Chap. 18. vsie Expífiti.i upon the ?3ook of Jos. Verf.Ita He can adde a finare to a net, a trap to a finare, a grinne to a trap,, orhecan let up more nets, more fnares,&c. till all the wilde beafta and ravenous birds be taken. Obferve; Laflly; wickedmen are to be nunebred among.57:tilde and hurtful( creatures. I note this from the allufionofhurting and fowling; they are either wilde or hurtful! creatures for whom we fet Mares and. traps ; no man lets a fnare to take a fGeepe, or agrinne to take a chicken, Beafts and fowles that will not cone to hand, or that prey upon thofe which come to hand, we defiroy with nets and. traps. God-would have us fee what wicked men are in the pro vifion he makes to take them ; they are ofa wilde nature , they are filch as care not for community , all their care is for them- (elves alone. Such is the nature of all wilde and favage crea- tures, they live to themfelves, they makenot a common flock,, nor Tooke to the publike, but every one is for himfelfe. ( Nah. 2. 12.) they are called Lyons, who teare in pieces enough for their whelpes, andflrangle for their Lyonefes , andfill their holes with prsy, and their dens with ravin and that's all the care they take;, ¡lift enough for their ownwives and children, whoare there cal- led their whelpes and Lyoneffes; Juft enough to fill their own holes orhoules, let others be as empty as they will, what's that to them. Let the publick fhift for it felfe. Such poffibly will pre- tend the Common-wealth, but they intend= onely their private wealth , or the publick no further then themfelves are concerned' in it , or may game by it. Is it not ¡nit that thofe men fhould be brought into a fnare, that every one fhould let up a trap, and ufe meanes to catch them. For as he is a good Common-wealths- man that feeds the fheepe , and takes care of oxen ; fo he is a good Common- wealths-man too, that Pets a fnare for Foxes and deftroys theWolfe. As in afpirituall reference it is a part of our duty to take the Foxes as well as to feed the fheepe, foallo in re- ference to civills. They who are like wilde naturall brute beaes, of a favage and hurtful! qualitie, are as the Aponte Peter fpeaks (2 Epift: 2. 12. )made to be taken anddeffroyed. God hath rai- fed them up( as he faithof Pharaoh) even for this fame purpofe, that he might/hew his power in theca, Thus.
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