79° wIcKED MEN COMPARED TO D 0 G s. Book IV. METAPHOR. for fame of them will, as Natu– ralifts obferve, bark at the Moon : And alfo when a Stone, or other Thing is cafl: at them, they will follov1 the Stone, and 11cgkC\ the I-1 and that throws it. PARALLEL. Head. They, like Dogs, bark and fnarl at the Light of God's Word, from whence fo great Be– nefit arifes to poor Mortals. Like ravenous Curs, they bark at rhe heavenly Doctrine, and irs faith– ful Miniflers, whom they reproach with impu– dent Scandals, and whofe utter Extirpation they ftudy. And alfo when they are under AflliC\ion, they take notice of fecondary Caufes, bur never regard the Hand of God in them, ac– .cording to the faying of the Poet, /.lrripit ut lapidem catulus, morjiiq; fatigat, Nee percujfori mutua damna Jacit. Sic pleriquc jimmt vexos elabier hoj/es, Et quos nulla gravant noxia, dente pectmt. IV. Some Dogs have a fierce, ~ngry, and churlifh Look, enough to frighten timorous PerfOns ; and not only fo, but grin, bark, and fnarl at fuch as come near them, who deftgn to do them no hurt. IV. So fome wicked Men have a very angry and furious Countenance; rhcy look frowningly upon the Lord's People, like as did Nebuchad– nezzar upon Sbadrach, M cjbach, and Abednego, who, it is faid, was full of Fury, and the Form of his Countenance was chan£ccl againlt them, when he faw rhey refufed to wor01ip his God, and to fall down before the golden Image he had fet up: And not only fo, but they grin, and gnafh their Teeth at them, like envious Curs: 'J'he Wicked plotteth againjl the Jujl, mzd gnafbeth upon him with his 'teeth, Pfal. xxxvii. 12. And thus did the un– godly Jews carry it to bldled Stephm; it is faid, '!hey were rut to the Heart, and they gnajbed on him with their 'teeth, Afls vii. 34· Yet what hurt did any of thefe Ser– vants of God do, or defign to do ro· thefe Sons of Belial? V. Dogs will not only grin and V. So fame wicked Men do not only gnafh their fnarl, but alfo bite; nay, not only Teeth, threaten, and grin at their godly Neigh– bite, but bite mortall-y, and tear bors, but allo will, and ofrenrimes do f,ill upon in Pieces fuch as offend them, who them with all the revengeful Rage and Malice are not able to deliver themfdves imaginable, to the wounding, .cutting, or tearing from their Rage and Cruelty. of them to P~eces. How many Thoulands ofpre– There are iome Dogs that are cious Saints and Children of God have the wicked called Blood-hounds, and tome others Papifls, and others in many Ages of the Church, may fitly be fo called. de!troyed, like hungry and enraged Moniters? lf ever rhere were any Men in rhe World, that jullly <lefe-rved that ignominious Name of Blood-hounds, devouring and malicious DOgs, fu re fome of the Romifh Church may be (o called; fur they have 01ewed themfelvts ra– ther Monfters than Men, yea, even Devils in the Shape of Men, as an eminent Writer well obferves. VI. There are fame Dogs who will not bark and grin as others .:lo, and yet in a Oyand fecret Man– ner will bire and tear fuch as they come at, which are looked upon as the moll: dangerous. VU. Some Dogs on the other hand will bark, and make a grea~ Noife, and feldom or never bite or hurt .any Body. VIII. Bogs mull: not have that which is .J10ly: Give not th.at which is holy lP Dogs. IX. Some Dogs are fo fierce, cruel, and unruly, that they .are VI. So fame "icked Men will not threoten, nor grin at the {jodly, like others; and yet in a Oy and lfcr.et l\1anner contrive their Ruin; and wirb all their Might would defl:roy them, and yet make no noife of it; wound them, but not kt them know who doeth it. VII. So fome wicked Men, con:rary to the Nature ~nd Difpofirion of others, will give our angry and threatening Words, as if they would do this and that, when they never intend to do what theyf>y, nor will they cruelly injure any Body. VIII. So wicked Men ought not to partake of holy Things; holy Things belong to holy Per– fons, they ought not"to eat the Childrens Bread, .to be admitted to the Sacrament, &c. IX. So fome wicked Men are fo cmel and mer– oilefs, th.!t God chaim them up, i. e. he refl:rains 3 them
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