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[ A] BLowe vp a trumpet in Sion, and showte in my holy hill, let all the inhabitants of the earth tremble: for the day of the Lorde is come, for it is nie at hande.
2 A darke and glomie day, a clowdie and blacke day: as the morning is spread ouer the mountaynes (so is this) populous and strong people, like it there was none from the beginning, nor shall be hereafter for euermore.
3 Before him is a deuouring fire, and behinde him a but∣ning flame: the lande is as a pleasant garden before him, and behinde him a wast desert, yea and nothing shall escape him. 4 The shew of him is as the shew of horses, and lyke horsemen, so shall they runne. 5 Lyke the noyse of charets vpon the toppes of the mountaynes they shall skip, like the noyse of a flaming fire deuouring the stubble, (and) as a strong people prepared to battayle.
6 Before his face shall the people tremble, the counte∣naunce of all folkes shall waxe blacke.
7 They shall runne like strong men, and clime the walles [ B] like men of warre: and euery one shall march on in his way, and they shall not linger in their pathes.
8 No man shall thrust another, but euery one shall walke in his path: and if they shall fall on the sworde, they shall not be wounded. 9 They shall runne to and fro in the citie, they shall runne vp and downe vpon the wal, they shall clime into the houses, they shall enter in at the windowes like a théefe. 10 The earth shall quake before him, the heauens shall tremble, the sunne and the moone shall be darke, and the starres shall withdraw their shining.
11 And the Lorde shall giue his voyce before his hoast, for his campe is excéeding great, for he is mightie that executeth his commaundement: for the day of the Lorde is great and verie terrible, and who can abyde it?
12 But nowe sayth the Lorde, Turne you vnto me with all your heartes, with fasting, with wéeping, and with mour∣ning. 13 And rent your heartes and not your garmentes, [ C] and turne you vnto the Lorde your God, for he is gracious and mercifull, slow to anger, and of great goodnesse, and he will repent him of the euill. 14. Who knoweth whether the Lorde will returne and take compassion, and will leaue behinde him a blessing (euen) meate offering and drinke offe∣ring vnto the Lorde your God. 15 Blowe vp a trumpet in
Sion, proclame a fast, cal an assembly, sanctifie ye cōgregatiō.
16 Gather the people, gather the elders, assemble the children and sucking babes: let the Bridegrome come forth of his chamber, and the bride out of hir closet.
17 Let the Priestes the Lordes ministers wéepe betwixt the porch and the aulter, and let them say, Spare thy people O Lorde, and giue not ouer thine heritage to reproche, that the heathen should rule ouer them: Wherefore should they say amongst the heathen, Where is their God?
18 And (then) the Lorde will be iealous ouer his lande, and will spare his people. 19 Yea the Lorde will answere and say to his people, Beholde I will sende you corne, and wi••e, and oyle, and will satisfie you therewith, and will not giue you ouer any more to be a reproch among the heathen.
[ D] 20 And I will remoue farre of from you the northen (armie) and I will driue him into a lan̄de barren and deso∣late, with his face towards the east sea, and his hinder parts towardes the vttermost sea: and his stinch shall arise, and his corruption shall ascend, because he hath exalted himselfe to doe this. 21 Feare not O thou lande, be glad and re∣ioyce: for the Lorde will doe great things.
22 Be not afraide ye beastes of the fielde, for the fruit∣full places of the desert are gréene: for the trée beares hir fruite, the figge trée and the vine yéelde their strength.
23 Be glad then ye children of Sion, and reioyce in the Lord your God: for he hath giuen you moderate raine, and he will sende downe for you, the raine (euen) the first raine and the latter raine, and in the first (moneth.)
24 And the barnes shall be filled with corne, and the presses shall ouerflowe with wine and oyle.
25 And I will restore to you the yeres which the grashop∣per, the canker worme, the locuste, and the caterpiller haue deuoured, my great armie which I sent amongst you.
26 And you shall eate in plentie and be satisfied, and shall
prayse the name of the Lorde your God, which hath dealt wonderously with you, and my people shall not be ashamed any more. 27 And you shall know that I am in the mid∣dle of Israel, and (that) I am the Lord your God, and none but I: and my people shall neuer be ashamed.
