John Trapp on Joel 2:17

Verſe 17. Let the Prieſts, the Miniſters of the Lord,] Let not them be either dull, Pſal. 103. Rev. 22. or dumb, (as Popiſh Maſſe-prieſts with their dumb-ſhews at divine Service) but as (for their dignity) they are the Lords Miniſters, (as likewiſe the good Angels are, and their (fellow-ſervants) ſo (according to their duty) they muſt be firſt in holy exerciſes: going in and out before Gods people in the perfor[illegible: 2 letters]nce of their truſt, and that worthy work of theirs, 1 Tim. 3.1. for the which [illegible: 1 word], are to be very highly eſteemed in love, 1 Theſſ. 5.13. Let Miniſters therefore pray hard for their people, as did Aaron, Samuel, Paul, &c. Let their prayers (at [illegible: 1 letter]aſts eſpecially) be well watered with teares (thoſe effectuall Oratours, that cry to God for mercy, Pſal. 39.12. as blood doth for vengeance, Gen. 4.16.) as theirs were Judg. 20.23. and Judges 2.5. and 1 Sam. 7.6. and as Ezra, chap. 10.1. and [illegible: 1 letter]remy, chap. 9.1. and 13.17. and why? but for corruption in Magiſtrates, Miniſters, All ſorts; a generall defection drawing on a generall deſolation. Oh let Gods two faithfull witneſſes be clothed in ſack-cloth, Rev. 11.3. teaching Gods people with many tears and temptations, Act. 20.19, 20, 31. both publikely and from houſe to houſe: yea, not ceaſing to warn them night and day with tears, to redeem their own ſorrows by ſound repentance. It is ſaid of Athanaſius, that by his tears, as by the bleeding of a chaſt Vine, he cured the leproſie of that tainted Age. And of Luther, that by his prayers and tears he had prevailed with God, that Popery ſhould not over-run his countrey,Act. & Mon. In vita Luth. during his dayes. When I am dead, ſaid He, let thoſe pray that can pray. Melancton, his Colleague, writeth, that he conſtantly prayed with abundance of tears: for he knew, that as Muſick upon the waters, ſounds farther, and more harmoniouſly then upon the land: ſo prayers joyn'd with tears, finde much reſpect with Chriſt; who could not but look back upon the weeping women, and comfort them, though he was then going to his death.

between the porch and the altar,] This was that void place; where the Prieſts prayed after the ſacrifices were offered, Ezek. 8.16. As in man, there is Body, Soul, and Spirit, 1 Theſſ. 5.23. ſo in the Temple at Jeruſalem, 1. between Solomons Porch, Act. 3.11. and the Altar of burnt-offering, was the outer great Court, 2. Chron. 4.9. where the people met for preaching and prayer. Next, there was the ſecond Court, for the Prieſts onely: and here was the Altar of incenſe, Luke 1.9, 10. Thirdly, the moſt Holy place, for the High-prieſt to enter once a year, Num. 17.10. The firſt is here ſpoken of, the outer Court, where the prieſts might bee beſt heard to pray, and ſeen to weep; and the people might comport, and ſay Amen; the want whereof St. Paul counts no ſmall loſſe, 1 Cor. 14.16.

and let them ſay, Spare thy people, O Lord, &c.] Other exerciſes there were uſually performed at publike faſts; as Reading the Scriptures, Jer. 36.5, 27. expounding and preaching, Neh. 8.4, 8. examining, cenſuring, and puniſhing ſuch ſinnes as then moſt raigned, Neh. 9.2. Ezr. 9.2. Joſh. 7. and 22. Binding themſelves to God by a Covenant of better obedience, Nehem. 10.18, 29, 30. Contributing to good uſes, Eſay 58.7. and 2 Chron. 31.3, 4. But the chief buſineſſe and duty of the day was, as here, Prayer to God for pardon of ſinne, and removall of ſhame, and other puniſhment: whence alſo it was called, A day of Atonement, or Expiation.

