John Trapp on Joel 1:2

Verſe 2. Hear this ye old men,] Who, as ye are fitteſt to hear ſerious diſcourſes (Ariſtotle excludeth young men from his Ethick-Lectures, becauſe raw, and raſh:Ariſt. Ethic. green wood is ever ſhrinking, and warping) ſo ye are more experienced; and yet not ſo wiſe, but that, by hearing, ye may become wiſer, Prov. 1.5. Solon ſaid, he could never be too old to learn. Julianus the Lawyer ſaid, that when he had one foot in the grave, yet he would have the other in the ſchool. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Solon. David Chytraus, when he lay a dying, lifted up himſelf to hear the divine diſcourſes of his friends, that ſat by him; and ſaid, that he ſhould die with better cheer, if he might die, learning ſomething.

and give ear all, &c.] Hear and give ear: draw up the ears of your mindes to the ears of your bodies,Si moribundus o[illegible: 1 letter]iam aliquid didiciſſet. Melch Ad. Jer. 13.15. that one ſound may pierce both. When theſe two words are joyned together, as they are often, the matter propounded, is either very dark, or very remarkable, and commands attention, as Deut. 1.45. Eſay 1.2, 10. Jer. 13.15. Hoſ. 5.1.

all ye inhabitants of the land,] ſc. of Judea, or all ye inhabitants of the whole earth, q. d. I ſhall ſpeak of ſo great a matter, as that I could wiſh to be heard all the world over. And becauſe all men love to hear news, I ſhall tell you that, that was never known to fall out in any age. Rem novam pollicetur emphaticoter[illegible: 1 letter]s quam more Rhetorico, ſaith Oecolampadius. Prick up your ears therefore and liſten.

Hath this been in your dayes, or even in the dayes of your fathers?] Was there ever ſuch havock made by ſeverall ſorts of vermine ſucceſſively, for four yeers together? This was the very finger of God, Exod. 8.19. all whoſe works (by how ſmall inſtruments ſoever) are great, ſought out of all them that have pleaſure therein, Pſal. 111.2. His extraordinary works eſpecially, are to be noted and noticed; the memory of them is to be tranſmitted to all poſterity. This ſhall be written for the generation to come, Pſal. 102.18. They ſhall come and ſhall declare his righteouſneſſe, unto a people that ſhall be born, that he hath done this, Pſal. 22.31. Sed vae ſtupori noſtro. There is a wo to ſuch as regard not the works of the Lord, neither conſider the operation of his hands, Eſay 5 12. that make of them but a nine dayes wonderment at beſt, and ſo paſſe them over. Whereas every judgement of God ſhould be a warning-peal to repentance. We be like the Smiths dog, (ſaith One) who the harder the Anvil is beaten on, lyes by, and ſleeps the ſounder. Like the hen (ſaith Another) which loſeth her chickens one after another by the devouring kite; and yet ſtill continues to pick up what lies before her: ſuch a deep drowſineſſe and droſſineſſe of ſpirit, there is upon moſt of us.