John Trapp on Psalms 8:6

Verſ. 6. Thou madeſt him to have dominion, &c.] He had ſo at firſt, Gen. 1.26. and ſhall have again, Zech. 8.12. Rev. 21.7. mean while (though Rebellis facta eſt Creatura homini, quia homo numini, the Creature rebelleth againſt man, becauſe man doth againſt God; yet) we cannot but ſee ſome foot-ſteps remaining of that ancient Soveraignty,Tully. Plutarch. E[illegible: 1 letter]ncus. which the very Heathens alſo acknowledged, and there-hence fetched excellent Arguments for a Providence. Lions hate Apes, but fear men; though Simia quam ſimilis, turpiſſima beſtia, nobis: Hereof no probable reaſon can be given but this, That God hath put all things under mans feet; inſomuch as that the moſt timerous men dare kick and beat the hugeſt Elephants. Indeed by reaſon of Sin, as was ſaid, we ſee not all things ſubdued. Heb. 12.8. But why hath Nature denied to Horſes,Bodin. Theat. Nat. p 405. Aſſes, Camels, Elephants. Deer, &c. a Gall, which it hath given to Lions, Wolves, and other fierce Creatures? Surely herein appeareth the wonderful Wiſdom and goodneſs of God; who hath done this, that thoſe ſo ſerviceable Creatures might be the better tamed, and ſubdued by man. Let man conſider (ſaith one well) what excellency he hath loſt through Adams fall, and bewail his miſery. Let him alſo on the other ſide well weigh the grace beſtowed on him in Chriſt, and be joyful and thankful or mercy; knowing this, that if the Creatures be not now ſubjected unto us, it is by reaſon of the Body and relicks of Sin, that yet remain in us; and that therefore if we would have a conqueſt over the Creatures, we muſt begin firſt to get a victory upon ſin, or elſe we ſhall never profit that way.

Thou haſt put all things under his feet] The Earth hath its name from treading upon it; teaching us,Terra à teendo. 1 To trample upon earthly things, as baſe and bootleſs; not to dote upon them with out hearts, nor graſp them over greedily with our hands: as that covetous Cardinal Sylberperger, who took ſo great felicity in Mony, that when he was grievouſly tormented with the Gout, his only remedy to eaſe his pain was, to have a Baſon full of Gold ſet before him, into which he would put his lame hands, turning the Gold upſide down. But if Silver and Gold be a mans happineſs, then it is in the earth, and ſo (which is ſtrange) nearer Hell than Heaven, and ſo nearer the Devil than God. The ancient Romans had for a difference in their Nobility, a little ornament in the form of a Moon, to ſhew that all worldly things were mutable; and they wore it upon their ſhooes, to ſhew that they trod all under their feet. 2. By this poſture of all things sunder mans feet, God would teach him to uſe them as a Stirrop, for the raiſing of his heart to thoſe things above. A ſanctified fancy can make every Creature a Ladder to Heaven, and ſay with that Father, Si tanti vitreum, quanti verum margaritum? If this traſh be ſo highly eſteemed of, how much more the true Treaſure?