28 And it shall come to passe after this: I will powre out my spirite vpon all fleshe, and your sonnes and your daugh∣ters shall prophecie, your olde men shall dreame dreames, your yong men shall sée visions.
29 Also in those dayes vpon the seruantes and vpon the handmaydens will I powre out my spirite.
30 And I will shewe wonders in heauen and in earth, bloud, and fyre, and pillers of smoke.
31 The sunne shall be turned into darkenesse, and the Moone into bloud, before that great and terrible day of the Lord come. 32 But whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saued: for there shall be deliuerance in mount Sion and in Hierusalem, as the Lorde hath promised, and (also) in the remnant whome the Lorde shall call.
Blowe vp a trumpet in Sion, and showte in my holy hill, let all the inhabitāts, &c.
THe Prophet Ioel liued in the time of Esay, and taught in Iuda, in the reigne of Ezechias, not long be∣fore the inuasion of the Assirians, vn∣der Sinnacherib. For although that good king to ye vttermost of his power had restored
the true worship of God: yet a great number re∣ceyued it vnthankefully, and both enclined in their heartes againe to Superstition, and continued in most Detestable and sinfull liuing. * Which was the cause that God did send the Assirians grieuously to plague them. But of his woonted mercies, be∣fore that terrible time of punishment should come, he * sent his Prophetes to foretell them of it, and to call them to repentance. Among these was Ioel who nowe vttereth these wordes, and purposing to call them to repentance, layeth before them the terrible punishment that GOD will bring vpon them, if they turned not vnto him. His beginning is tragicall, Blowe vp a trumpet, sayth he, &c. Be∣cause their Plague shoulde be by inuasion of eui∣mies and crueltie of warre, he alludeth to warre∣fare, and willeth the Scowtes and watchmen, that is the Prophetes and teachers to sound the trum∣pet of Gods holy worde, and giue men warning to prepare themselues to battaile, that they were not taken with the plague of god ere they were ware. This he willeth them to doe in Sion, and in His ho∣ly hill, His chosen Citie of Hierusalem, that they might not thinke any holinesse of place should help them. Yea and he speaketh to all the inhabitans of the lande of Iuda, and biddeth them to Tremble and feare, for that the Lord did not minde to dally with them, or any longer to put of the time. For sayth he, The day of the Lord is come, and is nigh at hande, and you must repent with * speede, if you will escape it. By The day of the Lorde, he meaneth the time
appointed to Plague them for their vnthankful∣nesse and contempt of Gods worde, and the calling of his Prophetes.
A darke and glomie daye, a clowdie and blacke day: as the morning is spred, &c.
By Glomie, Clowdie, and Blacke, he signifyeth the heauie and sorowfull time that should be so la∣mentablie ouercast with grieuous afflictions and calamities, that men shoulde not be hable to tell what to doe, or howe to rid themselues from them. Darkenesse commonly in scripture noteth trouble and heauinesse, Light, prosperitie and felicitie. As the spring of the day and morning light sodainlye spreadeth it selfe ouer the mountaynes and cannot by any meanes be stayed: So shall this mightye and strong people of the Assirians sodainely spread themselues, and ouerwhelme euen the toppes of those mountaines, that you thinke harde to be pas∣sed, and that in such sort as they cannot be resisted. For since the beginning was there neuer Empire eyther of so great force, or of so long continuance of their dominion as this hath beene and is. Ther∣fore they shall be to you and to your Countrey as a raging and consuming fire. The Land that was before their comming as a pleasant Garden or pa∣radise, after they be gone it shall be left lamenta∣blie spoyled, wasted, and desolate. Yea they shall come with such fiercenesse, that with great speede they shall runne ouer the mountaynes and highe places as it were Horsemen, or chariots in a plaine
field. Your men of warre, Capiteynes and Soul∣diours, in whom you may seeme to put some trust, at the report of their comming shall tremble and waxe pale and wanne for exceeding great feare. They shal runne against you as mightie Gyants, and assaulting the walles of your strong and fen∣ced Cities: they shall doe it not onelye with suche strength, but also with actiuitie, nimblenesse, and good order, that one shall not be a let or impedimēt to the other, but euery one shall kepe his place and araye. And when they runne with desperate cou∣rage euen amonge your swordes and weapons, they will doe it in such maner, that you shall not be hable to hurt them. And furthermore, though your Cities be strongly walled, and fenced with so great munition as they maye seeme vnpregnable, they wil with such facilitie both enter and go to and fro, as if the matter were to be done in ye plaine fielde, where no resistance is. Finally, their rage & fierce∣nesse shalbe so dreadfull, that the earth shal quake, the heauens shall tremble, the Sunne & Moone shall be darke, the Starres shall withdrawe their light, & all the creatures of God shall be abashed to see yt God will so grieuously plage his people. And therfore, they, as it were, hauing sense of the same before hand, shal giue straunge signes and sightes vnto men, to put them in minde to repent & turne vnto God, that he may withdrawe this his heauie hande from them. For God it is that worketh it, and by his voice calleth the Assirians, & they do no∣thing but execute his commaundement, in puni∣shing
your waywarde and stubburne vnthankful∣nesse and contempt of his worde.
