John Trapp on Joel 2:12

Verſe 12 Therefore alſo now ſaith the Lord] Now though it be late firſt, and, as you may think,Nunquam ſero ſi ſerio. too late. Now, though the dreadfull day of the Lord be very neer at hand: yea though the Locuſts be already come, as Kimchi ſenſeth it. Oh that ye would know at the laſt in this your day of grace, the things that belong to your peace, before the gate be ſhut, the draw-bridg taken up, the taper burnt out &c. Behold now is the accepted time: behold now is the day of ſalvation, 2 Cor. 6.2. The Apoſtle (after the Prophet Eſay) purpoſely beateth upon the [non-Latin text not transcribed], as if he ſhould ſay, Now, or never; ſith thou mayeſt, the very next minute be cut off by the ſtroke of death from all further time of repentance and acceptation. Up therefore and be doing: It is the Lord himſelf that thus ſaith,

Turn ye even to me,] Ʋſque ad me, altogether as far as to me:Stultitia ſemp[illegible: 1 letter]r in [illegible: 1 letter]p[illegible: 1 letter]t vivere. Sen. give not the half turn onely: begin not to repent, and then give over the work. Some are ever about to repent, but they can never finde time, and hearts to ſet ſeriouſly about it, to do it in good earneſt. Some wamblings they have, as I may ſay, and ſome ſhort-winded wiſhes, ſome kinde of willingneſſe and velleity, but it doth not boyl up to the full height of reſolution to return. The Prodigall changed many places, ere he came home. Many came out of Egypt, that yet never came into Canaan.

with all your heart,] with the heart, Jer. 4.14. Prov. 23.26. and with the whole heart, in oppoſition to a divided heart, Hoſ. 10.2. a double heart, Jam. 4.8. a heart, and a heart, Pſal. 12.2. This whole heart, is elſewhere called, a true heart, Heb. 10.22. a perfect heart, 2 Chron. 16.10. truth in the inwards, Pſal. 51.6. where there is an unfained faith, 1 Tim. 1.5. laborious love, 1 Theſſ. 1.3. ſound and cordiall repentance, as here, undiſſembled wiſdome, Jam. 3.17. ſuch holineſſe as rendreth a man like to a chryſtall glaſſe with a light in the middeſt of it, doing the truth, Job. 3.21 and having his works full, Rev. 3.1, 2. being a true worſhipper, Joh. 4.24. an Iſraelite indeed, Ioh. 1.47. God, he knows to be juſt, and jealous: he will not endure corrivals, or compartners in the kingdome. His juriſdiction is without peculiar: he will not divide with the Devil. Be the gods of the Heathen good-fellows? ſaith One; the true God is a jealous God, and will not ſhare his glory with another. He muſt be ſerved truely, that there be no halting; and totally, that there be no halving

and with faſting, weeping, and with mourning.] with deep, and down-right humiliation, ſutable to your ſins as Ezr. 9.6. ye have inveterate ſtains; ſuch as will not be gotten out, till the cloth be almoſt rubb'd to pieces. Satan hath intrenched himſelf in your hearts, and will not be gotten out, but by faſting and prayer. Faſting, is of it ſelf but a bodily exerciſe, and meriteth nothing; for religion conſiſteth not in meat and drink [illegible: 1 word] the belly full or empty, Rom. 14.17. Col. 2.23. But faſting is a ſin[illegible: 1 letter]ular furtherance to the practiſe of repentance, and the enforcing of our prayers. [illegible: 1 letter]ee Ezr. 8.21. As full feeding increaſeth corruption, Ier. 5.7, 8. ſo religious A[illegible: 1 letter]ſtinence macerateth, tameth, and ſubdueth the Rebell Fleſh, 1 Cor. 9.27. giving it the blew-eye, as there, and 2 Co[illegible: 1 letter]. 7.11. ſo that not the body ſo much, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. as the ſoul is made more active by emptineſſe. Faſting dayes are ſoul-fatting dayes, they fit men for converſion as here, and make much to the humbling of the ſpirit; hence they are called dayes of humiliation, and of ſelf affliction, Levit. 16.31. and 23.37.

and with weeping, [Drown your ſins in a deluge of tears; cleanſe your wounds by waſhing in this precious water: quench hell fire with it, kill the wo[illegible: 1 letter]m, fetch out ſins venome: there's a healing property in theſe troubled waters. Tears of vine-branches are ſaid to cure the leproſie, and the Olive is reported to be moſt fruitfull, when it moſt diſtil eth. Theſe April ſhowers bring on May-flowers, and make the heart as a watered garden; or as ſome faces appear moſt oriently beautifull, when moſt bedewed with tears. Peter never lookt ſo ſweetly as when he wept bitterly. David never ſung more pathetically then when his heart was broken moſt penitentially, Pſal. 6. and 51. when tears in ſtead of gemmes were the ornament of his bed, as Chryſoſtom ſpeaketh. Mary Magdalen (that great weeper) as ſhe made her eyes a fountain to waſh Chriſts feet in, ſo ſhe had his wounds as a fountain to bath her ſoul in; yea ſhe had afterwards the firſt ſight of the revived Phoenix, whom ſhee held faſt by thoſe feet, that had lately trod upon the lion, and the adder, &c.

and with mourning.] This is added, as a degree beyond the former. Men may faſt, and yet find their pleaſures, Eſay 58.13. weep out of ſtomack as Eſau, or complement, as Phryne the harlot, who was ſirnamed [non-Latin text not transcribed], weep-laugh, becauſe ſhe could eaſily do either: and as among the Braſileans, Magirus in G[illegible: 2 letters]gr. Ʋt flerent oculos erudi reſuos, Ovid. tears are for a preſent ſalutation, and as ſoon gone, as if they had ſaid, How do ye? What is an humbling day, without an humbled heart? not onely a religious incongruity, but an high provocation; like Zimri's act, when all the Congregation were weeping, before the door of the Tabernacle. Here therefore the Lord calleth to mourning, funerallmourning, Nudaque marmoreis percuſſit pectora palmis. Ovid. In gloſſ. margin. as the word ſignifieth: with tabring upon the breaſt, Nah. 2.7. ſmiting on the thigh, Jer. 31.19. beating on the head, face, and other parts, ſicut mulierculae in puerperio facere ſolent, ſaith Luther there. See Eſay 32.11. and 22.12. Sorrow for ſin muſt not be ſlight and ſudden, but ſad and ſoaking: the heart muſt be turned into an Hadadrimmon, Zech. 12.10, 11. where the Prophet ſeems in a ſort, to be at a ſtand, for compariſons fit enough, and full enough, to ſet forth their ſorrow, who looking upon Chriſt whom they had pierced, felt the very nails ſticking in their own hearts, as ſo many ſharp daggers, or ſtings of ſcorpions. The good ſoul (ſay the School-men) ſeeth more cauſe of grief for ſinning, then for the death of Chriſt: becauſe therein was aliquid placens, ſomething that pleaſeth: but ſinne is ſimpliciter diſplicens, ſimply diſpleaſing. So that Gods mourners need not ſend for mourning women to teach them to mourn, as Jer. 19.17. but rather have need to be comforted, leſt they ſhould be ſwallowed up with overmuch grief, 2 Cor. 2.7. and leſt Satan get an advantage againſt them, verſe 11. by mixing the deteſtable darnell of deſperation,Act. & Mon. with the godly ſorrow of a pure penitent heart, as Mr. Philpot Martyr ſpeaketh.