himselfe and also from his Father The maner of his comming shall be base in deede and despiseable in the reason of men and therefore the maner of his comming shall not be glorious but such as is the comming of the simple and poorer sort of men namely sitting only vpon an asse yea and that the colt of an asse vsed to the yoake that is exercised vnto labour and not fatted nourished and kept for pompe or onely to bring coltes such as great personages are wont to haue for glorie and pompe For so dooth Matthew report this place cap. 21. ver 5. Behold thy King commeth vnto thee meeke and sitting vpon an asse and a colt the fole of an asse vsed to the yoke And Iohn saith cap. 12. ver 15. Feare not daughter of Sion beholde thy King commeth sitting on asses colt These asses vsed to the yoke Hesiodus lib. 2. Ergoon Kai Hemeroon calleth Talaipoorous that is induring great toyle and labour And by these things is shewed that the power of this King shall not be humaine but diuine and that we are to esteeme of it not after an humaine but after a divine maner Last of all is expressed the cause of his comming in these wordes Hee shall come vnto thee that is for the profit of the Church and not for his owne profit For Christ comming into this world profited not himselfe but his church onely and was made man not for his owne sake but for our sake Vers 10. And I will cut off the chariots from Ephraim and the horse from Ierusalem the bowe of the battell shall bee broken and hee shall speake peace vnto the Heathen and his dominion shall be from sea vnto sea and from the riuer to the ende of the land After what maner Christ shall be a King vnto his church THis is a making of the former matter more plaine wherein is shewed after what maner and after what sort this Christ or saluation shall be a King vnto his church the which hee had saide in the verse before And it is shewed to betwo fold both a making of a generall peace betweene all nations 1. He shall make peace among all nations and also a most large power and dominion or rule of this King The making of peace is declared by the effects to wit for that he shall cut off all armour instruments of warre and cause them for to cease both from Ephraim and Ierusalem and sinally in euery place that is among the heathen themselues For there shall be great peace in the whole world when as this King shall come which is not precisely to bee vnderstood of that same former comming whereof he spake in the verse going next immediatly before this but also of that time wherein Christ was borne in the world and of all that time wherein his Gospell is receiued and he himselfe reigneth among men For then are men of wilde beasts made men true peace is set betweene men and braules cease and discords are taken away So doth Isai cap. 11. ver 6. describe this time and this peace when he sayth The Woolfe also shall dwell with the lambe the Leopard shall lye with the Kid and the calfe and the lyon and the fat beast together and a little child shall leade them And thus doth Dauid set forth the power of Christ and his goodnes towards his Church Psal 46. ver 9. in these words He maketh warres to cease vnto the ends of the world he breaketh the speare and burneth the chariots with fire And not only weapons shall be taken away but peace or the words of peace shall bee betweene both the Iewes and also other nations The fruite of the receiuing of the Gospell is peace of the refusing thereof discords and ciuill or homewarres within our owne selues 2. The domion or rule of Christ The rule of Christ and consequently of the spreading abrode of the Gospell shall stretch most farre wide the which none shall be able to withstand For it shall be stretched from sea to sea These things no doubt are to be vnderstood of the calling of the Gentiles vnto the Gospell and of the spirituall peace of the Church the which is in the consciences by the consent of the faith of the Gospell the which maketh al the godlie in al places to be friends within themselues So doth Dauid vnder the person of Salomon expresse this peace of the Church and largenes of the borders of the kingdome of Christ Psalm 72. ver 7.8 saying In his dayes shall the righteous flourish and aboundance of peace shall bee so long as the Moone indureth His dominion also shall be from sea to sea and from the riuer vnto the ends of the land Vers 11. Thou also shalt be saued through the bloud of thy couenant I haue loosed thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water A comfort for the Church A Comfort For the Messias or Christ sheweth that he will communicate or impart that his kingdom vnto the Church herself and doth rehearse an effect thereof shewed now alreadie by himselfe And this communication or imparting is set forth by the figure Aposiopesis What the figure Aposiopesis is see Oseas cap. 8. ver 10. or keeping backe something vnspoken because of the earnest affection or loue of Christ toward his Church to wit in these words Yea euen thou in the bloud of thy couenant For there must bee supplied shalt reigne or haue rule from sea vnto sea c. For the good things or benefites which Christ our King hath the same he doth impart vnto vs for in himselfe as it is Reu. 1. ver 6. he made vs Kings and Priests vnto God his father because that our societie or fellowship with him is vnseparable
