John Trapp on Joel 3:1-2

CHAP. III.

Verſe 1. FOr behold in thoſe dayes, and in that time,] In is di[illegible: 1 letter]bus illis ipſis, & in hoc tempore ipſo, In thoſe very ſelf-ſame dayes, and in that ſelf-ſame time. ſc. In the time of the Meſſias, in the dayes of the Goſpel; when God ſhall deliver Jeruſalem, and call the remnant of Gentiles, and ſo bring again the captivity of Judah and Jeruſalem, of the whole Jſrael of God, preaching liberty to the captives, Eſay 61.1. and proclayming the everlaſting Jubilee, Joh. 8.36. In thoſe happy dayes, I ſay, Jer. 23.5, 6. Wo to the wicked enemies of the Church, it ſhall go ill with them. They are ſure to be broken with a rod of iron, to be daſhed in pieces like a potters veſſell, Pſal. 2.9. daſhed againſt Chriſt the King, who as He is Pierum rupes, a Rock of refuge to his people (ſuch as was that to Moſes, Exod. 33.22.)Sic Val. Max de tribunali L. Caſſij. ſo He is, Reorum ſcopulus, a Rock of revenge to Perſecutours, to ſplit them to pieces, ſuch a rock as that out of which fire aroſe, Judg. 6.21. the fire of Gods jealouſie, Zach. 1.14. which burneth unto the loweſt hell, Deut. 32.22. Let them, therefore, have grace, (as the Apoſtle from this ground adviſeth, Heb. 12.28, 29.) Let them, at leaſt have ſo much wit for themſelves, as Pilats wife had in a dream, to take heed of having any thing to do with juſt men. Let them do as Tertullian counſelled Scpula, Si non nobis, tibi: ſi non tibi, Carthaginiparcas. God will reduce the captivity of Judah and Jeruſalem, which ſhall be as a cup of poyſon to all the people round about, as a burdenſome ſtone, as an harth of fire, Zech. 12.2, 3, 6. (See the Notes there) Their deſtruction muſt needs go along with the Saints ſalvation, Philip. 1.28, 29. Eſay 8.9. Prov. 11.8. The Jew-Doctours collect from this and other like places in the Prophets, that when the Meſſias commeth, he ſhall recollect the Jewes into the land of Canaan: where they ſhall get the better of their enemies, and have a moſt flouriſhing Commonwealth, and glorious Church. For this, they daily expect the viſible appearance of the Meſſias;Buxtorf: Synag. Jud. cap. 13. Sanbed. c. 11. oft throwing open their windowes to behold, and crying altogether to God, Let thy kingdom come, let it come quickly, even in our dayes, quickly, quickly, quickly. That he ſtayes ſo long, is for our ſins, ſay they, which are many. See the Notes on Zach. 14.2, 3.

Verſe 1. I will alſo gather all nations] that are adverſe to my Church, that I may have my peniworths of them, and do execution upon them with eaſe (troubling thoſe troublers of his Iſrael, 2 Theſſ. 1.6. licet videantur plures & potiores) as he dealt by Jehoſaphats enemies, 2 Chron. 20. and leaving them no more place to eſcape, then thoſe have who are environed in a valley by a potent enemy, who hath gotten them into a pound, as the proverb is. And this God will do in the valley of Jehoſaphat, (a valey, ſaith Lyra, Adrichomius, and Montanus, betwixt Jeruſalem and Mount Olivet) in the very view of the Church, that the righteous may rejoyce, when he ſeeth the vengeance, and waſh his feet in the blood of the wicked. So that a man ſhall ſay, Verily there is a reward for the righteous, (ſee verſe 4.)Chaldeus R. Salmon Mercer. verily, he is a God that judgeth in the earth, as in the valley of divine judgement, (ſo ſome render Jehoſaphat here, as if it were an appellative) called verſe 14. the valley of deciſion, and the words that next follow ſeem to favour, and I will plead with them (judicio agam) judicially plead with them there, for my people: which word alſo God uſeth when he foretelleth the deſtruction of Gog, and Magog in Ezekiel. So that the valley of Jehoſaphat (ſaith Mercer) is the place whereſoever God ſhall pleaſe to puniſh the enemies of his people. As for that conceit of Lyra and others: who gather out of this Text, that this valley neer Jeruſalem, ſhall be the very place where Chriſt ſhall ſit to judge the world at the laſt day: and for confirmation, alledge Acts 1.11. Mercer judgeth it to be a cl[illegible: 1 letter]idiſh conceit: and Luther asketh where all mankind ſhall have room to ſtand in ſo ſmall a valley? Though others judge it not unlikely that it ſhall be thereabouts, becauſe Jeruſalem is in the middle andabout the center of the earth: and beſides, it will be the more for the glory of Chriſt, to ſit there as Judge where himſelf was judged. But it is probable he will ſit in the air, (neer the earth) whither the Elect ſhall be rapt up to meet the Lord, 1 Theſ. 4.17. that the devils may be ſubdued and ſentenced in the air, where they have ruled and played Rex, Epheſ. 2.2. and that the wicked may be doomed on the earth, where they have offended.

