Book IV. WICKED MEN F 0 0 L S. 773 SIMILE. VIII. Is not he a Fool, that feeds on Hulks, Gravel, and Allies, and yet thinks he feeds on the beft Food? He Jives among Swine, and feeds as they feed, and yet is contented? PARALLEL. VIII. Wicked Men are faid in the holy Scrip– tures to feed on Hulks, Gravel, and Allies, by which is meant the Pleafures, Profits, and H o– nors of this \\'orld; for what is it that they feed upon, or take delight in, but thefe Things ? !fa. xlv. 20. Take away their outward Enjoyments, or the Comforts of this World, and their Hearrs, like Nab~l's, will die within them, or like a Man that pines away for "ant of Food; for alas! they have nothing elfe to fupport their Spirits. And whiHl: they feed upon thefe Thinas, they conclude they feed upon the befl: Food, and enjoy the chicfeft Good ; yet they n~ver have a real Talle of the Love of God in Chrift, nor do they know how aood the Lord is, nor will they make Trial, though they are invited to come and buy, ~nd eat that which is Good, and let their Souls delight themfelves in Farnels. ·1he Prodigal would fain have filled his Belly with HuO<S rhat the Swine e.r, wicked Men bein" mtended by the Swine in that Place, bm no Man gave to him, L uke xv. 16. !)(. Js not he a Fool, that thinks JX. Wicked Men think it is rime enough to it is time enough to fo\~ when he repenr, when they have fpent all lheir Days in fhould reap? When he lliould gaSin, and in ferving the D evil. When they Owuld ther in his Harveft, he begins to reap the Harveft of a god ly Life, they think it is fow his Seed 1 or when he fows time enough to begin to fow to the Spirir, and Tares, rhinks to reap Wheat. That ctmvert to God. They low to the Flefh, and yet Work; that would take up the think to reap Life everlJfti ng; when nothing is whole Time of his Life, he thinks more evident than this, viz. TYhatfoever a Mmt may be done on a Death-bed, or foweth, that }hall he reap; therefore faith the in an Hour or two at the End of A pollle, He tbat foweth to the Nejh, }hail of the his Days: Or who, having a long F!ejh reap Corruption; but he that foweth to the Race to run, rhat requires all his Spirit, }hall of the Spirit reap Life everlajling, Gal. Strength, refolves to defet i: until vi. 7• 8, Shall fooli01 Men think to ferve the old, decrepid Age? Devil all the beft of their Days, and yet hope that at laft God will accept of their Repentance? X. A Fool delighteth to do Mifchief; or, as Solomon faith, It is as Sport to a Fool to do Mifchief, Prov . x. 23. We daily fee how mifchievous Idiots are; ic is dan– gerous to let fume of them at large, or to be in Company with them, though others are more harmlefs. X. Wicked Men are full of Mifchief. Hence faith David, Gather not my Soul •with Sinner;, nor my L ife with bloody Men, ill whofe Hands is Mif– chief, &c. Pfal. xxvi. 10. Draw·me not away with theWicked, and with the Workers of Iniquity, which jpeak Peace to their Neighbor, but Mifchief is in their Hearts. Yea, he de·vifeth Mifchief upon his Bed, he fetteth himfelf in a Way tbat is not good, Pfal. xxviii. 3· Nothing more evident than this. How relllefs have the Ungodly been in every Age of the Church, to contrive Mifch ief again!1 their peaceable Neighbors, efpecially the wicked Papills' What Plots and Sham-plots have they devited, to deftroy the ~riet and Peace of this Land, nay, to deftroy the upright and godly People that dwell therein! They care not what Mifchief they do, fo that they may undo and fpoil thofe who hate their idolatrous Church. One while they ftudy Ways how ro blow up the King and Parliament; another while burn our Houfes, and by ou r famous City in Allies. And, as if this Mifchief were not enough, they have carried on a fecret and devilifh Ddign to take away our Religion and Lives, and whatfoever is dear to us; and then, to blind the unwary and credu– lous fort of People, invent Sham-plots, to cart all upon the innocent Proteftants. But let them remember, in rh is they are but Fools; they have the Mark and Brand of Fools upon them, and their Mifchief lliall fall upon their own Heads. He that feeketh Mifchief, it jha/1 come upoil him, Prov. xi. 2 7. XI. ls not he a Fool, that laXL Wicked Men are (aid to labor for theWind: bors for the Wind, and thinks to Riches arc compared to the Wind; and he that feed on the 'Wind, and ptrrfues a purfues after them, purfues after the Wind: And Shadow, and lets his Heart upon what a Fool is he that doth thus! TYhat Profit that which is not? bath he, faith Solomon, that bath labored for tbe Wind? Ecclef. v. 16. And as Men are laid to la– bor for the Wind, fo like11 ife they are faid to feed upon the Wind: Ephraim feedeth 9 L on
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