the helpe of God both in publike and also in priuat afflictions or troubles But now he addeth thus much more that not only the Iewes but also the house of Ioseph shall feele the said helpe of God By which name some doe vnderstand the rest of the Tribes the which were carried away by the Assyrians before the destruction of the kingdom of Iudah But if this name be taken according vnto the letter it is to bee referred vnto those fewe the which returned both with Zorobabel and also with Esdras afterward Esdr 2. and 8. and moreouer vnto those which dwelled in the other Tribes afterward But if it bee taken in a mysticall or spirituall sense and vnderstanding the Prophet comprehendeth the whole Church vnto all the which and not vnto some one part thereof only God promiseth that he will be fauourable and present with it But the chiefe part of this verse doth consist in the shewing foorth of the cause of these so great promises of God that men should not attribute them vnto their owne merits or deseruings And here is a double cause alleaged Two causes of these promises and both of them excludeth or shutteth out all workes of men and calleth vs backe vnto the only grace and mercie of God as the true and alone cause of those promises So Dauid acknowledgeth Psal 44 ver 3. that the people of Israel did not inherit the promised land for any worthines in themselues but onlie through God his loue and fauour vnto them saying They inherited not the land by their owne sword neither did their own arme saue them but thy right hand and thine arme and the light of thy countenance because thou diddest fauour them So Psal 68. ver 22. he teacheth vs that the Lord would haue vs knowe the deliuerance of his Church to be his owne work when he sayth The Lord hath sayd I will bring my people againe from Bashan I will bring theÌ„ againe from the depths of the sea 1. The mercie of God The first cause of these promises is The mercie of GOD whereby he hath compassion on vs that is on his Church freely pardoning her sinnes The second because he is their God that is 2. His election hath chosen them of his meere or only grace This latter is the cause of the former that is to say the election of God is the cause of his taking pitie and compassion on vs. The effects hereof That he heareth vs when we pray vnto him and doth in such sort renue restore vs againe as if hee had neuer abhorred vs to wit because through Christ he is fully and perfectly reconciled or made friends with vs. Vers 7. And they of Ephraim shall be as a giant and their heart shall reioyce as through wine yea their children shall see it and be glad and their heart shall reioyce in the Lord. That which was promised of the strength of the Iewes confirmed by a double comparison BY a double comparison he doth both confirme and also make plaine that which he had sayd before of the strength which the Iewes should haue in their battailes The first is taken from the strength of the tribe of Ephraim the which among the rest of the tribes of Israel was counted most populous or full of people and in warres most strong And therefore in the Psalm 60. ver 7. it is sayd of that tribe Ephraim also shall be the head of my strength This also may appeare by the 78. Psalm ver 9. that in it selfe this tribe of Ephraim was of great force and power either to defend it selfe or to hurt his enemies albeit that God being angrie with them for their idolatries and other sinnes they had the ouerthrow in that battaile and fled before their enemies The children of Ephraim sayth the Psalmist being armed and shooting with the bowe turned back in the day of battel So strong then shall the Iewes bee in their battels against their enemies as the Ephraimites in times past were wont to be strong against their enemies The second confirmation is from the maner of their ioy and gladnes that they may be assured of the victorie For both their fathers that is those of growen yeares and their sonnes that is their young children shall in such sort reioyce for these victories as they are wont to doe which haue their heart merrie and refreshed or cheered with wine taken moderatly Psal 23. and Psal 104. ver 15. where Dauid sheweth that wine moderatly drunken maketh glad the heart of man Finally they shall reioyce in Iehouah or in the Lord both that their ioy may be vnderstood that it shall be holie and not wanton and that the Prophet may shew that in this gladnes the praise shall be giuen vnto God and not vnto themselues by the Iewes getting the victorie Vers 8. I will hisse for them and gather them for I haue redeemed them and they shall increase as they haue increased The answering of an obiection touching those that were still in Babylon their fewnes THis is the answering of an obiection least because of the rest which yet abode still in Babylon and by reason of the small number of theÌ„ they should distrust of the former promises of God First therefore he answereth vnto that their debating concerning those that were absent that it shall come to passe that these also together with themselues shall most easâ—â— and quickly be gathered and come together The which came to passe in that