John Trapp on Psalms 17:14

Verſ. 14. From men which are thy hand] This, ſaith one, is Davids Letany, From thoſe men, &c. good Lord deliver me. Gods hand they are called, as before Gods Sword. Titus, Son of Veſpaſian, being extolled for deſtroying Jeruſalem, ſaid, I have only lent God my hand, but he hath done the work.

From men of the World] Heb.A mortuis, i. e. impiis qui ſunt mortui in vits eorum. R. Gion. From Mortals of this tranſitory world, qui ſunt mundani, mundum ſpirant & ſapiunt, the inhabitants of the earth, and of the ſea, as oppoſed to the Citizens of the New Jeruſalem, Rev. 12.12. ſuch as having incarnated their ſouls (as that Father ſpeaketh) are of the earth, ſpeak of the earth, and the earth heareth them, Job. 3.31. mind earthly things only, as if they were born for no other purpoſe. Terrigene fratres animam habentes triticeam, as thoſe Stallfed beaſts in the Goſpel.

Which have their portion in this life] And they love to have it ſo; ſaying with the Prodigal, Give me the Portion that belongeth to me. They crave it, and they have it, but with a vengeance. (Munera magna quidens miſit, ſed miſit in hamo) As the Iſraelites had Quails to choke them, and afterwards a King to vex them, a table to be a ſnare to them, &c. By the way obſerve, that wicked men have a right to earthly things (a man muſt needs have ſome right to his portion; what Ananias had was his own whilſt be had it, Acts 5.) and it is a rigour to ſay, they are Uſurpers. As when the King gives a Traitor his life, hee gives him meat and drink that may maintain his life; So is it here: neither ſhall wicked men be called to account at the laſt day for poſſeſſing what they had, but for abuſing that poſſeſſion. As for the Saints who are heirs of the world with faithful Abraham, and have a double portion, even all the bleſſings of Heaven and of Earth conferred upon them, though here they be held to ſtrait allowance, let them live upon reverſions, and conſider that they have right to all, and ſhall one day have rule of all, Rev. 3. Mendicato pane hic vivamus, annon hoc pulchrè ſarcitur? &c. What though we here were to live upon Alms, ſaith Luther, is there not a good amends made us, in that here we have Chriſt the bread of life in his Ordinances, and ſhall hereafter have the full fruition of him in Heaven? The whole Turkiſh Empire is nothing elſe but a cruſt caſt by our Father to his Doggs; and it is all they are likely to have, let them make them merry with it. Wilt not thou (ſaith another) bee content, unleſs God let down the veſſel to thee, as to Peter with all manner of Beaſts of the Earth, and Fowls of the Air, Acts 10.12. Muſt you needs have firſt and ſecond courſe? Difficile eſt ut praeſentibus bonis quis fruatur & futuris; ut hic ventrem illic mentem reficiat, ut de delici[illegible: 1 letter]s ad delicias tranſeat, ut in coelo & in terra glorioſus appareat, ſaith Hierom, It is a very hard thing to have Earth and Heaven too, &c. Gregory the Great trembled whenſoever he read thoſe words of Abraham to the rich Glutton (who thought this life to be his ſaginary or boares-frank) Son, remember that thou in thy life time receivedſt thy good things, Luke 16. Yee have lived in pleaſure upon earth, Jam. 5.5. no fit place for ſuch a purpoſe. God did not turn you out of one Paradiſe that you ſhould here provide your ſelves of another; earth is a place of baniſhment and bondage. Of the wickeds proſperity here, ſee Job 21.7, 8. with the Notes.

And whoſe belly thon filleſt with thy bid treaſures] That is, with Gold, and other precious things digged out of the earth, ſaith Aben-Ezra; Opimis rebus, ſaith Junius; with abundance of outward bleſſings and benefits, ſaith another; which are called Gods hidden treaſures, not becauſe they are not ſeen, but becauſe they are not ſo well perceived and uſed of the ungodly, as were meet; or becauſe the reaſon of their preſent plenty of all things is hidden from them, and yet it appears not but ſhall bee made manifeſt that theſe fatting ware are but fitting for the ſlaughter.

They are full of Children] which they ſend forth as a flock, Job 21.11. See the Note there. Or, their Children are full carne porcinâ, ſaith the Arabick here, or of wordly wealth, and mountaines of mony left them by thoſe faithfull drudges, their rich, but wretched Parents and progenitours, whoſe only care was to heap up hoards of wealth for their poſterity.