Soo WICKED MEN CO:V!PARED TO GOAT~. Dook IV. cleflroying her Children, and fpoiling their Goods, and as much a.s in them lies ruining th<ir Souls. 11. Therefore let us pray that thefe Foxes may be taken, like as the Foxes, that one Vvay or other their Craft and Subtilty may be difcovered, and they prevented, and hindered from doing more Hurt to God's Church. w I c K E D M E N COMPARED TO GOATS. Whm the Son of Man ]hall come in his Glory, and all the holy Ailgels with him, then he ]hall fit upon the 'l'hrone of his Glory. And before him jhall be gathered all Nations, and he jhal! Jeparate them one from the other, as a Shepherd divideth his Sheep from the Goats. .A11d he jhall Jet tbe Sheep on bis Right-hand, but the Goats on the Left, &c. Matt. xxv. 31, 32, 33· THE Male or great He Goat, is called in HebrewAtud, and the le/fer Sier and Zeir; the Caldee tranOate it, Gen. xiii. 'I'eias-jaii, and Numb.. xv. Lze; the Arabians, 'l'eus, and Maez ; the Pedians Afteban, and Bufan; the Grec1ans 'Iragos, or devouring or ravemng. 'l'ragus ab edendo quod grana frafla pane. The common Epithets given to the Goat, by the Learned, are thefe, viz. Left– fided, greedy, un.armed, fwift, long-legged, rough, ragged, unclean, 1\rona-fmellin" letcherous, briftler, wanderer, vile, wanton, &c. ::::;, 0 ' Wicked Men, but more efpecially Hypocrites in the Church, are compared to them. SIMILE. I. THE Goat commonly feedeth >mong Sheep, and lieth down with them, and feems much to love their Company. I!. Yet there is a vaflDifference between the n~tural Properties of the Sheep and Goats; for whereas Sheep are meek and harmlefs, Goats are of a contrary Difpofition, they are ravenous and very mif– chievous, they will eat the Barks of Trees, and fpoil tender Plants, great Delt(Oyers of Gardens and Vineyards. · Ill. The Goats are a flinking and unclean fort of Creatures; there is no Creature, faith Gefner, * that fmelleth fo flrongly as doth a IV! ale Goat, by reafon of the im– moderate Lufl which this Creature is exceedingly prone and addicted to above others. IV. A Goat is faid to be a very greedy and devouringfort of Crea– ture; for asDr..Franzius-[' reports, that that .Field or Paflure that will feed ··a thoufand Sheep, will not be enough for a hundred Goats. ts their N eighbors ; defiring, like PARALLEL. I. so fame Hypocrites feem to love the Company of God's People, they cunmngly contrive 'Nays how to get into Churches, and appear to be of the fame Flock, taking much feeming Delight 1n the Company of the truly rehgwus. II. So there is a great Difference between a wicked Man, notwithflanding his highefl Pretence to Religion, and a Saint; the one is humble, meek, and harmlefs, feeking the good and well being of all, when the other is proud, llubborn and mifchievous; many of them while they feem to have a great Zeal for Religion, fecret!.y care not what Hurt they do to God's Vineyard, contriving Means how they may undo and ruin the Godly in the Land. Ill. So wicked Men are unclean, filthy, and loathfome in the Sight of God, by reafon of their abominable 'and moll beafl:ly Lulls and Unclean– nelfes, being given horribly to Fornication, Adul– tery, Ince!l:, &c. Rom. i. 26, 27. From whence cometh the Proverb of thole Men, that have a lhong Scent about them, that they !link like a Goat. IV. So fame wicked Men are of a very covetous and greedy Difpofition, not being contented with a fmall Portion of worlrlly good Things; for though they have fomc Hundreds, nay Thoulill1ds by the Year, yet are fl:ill craving after more, nor being fatisfied with what they have of their own, but alfo 1\rive to poflef, themfel vcs of that which wicked Ahab, Naboth's Vineyard : So that that .• See '1opfil out of Giftw·:· Portioa
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