An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…

There are creatures of little strength which have much craft, others have little craft but much strength, in some both meet together; and among them we may number the Lion, he is a crafty one as well as a strong one; he hath his covert, there he waits for his prey. We may parallel men with beasts in this regard; among them some are strong but not crafty, others are crafty but not strong, and not a few are both. Such David compared to a Lion (Psal. 10.4, 8, 9.) The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God: What will he seek after then? the 8th. and 9th. verses tell us, He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages, in the secret places doth he murder the innocent, his eyes are privily set against the poor, he lieth in wait secretly, as a Lion in his den, he lieth in wait to catch the poor, he doth catch the poor when he draweth him into his net: He croucheth and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones. Thus the subtle practices of a wicked man are set forth, by the subtlety of the Lion. He coucheth and croucheth, he waits for the innocent, he draws him into his net; he first entangles him, and then devours him. David gives a like description of evil men in another place (Psal. 17.11, 12.) They have now compassed us in our steps, they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth; like as a Lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young Lion lurking in secret places. These Scriptures plainly show the natural subtlety of the Lion, waiting in his covert that he may do mischief unawares; and that in this piece of mischievous policy wicked men are not behind him, they show as plainly.

There are creatures of little strength which have much craft, others have little craft but much strength, in some both meet together; and among them we may number the Lion, he is a crafty one as well as a strong one; he hath his covert, there he waits for his prey. We may parallel men with beasts in this regard; among them some are strong but not crafty, others are crafty but not strong, and not a few are both. Such David compared to a Lion (Psal. 10.4, 8, 9.) The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God: What will he seek after then? the 8th. and 9th. verses tell us, He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages, in the secret places doth he murder the innocent, his eyes are privily set against the poor, he lieth in wait secretly, as a Lion in his den, he lyeth in wait to catch the poor, he doth catch the poor when he draweth him into his net: He croucheth and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones. Thus the subtle practices of a wicked man are set forth, by the subtlety of the Lion. He coucheth and croucheth, he waits for the innocent, he draws him into his net; he first entangles him, and then devours him. David gives a like description of evil men in another place (