their second and third comming out of Persia and Babylon the which was taken in hand by Esdras and Nehemias Psal 126. Secondly he answereth vnto the obiection of their fewnes The children of Israel shall be increased as at the first For that promise of God made vnto Abraham Gen. 13. ver 16. I will multiplie thy seede as the dust of the earth c. shall also bee of force in these No one nation of the world so great in number as the Iewes at this day The which promise doubtles appeareth euen at this day yet now in the Iewes albeit miserably dispersed or scattered For there is not any one nation yet at this day in the world so great in number as that is if the dispersed Iewes might be all gathered together into one place Vers 9. And I wil sowe them among the people and they shal remember me in farre countries and they shall liue with their children and turne againe An amplification and confirmation of the former promise of God AN amplification of the promise of God immediatly going before touching the multiplying or increasing of the nation of the Iewes and a confirmation of the same by a most excellent and manifest effect thereof to wit the Iewes shall be so many in number that they shal be scattered among other nations as pearles and sowed among them for the spreading abrode of the knowledge of the true God Wherfore there is promised an exceeding multiplying or
God and the witnessing of their worship and reuerence to Godward And hereunto serueth the exhortation of Paul 1. Cor. 10. ver 31. Whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoeuer yee doe doe all to the glorie of God And that which hee hath 1. Tim 4. ver 4. That euery creature of God is good and nothing ought to be refused if it be receiued with thankes giuing And finallie hereunto appertaineth that which Iude saith in his epistle ver 23. Hating euen the garment which is defiled with the touching of the flesh so great holines and godlines doubtles shall there then be of the Church both outward and inward I omit or let passe in this place to speake of the fond interpretation of Theod. vpon this place lib 1. Hist cap. 18. Namely that this prophesie was then fulfilled when as Constantinus Magnus caused the bittes of his horse and an helmet to be made for himselfe of the nayles of the Crosse of Christ Ruff. lib. 1. Histor cap. 8. Socrat. 1. cap. 1. affirmeth the same And this shall bee the effect of the Gentiles in things priuat and such as otherwise are profane or serue for common vses But in publike matters and also in matters Ecclesiasticall or appertaining vnto the Church that is in things dedicated vnto GOD there shall be no lesse testimonie or witnes of their godlines and of the effectuall working of the Spirit of God 2. The things of smallest holines among the Gentiles conuerted shall be as holy as the holiest things in the Temple of Salomon He therefore in this place sheweth also the second effect to wit what shall bee the holines in things dedicated peculiarlie vnto GOD namely that the things which among the Gentiles conuerted shall haue the least degree of holines shall notwithstanding bee as holy as those things which in the Temple of Solomon had the highest degree of holines or the next vnto the highest And this doth the Prophet declare by a similitude taken from the ceremonies and things well knowne of that time For the pottes wherein the flesh of the sacrifices was sodden in the house and Temple of God and these haue the least degree of holines in the Temple and are for the most part alwaies foule shall bee as holy among the Gentiles as the basons or bowles which are before the Altar to wit of Incense couering the Shewbread In a word this is the meaning of God the efficacie force and working of the holy Ghost shall be farre more plentifull through Christ in the Church of the Gospell gathered out of the Gentiles then it was of olde and in times past vnder the law Whereof it commeth to passe that Christ is called the mediator of a better or more excellent Testament Hebr. 8. ver 6. and Paul Ephe. 3. ver 5 sheweth first That the mysterie of God was not opened vnto the sonnes of men as it is now reueiled vnto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit And hereof it commeth also to passe that the graces of God are said to be by him more largely poured out and more liberallie giuen vnto men then vnder the olde Testament Acts. 2. Ioel. 2. And hereof also speaketh God by his Prophet Isai cap 44. ver 3. 4. saying I will powre water vpon the thirstie and floodes vpon the dry ground I will powre my Spirit vpon thy seed and my blessing vpon thy buddes and they shall growe as among the grasse and as the willowes by the riuers of waters Vers 21. Yea euery Pot in Ierusalem and Iudah shal be holy vnto the Lord of hostes and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them and seethe therein and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hostes Two other effectes ofh this grace of God TWo other effectes of the said grace of God toward his Church gathered together by the Gospell for this both promise and also the effectes of this promise do without all question appertaine vnto Christ 1. All the Pots in Iudah and Ierusalem shall be holy vnto God and vnto his kingdome The