Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 8 · Part 31 · Subpart 19
Wicked Men compared to Goats.
Mat. 25.31. When the Son of Man ſhall come in his Glory, and all the holy Angels with him, then he ſhall ſit upon the Throne of his Glory.
Ver. 32. And before him ſhall be gathered all Nations, and he ſhall ſeparate them one from the other, as a Shepherd divideth his Sheep from the Goats.
Ver. 33. And he ſhall ſet the Sheep on his Right Hand, but the Goats on the Left, &c.
THe Male or great Hee-Goat, is called in Hebrew Atud, and the leſſer Sier and Zeir; the Chaldee tranſlate it, Gen. 13. Teias-jaii, and Numb. 15. Lze; Geſner.the Arabians, Teus, and Maez; the Perſians Aſteban, and Buſan; the Grecians Tragos, or devouring or ravening.
Tragus ab edendo quod grana fracta pane.
The common Epithets given to the Goat, by the Learned, are theſe, (viz.) Left-ſided, greedy, unarmed, Swift, long-legged, rough, ragged, unclean, ſtrong-ſmelling, lecherous, briſtler, wanderer, vile, wanton, &c.
Wicked Men, but more eſpecially Hypocrites in the Church, are compared to them.
| Simile. | Parallel. |
| THe Goat commonly feedeth among Sheep, and lyeth down with them, and ſeems much to love their Company. | SO ſome Hypocrites ſeem to love the Company of God's People, they cunningly contrive ways how to get into Churches, and appear to be of the ſame Flock, taking much ſeeming Delight in the company of the truly Religious. |
| II. Yet there is a vaſt difference between the natural Properties of the Sheep and Goats; for whereas Sheep are meek and harmleſs, Goats are of a contrary diſpoſition, they are ravenous and very miſchievous, they will eat the Barks of Trees, and ſpoil tender Plants, great deſtroyers of Gardens and Vineyards. | II. So there is a great difference between a wicked Man (notwithſtanding his higheſt pretence to Religion) and a Saint; the one is humble, meek, and harmleſs, ſeeking the good and well being of all, when the other is proud, ſtubborn and miſchievous; many of them while they ſeem to have a great zeal for Religion, ſecretly care not what hurt they do to God's Vineyard, contriving means how they may undo and ruine the Godly in the Land. |
| III. The Goats are a ſtinking and unclean ſort of Creatures; there is no Creature, ſaith Geſnar, See Topſel. out of Geſner. that ſmelleth ſo ſtrongly as doth a Male Goat, by reaſon of the immoderate Luſt which this Creature is exceedingly prone and addicted to above others. | III. So Wicked Men are unclean, filthy, and loathſome in the ſight of God, by reaſon of their abominable and moſt beaſtly Luſts and Uncleanneſſes,Rom. 1.26, 27. being given horribly to Fornication, Adultery, Inceſt, &c. From whence cometh the Proverb of thoſe Men, that have a ſtrong ſcent about them, that they ſtink like a Goat. |
| IV. A Goat is ſaid to be a very greedy and devouring ſort of Creature;Pag. 198. for as Dr. Franzius reports, that that Field or Paſture that will feed a thouſand Sheep, will not be enough for a hundred Goats. | IV. So ſome Wicked Men are of a very covetous and greedy Diſpoſition, not being contented with a ſmall Portion of worldly good things; for tho they have ſome hundreds, nay thouſands by the Year, yet are ſtill craving after more, not being ſatisfied with what they have of their own, but alſo ſtrive to poſſeſs themſelves of that which is their Neighbours; deſiring, like Wicked Ahab, Naboth's Vineyard: So that that Portion or Eſtate, which will ſatisfy and comfortably maintain a thouſand Families of good Chriſtians, is too little for one of them; ſuch is their covetous and greedy Appetite. |
| V. Goats feed and lye down with Sheep, yet ſometimes the Shepherd ſeparates them one from the other. | V. So tho ſome Wicked and Hypocritical Perſons accompany with the Lord's People, and ſeem to feed & lye down with them, yet at laſt the Lord Jeſus will ſeparate the one from the other, as a Shepherd ſeparates the Sheep from the Goats. |
| Simile. | Diſparity. |
| GOats are uſeful; ſome poor People are much ſupplyed by them, both for Meat and Milk. | BUt ſome Wicked Men are not only of no uſe to either poor or rich; nay many of them are not only worſe than Goats, but worſe than Infidels; ſo far from relieving others, as that they provide not for thoſe of their own Houſhold. |
| II. Goats have been made uſe of in the time of the Law, for Sacrifice, and were alſo uſed, as clearly typifying Jeſus Chriſt. See Ainſworth on Levit. 16.5, 8, 15. | II. But Wicked Men are an abomination to the Lord, their very Perſons, as well as their Sacrifices, are deteſtable; no uſe at all made of them in any part of God's Worſhip, but are excluded therefrom, till by hearing the Word they Repent and turn to God, and ſo become the Sheep of Chriſt. |
Inferences.
AS this may call aloud to Wicked Men, to conſider the ſad and loathſome Eſtate they are in, ſo in a ſpecial manner it doth reprove all ſuch, that, like Goats, feed and lye down with Chriſt's Flock, and yet are ſtill but Goats, and as they ſo abide, they will be found at the left hand of Chriſt in the day of his appearing to Judgment, when they ſhall be ſeparated, ſo as never to have the Company of the Sheep of Chriſt more;Mat▪ 25.41 and then ſhall he ſay unto them on the left Hand, Depart from me, ye curſed, into the everlaſting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.