Keach - Houston-Packer Collection BS537 .K4 1779

Book IV. WICKED MEN COMPARED TO SWINE. 775 SI M l L E. I. A Painted Sepulchre appears, as the T ext faith, beautiful without. II. Sepulchres, though they ap– pear beautiful without, yet they are very loathfome within. PAR ALL EL. .I. so vile Hypocrites appear glorious and beautiful to Men, as if they were real Saints ; they feem very devout in appearance and out– ward Shew, to thofe that only behold their Out– .ftde, it is God only that fees the Heart. I!. So Hypocrites, though they may aepear holy and religious to Men, or to the outward J:.yc, yet are within vile and ungodly, full of Pride, Vain-Gior)', Envy, Malice, Covetoufnefs, and every horrid and abominable Lufl:, which makes them as loathfomc in the Sight of God, as a O:inking Sepulchre is to us : A wicked j',[an, faith Solomon, is loathftme, Prov. xii1 . 5· Ill. Thole that make and beau– tify a Sepulchre, do it that its in– ·ward Filth and Pollution may not eau ly appear, or offend thofe that behold it; much Pains, Cofl:, and Curioflty is befl:owed upon the ·Outfide of it, whereas Men mat– ter not how filthy they are within. IV. Though a Sepulchre ap– peai-s nevc:r fo beautiful wirhour, yet Men know it is loathfome within. Ill. So the vile Hypocrites, in all their outward Shews, Zeal, Religion, and feeming Piety, do it to hide their curfed Ends, abominable Lufl:s and Wickednefs ; for did they appear outwardly to all Men what they are inwardly, they would be loath– fame to all that fear Gael. They beftow much .Pains and Cofl:, and !hew their Skill and Cunning, to carry it religionGy and warily to Men~ wherei11 they take little or no care how filthy they arc in– wardly. IV. So though 1-l ypocrites appear never fo much like Saints to ti1e Eyes of Men; y.<t God knows and fees they are polluted and vi.Je Wretches In– wardly. I N F E R E N C E S. .L THIS fi1cws what the abominable Nature of Sin is; it is here compared to a dea.( putnfied, and fhnkmg Carcafe; what IS more loarhfome? ll. It !hews alfo the filthy, unclean, and abominable State of painted Hy.pocrites, &c. w I c K E D M E N COM·PARED :r-o s w I N E. .Neither cafl your Pearls before Swine, Matt. vii. 6. .'The Dog rs turned to his f/omit again, and the Sow•that was wajhed to her wallowing in the !vfire, 2 Pet. ii. 22 . ·SOME fort of wicked Men are more efpecially in thefe Scriptures compared to Hogs or Swine ; we lhall in the following Par.allds fhew who they are, and how fitly ·they may be refembled to them. MET A PH 0 R. I. SWINEloverobeintheMuri, they will wallow inf1lth and miry Places, which Sheep, and di– vers orherCreat.ures (hive as much .as they can to avoid. This Beafl:, faith Gifnw, is a moft impure and unclean Beall, and its Nature is to delight to wallow in moO: fil– .thy and noifome Places. IT. The Hog or Swine is a dull, ftupid, and fenfelefs Creature, not like the Hart, and divers Animals that might be named. Ill. Swine are craving and very 3 •P A R 1\ L .L E L 1. so wicked Men love their brutilh Lufts, and daily wallow in the Mud .and Mire of Filth, and the abominable Pollutions ofSin and Unclean– ncls, until they become defikd all.ove, fro111 rb.e Head to the Foot. Such Men and Women, who live in Unck.tnnefs, Drunkennefs, and other bea!tly Sins, may fitly be compared to Swioe; for it is as pleafant to them to riot in the Day-rime, and tumble as it were in the Mud of Wickednefs, as .it is to a Swine to wallow in the Mire. !I. So are wicked Men; they are, like this dull and fottiJh Brute, flow of Heart, and hard to be– lieve ; they are M en of no fpiritual Underfl:and– ing. JLI. Some wicked Men are juft like Swine in this

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