152 METAPHORS FROM THE KINDS OF LIVING CREATUREs. Book I. antl Epicurean Hogs. But what the Conclulion and Rewqrd of fuch Do<>s and Swine will be, appears, Rev. xxii. I 5, &c. 0 lfa. lvi. I o. '!'bey are all dumb Dogs they cannot bark, this is a Defcription of falfe Teachers, who, when they ought to fpeak with Refpecl: to Matter and Time were filent, and forfook their Office. On the other Hand, Verfe 11. it is faid, tbat they are greedy Dogs which can never beJatisfied, which denotes their unfatiable Covetoufnefs. Phi!. iii. 2. Fa!Je Apoflles, and fa lie Prophets are CJlled Dogs becaufe they have Qcia– lities like Dogs, as Impudence, Calumny, or currifi1 Biting, and Voracity or Covetouf. nefs. There are three Kinds of Dogs. 1. Such as are chained up and bark at every Paffenger if unknown to them, bite the Stones thrown at them, and yet are pacified by a Bit of Bread: So Heretics that are the Slaves or Captives of Satan, bark to have the Scripture theirs, though the Senfe be unknown to them, and quarrel with Scripture Objections made againft them, and as it were bite it, by their falfe Interpretations, but yet are fatisfied by the fat Morfels of Benefices, &c. 2. Hunting Dogs, who purfue and feize upon Beafts: So the Heretics perfecute the Orthodox. , 3· Ravening or preying Dogs, whom pertinacious Arch-Heretics imitate. A SHEEP is frequently ufed in a Metaphor, as well as an Allegory and exprefs Simi– litude. And becaufe the Explication of this metaphorical Speech is obvious every– where, we !hall difpatch what we have to fay here about it briefly. The Faithful and Godly are calledSheep, and the Church, the Flock, Pfal. lxxviii. and c. 3· lfa. v. 17. Ezek. xxxvi. 38. Johnx. 15, 16, z6, 27. and xxi. 15, I6, I7· /Jfls xx. 28. Heb. xiii. 20. 1 Pet. v. z. To this belong intire Allegories and Parables, taken from the State and keeping of Sheep, Pfal. xxiii. Ezek. xxxiv. John x. Sometimes by way of OppoGtion, as Sheep iignify Believers, becaufe of their Simp/i. city, Patience, Purit)', Obedience, Fruitfulmfs, and Profit, Ezek. xxxiv. 16, 17. Matt. xxv. 32, 33· So Goats or Rams fignify Unbelie-vers in the Texts !aft cited, b<caufe of their Petulancy or Boldnefs. GOATS or RAMS fignify the Captains or Governors of the People, lfa. xiv. 6. Zech. x. 3· See Jer. l. 8. 'J'o FEED, pafccre, which Term is properly fpoken of Flocks of Sheep, is frequently tranOated to Men, and fignifies to rule and govern, if applied to M ugiftrates: But if fpoken ofMinijfers, it denotes to teach, and govern accordrng to the Rule of God's Word. Examples of the former may be read, Gm. xlix. 24. 2 Sam. v. 2. 1 Chron. xi. 2. Pfal.lxviii. 71. Ifa. xliv. 28. Jer. xii. 10. xxiii. I, 2, 4· and I. 6. Zech. x. 3· and xi. 3• 8. Rev. ii. 27. and xix. 15. Of the latter, Jer. xvii. 16. and iii. •5· John xxi. 15, x6. Afls xx. 28. Eph. iv. 1t. 1Pet. v. 2, 3• &c. See Prov. x. 21. xiii. 20. xxix. 3· and xxii. 24. A SERPEN'I' is brought, Gen. iii. IS· to denote the Devil, becaufe (lurking in a natural Serpent) he feduced Man, and the Head of the Serpent denotes the chief Power, Rule, Tyranny, and Virulence of Devils. The fame Appellation, as alfo that of a Dragon, we meet with Rev. xii. 7• 9· and xx. 2. Hence the Wicked are called the Ge– neration of Vipers, Malt. iii. 7· xii. 34· and xxiii. 33· Luke iii. 7· See John viii. 44· 1 John iii. 8. '!'he Eggs of an Ajp, Adder, or Cockatrice, out of which thofe venomous Creatures are produced, are metaphorically pur to fignify the Malice and Perverfenefs of their Minds, lfa. Jix. 5· '!'he Poifon of Ajps, denotes filthy, naughty Speeches, Calum– nies and Blafphemies, Pfa!. ex!. 3· Rom. iii. I3· Jer. viii. 17. Serpents, biting Cock– atrices, fignify the Cha!deans, the cruel and implacable Enemies of the Jews, J•b xx. 14, 16. the Gall, Head, and 'I'ongue of Afps, is put for a very mifchievous and deadly Thing: So the AJP and the Bojt!ijk, are pur for extreme Perils. In two orher Places a Serpmt has a different Signification from thefe, as Gen. xlix. I 7· The Appellation and Action of a Serpent is attributed to the Tribe of Dan, becaufe of a certain Likenefs: For as a Serpent hurts Men by Craft and Treachery, fo rhe Danites made ufe of Sub– tlety and Stratagems as the facred H :: ory telli6es, as when·they went to furprife Laifh, Judges xviii. And Sampfon by Strata'' m, not by open War, deftroyed fo many of the .Philiftines, Judges xiv, &c. The P .q ifls wreft this Text to · denote /!ntichrijf which they
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