John Trapp on Zephaniah 1:12

Verſe 12. I will ſearch Jeruſalem with candles] which yet he needs not do, ſith the darkneſſe hideth not from him, but the night ſhineth as the day: the darkneſſe and the light are to him alike, Pſal, 139.12. Confer Iob 34.22. Ier. 23.24. Deo obſcura lucent, muta reſpondent, ſilentium confitetur, Night will convert it ſelf into noon before God, and ſilence become a ſpeaking evidence. His eyes alſo are a flaming fire, that needs no outward light, but ſees by ſending out a ray &c. but when Jeruſalem is threatened to be ſearched with lig[illegible: 1 letter]ts, the meaning is, that it ſhall be ſet all upon a light fire, and the inhabitants ferretted out of their lurking-holes, their Princes and potentates pulled out of privies and ſepulchers by the purſuing enemy, as Hierome out of Joſephus here affirmeth they once were. Beſides that, they ſhall be brought to a particular and punctuall account for their ſins: God will be very exact and accurate with them that way; ſetting all their evill deeds in order before their eyes Pſal. 50.21. and bringing wrath upon them to the utmoſt 1 Theſ. 2.16. This is fearefull Pſal. 130.3. and ſhall be fulfilled eſpecially at the laſt day, when wicked men ſhall give an account minutatim of all their Atheiſticall thoughts Pſal. 14.1. ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard ſpeeches which ungodly ſinners have ſpoken againſt him Iude 15. with the whole world flaming about their eares 2 Pet. 3.7, 10, 12. 1 Cor 4.5. 2 Theſ. 1.8.

and puniſh the men that are ſettled on their lees] Coagulati curded or thickened, congealed and condenſed: that are habituated and hardned in their evill practiſes, that have got a ſward, nay a hoof upon their hearts; that have brawny breaſts, and horny heart-ſtrings; that ſtick ſtifly in the mire of their ſins as Moab Ier. 48.11. and, being deeply drowned in the world, are deſperately divorced from God, whom they baſely fancy to be a God of clouts, one that howere he ſpeak big words, yet will do neither good nor hurt.

—mibi haec mortalia curat.

that ſay in their hearts] As that ſapleſſe fellow doth Pſal. 14.1. Some ſet their mouths againſt heaven, and ſhame not to utter their reaſonings and reſolutions of this kind. Theſe are Epicuri de gregiporci: ſuch as was Lucretius, Diageras, [non-Latin text not transcribed] Herace with his —credat Iudaeus apella.Herat. ſerm. Nonego, nam que deos didici ſecuum agere aevum &c. Let the Jews beleeve a Providence: not I &c. ſaith that profane Poet. But behold here were Jews yea and that in good Ioſiah's dayes, that ſaid in their hearts (thoſe feculent hearts of theirs, full of dregs and droſſe.)

the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evill] Nec benè pro meritis capitur, nec tangitur ira. Of ſuch practicall Athieſts that ſay in their hearts there is no God, and live thereafter, there are great ſtore even amongſt us: of ſuch duſt-heaps we may find in every corner. And when men are once arrived at this Terra del Fuogo this deſperate degree of Atheiſme, what wonder though they run riot in all ſinfull licentiouſneſſe.