A Necessary Admonition out of the Prophet Joel, Preface
The Praeface to the Reader.
WHeras (gentle Reader) this admonition of mine out of the Prophet Ioel was to hauehave come foorth the laſt ſummer, That this Prophecie fitteth us alſo, and theſe our daies marvelous well.though (I know not how) it hath beene ſtayed till this praeſent: by this meanes it cummeth to paſſe, that now I am iuſtly occaſioned to ſay ſumwhat unto thee, not only of the Treatiſe it ſelfe, but alſo of this late publiſhing of it. Concerning the Treatiſe it ſelfe, although it be out of the Prophet Ioel, who was ſent of God to his people of old, and about ſuch things as concerned a ſpeciall eſtate of theirs thén: yet doth it ſo fitly agree with ús alſo now, and with the waies that are moſt common and rife among us that the ſelfe ſame Prophet may ſeeme as much to have beene preſerved for ús againſt this time that now we are in, as he was before ſent unto others to ſpeake unto thém. For we alſo are found in the ſelf ſame waies, that they were in at that praeſent: and therefore hath the Lord for theſe few of the laſt yeeres in much like ſort laide his hand vponupon us, as he did upon them, and yet alſo doth, in very plaine and ſenſible maner. But as théy were ſenſeles, and could not ſee it, & therfore turned nor unto the Lord that ſo had laide his hand upon them: ſo wé likevviſe at this praeſent have notably beene provoked diuers waies to acknowledge the hand of God upon us, and to turne unto him, and yet notwithſtanding, we have not done it, but either ſhame with it, or thinke it needeles to take ſuch a courſe. And yet, as at that time God did but with one hand ſhake the rod at them, & with the other held foorth ſpecial mercies vntounto them, a further advancement of religion among them, and a ſpecial deliverance from al their enimies: ſo at this time alſo we may ſee the Lord to obſerve that courſe toward vsus, not onelyonly laying his hand upon us, but alſo tendering and offering unto us, by manie good and comfortable tokens, both a further manifeſtation of the goſpel, and a better riddance of our enimies, if ſo be that we can truely turn unto him. As therefore this call of the Prophet was to ſpeciall good uſe unto thém to quicken them up, both to a ſenſible feeling of that hand of God upon them; & to caſt thēſelves to be in a redines to receave thoſe greater mercies at his hands likewiſe: even ſo may it be as much to our purpoſe, that he ſhould nowe ſtir us up unto a feeling of ſuch hands of God as are upon us; and with all diligence to ſort our ſelves to ſuch a courſe, as beſt may ſerve to take unto us thoſe other mercies, that now of long he hath offered unto us, (& yet doth) in ſo gracious maner.
But it may be, In what maner it is deliuered.that thou wilt thinke, that I have over lightly paſſed over the Text of this Prophecie: yeelding, as it doth, ſo manie good leſſons; ſo meete for our ſelves, and for the daies wherein we live. But my deſire was, but only to open the Prophet unto thee; and that ſo briefly as I could: that ſo being otherwiſe leſſe incumbred, thou mighteſt the better attend unto him. For which cauſe alſo, after everie chiefe & principal diviſion of the Text, and the opening of the Methode or order of it, I have briefly ſhewed, howe we may apply the ſame to our ſelves. Then alſo, to the end that everie one may better perceive, how far foorth he may account, either of the ſenſe that out of any part of the Text is gathered, or of the Methode whereinto it is digeſted, I have here ſet down the Text it ſelfe in ſuch ſort diſtributed, or divided into ſuch ſeverall portions as it is aportioned & handled in the Treatiſe it ſelf: noting alſo, in the end of every portion, in what Sections of the Treatiſe that portiō is handled. A matter that many do litle need (ſuch as have the text already, and can redily turn unto it:) & yet may it be to good uſe to ſome others, & (for that matter) eaſe them of ſome part of their labour. And the brieflier and plainlier that it is delivered unto thee, the better ſhalt thou be able to ſee, what it is that the Prophet doth call thee unto. Which when thou perceaveſt, then it remayneth, that thou caſt thee ſelf to be in a redines to anſwere his cal.
