Chap. o an £xpfitionupon the BookpfJ o s. fa toot' if thou canft . God had faid before., Abaft every onethat is proud, andbrisog him low; nowhe faith,7read downthe wicked. Tread them down, Mmire in the street We tread upon vile and contemptible things. To treadupon any thing , a perfone- fpecially, notes utter contempt of him,and absolute conquefl over him ; and therefo:e (souk, 10. 24.) to (hew- the compleat vi- &orywhich the Lordspeople had got over the Kings of Canaan, fofhuacailedfor all the men of Israel, and[aid unto the Captains of the men of war which went with him , Comenear, putyour feet up- on the necks of theft Kings ; and theycame near , andput their feet upon the necks. of them. And that's it which the Apottle gives (in way of promife) as anaflurance of our conquefi over the evil spi- rit, the devil (Rom. r 6. zo.) God (hall bruife (weput in the Mar- gin, tread ; the Greekword fïgnifies,rob:uife by treading; god pall tread) Satanunder your fretshortly, that is, God will give you a full and a final viétory over the devil. Wehave a like ex- pr eflìonor promife (Pfal.9 r. t 3.) Thoushalt treadupon the lion and adder ; the young lion, and the dragon; (halt thou trampleunder feet. Godwill give his people power , not onely over hurtful beaufs , but over men, which are hurtful as chofe beasts , and o- ver Satan, who iseeminently Ghadowed by the Lion , the Adder, the young Lion, and the Dragon ; in that evil fpirit all chefe evilbeafts are trodden under feet, that is, fubdued and con- quered. When David would thew how he (in cafe he were faulty) was willing to be made a very flave to his enemies , he phrafes it thus(Pfal. 7. 5.) Let the enemy perfecutemy foal and take tt, yea,let him tread down my life upon the earth , and lay mine ho- nour in the daft ; that is , let him have full power over me, let me be at his mercy , though he be mercileffe. Once more (faith the Church', Pfd. 44.5.) Through thee will wepup down our ene- mies, through thy name will we tread themdown that rife upagainff us. Thus the Lord befpake fob, Come , faith he, Let me feeyou tread down the wieked,getan abjoluteconquefi over them, that they may rife upno more in this world to do wickedly. Tread down Thewicked. Theword wicked is often taken largely, fo'everyman in a fitful (late, may be called a wicked man ; every perfonunconverted or unregenerate, every perfon that bath not true grace , is wicked. F f f f z There V. i2, 587
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=