Tropes and Figures · Benjamin Keach
Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 8 · Part 31 · Subpart 5
Wicked Men compared to Swine.
Mat. 7.6. Neither caſt your Pearls before Swine.
2 Pet. 2.22. The Dog is turned to his Vomit again, and the Sow that was waſhed to her wallowing in the Mire.
SOme Sort of wicked Men are more eſpecially in theſe Scriptures compared to Hogs or Swine; we ſhall in the following Parallels ſhew who they are, and how fitly they may be reſembled to them.
| Metaphor. | Parallel. |
| SWine love to be in the Mud, they will wallow in Filth and miry Places, which Sheep, and divers other Creatures ſtrive as much as they can to avoid. This Beaſt (ſaith Geſner) is a moſt impure and unclean Beaſt, and its Nature is to delight to wallow in moſt filthy and noiſom Places. | SO wicked Men love their brutiſh Luſts, and daily wallow in the Mud and Mire of Filth, and the abominable Pollutions of Sin and Uncleanneſs, until they become defiled all over, from the Head to the Foot. Such Men and Women, who live in Uncleanneſs, Drunkenneſs, and other beaſtly Sins, may fitly be compared to Swine; for 'tis as pleaſant to them to riot in the Day-time, and tumble as it were in the Mud of Wickedneſs, as it is to a Swine to wallow in the Mire. |
| II. The Hog or Swine is a dull, ſtupid, and ſenſleſs Creature, not like the Hart, and divers Animals that might be named. | II. So are wicked Men; they are, like this dull and ſottiſh Brute, ſlow of Heart, and hard to believe; they are Men of no ſpiritual Underſtanding. |
| III. Swine are craving and very greedy Creatures: They are ſo greedy,Dr. Frantzius. ſaith my Author, that they have no meaſure in eating; and hence grow ſo fat, that ſometimes they are hardly able to go; nay, they will eat untill they burſt themſelves. | III. Some wicked Men are juſt like Swine in this reſpect: they are ſo greedy and covetous, that they are never ſatiſfied. When they have got their Hundreds, nay, it may be their Thouſands by the Year, yet ſtill they purſue the World, as if they had their Bread to get, and were not worth a Groat, and thus growing fat, Jeſhurun like, they forget God. But Jeſhurun waxed fat, and kicked. Deut. 32.15. Some there be alſo, who are ſuch Epicures, that they are naturally like the Swine, who are not only gluttonous, but will drink until they are quite drunk; and hence we commonly call a ſottiſh Drunkard, a drunken Swine. |
| IV. Swine, as they are greedy and unſatisfied Creatures, ſo they are commonly fed for the Slaughter. | IV. So the Wicked, who flouriſh in this Life, and feed in their filthy Sties of ſenſual Luſts, are let alone in their Sins, being fatted for the Day of Slaughter.Jer. 12.3. |
| V. Swine are a miſchievous Sort of Creatures: They will not only root up Gardens and Vineyards, and pleaſant Meadows, where they can get in, but will deſtroy Chickens, and other harmleſs Creatures alſo, and eat them up, and tear Clothes, and other Things in pieces, if they be not look'd after, and kept up in their Sties; nay, ſome of them will bite and devour Men, if they look not to themſelves. | V. So ſome wicked Men are very miſchievous; if they can but get looſe, or break into God's Garden, they will root it up, and ſpoil thoſe precious Flowers and Plants which he hath ſet therein. How often have they eat up God's Children, tearing them in pieces, like wanton and miſchievous Swine, caring not not what hurt they do: Have all the Workers of Iniquity no knowledg, Pſal. 14 4. who eat up my People as they eat Bread, and call not upon the Lord? No Swine like the Romiſh Swine upon this account, who, like devouring Locuſts,Rev. 9. ſtrive to eat up every green Thing. It is not to be imagined what hurt theſe Wild-Boars have done to God's Vineyard; but bleſſed be God, who puts a Hook in their Noſes. |
| VI. Swine are of no uſe or Service (ſaith Dr. Fanzius) to any one while they live; but when they are killed, they yield the Owner ſome Profit. | VI. So it is with ſome covetous Men, who never do any Good with what they have whilſt they live. A wicked Uſurer (ſaith Bonaventure) is like a Hog: for whilſt he liveth, he is good and profitable for nothing; for he will ever be rooting up the Earth, running through, and tearing of Hedges, &c. but when the Hog is dead, then cometh Profit by him: So by the Death of the Wicked, ſome Profit may come to ſome of his poor Relations; nay, many times by the Death of ſome wicked Rulers, much Good comes to the Church of God in general. |