In all this we see the Prophete hath done no∣thing, but signify vnto the Iewes, that no worldly thing should be hable to stay from them, the grie∣uous punishmentes of God by the Assirians. Ney∣ther the plentifulnesse of the earth, nor the great distance of the places, nor the difficultie of the pas∣sages ouer hilles and mountaynes, neyther the number of their Souldiours, nor the strength of their Cities, to the ende, that they seeing all world∣ly helpe to fayle them, maye the more readily re∣pent and flie vnto God for his mercie.
But nowe sayth the Lord, turne you vnto me with all your hearts with fasting, &c.
Although the day of Gods wrath be nighe at hande, yet the Prophete signifieth, that there is time to repent, because * no true repentance from the heart is euer to late. And therefore vnder the person of God exhorteth them therevnto, and tel∣leth them what they shall doe, Turne sayth he: We must in repentance first Turne frō wickednesse of minde and dissolute life, from Idolatrie, Super∣stition and corruption of Gods true worship. And we must Turne vnto God, and submit our selues to his merrie, and to be directed by his holy worde. We are not willed to Turne to Saintes, to Patri∣arkes, to Prophetes, to Fathers, to Apostles, or to any creature, be he neuer so holy. No nor yet to our owue inuentions and deuises of holynesse,
thereby thinking to raunsome our sinnes. But we must Turne to the euerliuing God, who is both willing as a father, and hable as a mightie Lorde to helpe vs. And this must we doe vnfaynedly, VVith all our heartes, Renting our mindes wyth sorow, and not our garments with hypocrissie and outwarde shewe of griefe and repentance, when we haue no true sense of Gods wrath inwardly in our heartes. If renting of Garmentes, and such other signes be vsed as tokens and witnesses to the worlde, that we are in deede and vnfeynedly touched with exceeding sorow of hart (as Iosias did when he heard the threatnings of God read in the booke of his law:) Then are they acceptable vnto God, and he doth not prohibite them. For to that ende he willeth them here, To fast, To lament, To weepe, thereby to shewe the inwarde and repen∣tant sorowe of their heartes. That they may in this maner repent, he declareth by the nature and properties of GOD, that there is assured hope of mercie in God. For, sayth he, God is Gracious, and of nature more prone to pleasure then to punishe. He is Mercifull, as a father mooued with compas∣sion euen vpon the deserued miseries of his chil∣dren. He is of Long suffering, and loth to be drawne to wrath and punishmēt. He is of exceeding Boun∣tie and goodnesse, & as a plentifull springing foun∣taine desireth still to poure out vpon vs the riches of his benefites and gracious gifts. Lastly, He will repent him of the euill, that is, he will alter his de∣cree, and reuoke his sentence of displeasure. For
all the sentences of punishment that god pronoun∣ceth vpon his people are euer ioyned with condi∣tion of repentance, which if they shew, he may and doth without note of Mutabilitie or inconstancie chaunge his purpose. And therefore it is sayde here: He will returne, and leaue behinde him a bles∣sing of meate offering, &c. Whereby he meaneth, that where they were before oppressed with suche scarcitie, that they had not beastes wherwith to do sacrifice to God, nowe he woulde blesse them with Plentie, &c.
