WICKED MEN COMPARED TO SWINE. Book IV. MET i\ PH 0 R. gr{:edy Creatures : They are fo greedy, faith Dr. Fralllzius, that they have no Meafure in eating ; and hence grow fo fat, that fame– times they are hardly able to ,go; nay, they will eat until they burft themfelves. PAR ALL EL. this refpdt: they are fo greedy and covetous, that they are never fatisfied. When they have got their Hundreds, nay, it may he their ThQufands by the Year, yet ftill they pUI·fue the World, as if they had their Bread to ger, and were not worth a Groat, and thus growing fat, Jejhurun like, they forget God. But Jelhurun waxed fat, and kicked, Deut. xxxii. 15. Some there be alfo, who are fuch Epicmes, that they are naturally like the Swine, who are not only gluttonous, but will drink unt1l they are quite drunk; and hence we commonly call a fottifh Drunkard, a drunken Swine. IV. Swine, as they are greedy and unfatisfied Creatures, fo they are commonly fed for the Slaughter. V. Swine are a mifchievous fort of Creatures: They will not only root up Gard<ns and Vineyards, and pleafant Meadows, where they can get in, but will deftroy Chick– ens, and other harmlefs Creatures alfo, and eat them up, and tear Clothes, and other Things in pieces, if they be not looked af– ter, and kept up in their Sties; nay, fame of them will bite and devour Men, if they look not to themidves. VI. Swine are of no ufe or fer– vice, faith Dr. Frantzius, to any one while they live; but when they are killed, they yield the Owner fome Profit. IV. So the Wicked, who flourifh in this Life, and feed in their f1lthy Sties of fenfual Lufts, are let alone in their Sins, being fatted for the Day of 6laughter, Jer. xii. 3· V. So fome wicked Men are very mifchievous; if they can but get loofe, or breJk into God's Garden, they will root it up, and fpoil thofe pre– cious Flowers and Plants which he hath let there– in. How often have they eat up God's Children, tearing them in pieces, like wanton and mif– chievous Swine, caring not what hurt they do: Have all the Workers of Iniquity no Knowledge, who eat up my People as they cat Bread, and call not ~pmt the Lord.? Pfal. xiv. 4· No Swine like the Ro– mifh Swine upon this Accounr, who, like devour– ing Locufts, ihive to eat up every green Thing, Rev. ix. It is not to be imagined what hurt thefe Wild-boars have done to God's Vineyard ; but bleffed be God, who puts a Hook in their Nofes. VI. So it is with fome covetous Men, who ne– ver do any Good with what they have whilft they live. i\ wicked Ufurer, faith Bonaventure, is like a Hog; for whilfl: he liveth, he IS good and pro– fitable for nothing; for he will ever be rooting up the Earth, running thrQugh, and tearing of Hedges, &c. but when the Hog is dead, then cometh Prolit by him: So by the Death of the Wicked, fome Profit may come to fame of his poor Relations; nay, many times by the Death of fame wicked Rulers, much Good comes to the Church of God in general. VII. The Hog is continually VII. So a covetous Man doth not enjoy what grunting all the while he is at his he hath without Fear; he is afraid of every one, Trough, eating in fear, as it were, left they fhould rob him, or lefl: by one means or left any fhould take it away from another his worldly Pelf fhould be wafted, or taken him. away. VIII. The Hog, though he VIII. So if an unregenerate Man fhould, by fhould be wafhed, yet in a little the Light of Nature, or other Helps that God is Time he will turn al\ain to his walpleafed to afford, efcape many great Pollutions, !owing in the Mire, and become and reform in many Things, and feem to be a true as filthy as ever he was. Convert, and to be clean wafhed from his Filthinefs; yet for want of a thorough vVork of Grace upon his Heart, he will at laft turn again to his former Courfe, and be as vile and wicked as ever he was; nay, ofcentimes much worfe, as our Savior intimates by the unclean Spirit's going out of a Man, &c. Matt. xii. 43· And in him is that Word made good, 'I'he Sow that was wafhed, is turned to ber wallowing in the Mire agai11, Luke xi. 25. IX. A Swine cries out exceed– ingly, or makes a great Noife, when he is took hold of, and had · away to be killed. 2 IX. So wicked Men, when God takes hold of them by Sicknefs, and they come to have Appre– henflons of Death upon them, they cry out, un– lefs their Confciences are aOeep or feared, being afraid of Death and Hell. X. So
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