Spare thy people, O Lord, &c. Brevis oratio, ſed tota affectibus ardens, ſaith Mercer, A ſhort prayer, but very affectionate: So are all Scripture-forms: they have fulneſſe of matter, in fewneſſe of words. Quam multa, quam paucis! How much in a little! as Tully ſaid of Brutus his Laconicall Epiſtle. See Numb. 6.24, 25, 26. Hoſ. 14.2. Luke 18.13. Matt. 6.9, 10, &c. which is both a prayer, and a pattern: as the ſtandard is the exacteſt meaſure. Why then ſhould any man fall out with forms, and call them idols, odious as ſwines-fleſh, &c? Why ſhould they ſay, that the uſe of the Lords Prayer is the Note of a formaliſt? Is not this to ſpeak evil of good, &c.

and give not thine heritage to reproach:] Suffer us not, for our ſinnes, to be forced by famine, to beg bread of our enemies the Ammonites, and Moabites: for that will reflect upon thee Lord, and turn to thy diſhonour, as if thou hadſt no care of thine heritage, couldſt not maintain thy ſervants. See a like prayer to this, Num. 14.11.12, 16, 17, &c. and Deut. 9.26, 27, 28. and learn to deprecate ſhame and reproach as a fruit of ſinne, and a piece of the curſe, Deut. 28. Lev. 26. 1 Sam. 2.30. Beg of God; 1. To keep thee from reproachfull courſes, ſuch as may expoſe thee to the ſcandall of the weak, and ſcorn of the wicked. David is much in this petition. 2. To hide thee in a pavilion from the ſtrife of tongues, Pſal. 31.20. either to preſerve thee from aſperſions, or ſo to oil thy name, that they may not ſtick. 3 To give thee good repute and report among the beſt. 'Twas God gave Solomon honour; and he promiſeth it to all his, as a reward of religion, Prov. 22.4.

that the heathen ſhould rule over them:] It is an heavy hand of God upon his people, when Pagans or Papagans have dominion over them, Neh. 9.9, 10, 27, &c. Pſal. 79.1, &c. and 80.1, 2, &c. and 137.1, 2, &c. Lam. 1.2, 4, 5. They are bloody in their poſitions, and diſpoſitions. See Rom. 1.31. their government is tyrannicall, ſuch as the Spaniards is over the poor Indians, the Turks over Greece, the Rebels over the Engliſh in Ireland, &c. The Saints alſo are, 1. Conſciencious, and cannot yeeld to their unlawfull commands, as the three children. 2. Zealous, and cannot but conteſt, as Steven, Paul at Athens, the Martyrs. 3. Friendleſſe, and deſtitute, Matt. 10.16. as Paul afore Nero, Chriſt afore Pilate, forſaken of all. Pray therefore as here, and prevent ſuch a miſchief, by ſhunning Ieruſalems ſinnes of ignorance, ingratitude, incorrigibleneſſe, formallity, &c. and by putting our necks under the yoke of Chriſts obedience, obſerving from the heart that form of doctrine which he hath delivered unto us, Rom. 6.17.

wherefore ſhould they ſay among the people, Where is their God?] q. d. Why ſhould they caſt our religion in our diſh? why ſhould they twit us with thy neglect of us? why ſhould thy name be blaſphemed, and thy power traduced, as it were on a publike theatre? This was that which moſt galled theſe good ſouls, (as it had oft done David before them) that God, with whom they quartered armes, ſhould be reproached for their ſakes, and thorow their ſides; and his glory defaced. This was as a murthering-knife in Davids bones, Pſal. 42.10. and worſe to him then all the evill that he had ſuffered from his youth up. Our nature is moſt impatient of reproach: for there is none ſo mean but thinks himſelf worthy of ſome regard: and a reproachfull ſcorne ſhewes an utter diſreſpect which flowes from the very ſuperfluity of malice. You ſhall find ſome (ſaith Eraſmus) that if death be threatened can deſpiſe it: but to be belied or reproached, they cannot brook, nor from revenge contain. Gods people can bear wrongs beſt of any: compell them to go a mile, thei'le be content, if it may do good, to go two, yea as farr as the ſhooes of the preparation of the Goſpell of peace will carry them. But if wrong be offered to God, if he be any way diſhonored, or his Name bored through by blaſphemies, O what a ſtomack they have preſently, and how bleſſedly blown up are they, with a zeale of Gods glory, which even eateth them up.