Blowe vp a trumpet in Sion, proclaime a fast, call an assemblie, sanctifie, &c.
As before the Prophet exhorted them to priuate repentance and sorrow of hart: so now he willeth them to declare the same by publique and open de∣cree, that in a cōmon daunger all generally might declare their repentant hartes and call vnto God. In this he sheweth what the duetie of Rulers and Gouernours is, when there are great tokens of the wrath of God to hang ouer their Countries and common weales. The maner of this publique repentance is here at large set forth, and a prayer deuised to the same purpose. Vnto this must all sortes of men be assembled, olde men, children, babes, yea, the newe maried man and his bryde out of the chamber of his pleasure. But especial∣ly Priestes and the ministers of the Lorde must shewe themselues readie in this and by earnest prayer and weeping be as Mediatours betweene
God and his people.
And the Lord will be ielous ouer his land, and will spare his people, &c.
The Prophet nowe comforteth the people, and doth assure them, what benefite they shall haue by their Repentance, if they turne vnto God. As the husbande cannot abyde to see his wyfe cruelly vsed of any other, so will the Lorde be ielous ouer the lande of the Iewes his chosen people. Where they were pinched with Famine and hunger through spoyle of the lande and barrennesse, he will nowe sende them, Corne, Wine, Oyle, and plentie of all things necessarie for their sustenance. He will re∣moue from them the power and armie of the Assy∣rians, that came Northward against them, and will so scatter them and put them to flight by his* An∣gell from heauen, that they shall runne Eastward and Westwarde, not knowing which waye best to saue themselues, yea the prowde and * blasphe∣mous speeche of the Capitaine Sinnacherib wher∣in he extolled his power against the lyuing God of heauen, shal ascend as a stench or lothsome sauour to prouoke his displeasure against them. Therfore Be glad sayth the Prophet, Reioyce, Feare not, the Lorde will worke great things for you. The beastes of the fielde shall prosper, the ground shall be fruit∣full, the barnes shall be filled, the Vine presses shall runne ouer. The Lorde will sende you seaso∣nable weathering, the first rayne in the spring to make the Corne growe, and the latter raine to∣warde
the haruest to fill the eare: yea, he shall doe all things for you so fauourably, that you shal per∣ceiue him to be as it were present and dwelling in the middle of you.
And it shall come to passe after this, I will poure out my spirite vpon all. &c.
Vpon the occasion of the declaring of this comfortable and bountifull promise of the fauour of God towarde his people after their repentance: Ioel breaketh out to speake of the spirituall king∣dome of Christ, & of the *benefits that men should haue, and the state of lyfe that shoulde be vnder him. This is the ordinarie maner of all the Pro∣phets to mixe the mention of Christ with their o∣ther doctrine of things pertayning to their present state. Hereby signifying, that all the benefites and blessings, eyther worldly or spirituall, that God giueth to his people, are promised and perfourmed onely in respect of the Sauiour of the worlde, and that promised seede Christ Iesu that was to come.
The Prophet therefore in this place putting the people of God in minde of the spirituall blessings of Messias, first beginneth with the sending of the holy ghost, which of all other was the greatest, and in deede the summe of all the residue. For albeit the whole riches, and * treasures of Gods graces and goodnesse are giuen out by Christ Iesu: yet can we not enioy the same * but by the Holy ghost. The worke and effect of whome is * to open vnto men the will of God, eyther by * prophecie and
foretelling of things to come, by word, by visions, by dreames, or by interpretation and opening of the* misteries of religiō out of the holy scriptures, and by * inclyning the harts and willes of the faith∣ful to the obseruation of the lawe and commaun∣dementes of God. This is it that God speaketh of in Ieremie. cap. 31. I will plant my lawe in the inward partes of them, and write it in their hartes, and from thenceforth shall no man teache his neighbour or hys brother, saying, know you the Lorde, but they shall all knowe me from the lovvest to the highest, &c.
