!!44 FALSE-TEACHERS coMPA·RED TO DECEIVERS. Book IV. FALSE-TEACHERS COMPARED TO WELLS WITHOUT WATER. <I'hcfe are Wells without Water, &c. 2 Pet. ii. '7· FALSE-TEACHERS are in this Place compared to Wells without Water. P A R A L L E L ~ I. A Well is a fit Receptacle for Water, and it is expdred Water !hould be therein; but if it be empty, it greetly deceives and difappoints them that come to draw Water out of it: So Minillers !hould be ftored with much Grace and heavenly Doctrine, &c. But thofewhocome to a Falfe-Teacher, to receive lnllruCl.ion and Comfort for theirSouls, are grievouOy deceived. II. AWell that hath no good Water in ir, may notwithflanding have much Dirt and Filth, and fame foul and ftinking Water: So Falfe-Teachers, though they aro empty and barren of good Doctrine, yet it may be th~y have much corrupt, deteftable, and abominable Filth of falfe Doctrine, Error, and Herefy in them, which fooli!h Ones are greedy of, draw out, and take down, to the poifoning and utter Ruin of their Souls. FALSE-TEACHERS COMPARED TO CLOUDS WITHOUT RAIN. <I'hcfe are Wells without Water, Clouds that are carried with a 'I'empijl, to whom the Mijl of Darknefs is referved for ever, 2 Pet. ii. '7· Clouds they are without Rain, carried about of Winds, &c. Jude 12. AS Falfe-Teachers are compared to Wells without Water, fo likewife they are t() Clouds without Rain, carried 'With a 'I'empejl, &c. P A R A L L E L ~ I. SOME Clouds feem as if they had much Water or Rain in them, though empty: · So fome Falfe-Teachers do feem very like the true and faithful Servants and Mi– nifters of Chrifl ; they in outward Show appear devout, and talk like Saints, pretend– ing to much Humility and Godlinefs, as if they were the very Men that God had ap· pointed to difpenf~ his Word, and heavenly Truth: But alas! they are but meer ·empty Clouds, being only filled with airy and .unprofitable Notions. Some Clouds, as Pliny obferves, are nothing elfe but meer empty Vapors, and thefe are often carried very fwiftly with the Wind: So Falfe-Teachers are carried away as empty Vapors, with the Wind of DeluGon or falfe DoCl:rine. II. Clouds prevent or hinder Mortals from beholding the glorious !hining of the Sun, and tend greatly to darken the Heavens: So Falfc-Teachers obfl:ruct, in a great Meafure, the glorious Gofpel in its Lig'u and Splendor, from !hining upon the Souls of Men, and tend to darken the blelfed Light of divine Truths, in a Nation where they abound, and are countenanced. FALSE-TEACHERS COMPARED TO DECEIVERS. For many Deceivers are entered into the.World, who co;ifefs not that Jefus Chrijl is come i" the Flejh; this is a Deceiver, and an Antichrijl, 2 John i. 7· DECEIVER, or ont that caufeth to err, is by the Greeks called, a Defpifer; by the Chaldee, a Mocker; lvfatt. xxvii. 63. "M"''' a notable Cozener, Impojlor. Ainf worth. See Liegh's Grit. Sacr. feduced, and feducing others: Such our Savior and his Apoflles were reputed, but falfely; others are truly fo called, who deal fraudulentlj and falfe-heanedly with God, Men, and their own Hearts. PARALLEL.
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