Keach - Houston-Packer Collection BS537 .K4 1779

Part I. METAPHORS FROM THE KINDS (JF LIVING CREATUREs. 149 (7.) But if a Man fees a Wolf firft, the Beafl: lofes both Voice and Courage: So godly Men, who fear devilifl1 Temptations, and prepare themfelves for Rdifl:ance, can eaGiy by Prayer and divine Cries pm that malignant Enemy to fltght. . (8.) The Wolf mightily dreads Ftre and Swords: So the Devzl fears the Ltght of God's Word and Prayer, &c. which arc the Church's Weapons. H ence ChrJfoflom faid, that Swords are not fo terrible to Wolves as the PraJers of the Godly are to the Devil. Seducers and falfe Teachers are called Wolves, Arts xx. 29. I know that after my De– parturejballgrie·vous (or ravenous Wolves) en/er in among you, where we are to note the Epithet, for it is not faid Wolves, but ravenous ·wolves; for there are fame more _ra– pacious than others. Oppianus and other learned Men fay .rhat there are a certam Ktnd of Wolves, whtch are called "P""'Y"' Snatchers or ravemng Wolves. Thefe are the "fwifrefl: Sort, and go out very early to Prey, and invade with a terrible Onfer, they are very unfatiable and craving, and inhabit Mountains, yet of fuch Impudence that in the Winter thev come to the very Cities, and behave themfdves qlllerly till an Op– portunity of feizing upon a Lamb, young Goat or orher Prey offers, which they carry away, ro which the Patriarch feems to allude, Gen. xlix. 27. 1. As Wolves are faid to take away a Man's Voice: So falfe Teachers take away the Purity of the heavenly Doctrine and vVor!hip of God. 2. The Wolf is fo cruel and devouring, that he kills not only what would ferve his Belly, but the whole Flock, if let alone: So Heretics aim not at the Defl:ruction of one or two, but the whole Church. 3· As the Wolf is moll: crafty, and filently approaches the Sheepfold to know whe– ther the Dogs be aOeep, or the Shepherd wanting, _or whether they are carelefs and negligent, and fo watches a fit Occafion to defl:roy the Flock, and fuck their Blood : So Heretics before they propofe their manifefl: and apparent Errors, flily infinuate themfelves into the good Opinion of Men, and with wretched Hypocrify and Sophill:ry counterfeit much Piety, Humility and angelica! Sanctimony, boafl:ing of peculiar Illu– minations and Communion with God ; thus when they have purchafed a good Repute they inll:il their Venom into the Minds of their unwary Profelytes, till they wholly corrupt them. 4· lt is faid that even after Death there remains a natural Antipathy between a Wolf and a Sheep, infomuch that if the Skin of each be made into a Drum, (as a learned Naturalifl: * obferves) the very Sound of the Wo!Ps Skin breaks the other, and that if their Guts be made into Viol (or Lute) Strings it is impofiible to tune them to Unifons or one Sound: So the perverfe Doctrine of Heretics does Mifchief in the Church, even when the Heretics themfelves are dead. 5· As the Wolf at the Approach of Peril betakes himfelf to flight privately: So H e– retics fkulk in Time of Perfecution, and withdraw moll: cowardly. 6. By the Attic Laws (and . fo in Ireland at this Day) Wolf-killers were confiderably rewarded; fo they deferve Pra~fe and Encouragement that detefl: the Fraud, Sophill:ry, and lmptety of thofe Wolves, that would defl:roy the Flock of Chrifl:. The Wolf difappointed of his Prey walks abom with an open or gaping Mouth; fo Heretics thirfl: for the Blood of the Orthodox. And as the Cubs or Whelps of Wolves are killed although they have yet committed no Mifchief; fo the Fry and Difciples of wicked He: relics ought to be bridled, and Care taken to prevent, that they invenom not the Church . fo far Franzitts. ' A LEOPARD is a fierce and fwift Creature, and carries the Notion of Cruelty and Enmity in the Scripture, 'Jer. v. 6• . That a FOX denotes Heretics, and the Church's Enemies, Cant. ii. 15. Lam. v. 18. ts the Judgment of _Jnte;preters. As Fra~r:dus Hifl. Animal. p. 19r, &c. ThatChrijl called Herod a Fox IS evtdent from Lukex111. 32. by Reafon of his .treacherous Plots, with whtch he privately contrived to intrap him. Erafmus in his Paraphraft- Co a11d ~ell that Fox who confides in human Craft, and believes he can do any thing again.ft the Ma– JeJIY and C.?"'ifel of Cod, &c. Thts was the Fox that would betray that Hen we read of Mat:. xxm. 37· whtch ts produced by Vvay of excellent Similitude to denote the moll: gracwus Care and loving Kindnefs of God to his Church, &c. ·• · Hijl. Animal.pag. 213. Q_q 'A HIND

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