John Trapp on Habakkuk 1:13

Verſe 13. Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil] ſc. with patience, and without puniſhing it. This I am right ſure of: and therefore cannot but conclude, that thou wilt take an order with our oppreſſours, thou wilt one day pay them home, for the new and the old, though for a time they ruffle, and revell in our ruines. God, as he is [non-Latin text not transcribed], All-eye, neither can we be at any time from under his view: ſo [non-Latin text not transcribed]; He hath an Holy eye, that cannot behold evil, and bear with it. Hence that of Joſhuah to the people, chap. 24.19. Ye cannot ſerve the Lord, ſc. unleſſe ye firſt throw all your luſts out of ſervice: for hee is an holy God, he is a jealous God: he will not forgive your tranſgreſſions, nor your ſinnes. Now therefore, if Cave, ſpectat Cato, was ſuch a forcible watch-word among the Romans, and a Retentive from evil; Take heed, Cato ſeeth you, and will puniſh you; How much more ſhould this prevail with Chriſtians, Cave, videt Dominus, Take heed, the Lord beholdeth? Ne pecees, Deus ipſe videt, bonus Angelus aſtat, &c. Surely, as they were wont to ſay at Rome concerning cowards, that they had nothing Roman in them: ſo may it be ſaid of ſuch as ſtand not in awe of Gods pure eyes, and dreadfull preſence, that they have nothing Chriſtian in them, what ever they pretend: ſith it is every godly mans care, and comfort to be in the fear of the Lord all the day, to walk evermore in the ſenſe of his preſence, and light of his countenance.

and canſt not look on iniquity] Heb. And to look on iniquity thou canſt not do it. Lo, this is one of thoſe things that God cannot do: as he cannot he: hee cannot die, he cannot deny himſelf: ſo here, he cannot look on iniquity, ſc. with approbation, or delight. He cannot but hate it: and (as the next thing to hatred, is revenge) he cannot but puniſh it, ſuch is the holineſſe of his nature, Pſal. 5.4, 5, 6. He hateth ſinne naturally, as we hate poiſon for it ſelf: and therefore let it be in a toad, or in a Princes cabbin, we hate it ſtill. Nevertheleſſe, it muſt be remembred for our comfort, that like as we hate poiſon in a toad, but pity it in a man, becauſe in the one it is their nature, in the other their diſeaſe: So ſinne, maketh wicked men the object of Gods hatred, but the ſaints, of his pity: and accordingly, he chaſtiſeth the one, but plagueth the other.

Wherefore lookeſt thou upon them that deal treacherouſly] And yet, ſuch is thy tolerance, ſeemeſt to take no notice of their treſpaſſes, and treacheries; which I am ſure thou hateſt with a perfect hatred. Here then the Prophet diſceptat potius ſecum, quam cum ipſo Deo, ſaith Calvin, conteſteth, rather with himſelf then with God, aboutthe ordering of thingshere below. He doth not queſtion the divine providence, becauſe good men ſuffer, bad men proſper, as Ariſtotle did. Hee doth not ſay with Pompey, when diſcomfited by Caeſar, that there was a miſt, at leaſt, over the eye of providence: ſo blaming the Sun becauſe of the ſoreneſſe of his own blear eyes. Hee doth not impatiently cry out with Brutus defeated, [non-Latin text not transcribed] O wretched Vertue, or, O hard fortune. But he modeſtly expoſtulateth with the Lord about his proceedings, having before juſtified him: and now dareth not reprehend what he cannot yet ſo fully comprehend: but putting his mouth in the duſt, concludeth with David, after ſome conflict with his own doubtings, I know, O Lord, that thy judgements are right, and that thou in faithfulneſſe (non ad exitium, ſed ad exercitium, and that thou mighteſt be true to my ſoul) haſt afflicted me, Pſal. 119.75.

and holdeſt thy tongue] And ſo,Quitacet, conſentire videtur by ſilence, ſeemeſt to conſent (as the Civilians rule is) but thou ſeemeſt ſo onely, Pſal. 50.21. Or, Art thou deaf? Nor ſo neither, Pſal. 50, 3.

when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then hee] i. e. The Chaldees deſtroy the Jewes, which were ſome of them better then they: and the reſt were therefore the worſe, becauſe they ought to have been better. The truth is, none are ſo bad as they that either have been good and are not; or that might have been better, but would not.