John Trapp on Habakkuk 1:12

Verſe 12. Art not thou from everlaſting, O Lord my God?] Art thou not Jehovah the unchangable, and ſhall we poor ſons of Jacob be utterly conſumed by theſe Chaldees?Mal. 3.7. Art not thou my God, my Judex & Vindex, who haſt hitherto judged and revenged my cauſe? and wilt thou now abandon me to the fary of ſuch an enemy? Art not thou mine Holy One, whom I have hitherto ſanctified in mine heart and life Eſay. 5.16. and whom I have avouched for mine Deut. 26.17. denoting my ſelf wholy to thy feare and ſervice? Art thou not all this and more then this, ſaith the Prophet, in the name and behalf of the Church here? Well then:

we ſhall not die] I am confident, and dare be bold to ſay it. Loe here the triumph of faith, and the top-gallant of it, We ſhall not die, (ſaith ſhe) abruptly but ſweetly that's ſure enough. She drinkes to the diſconſolate ſoule in a cup of Nepenthes, and ſaith, Courage my heart; Why art thou caſt down, O my ſoule! and why art thou diſquieted within me? hope in God. If hee be everlaſting ſo ſhalt thou, If he be thy God, and thine Holy One, thine in an inviolable covenant, in a league defenſive, and offenſive, ſhalt thou die? Lo tamuth, Thou ſhalt not die, (ſo ſome ſay, this text was anciently read) Lo Namuth, We will not die. So the Church promiſeth her ſelf upon the former promiſes: and ſuch an anſwer ſhee receiveth in her own heart to her former prayers. And whereas it might be objected, that they were likely to be little better then dead in the Babyloniſh captivity (for Mortis habet vices quae trahitur vita gemitibus, an afflicted life, is a lifeleſſe life) the Prophet anſwereth;

O Lord, thou haſt ordained them for judgement] i. e. the Chaldeans, (our oppreſſours) for puniſhment, for deſtruction, to burn thy rod, when thou haſt therewith whipped thy children. See Exod. 9.16.

and, O mighty God, (Heb. O rock) thou haſt eſtabliſhed them for correction] Heb. thou haſt founded them, ſc. thy people Iſrael: thou haſt thereunto appointed them, 1 Theſ. 3.3. thou haſt both founded and fitted them for thy fatherly chaſtiſements, who are therefore chaſtened of the Lord, that they may not be condemned with the world. See here the different kinds, and ends of good and bad mens ſufferings. It hath been noted before, that Almighty God as he is Piorum rupes, a rock of refuge to the truely religious, ſo he is Reorum ſcopulus, a rock of revenge, to daſh in pieces the impenitent: as Valer. Max. ſaith of L. Caſſius his tribunall.