our men, but which he saw himself by the eyes of faith. Things that a man hears of others oft be false; but of those which he sees himself, no man doubts, as the poet says, "One witness that sees it with his eye, is more to be believed than ten that heard it by report"." For this certainty, prophets were called seers commonly of all men. "In 1 Sam. ix. old time," as it is written, "when they went to ask counsel of God, they said, Come, let us go to the seer." But how can he see those things which were not done in his lifetime, but long after? He saw them not in a dream, nor in a conjuror's glass, nor by the vain foresight of the stars, as astronomers, deceiving the world, would make men believe they can tell them their destinies and things to come: but he saw them by the eyes of faith, when God, which can not lie, had shewed these things unto him aforehand, and proved them true afterwards in deed. This is the surest Sight by way of knowledge and seeing; for those things which I believe, and see with the eyes of faith, be surer than those that I see with my bodily eye, or feel with my hand. God is truth itself, and therefore those things that he teaches must needs be true; and that faith and credence, which is given to his word, can not deceive, but must needs come to pass, and be as true as if I see them with my eye. When Thomas Didymus would not believe, except he see the print John xx. of the nails, Christ said, "Blessed be they that believe and see not."

faith is

surer than

the eye.

O notable example for all true prophets and teachers to follow, that they teach nothing but that which they see in God's book, and not man's learning, (for that is full of deceit ;) and that they may call their preachings visions and sights for the certainty of them, that they be seen by a true faith, and found in God's book which can not lie; and therefore they be as true and to be believed, as if we saw them with our eyes! Man's learning is darkness, and therefore can not be called visions, or things seen, but feigned, as Ezechiel says, "Woe be to the foolish prophets, which follow Ezek. xiii. their own spirit, and see nothing!" But of God's word it

[Qu. other men. ED.]

[Pluris est oculatus testis unus quam auriti decem. Plautus, Truc. 11. 6. ED.]

2 Pet. i.

Abdias.

John xv.

Names are not given in vain.

Abraham.

Zacharia.
Peter.

is said contrariwise: "We have a surer writing of the prophets, to the which when ye give attendance, as to a candle shining in a dark place, ye do well, unto the day shine and the day-star rise in your heart." Thus St Peter attributes thus to the scripture and writings of the prophets, that they lighten our hearts and eyes, as a candle doth a dark place, unto a fuller knowledge be given unto us by the Spirit of God, to drive out ignorance, as the day-star or day itself drives away darkness.

Abdia, or Oabdia, as the Hebrew calls him, is as much to say as the servant of God: wherein we learn, who is he that writes this prophet, and from whom he comes, and the goodness of our good God toward his servants, that he lets not them wander in ignorance, but declares his whole will and pleasure unto them, that they perish not with the wicked world. But he was not of such sort of servants, which St John writes of, "The servant knows not what his master does;" for such be rather slaves, which know not their master's pleasures, and serve not of love, but fear. But he served the Lord his God in true worship: for such sort of servants the Hebrew word signifies; and that kind of service is true freedom, as St Paul says, "Ye be made free from sin, but ye are servants to God." Thus Paul and Peter call themselves not only apostles, but also servants of Jesu Christ. Therefore the Lord vouchsafed to declare his whole will unto him, his faithful and beloved servant, concerning things to come, and the estate of the cruel Edomites, which did so cruelly handle God's people, and had persecuted them so long; and, like a true servant that loves his fellows, he keeps it not close to his self, but comforts others therewith.

Names in the scripture be not given in vain, but that so often as they hear or think on their own name, so oft they should consider what they be taught by it. Abdia in thinking on his name should remember, that he should serve the Lord his God: Abraham, on the blessing of God, which made him a father of many people: Zacharia, that according to his name he should continually remember the Lord: Peter, that his faith is the strong rock, whereon Christ will build his church; for so the word signifies by interpretation: and so forth in all others. Therefore fathers do well in giving

their children such christian names, as may remember them of their duty to God ward, and call them not by heathen names or feigned foolish saints, which can teach them no goodness.

xviii.

Many doth think this Abdias to be the steward of Achab's house, which had an hundred prophets of God in caves, and fed them, fifty in one company, and as many in another, in the time of Jesabel's cruel persecution; and now by God's providence feeds many thousands with his wholesome doctrine. And although the holy scriptures do not plainly shew, that he was the same Abdias in deed, yet probable enough it is, as many learned men think: unto whose mind also I can well agree, that it is the same man. He was one that feared the Lord, as he said to Elias; and was a stranger 1 Kings born in Sychem of Idumea, as some think, and not a Jew born, but turned after to the law of the Lord, forsaking the wickedness of his people. His writing is so much more notable, because, being a stranger, he prophesies against his own country; and therefore the truer belike also it is, and without partiality spoken; because none will willingly threaten such destruction to his native country, as he does here: but he that is a true servant of God, without sparing will speak his master's message freely and truly against his dearest friends, if the Lord God send him.