first the which in like manner is declared by a comparison of ceremonies and things at that time vsed to wit that al the Pottes the which shall be in Iudah and in Ierusalem shall be holy vnto God yea and that so holy that the flesh of the Sacrifices may as well be sod in them as in the Pots dedicated vnto the Temple For the Pots of all the godly shall be holy vnto God this therefore is the meaning the holinesse The meaning hereof the which is now seene and is peculiar in things dedicated vnto the Temple of God the same shall then be in all the houses of the godly and in their furniture and vessell for al things which are in the familie of the holy are themselues also holy Wherefore God shall then euery where be worshipped so holily as he is now in his Temple Iohn 4. And so Paul willeth 1. Tim. 2. ver 8 That men pray euery where lifting vp pure hands vnto God He shall as godly be worshipped of euery faithfull person in his owne house as he was of olde and in times past in his house and Temple by the Iewes And this is one effect of that same grace of God the which by Christ shal be bestowed vpon his Church the which also dooth shew her full deliuerance that shall be from the ceremonies of the Law when as the same holinesse of the Temple shall be spread ouer all places this freedome from the ceremonies of the Law Paul witnesseth that the Galathians were called vnto Galat. 5. ver 13. and biddeth them take heed That they vse not this libertie as an occasion vnto the flesh but that they serue one an other by loue The second effect is 2. There shall be no Canaanite in the house of the Lord. There shall no Canaanite be any more or any vngodly person in the House of the Lord that is in the church This promise pertaineth to the state of the Church which shall be in heauen onely for so long as here vpon earth there shall be a Church of God it shall alwaies haue the euil mixed among the good that we should not in vaine after the maner of the Donatistes Circumcellians and Anabaptistes Heretikes seeke a Church altogether pure and free from spots and faultes in this earth For Christ Mat. 13. ver 28 and so forth by the parable of the tares sowen among the good corne teacheth that in this life the bad shall alwaies be mingled among the good Wherefore the word Canaanite in this place is not vsed for a Merchant but for an vngodly man What the sigure Metalepsis is see Oseas cap. 4. ver 18. by the figure Metalepsis the person for the qualitie of the person such as the Canaanites are euery where in the holy Scripture said to haue beene So then these things do shew what
repent 845. destruction threatned vnto them 819 the Iewes are put in feare by other mens example 829. their affliction and deliverance 642 the Iewes punished for afflicting Gods Church 1091 the commendations of Iohn Baptist 2136 all Infants guiltie 488 Insecta what they are 745 Ioel. 60. his stocke 744. the time wherein he prophesied 743. his life and death 78 Ionas the first canonicall Prophet 205. he succeeded Elizeus 53 Ionas the true Arion of the Poets 107 Ionas threatneth destruction vnto Ninivie 688. vttereth his owne sinne 99 what Ionas did in the whales belly 182 Ionas his praier 183. his rebellion 91. his stocke 88. his miraculous deliuerance 110 Iosephus 687 three kinds of Ioy. 703 Isaias bare-footed 71 Israel is called an emptie vine 487 the Israelites were sinners of olde 520. rebelled against God a long time 497. serued Idols aboue 2. hundred yeares 362 God calleth dumb creatures to be witnes against the Israelites 656 what caused the Israelites to sinne against God so grieuously 504 the Israelites ascribe the cause of their benefit to other and not to God 358 the Israelites punishment for conteÌ„ning God 454 the Israelites in their captiuitie retained no seale of Gods couenaÌ„t 348 the Israelites riotous life described 238. their falling away froÌ„ their kingdome from the worship of God and from the Priesthoode 457. their superstition 244. their vnthankfulnes 435. their stubbornnes past recouerie 381. their incest crueltie and couetousnes 222 the dutie of Iudges 621 the kingdome of Iudah neuer restored to its former glory 597 the greatnes and certentie of Gods Iudgements 830 the Iudgements of God vpon his Church ought especially to be regarded 588 we are Iustified through Christ before God 854 K HOw farre Kings may helpe or not helpe vs. 552 L HE Laboureth in vaine that despiseth God 40 the doctrine of the Lawe twofold 501 the end of the first and second table of the Lawe 430 destruction followeth the loue of Lying 608 Losses stirre vp men to call on God 96 casting of Lots in what cases vsed 98. Gods providence appeareth in them ibid. the Loue of God towarde wicked men 823 effects of Gods Loue. 1000 M CEremonies restored by the Machabees 1082. whence the Machabees had their name 107 Magistrates called watchmen 672 the life and death of Malachy 81 Man is but a bubble 495. the cause of his owne destruction 549. by nature easily drawen to Idolatry 435 Markes bounds not to be remooved 416. a curse against them which do so ibid. how the Mariage betweene God vs is contracted 369 368 a promise of Messias to come 1128 his office 1129 Micheas later then Isaias and the time of his prophesie 576. his life and death 75 the highest degree of Miserie 741 Musicke in it selfe very lawfull 284 N NAhum prophesied of the ruine of Assyria 59. 