Keach - Houston-Packer Collection BS537 .K4 1779

:842 FALSE-TEACHERS coMPARED To WOLVES. BooK 1V. Sixthly; \¥e may -infer, That many who pretend themfelves to be Chrift's true Mi– ·nifters, are none of his Minifters, but rather a Shan1e and Reproach to that venerable .Name, \"lork, and Office. Seve11thl;•; Let us learn from hencre to blefs God, that we have fo many able and -worthy Minill:ers of Chrift in our Land. 0 let us pray for them, and ddire God to fend more of thefc Laborers into his 1-larve!t. Pray ye the Lord of the Harveft, &c. Eighthly ; It fharply reproves many Churches and Profelfors, for the great Neglect of their Duties towords their Minill:ers: What a D.ry do we live in ! How is Chrilt's In– tercll:, Minifters, and poor Saints, forgot, !lighted, and neglected ! 0 that God would raife up fame to cry aloud, and ./Pare not. but lift up their Voice like a Trumpet, to jhew God's People their 'fralljgrfl!ions, and the l!oufe of J acob tbeir Sins! FALSE TEACHERS COMPARED TO WOLVES. I know, that after my D eparture jhall grievous Wolves enter in among you, not JParing the .l:'/ock, &c. Afis xx. 29. A \Volf is in Hebrew Zeeb, Gen. xLx. in Chaldee, Deeba, and Deba ; the Arabians call him Zcbah; the Greeks, L)'<OS, and Lagos, and L)'callia ; and L)'cOs, among ·fome of the Arabian VVrirers, is borrowed from 1hem, as Mun.fter hath nored in his Lexicon of three L anguages; the lr<dians call .ir Lupo .; in French, -Loup ; in Spain, .Lobo; in Germany, ,J/alfJ, in Englifh, Wolf The common Epithets of this l:leafl, amongft feveral Authors*, are thefe, Sour, cvi!d, fierce, bold, greedy, wmy, fwift, bloody, hard, dege11erate, gluttonous, hung>)', flejh-eater, Jamijhing, harmful, cruel, furious, itifatiable, treacherous, 1i1artia!, ravenous, night!;·, &c. There are five tom of Wolves: The firft is cailed roxenter, a fwift \Vulf ; the fe– cond Kind are called .Harpages.; and thrfe, faith my Author, are the greateft Rave– ners, to which, faith 'fopfell, our Savior alludes, Matt. vii. 15. The third Sort are called Lupus Aureus, a golr!en Wolf, by realon of his Colou r; the fourth, Acmone.; the fifth, lflinus. I know, that after my Departure jha/1 grie·vous lf/olvts, &c. Not Wolves only, bur grievous Wolves, fuch as are called by fame "P"'Y"• Snatchers, or ravening V\'olves. Note. Some Falfe-Teachers m~y fitly be compared to Wolves, to ravening Wolves. MET A PH 0 R. 1. A \'Iolf is a cruel and devour– ing Beaft ; he ili not con· ·tented to kill to fill his B"lly, - .but will fpoil and de!lroy. a whole Flock, &c. t 1!. \Valves are not only cruel, bm fubtil .and very crafty alfo, watching the fittell: Time to feize .upon their Prey. They will Gler,tly approach the Sheepfold, to fee whether the Dogs be afleep, or •the Shepherd wanting.; when he is carelefs dr negligent of his Flock, then comes the Wolf ro deftroy, .rnd fuck the Blood of the poor Sheep. Thofe Bea!ts that have .Horns, he cometh upon at their Tails, left by their Horns they prove too hard for him. They will, after they have made great Slaugh– -ter, to hide their Villainy, waih ,their bloody Mouths, &c. • Elianus, Gejner 1 rojfi/1. .3 PARALLEL. I. go fame Falfe-Teachers are very cruel and bloody, deftroying Multitudes of Souls; it is not one or two, but the whole Church of God they ftrive to devour ; hence .faid 11ot to .JPare the Flock, Afls xx. 29. I I. So fome Falfe-Teachers are very crafty, and fubtil to deceive, and prey upon the Souls of Men. They privily bring in damnable I-lerelies, in a fly Manner they feek to inGnuate themfelves into the good Opinion of Men, and with wretched Hypo– crify and Sophillry counterfeit much Purity, ·Hu– militv, and angelica! Sanctity, boafting of peculiar Illuminations, and Communion with God, &c. And therd'ore they are fa id to come jn obeeps Cloatb– ing, btit-inwardly areravming Wolves, Matt. vii. 15• By good Words, and fair Speeches, they are faid to deceive the Hearts of the Simple, Rom. xvi. 18. None have pretended to more feeming Zeal, and outward Holinef.,, than fame vile and notorious Heretics; to put off their counterfeit Coin, they are content to mix it with fame good Silver. Were it not for their outward Shcw of Piety and Holit '~'•pft/1, p. 57 1 • 57'·

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