Concerning this late publiſhing of it; firſt, Of the late publishing of it: nevertheleſse, that yet alſo it cometh in ſeaſen.what was the cauſe of the ſtay with him to whō the prin ting thereof was comitted, & who then did undertake the praeſent diſpatch of it, I mee ſelf am not able to ſay: & it was much againſt my wil, conſidering that, as at that praeſent occaſion had ſet me about that kinde of labour for the good of others ſo did it likewiſe not well accord with that needles delay that thereof was made, when the time it ſelfe did ſo iuſtly require it. Inſomuch that to that verie end, that is, to give it ſo readie a courſe, as to that ſeaſon did appertain, both my ſelfe of ſet purpoſe repayred to London, and there tooke ſpeciall order for the praeſent imprinting of it. Then that it is ſet foorth now, although it may ſeeme to be ſumwhat our of ſeaſon, in ſome reſpect, becauſe it relieth ſo much on the ſcarcity that then was, which is in good part eaſed now, yet the tru…h is, that the matter being better conſidered, there is no cauſe why any man neede to thinke, but that yet (in that reſpect alſo) it may well come not far out of ſeaſon. For though the yere that now is praeſent, hath brought with it (God be thanked) good ſtore of come, which the other wanted before: yet did that other ſo far ſinke the moſt mens ſubſtance at that praeſent, to get them graine to their needefulneſſe, that now they hardlier have wherewithall to get it, than they had then, though it bee cheaper. And ſo conſequently that ſcarcitie doth as yet remaine with verie many. But howſoe…er that it is eaſed: yet is there among us ſuch a kinde of ſickeneſſe at this praeſent, ſpread over all generally, as that therein (both by the ſharpenes, and ſtrangenes of it, we may plainely perceave that it is the hand of God, and calleth us no doubt unto repentance. Again, as this our Prophet, by occaſion of a famin then, called on the people to be effectually touched therwith, & with true repentance to turn to the Lord: ſo, becauſe that this Admonition of mine hath likewiſe held the ſelf ſame courſe, the leſſe that we have yet acknowledged that hand of God, and the leſſe that we thereupon did turn unto him by repentance as yet, the more i…ſtly may it be demaunded of us, and the more … occaſion hath this Admonition ſtill to proceede, and to hold on his former courſe. Beſides this, whereas the prophet Ioel, upon their repentance did aſſure them of greater mercies, both a further propagation of the Goſpe…, and a notable deliuerance from their enimies: who ſeeth not, but that to this end alſo this Admonition may now very fitly come foorth, when as all ſorts have ſo much buſines about the aduauncement of Religion, and when as there is a generall doubt of enimies alſo, and ſufficiently knowne, that (for the goſpel) they are not a little incenſed againſt us? Theſe reaſons therfore moving, I have thought good, now to take ſome further order for the publiſhing of this Admonition: and therewithall to ſhew thee, what reaſons moved me thereunto.
And now what remaineth, but that, VVhat benefit to take by the reading of itas the Prophet doth call upon us, God himſelfe hath notably provoked, and our owne eſtate doth much require: even ſo we addreſſe our ſelves to aunſwere this gratious calling of his, in ſtirring up our ſelves to a ſenſible feeling of that hand of God upon us, and, in turning our ſelves unto him in true repentance? Of theſe things I thought good a little to forewarne thee (gentle Reader): leaving thee now at thy good pleaſure, to the Treatiſe it ſelfe, and wiſhing thee to uſe it to the glory of him who ſo lovingly calleth, and to the benefite of thy ſelfe whom he would in no wiſe have to miſcary: which that thou maiſt the better do, I humbly beſeeche God to vouchſafe thee his bleſſing, and the direction of his holie ſpirite: and ſo I bid thee well to fare in Ieſus Chriſt.