And I will shewe wonders in heauen and in earth, bloud and fyre and pillers, &c.
Least, that after the comming of Christ into the worlde, the faythfull should perswade themselues, that all trouble were paste, and that they shoulde liue in rest and quietnesse (as the Phariseys and other Iewes did:) the Prophet Ioel here declareth what a troublous and daungerous State there shoulde bee towarde the ende of the worlde, and what wonderful * signes and straunge sights God woulde worke in all the elementes before the last comming of Christ to iudgement. It maye seeme that Christ himselfe had respect to this place when he prophecied of the same matter Math. 24. and Luc. 21. This the Prophete doth not onely to fore∣warne the fiathfull people of God, and to shake from them securitie: but also to strike a feare in the heartes of the enimies of Gods people, and of his Gospell, that they doe not contemne him, who will
send so terrible signes before his comming. These things we haue seene in these latter dayes merue∣lously fulfilled in all the elements. In the Sunne and Moone often Eclipses. In the vpper parte of the aire blasing Starres, Swoordes, Pillars of fire, fire Drakes flying in the Aire, and other like impressions. In the Earth, Earthquakes, and o∣ther straunge alterations. In the Water, many and exceding great floudes, risings and swellings to the great griefe and annoyance of Mankinde. And as there hath bene in all times some of those signes: so in no age so manye as hath bene within these fewe yeares. Whereby we must needes ga∣ther that we are fallen into those latter, trouble∣some, and perilous dayes, thathere the Prophete speaketh of.
But whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lorde shall be saued: for. &c.
The whole summe of our* saluation consisteth in *calling vpon the name of the Lord, and in put∣ting our* confidence and trust in his mercy and de∣liueraunce wrought for vs by the Sauiour of the worlde Christ Iesu. Who suffred and dyed for vs & by his resurrection made perfect the misterie of our Redemption At Mount Sion, and in Hierusa∣lem, according to the vnfallible Promises of Al∣mightie God.
Sopho. 1. c. 14. Amos. 5. c. 18.
Ioel. 3. c. 15.
Apoc. 6. a. 17.
Vers. 1.
4. Reg. 18. c. 13
I••. re. 4. d. 18. 3. Reg. 8. e. 46. Deut. 4. d. 26.
Iere. 25. a. 4.
Eccle. 5. b. 8.
Vers. 2.
Iere. 4. d. 13.
Vers. 3.
Vers. 4.
Vers. 5.
Vers. 9.
Vers. 10.
Vers. 11.
Vers. 12.
Ezec. 33. c. 12.
Esay. 45. d. 22
4. Reg. 22. b. 11 2. Par. 34. d. 19
Esay. 30. d. 18.
Psal. 102. c. 13.
2. Esd. 9. d. 17
Rom. 10. c. 12. 1. Cor. 1. a. 5.
Iere. 26. d. 13.
Vers. 15. &c.
Ionas. 3 c. 7.
Iudith. 6. c. 20 Hester. 4. d. 16
Vers. 18.
Vers. 19.
Vers. 20. &c.
4. Reg. 19. g. 33 Esay. 37, g. 36.
Tob. 1. d. 21. 2. Par. 32, d. 17
Vers. 28.
Iere. 24. c. 7 Ezec. 11. d. 19. 20.
Colos. 2. a. 2. 3 Io. 3 a. 5. Io. 6. g. 63. Io. 16. b. 13. Rom. 8. e. 26. 2. Pet. 1. d. 21. 1. Cor. 12. a. 10
Io. 14. d. 26. Act 16. c. 14. Ezec. 36. f. 27 Gal. 5. d. 22.
Iere. 31. f. 33.
Vers. 30. 31.
Act. 2. c. 19.
Math. 24. c. 29 Luc. 21. e. 25.
Vers. 32.
Rom. 10. e. 13. Eccl. 2. b. 12. Act. 2. c. 21. Psal. 33. d. 22. Iere. 17. a. 7. Iudas. 1. d. 21.