| VII. The Hog is continually grunting all the while he is at his Trough, eating in fear, as it were, leſt any ſhould take it away from him. | VII. So a covetous Man doth not enjoy what he hath without fear; he is afraid of every one, leſt they ſhould rob him, or leſt by one means or another his worldly Pelf ſhould be waſted, or taken away. |
| VIII. The Hog, tho he ſhould be waſhed, yet in a little time he will turn again to his wallowing in the Mire, and become as filthy as ever he was. | VIII. So if an unregenerate Man ſhould, by the Light of Nature, or other Helps that God is pleaſed to afford, eſcape many great Pollutions, and reform in many things, and ſeem to be a true Convert, and to be clean waſhed from his Filthineſs; yet for want of a thorough Work of Grace upon his Heart, he will at laſt turn again to his former Courſe, and be as vile and wicked as ever he was; nay, oftentimes much worſe,Mat. 12.43 Luk. 11.25 as our Saviour intimates by the unclean Spirit's going out of a Man, &c. And in him is that Word made good, The Sow that was waſhed, is turned to her wallowing in the Mire again. |
| IX. A Swine cries out exceedingly, or makes a great Noiſe, when he is took hold of, and had away to be killed. | IX. So wicked Men, when God takes hold of them by Sickneſs, and they come to have Apprehenſions of Death upon them, they cry out, (unleſs their Conſciences are aſleep or ſeared) being afraid of Death and Hell. |
| X. The Wild-Boar is of a more ſtubborn and miſchievous Nature, and commonly doth more hurt (being very ſtrong) than any other Swine. Naturaliſts tell us, that the Wild-Boar is almoſt as ſtrong and cruel as a Lion; and that he will often whet and ſharpen his Teeth, and run upon the Huntſman. | X. So Antichriſt, who may fitly be compared to a Wild-Boar, I mean his Un-holineſs, that Firſt-born of Satan, is and hath been more miſchievous than any other of the Herd; he having got a great degree of Power, which he hath from time to time exerciſed againſt God's People, to the waſting and ſpoiling of his ſpiritual Vine and Vineyard.Pſal. 80.1… The Boar out of the Wood doth waſte it, and the wild Beaſt out of the Field doth devour it. |
| XI. The Swine under the Tree in a greedy manner eat up the Acorns, but never look up to the Tree or Oak from whence they fall. | XI. So wicked and graceleſs Men, tho they enjoy all this World's Good, never look up in a due manner to God, who is the Tree of Life, and is the Author and Giver of it. |
| XII. Swine will refuſe Pearl for Peaſe; if ye caſt Pearls before them, they will tread them under their Feet. | XII. So wicked Men will refuſe Grace for Gold; give them but this World, and let who will take the Pearl of great Price, the Love and Favour of God. Give them Counſel to leave their Sins, or caſt the Pearl of good Inſtruction before them, and they will tread it under their Feet; they will caſt that at their Heels, which they ſhould apply to their Hearts,Mat. 7.6. and revile you, if they do not tear and rend you into the Bargain. |
| Metaphor. | Diſparity. |
| SWine were created ſuch, they were Swine from the beginning. | MAn was created holy and upright at firſt; this ſwiniſh and brutiſh Nature came in by the Fall. |
| II. Swine retain their own Nature, and it is impoſſible for them to ceaſe being Swine. | II. But wicked Men may be changed, and become gracious; it is poſſible for them to become Sheep and Lambs of Jeſus Chriſt, ſo as to hate that which they once loved. Grace, when infuſed into the Soul, makes a real and wonderful Change. |
Inferences.
THis ſhews the brutiſh and baſe Nature of ſinful Man; what is more contemptible in our Eyes than a Swine?
2. It ſhews what a vaſt difference there is between a true converted Soul, and a brutiſh Sinner; God eſteems of the one as of his choiceſt Treaſure, but ungodly Men are meer Swine and brutiſh Creatures in his Sight.