John Trapp on Malachi 4:3

Verſe 3. And ye ſhall tread down the wicked] Chriſt the Champion of his Church hath already won the field, and will ſhortly ſet his peoples feet upon the necks of all their enemies. The broken horns of Satan himſelf ſhall be the trumpets of their triumph and the cornets of their joy Rom. 16.20. See what honour all the ſaints have in this reſpect Pſal. 149.7, 8, 9. See what comfort Ioh. 16.33. See what conqueſts Rom. 8.37. How much more at the laſt day, when the thrones ſhall be ſet &c. Mat. 19.28. Rabbi David Kimchi, underſtands this text of temporall victories only. And no wonder, as being a Jew, and minding earthly things, he aſcends no higher. Such graſhoppers, if at any time they leap above the earth, they ſoon fall down to it again: and as they are of the earth, ſo they ſpeak of the earth, and the earth heares them. Ioh. 3.31. Petrus à Figuiero writing upon thoſe words in the former chapter ver. 12. For ye ſhall be a delightſome land, Nota modum loquendi, ſaith He: Mark that expreſſion, He ſaith not your land ſhall be a delightſome land, but ye ſhall be &c. Fortè exim tacitè Judaeos percellit terrameos vocando. It may be the Lord hereby cloſely meets with them for their earthly mindedneſſe: as thoſe that by promiſe of earthly bleſſings, were ſooneſt prevailed with to ſerve God, when as theſe ſhould have been but as ſteps or ſtirrops to mount their hearts up to a deſire of the things above. Victory in their ſenſe is doubtleſſe a ſpeciall mercy: and is ſo promiſed to the obedient Deut. 28.13. The Lord ſhall make thee the head only and not the taile: and thou ſhalt be above only, and not beneath &c. Hence the Iſraelites, delivered from the Egyptians at the red ſea, ſang The Lord is a man of warr Exod. 15.3. the Chaldee there hath it, The Lord and Victour of Warrs. The Grecians delivered from the Perſians (vanquiſhed and driven out by Themiſtocles) called their Jupiter, thereupon [non-Latin text not transcribed] The Deliverer. It was the thankfull acknowledgement of Generall, Captaines, and ſouldiers at Edge-hill-fight, that the Lord was ſeen in the Mount, Never leſſe of man in ſuch a buſineſſe, never more of God. But what ſhall it proſit a man to conquer countries,2 Tim. 2.26. and yet be vanquiſhed of vices? to tread upon his enemies, and yet be taken captive by the devill at his pleaſure? to command the whole world, as thoſe Perſian kings, and yet were commanded by their concubines, ſo by their baſe luſts, by yeelding whereunto they give place unto the very devill, and receive him into their very boſomes Eph. 4.26. who therehence leads them away naked and barefoot, as the Aſſyrian did the Egyptians Iſa. 29.2. How much better Valentinian the Emperour, who ſaid upon his deathbed that among all his victories over his enemies this one only comforted him, viz. that by the grace and power of Chriſt Jeſus he had got the better of his corruptions, and was now more then a Couquerour, even a Triumpher.

for they ſhall be aſhes under the ſoles of your feet] Even the aſhes of that ſtubble burnt in Chriſts oven Verſe 1. This ſhewes their utter and ignominious deſtruction. And the like is foretold of myſticall Babylon Rev. 18. Tota eris in cineres quaſi nunquam Roma fuiſſes, ſang Sibylla of old. Fiat, Fiat. Our corruptions alſo ſhall one day be incinerated (they are already buried Rom. 6.4. Col. 2.12.) the fiery ſpirit of Chriſt will do with the body of ſin, as the King of Moab did with the King of Edom Am. 2.1. burn its bones into lime.

In the day that I ſhall do this] ſc. partly here, but perfectly at the laſt day. Mean while ſinne may rebel in Gods people, but it cannot raigne. Satan may nibble at their heele, but he cannot come at their head: the world may kill them, but cannot hurt them: Re of good chear, ſaith Chriſt, I have overcome the world, Joh. 16.33. All evils and enemies ſhall cooperate for their good, Rom. 8.28.

ſaith the Lord of Hoſts] Who hath alſo ſaid, Heaven and earth ſhall paſſe, but not one jot or tittle of my word &c.