John Trapp on Joel 2:31

Verſe 31. The Sun ſhall be turned into darkneſſe, and the Moon into blood] by ſtrange and ſtupendious Eclipſes: ſuch as was that of the Moon for 12. nights together, a little before the laſt deſtruction of Jeruſalem: and that of the Sun this preſent 29 day of March 1652. wherein I writ theſe things, but could ſcarce ſee to write, or forbeare to behold: for though buſy enough to bring this work to an end, if God pleaſe, yet I cannot ſay as the Duke of Alva did to the king of France, who asked him whether he had obſerved the late great Eclipſe? No, ſaid he I have ſo much to do upon earth, that I have no leiſure to look toward heaven. Of this dayes Eclipſe I may well ſay as Lucan doth of another, Ipſe caput medio Titan cum ferret Olympo, Condidit ardentes atra caligine currus; Involvit que Lucan. lib. 1. orbem tenebris, genteſ que coegit Deſperare diem.— I heartily pray it do not preſage a dreafull eclipſe of the Sun of Chriſts glorious goſpell amongſt us; that this bright Sun ſhould go down at noon over our heades, and our earth be darkened in the clear day Amos 8.9. And let every good ſoul pray that that diſmall day may never ariſe unto us, wherein it ſhall be ſaid, that this glory is departed from our Engliſh Iſrael.

—nobiſcum, Chriſte, maneto: Extingui lucem nec patiare tuam.

and the moon into blood,] that is, into redneſſe, as it was likewiſe on the 15. day of this inſtant March, in the morning: Two ſuch Eclipſes ſo neer together, having ſeldome been ſeen. I fear we may have cauſe, ere the yeer come about, to ſing ſadly with the Poet; Signa dabant luctus ſuperi haud incerta futuri:Ovid. Metam. lib. 15. Saepe faces viſae, ſolis quoque triſtis imago: Caerulus & vultum ferrugine Lucifer atrâ Sparſus erat, ſparſi lunares ſanguine currus.

Before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.] i.e. the great day of generall judgement; called here, the great day, becauſe the great God will on that day do great things, and determine of great matters: and the terrible day, becauſe it is a day of anger, and of wrath, Rom. 2.5. Rev. 6.17. yea the day of the declaration of the juſt judgement of God, according to the Goſpel, Rom. 2.5, 16. It is elſewhere called, That day by an appellative proper, Mar. 13.32. Luk. 21.34. Mat. 7.22. That day of note, wherein God will break filence, execute judgement upon all, and convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard ſpeeches which ungodly ſinners have ſpoken againſt him, Jude 15. Enoch foretold this great day, before Noah did the deluge: this day is longer before it comes; but ſhall be more terrible when it is come. Whether it ſhall come in the yeer of our Lord, 1657.Alſted. Chronol. p 494. (as ſome have gathered out of the numerall letters of theſe two words, Mundi Conflagratio, and becauſe the yeer of the World 1657. was the yeer of the Flood,) let time determine: I have nothing to ſay to it.