688. the time wherein he lived 687. his life and death 79 It is a great commodity to have a good Neighbour 584. we ought to performe iudgement mercie vnto our neighbours 529. the maners of Noble men once forlorne become most wantoÌ„ 445 O OBadiah his calling is from God 858 when Oseas begaÌ„ to prophesie 340 why he is placed first among the small prophets 338. his life and death 75. he is commanded to marry a common harlot 341 P THE comfort of the Penitent 778 the People sinne after the manner of the princes 434 436 Philanthropeia what it is 510 the Philistines cruelty 211. there punishment 212 the office of the Priests and Levites 1123 why the Priests wete called Camarim or Chemerims 493 the state of the Priesthood described in Iosuah 940 The covetousnesse of Priests 112 Gods iudgements upon deceitfull Priests 1121 Princes should be examples of well doing 611 Princes reprehended 259 spirituall Promises 787 what Prophesie is generally 5 Prophesie of two sortes 10 Prophesie defined by Paul 19 Prophesie of greater vse then the gift of tongues 20. hath two endes 12. the instrumeÌ„tal cause of Prophesie 9 Prophesie vseth onely the mother tongue 20 divers names given to Prophets 3 God alwaies raised vp Prophets to put the Israelites in mind of their dutie 338 the excellencie of the bookes of the Prophets 13 the signification of the Prophets names out of Isidorus 83 how the writings of the godly Prophets have bene gathered 63 Rules to be obserued in expounding the Prophets 69 the signification of the Prophets names 82 the order of the Prophets in the Hebrew 82 in what age each Prophet lived 45 48 when the Prophets of the old Testament ceased 41. when the new ceased 43. when the true prophets of God began and ended 38. notes of true and godly Prophets 34 Gods Prophets shall prophesie whether they will or no that forbidde them 600 Prophets of the Gentiles 9 false Prophets are called Prophets 3 a description of false Prophets 605 false Prophets in three respects 35 titles given to false Prophets by the holy ghost 475 tokens of false Prophets 1086 why God suffereth the heathen Prophets to fore-tell some things of Christ 23 Poligamie of the Iewes 11â—0 the Popish confessours 388 what is ment by the holy Pots of Iudah 1114 Postellus the canker of Christianitie 475 after what maner we sinne after the same God punisheth vs. 464 the end of the Punishments of God 759 Pyromancie 10 R REformation of life must begin at the true worship of God 274 Regeneration a benefit of God 849 a description of true Religion 1103 what true Repentance is 256. 266. it only can stand against the threatnings of God 240. 264. the fruit thereof 564. it is the gif of God 1067 what manner of Repentance ours ought to be 100 who they be that truly repent 912 the prayer of the Repentant conteineth two things 561 when God is angry Riches availe nothing 828. they are not alwaies tokens of Gods favour 531 S VVHat Sacrifice is acceptable to God 472 Samaria why so called 242. the destruction thereof with the cause of the same 558 the Sardians in reproch are called dog-cheape slaves 798 the hardnesse of Saving the godly 828 Scriptures are to be vnderstood literally and spiritually 831 bad Shepheards appointed by God 1063. a description thereof 1064 who are signified by the name of Sheepe 1050 what Silence is commanded 263 who should be Simple as doves 449 Sinne condemned by the light of nature 101. a cause of divorce betweene God and vs. 523 when Sinnes are said to cry vp into heauen 91. no helpe from God vntil our sinnes be pardoned 553 Sophonias â—0 his life and his death 80 Spaine like to be a whip to correct the sinnes of the professours of the Gospell 870 the Spainyards crueltie 874 the Soule is not begotten 1067 the Standing still of the sunne and Moone and the meaning thereof 893 good Successe in affaires perswadeth the wicked that their dealings are good 530 T THe feast of Tabernacles 1112 true Teachers murdered 1088 false Teachers loose their authoritie 1084 the punishment of loytring Teachers 386 why the godly must come to the Temple of God 625 the second Temple finished in the 6. yeare of Darius 899 Tentation which God vseth to his children bringeth forth patience 326 Theodosius his good successe 1030 Truth getteth hatred 618 the Turks crueltie 874 Tyrants breake the lawe of consanguinitie 213. punished 212 Titus Vespasian destroied IerusaleÌ„ 1092 V VIctorie is to be attributed to God and not to men 1074 Vision threefold 29 Visitation what it is 672 Vagodly hate the godly 476 the Vnthankfull first exalt themselues secondly forget God 546 W VVHoredome 390 goeth together with surfetting 442 Wickednes is set downe vnder the figure of a woman 968 the diuers practises of the Wicked and of the godly 594 the note of a Wise man in the midst of troubles 264 Wo what it doth signifie 278 the Worde of God ought to be the rule of our life 402 what a misery it is to WaÌ„t the word of God 319 Workes of themselues please not God 990 991 Z ZAcharias 63. talketh with an Angel 917. his office calling froÌ„ God 910. his life death 81 the time of the prophesie of Zophonias 16 FINIS