BookiJ. G 0 D COMPARED TO A M 0 T H. SIMILE. xvii. 8. In the Field let a Bear rob– bed of her Whelps, meet a Man, ra– ther than a Fool i11 his Folly, Prov. xvii. 12. She is fierce at all Times, as was hinted before ; but above all, if lhe be robbed of her Whelps. PARALLEL.' their Skins off, and burned them •at the Stake to Afhes, and put them to all the horrid Tortures they could devife? If God will meet his own Peo– ple, if they will fin againtl: him, and provoke him, as a Bear bereaved of her Whelps; how will he meet Baby/on, bloody and mercilefs Pa– pijls, and other curfed Perfecutors of his People? '.the Day of Vengeance, faith he, is in my Heart, and the rear of Recompences: For the Controverjj of Zionhe willjlrike through Kings, in the Day of his fierce Wrath. Shall not God avenge the Cauft of his own E!ec7, that cry unto him Day and Night? rea. be will avenge them JPecdily, anti come forth againjl their Enemies, as a Bear bereaved of her Whelps. G 0 D COMPARED TO A M 0 T H. I will be unto Ephraim as a Moth, Hof v. 12. THAT we may underftand the Nature and ~1ali.ty of this littl~ Creature, and the Reafon of the Comparifon, rhe Parallel following is offered, with a practical Ap– plication. The Scope of the Text is a Denunciation of a ftrange Judgment, which lhall corrode and confume them ; the Caufe and Ground of which is delivered in the preceding Verfes, viz. becaufe they have refiftedthe Commands of t;iod, and followed the wicked Commands of Jeroboam, and hts Pnnces: 'I'hcrcfore, fatth God, I will be unto Ephraim as a Moth. Obferv. 'I'hat God, in bringing Judgments and Miferies upon a rebellious People, will be • as a Moth. And in what refpetl:s take as followeth. SIMILE. I. A Moth is a Creature, that corrodes or devours exceed– ingly, whatever Garment or Cloth it doth feize upon, and makes it good for very little. II. A Moth will not only eat Woollen Cloth, and Garments of a low Price, but thofe that are very rich, y,ea, cotl:ly Velvets, as Expe– rience lhews. PARALLEL. I. GOD, when he breaks forth upon a People or Nation in a way of Judgment and Wrath, deftroys and makes all defolate therein. Behold therefore, I will jlretch out my Hand upon thee, and will deliver theefor a Spoil to the Heathen, and I will cut thee offfrom the People, and I will cauft thee to perijh: I will dejlroy thee, and thou Jhalt know that I am the Lord, Ezek. xxv. 7• I!. God, when he comes forth to fpoil a Peo– ple or Nation for their Sins, will not fpare the Rich more than the Poor, the King more than the Peafant: All muft expect to tafte alike of the fame Cup. As they have finned together, they muft all fuffer together. Ill. A Moth comes not upon Ill. God will not come upon ,a holy and godly fuch Cloth and Garments, as are People and Nation, to fpoil and deftroy like a carefully and wifely kept from Duft Moth, thofe that labor to keep themfelves pure_ and Filth : And therefore thofe and clean from the Dutl: and Filth of Sin, and Writers, *that mention the hurtful the Corruptions of this World; fuch need not fear. Nature of this Creature, advife to that God will be as a Moth to them. cleanfe, and keep fuch Things as _ are fubjeCi to this Creature from all Duft and Filth whatfoever, and then they need not fear the Moth ; and defcribe the Vjays and Means, how it may be done*. IV. A Moth eats and devours IV. God fometimes comes fecretly upon a Peo, Garments fecretly ; you may not pie, in a way of Wrath; he furprizes them on a quickly fpy him out; he makes no fudden, comes on them, as Travail upon a Wo, Noife of his coming; you cannot man with Child. They h.ave though1 themfelves • 1opfo/Hifi. of four-footed Beafh, p. uoo, 1101. fafe
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