Book IV. WICKED MEN coMPARED TO THIEVES. 8cr S I M I L E. P A R A L L E L. Portion or Eftate, which will fatisfy and comfortably maintain a thoufand Families of good Chrifl:ians, is too little for one of them ; fuch is their covetous and greedy Appetite. V. Goats feed and lie down with Sheep, yet fometip1es the Shepherd fcparates them one from the otl1er. SIMILE. I. G Oi\ TS are ufeful; fome poor People are much [up– plied by 'hem both for Meat and Milk. I!. Goats have· been made ufe of in the Time of the Law, for Sacrifice, and were al(o ufed, as clearly typifying J efus Chrift. See Aiiljwartb on Levit. xvi. 5, 8, 15. V. So though fome wicked and hypocritical Perfons accompany with the Lord's People, and feem to feed and lie down with them, yet at la(t the Lord Jelt!S will feparate the one from the other, as a Shepherd feparates the Sheep lrom the Goats. D IS PAR IT Y. I. BUT foone wicked Men arc not only of no ufe either to Poor or Rich ; nay many of them are not only worl<: than Goats, but worfc than Infidds; iO far from relieving others, as that they provide not fJr thole of their own Houfhold. 11. But wicked Men are an Abomination ro the Lord, their very Pcrfons, as well as their Sacri– fices, are detefbble; "o Ufe at all made in any Part of God's WorO>ip, but are excluded there– from, till by hearing the Word, they repent and turn to God, and fo become the Sheep of Chrift. ·N F E ·R E N C E. AS this· may call alot1d to wicked Men, to confider the fad and loarhfome Eftate they are in, fa in a fpecial Manner it doth reprove all fircb, that like Goats, feed and lie down with Chrift's Flock, and yet are ftill but Goats, and as they fo abide, they wdl be found at the Left-hand of Chrift in the Day of his appearing to. Judgment, whm they iball-be leparated, lo as never to have the Company of the Sheep of Chrifl: more; and then jha/1 be fay ui/to them on the Left-band, Depart from me, ~·e curftd, int• evedofting Fire, prepared for .the De':li! and his Angels, Matt. xxv, 4 '. WIOKED MEN " COM PARED •TO THIEVES. Jer. vii. 11. M.att. xxi. 13. Ifa. i. 23. Re·v, ix. 21 . A Thief xAor-ng, Fur, Matt. vi. 19, ·20. and xxiv. 43· John x. 8, ro. and ~ii. 6. ht: that n:ea!erh cunningly,~ lflwp, fo a Thief was named of old, or as if it were .xArn>J?;, of carrying or taking away, Ai1r?Jf, Latro, Mttt. xxi. 13· xxvi. 65. and xxvii. 3~. 44· a Robber. In what refpeCl: wicked Men may be fitly compared to Thieves, take os followeth. 'P A R A L L E L S. ~ I. soME are Thieves from their Childhood, they bc'gin betirnes to f!:eal and rob: So the Ur.godly begm benmes robe wickt:d , chey 2rt la1d to go all:ray from the ''Vomb, telling Lies, and are by Nature prone to all -manner of Sin ·and WickednefS; · hereby depriving Gud of that Honor, Fear, and Reverence, that belongs to him. 11. "Thieves love not the Day, Jef!: they (hould be di!Covered, but are aCtive in the Night: So wicked Men hate the Light, 1hey lo-ve Dr.rknifs rather than Light, bccaufe their Deeds are evil, Jobn iii. '9· . 11 I. Thieves run many Hazards and Dangers, venture their Lives to accGrnplifh theirDefigns: So wicked Men run great 1-lazards and Dangers, venture not only the Life of their Bodies, but of-their Soul' alia, to fulfil their Defigr.s and wicked Purpofes. · IV. Thieves are a great Terror to honerJ: Men, they put many in fear: So fame wicked and ungodly Men are a great Trouble, Grief and Terror to thofe who are godly; how was the Soul of rigl1teous Lot vexed with the,filthy Converfation of th~ Sodomites, 1 Pet. ii. 7· V. Thieves greatlv abufe, rob and wrong others, not only fuch as are of their own ll.ank and ~taltty ; bue fometimes fet upon, and rob Per,ons in Authority; the Judge, · 9 S nay,
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