for my people, and for my heritage Iſrael,] All was His: and the wrongs done to them, were done to Gods ſelf: as the injury done to the Subject, is ſaid to be done to the Soveraigne, his crown and dignity. See Acts 9.4. Matth. 25.45. So that ye cannot tread upon the leaſt toe, in Chriſts myſticall body, but the head cries out from heaven, Why hurteſt thou me? The Saints ſufferings are his, Col. 1.24. their reproach his, Heb. 13.13. Manet compaſſio, etiam cum impaſſibilitate, Bern. Chriſt retaineth ſtill compaſſion, though free from perſonall paſſion: and though without feeling, yet not without fellow-feeling. He doth condolere proportionatè ad miſeriam, as Pareus rendreth the Apoſtle, Heb. 5.2. condole, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. and that proportionably to his peoples miſery.

and for mine heritage Iſrael,] Iſrael, [non-Latin text not transcribed], ſaith Mercer, the people of Gods purchaſe, that comprehend all his gettings, and are much more dear to him then Naboths inheritance was to him: He ſets them before his face for ever, Pſal. 41.12. as loving to look upon them; yea, upon the very walls of the houſes where they dwell, Eſay 49.16. They are his portion, Deut. 32.9. his inheritance, Eſay 19.25. the dearly beloved of his ſoul, Ier. 12.7. his glory, Eſay 46.13. dear to God, though deſpiſed of, and diſperſed in the world. He may ſuffer them to be Anathema ſecundum dici (as Bucholcer ſaid) but not ſecundum eſſe.

whom they have ſcattered among the nations,] The Jew-Doctours referre this to Titus and Adrian the Roman Emperours. The firſt carried 97000 of them captives, ſaith Ioſephus. The ſecond drove them utterly out of Jewry; and by Proclamation commanded them, not ſo much as look toward that land, from any tower or high mountain. But all this was for their ſedition and other wickedneſſes. And ever ſince they have continued a disjected and deſpiſed people, See Deut. 28.64. exiled out of the world, as it were by a common conſent of Nations, ſpecially for their inexpiable guilt in murthering Chriſt, and perſecuting his people: Concerning whom therefore, this Text is to be underſtood. See how Chriſtians were ſoon ſcattered abroad thorowout the regrons, Act. 8.1. Iam. 1.1. 1 Pet. 1.1. where they are called Strangers of the diſperſion. Afterwards, the Heathen Perſecutours relegated and confined them to Iſles, and mines: and ſcattered them into corners. So did the Pope and his Agents: forcing them to flee for their lives, &c.

And parted my land] As Salmaneſer did to his new colonies: as Senacherib alſo deſigned to do, had not God prevented him: as the Pope taketh upon him to do, thoſe countries whom he counteth hereticall. He gave this land (in Hen. 8. his time) Primo occupaturo to him that could firſt ſeiſe it. He declared Iohn King of Navarre, a ſchiſmatick, an heretick, an enemy to the ſea Apoſtolick, and gave his kingdom to the Spaniard,Guicciard. lib. 11. becauſe he took part with the French, and would not ſuffer the Spaniard to march through his kingdom againſt the French. And what work he hath lately made in the Palatinate and other parts of Germany, who knowes not?