This prophecy is more meet also for these our days, because we were under the like persecution that he was, or worse for the true prophets of God were not suffered to hide themselves in dens and wilderness, as they might do then under cruel Achab and Jesabel; but were most cruelly thrown into the fire; yea, the madness of God's enemies was so much, that they could not be satisfied with the blood of them that were on live, but, that which was seldom read of among the heathen, they pull up the dead bodies which were buried many years before, to burn their bones, and straw their ashes abroad, as Master Bucer, Paulus Fagius, &c. yea, of thieves', for praying God to deliver us from the

[i. e. the dead bodies of thieves: referring to the case of John Tooley, who was hanged for robbing a Spaniard at St James's, June, 1555, and having at his execution spoken against the pope, and called upon the bystanders to pray for deliverance "from the tyranny of the

Matt. xiii.

1 Pet. iv.

tyranny of the pope. These Edomites, against whom he writes, were not so cruel as our men were and be. And therefore your destruction shall be the greater at the appointed time, than this other was. Let us not flatter them nor ourselves, because they be our countrymen, or because we would not see the destruction of our country. For the Lord is a righteous God, and will sharply punish sin, wheresoever he finds it, if we do not earnestly beg his pardon, mercy and forgiveness, with amendment of life. But it is to be feared, that as Abdias did no good to his country folks, because they would not hear him; so much labour is lost in our country, because they stop their ears, and will hear nothing but that which pleases them: for it is true that our Saviour Christ says, "There is no prophet without honour and credit, but in his own country." Yet nevertheless lift up your voice, blow the trumpet of God, and tell the people their faults, lest they perish and their blood be required at your hands: discharge yourselves, rebuke them earnestly, and let it take root and profit as God will, which gives all increase as he thinks good. If they hear not, they perish in their own sins, and thou art free.

The preface that he puts here before gets him great authority and credit with the hearers, and declares him also to be a true prophet of God, because he speaks nothing in his own name, but says the Lord God had put these words in his mouth, and he was author, and Abdias but the messenger to speak them to his people. A worthy example for all teachers to follow, that they never say things but out of God's book, and that they may say for every thing that they teach, "Thus says the Lord." This saying is most common in all the prophets, and to be followed of all preachers; as St Peter says, "If any man speak, let him speak but the words of God." But of this enough is said in sundry places of Aggeus.

Edom, unto whom the Lord speaks here, is all the people of Idumea, being so called of Edom their first father,

bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities," was "first suspected and condemned after his death, and then digged out of his grave, and given to the secular power, and so burned for a heretic." Foxe's Acts and Monuments, Vol. vii. p. 90, &c. 1838. ED.]

Seir.

as the scriptures uses to call the people by the name of the father. So were the Jews called Israel of Jacob, which was called Israel, their old father: likewise Ephraim, Joseph, Jehuda, of these their old ancestors. This Edom is Esau, Jacob's brother, as he is called in Genesis, "Esau, he is Edom. Edom;" and had that name given him for his colour that Gen. xxxvi. he had when he was born, or of the colour of the pottage, for the which he sold his birth-right for unto his brother Jacob, when he was hungry. Esau was also called Seir, Gen. xxxvi. which signifies rough, because of the roughness of his skin; and for this cause these people of Edom, and their country, is sundry times in the prophets called Seir also. Or if we seek further, Edom may have his name of Adam; for they Adam. be written both with one letter in Hebrew, save that they differ in points: Adam signifies to be red; wherefore Edom for his cruelty in shedding blood may well be so called. As our cardinals in their red scarlet robes, which be the followers of these Edomites, do well declare in their apparel the blood-thirsty minds within, and their outward deeds have declared them to the whole world: but they say, their red apparel signifies they should abide by the truth to their blood-shed. Adam also betokens a man, and one of the common sort: so these men were not noble afore God, which is only the true nobility, but enemies to his word and his people. Adama signifies also the earth; so that from whence Adama. soever we shall derive this word Edom, and all that be derived like it, they signify no good people, but earthy, worldly, cruel, blood-thirsty, mortal and abjects. Of the two brethren, Jacob and Esau, came these two people, the Israelites and the Edomites. And as Esau did ever hate and persecute his brother Jacob, so his stock and posterity did continually hate and persecute the children of Jacob.

This is the secret judgment of God, that of one good father, Isaac, came two so contrary children; the one so wicked, the other so good, and this wicked hatred to continue in the hearts of their children's children, so many ages after. But this is to teach us the free grace of God, without any deserts on our part, whensoever he calls any to the true knowledge and fear of him; and that [it is] neither the goodness or evilness of the father that makes a good or an