Keach - Houston-Packer Collection BS537 .K4 1779

Bl)ok IV. W I C K E D: ME N, coMI'AJU:D ·po F. 0 X E S. 799 M.E T A P H 0 R. P A 1,{ A L I:. E L. Wolves, he affrights away that Creature, lo that he will not come near ir. (J.) He is often troubkd with Walps in tile Summer- time, but ~fech this Wile to ddhoy them: He hideth himfelf, but layeth his Tail out; the. Wafps fly to bis 17aiJ, and when there are abundance in ir, he runntlth to tbe Wall, or to lom~ Tree, and.ftrikerh his Tail againlt the Tree, and rubbeth it againft the Ground, and fo he deftroyeth all of them. (8.) If he wanteth Food, and knows not where to get it, he liech upon the Ground, upon his Back, wjch his Legs ftrecched ~broad, and fo ~eign~th hirnfelf dead; che Birds feeing him lie in rh is Manner, light on him, thinking he is dead; and when they are upon hrm, be taker_h them, and.deltroyeth ti,em. fl. The Fox is not only crafty, IL So wick.e.d f~pilh, '!J)d \)ther Enemies of but cruel andBlood-rhirfty, a great God'> People, are not only fubtil, but very crutl Delhoyer of innocent Creatures; and lllood-thirfty. flerotl was called a Fox, partly he will leize upon Hares, Conies, without doubt upon this account: Wha.t barba– Hens, Geefe, Lambs, &c. and rous Slaughter did he mak-e in the Town of Betb– make a great Spoil of them. lehem, of poor, harm)els, and inpocenr Babes, that (o he might cr-aftily cue off the J.,9ly Child Jcfus among the reft! And what cruel, blqody,. as~ well ~s cratty, Fq>;es have t~~ Pa· pills been! How many Thoufands, nay, Millions of Souls, have they d\'l'ho,y•d,, both of Heathens in America, and Chriftian Protellants in moll: Kingdoms of Eu– rope! See Foxe's .11!/s and Monuments. Sir Sam. tJordanq's Hijl.ory, and IV/r. CJ.r:~·s Examples, &c. Ill. The Fox never goes llraight forward, but Jor/uojis incedit aR– fra!liblls, or by crooked Windings. 11I. Sq tho Romifh fo"rs never ;val)> in the ' fhaighr Path of the Gofpel, nor follow the evm ' and (traighr Rules thereof, buc In crooke(j ' Windings, and By-paths of Errqr and h~upan • Traditions, not leading to God by Chrill, but by Saints and Angels; nor to his • Merits only for Satisf,u:tion, bm to the Sac~ifice of the Mals 1 Pardons qf their own, • and to Purgatory, &c. ufmg all D~certt4ln~1~ apd Jlrror tq <;~lmpafs thejr own curfed ·~~! .. IV. TheTime, efpecially, when IV. So i.n lik~ manner do thefe Fo;es bre~k in the Fox invades and feizeth his upon a People, when they ~r~ kc11re; \i.(<e rhe en– Prey, is in the Night, when all ar~ YIOUS M~n, that fowed Tares among rhe good aUeep, both Shepherd and Sheep. Seecj, th~y wau;h ~hs:.flrtdl Opp,an~l)iti.es w lpoil God's l·l<rir~ge. · · V. Foxes are a !\inking fort of Creatures, and in the Day-tim~e hide themlelves in their Boles, and feldom lt>ok our. V. So thde RQmii)J. Foxes ~re a ,filthy an~ llink.ing fQrt of Vcrn1in iA cl)eir Live• ~nd Con– verfarion$, guilry pf all 111\lon,er of a,bp 0 oinable Lufts, an.d horrid l'ol)miol1; ancj 'Yhi)ft the Li"h:c of tbe Gofpd c)e~rly ~n<;l freely Jhi,nes in a ~i,rigdom or Nation, they hide then1fdyes; but wb~n it );>eg:ins to b• Ev!!n,.tide with a · People, then they, as at this D.ay, be.gin t() l99k o~,r pf,their Holes. VI. Foxes are faid to do much VJ. So wicked Perfecmors and Sedu<;ers <lo Mifchief to Vineyards, as Frangreat Hurt and Mi{ehi•f t,o .Chrift'~Yioeyrrd, '<rake zi11s and others obferve. ZIS tb.e Fo/(es, the li.ttle Fo.<es /bat JPoi/ 1be Jlin.ts, &c. CanJ. ii. ' 5· VIT. The Fox, notwithftanding all his Craft, is often caught an,d made a Spoil of, being mud1.hat.e<l hy all, for the Mifi::hief and Hurt he doth. VII. So the E.oo1ifh Foxes al,ld fubtil Enemif',S of th.e l.ord'• Iieritag~, norwithftanding all their Craft <~n.d hellilh Policy, are ofc~n takJ:n in th,e Snare, aod ~heir Pl9.ts ,lifcovered, ancl they hangefl for their Treafon and curfed ContriV~()ces, ~.~s tpr– m~r ami latter Tlmcs 01cw. ~ N F E R E N C E ~ I. THIS may teach us to rake heed.of two,lorts of Men. Fir!\, .Of ;>•Afl(tering ani\ fawmng Pcrfecuror. SecoJJdly, OI a ,cunn1ng and fubnl ~ed.ucer ,; for Foxes haunt not a Vineyard, or Flock of Sheep, rnore than thefe do the Ch,u,ch. (1.) By corrupting the P urity of her J)octrine. (2.) Obfcuring the Simplicity of Wor– fllip. (3.) Overturning the Beauty ef Order, and bringing in Confulion, fpoiling her Bond of Union, by exringuifhing the Vigor and Life of Chriftianity. (4.) By deftroying

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