John Trapp on Nahum 3:15

Verſe 15. There ſhall the ſire devour thee] There, that is, in thy ſtrong-holds, where thou thinkeſt thy ſelf moſt ſafe. Theſe ſhall be to thee pro carcere & piſtrino, for a priſon, or little-eaſe; when the fire of Gods wrath ſhall kindle upon thee, the fire of warre ſhall conſume thee. See Amos 1.4. Joel 1.19. and 2.3, 30. Amos 7.4 with the Notes. Evil ſhall hunt the violent man to deſtroy him, Pſal. 140.11. neither muſt he think to be ſafe any where from divine vengeance, Amos 9.2, 3. Pſal. 139.7, 8, 9, 10. Obad 4. which will not ſuffer them to live, as thoſe Barbarians could tell, Acts 28.4. The Heathens, called Nemeſis, or Vengeance, [non-Latin text not transcribed]; to ſhew that no guilty perſon could ſhun it. Shufle he may for a ſeaſon from ſide to ſide, as Balaams aſſe did, to avoid the Angels ſword;Num. 22.27. but at length lay down under it, and ſo condemned her maſters madneſſe, 2 Pet. 2.16. Running in to God, is the onely beſt way to eſcape him: as to cloſe and get in with him that would ſtrike you, doth avoid the blow.

the ſword ſhall cut thee off] Eſt haec vehemens planè comminatio, ſaith Gualther. This is truely a very vehement threat. See how thick it falls like hail-ſhot upon them, that they can hardly take breath: and all too little to work upon their hard hearts, which could not repent. Theſe uncounſellable Ninevites were like the Smiths dog. whom neither the hammers above him, nor the ſparks of fire falling round about him can awake. Like Leviathan, they eſteemed iron as ſtraw, and braſſe as ro[illegible: 1 letter]ten wood. Darts were counted by them as ſtubble, they laughed at the ſhaking of the ſpear, Job 41.27, 29. It is proper to Gods people to tremble at his word, to ſtand in awe of his judgements, whileſt they yet hang in the threatnings. Wicked men flear, when they ſhould fear; and ſay in their hearts when God threateneth them, as Frederick the ſecond, Emperour of Germany was wont to ſay openly, in the greateſt threatning of his enemies, Minarum ſtrepitus, Aſinorum crepitus.

It ſhall eat thee up as the canker-worm] Which uſeth to make quick diſpatch, and clean work. See Joel 1. & 2. to ſhear all afore it.

make thy ſelf many] Heb. Weighty with multitude: ſo that the axle-tree of the earth may ſeem to groan under thy grandeur and maſſineſſe. Do this thou, O king of Nineveh (for the Hebrew Verb here is Maſculine.) Do the like thou, O city of Nineveh.

make thy ſelf many as the Locuſt] Which hath its name in Hebrew from multitude: becauſe, as that Legion in the Goſpel, they are many: and here the Hebrew V[illegible: 1 letter]rb is [illegible: 1 letter]emini[illegible: 2 letters]. Miniſters muſt lay about them on all hands; and bee ready to turn themſelves, as it were, into all ſhapes and faſhions, both of ſpeech and of ſpirit, to bring people to the knowledge of God, and his will, of themſelves, and their duties.