John Trapp on Nahum 1:9

Ver. 9. What do ye imagine againſt the Lord?] becauſe againſt his people. So Pſal. 62.3. How long will ye imagine miſchief againſt a man? ye ſhall be ſlaine all of you: as a bowing wall ſhall ye be, and as a tottering fence. The blind and bloody Ninivites looked no further then the Jewes whom they invaded: they conſidered not that God was ingaged in the quarrel of his people. This made the Virgin daughter of Zion, confident of Gods help, ſhake her head in ſcorn and pitty at them, ſaying, Whom haſt thou reproached and blaſphemed? and againſt whom haſt thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even againſt the holy One of Iſrael. Iſai. 37.22, 23. She knew well (though her enemies knew not) that as an unskilfull archer in ſhooting at a beaſt hitteth a man ſometimes: ſo the Churches adverſaries, in troubling of her, trouble Almighty God, who will not faile to be even with them: for he that toucheth Gods people, toucheth the apple of his eye Zach. 2.8. Saul, Saul. why perſecuteſt thou me [illegible: 1 letter] Act. 9.4. It was a ſimple queſtion of Satan to our Saviour, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. what have I to do with thee? whileſt he vexed a ſervant of his. Hath he his name from knowledge, and yet could he ſo miſtake himwhom he confeſſed to be the ſon of the living God? It is an idle miſpriſion to-ſever the ſenſe of an injury done to any of the members, from the head. Druſius reades the text thus, Quid cogitatis de Domino? what think ye of the Lord? what conceit or opinion have ye of him? Doe ye imagine that he cannot performe what he threateneth by his Prophets? or that he cannot, when he pleaſeth, deliver his people out of your hand?

he will make an utter end] Not a conſumption only, but a conſummation: This he is even doing, as the Hebrew hath it: he is buſy about it, and will not faile to ſiniſh it: for he uſeth not to do his work to the halves. Surely a ſhort work will the Lord make in your land, now that he taketh you to do, certo, cito, penitus.

aſſliction ſhall not riſe up the ſecond time] God will diſpatch you at one blow. See a like expreſſion 1 Sam. 26.8. Niniveh had many bruſhes before, by Phraortes king of Medes and his ſon Ciaxares, and afterwards by the Scythians, whereof See Ier. 49.34. and by Aſtyages &c. Now N[illegible: 1 letter]buchadnezzar was appointed by God to make an utter end of it &c. The wicked ſhall totally and finally be conſumed at once. Not ſo the Saints: theſe he corrects with a rod, thoſe with a grounded ſtaffe Eſa. 32.32. Theſe in mercy and in meaſure. in the bunches only, he ſtayeth his rough wind in the day of the Eaſt-wind Eſa. 27.8. he ſtayeth ſuch afflictions as would ſhake his plants too much, or quite blow them down. But to the wicked he hath no ſuch tender reſpect: he ſmites them at the root, and, after many blowes, he reſolves to have them down. For inſtance: compare Gods different dealing with Noah and the old world, with Lot and the Sodomites, Iſrael and the Canaanites, Moſes and Pharaoh, David and Saul &c. Fret not therefore thy ſelf becauſe of evill-doers Pſal. 37.1. when the wicked ſpring as the graſſe, and when all the workers of iniquity do ſlouriſh: it is that they ſhall be deſtroyed for ever. Pſal. 92.7. Pharaoh bad faire way made him till he came to the midſt of the ſea: not one wave may riſe up againſt him to wet ſo much as the hoof of his horſe. It was a faire Sun-ſhine-day when Lot went out of Sodome: but ere night there f[illegible: 1 letter]ll out a diſmall change. It was in the Spring that the flood came, then when every thing was in its prime and pride: beſides that, the world never more flouriſhed in wealth, peace, arts, and all magnificence: yet ſudden deſtruction came upon them, they were all at once buried in one univerſall grave of waters.