John Trapp on Joel 2:15

Verſe 15. Bl[illegible: 1 letter]w the trumpet in Zion] that all may hear, and convene: thoſe of Jeruſalem in the Temple, and the reſt in their ſeverall Synagogues Lev. 23.31. for that yearly faſt was ſtandard to the reſt, kept upon extraordinary and emergent occaſions, as here, for the preventing of the fore threatened judgment. Papiſts appoint ſet faſting-dayes as Lent, and Friday, in every week, Eves of hollydayes &c. whether the times be clear or cloudy.A Lapide in loc. A Lapide, alſo the Jeſuite keepes a coyle againſt Luther and the Centuriſts, for decrying their Popiſh proceſſions and publike Letanies, which he thinks to be here and elſewhere authoriſed. A diſcourſe he giveth us here too, about the uſe and original of bells among chriſtians, anſwerable to trumpets amongſt the Jewes. A Symmiſt of his, Cenalis Biſhop of Auranches, to prove their Pope-holy Church the true Church, maketh no mention at all either of Preaching or Sacraments: but produceth bells for a ſufficient mark of the Catholke true church: we have bells, ſaith he, whereby our Aſſemblies are ordinarily called together: but the Lutherans have claps of harquebuzes and piſtolets for ſignes whereby they congregate:Act. & Mon. fol. 828. betwixt which and bells he maketh a long Antitheſis: and therehence inferreth, that the church of Rome is the true church. A proper argument: and yet the man pleaſeth himſelf as much in it, as the ſecond-Councell of Nice did in their profound proofs for idolatry,Prideaux. which (as One well ſaith of them) were ſuch as that the Images themſelves (if they were ſenſible) would bluſh to hear repeated.

Sanctify a faſt] See the Note on chap. 1.14. Proclaime a religious abſtinence from all kind of ſuſtenance (2 Sam. 12.17. Iohn. 3.) for a ſeaſon, either from morning till evening, as Judg. 20.26. 2 Sam. 3.35. or from evening till evening Lev. 23.32. or longer as Eſth. 4.16. Act. 9.9. as the hand and wrath of God is more or leſſe felt or feared. But the leaſt time that may be, is a whole day: there is an old Canon,Turk: hist. fol. 777. that our faſts ſhould continue uſque dum ſtellae in coelo appareant till the ſtarrs appear in the sky. The very Turks in their ſolemn faſts eate nothing all the day till night: yea ſo preciſe they are, that upon their faſting dayes they will not ſo much as waſh their mouths with water, till the ſtarrs appear: whith maketh their faſts (eſpecially in the Summer, when the dayes be long and hot,) to be unto them very tedious. Chriſtians hold and teach that nature is by faſting to be chaſtiſed, and not diſabled for ſervice: and that ſuch as cannot faſt ſo long but they ſhall either indanger health, or be unfitted for the ſpiritual duties of the day, may eat: provided, that they abuſe not this liberty to the ſatisfying of the fleſh. Coloſſ: 2.23. 1 Tim. 5.23.

call a ſolemn aſſembly] See chap. 1.14. with the Note.