Man Compared to a Worm

    MAN COMPARED TO A WORM

    "How much less man, that is a Worm, and the son of man, a Worm!" Job 25:6.

    A worm is one of the meanest creatures, and the word that is here used, nni Vermis parvus, aut Caseo nascens, signifieth properly and chiefly those worms that breed in flesh, or cheese, or any other kind of food when it is corrupted. The word is used, Ex 16:24, where it is said, the manna that was reserved contrary to the command of God, bred worms; such a Worm is Man.

    God is so excellent and glorious, that nothing can be found out, that can set forth or illustrate his incomparable Being and greatness: To whom shall we liken him! So there is nothing so low and base, but man in his fallen state is compared to it; he is compared to earth, dust, the grass of the field, to a lie, to vanity itself, and here to a Worm.

    METAPHOR

    I. A Worm hath its original from the earth.

    PARALLEL

    1. So Man is earth, as we showed before: his original is from thence.

    METAPHOR

    II. A Worm liveth upon the earth, and there it loves to be, and make its abode.

    PARALLEL

    II. So Man in his natural state liveth upon the earth, and the things thereof; he panteth after the dust of the earth; his mind, love, and whole desire is after earthly things, Am 2:7.

    METAPHOR

    III. A Worm is a creature of little worth, and hath no beauty in it; what is more contemptible than a Worm!

    PARALLEL

    III. So Man in his fallen state is of no worth, he hath made himself as light and empty as vanity. He was once of great worth in God's esteem, whilst he retained his uprightness; but now naturally there is no excellency in him, his beauty is gone, he is but a lump of sin and pollution, contemptible as a Worm.

    METAPHOR

    IV. A Worm is a creature that lies obnoxious to great danger; every foot is ready to crush it.

    PARALLEL

    IV. So Man is open to manifold dangers from sin, Satan, and the world; many ways he is exposed to ruin, and to be undone for ever.

    METAPHOR

    V. A small thing may spoil, kill, and destroy a Worm.

    PARALLEL

    V. So a small thing may destroy and ruin Man. First, a little thing may take away his natural life; a bit of bread hath choked some men; a tile from a house may beat out his brains; a spider, and other small creatures, may presently destroy him. What is man's life! How small a thing will stop his breath! And then, secondly, a small thing, as it may seem in his sight, may destroy his soul: a lascivious lust, a wanton look upon a woman, jesting, and idle words, nay, the least sin, without repentance, will damn him for ever, Mt 5:28. But remember this no sin is small or little in itself, though there be more venom in some sins, than in some others. The least sin is a breach of the holy law of God, and the least breach thereof layeth a soul under the curse of it. Also Christ's blood was shed to save us from lesser sins, as well as from the greater.

    METAPHOR

    VI. A Worm is a creature that is not able to make resistance, that way to deliver itself from its enemy.

    PARALLEL

    VI. So what resistance is a Man able to make in himself, against Satan? Is he not as a worm in the sight of that cruel enemy, if God let him but once out against him? Besides, God is an adversary to him, whilst he remains in an unconverted state; and what resistance can he make against the Almighty? There is a far greater disproportion between God and us, than there is between us and a worm, Ps 7:11; Mt 5:25.

    VII. A Worm is a creature that is a prey to the fowls of heaven; they, you know, commonly feed upon them, and catch them up at every turn.

    PARALLEL

    VII. So Men are a prey to Satan, and evil spirits, who are called fowls of heaven, Mt 13:4,19. How often doth the devil seize upon sinners, and carry them captive at his will?

    METAPHOR

    VIII. Worms, when they find the ground to shake by men's treading upon it, many times make haste into their holes, and thereby save themselves.

    PARALLEL

    VIII. So some poor sinners, when they find their earthly tabernacles begin to shake, by sickness, or some approaching judgment, make haste, (their consciences being thereby awakened by the Lord) to get into that place of security God hath provided for them, viz., the Rock Christ, who is called an hiding-place, Isa 32:2.

    METAPHOR

    IX. There are many sorts of Worms.

    PARALLEL

    IX. So there are many sorts of men, [Worms.]

    METAPHOR

    1. Some great, and some small ones; and yet all are but Worms.

    PARALLEL

    1. So there are some great Men, mighty ones of the earth, as kings, &c., and some small or poor Men; but yet all are but Worms, weak and contemptible creatures in God's sight; David called himself a Worm: "I am a Worm, and no man," &c., Ps 22:6.

    METAPHOR

    2. There are some dunghil-Worms, who love to abide or live in dung, and muck of the earth.

    PARALLEL

    2. So there are some men, (whom we commonly call muck-Worms) who delight in nothing more than in the dung or filth of the earth or muck of this world; their hearts and hands are always in the earth. Take them out of this filth, and they are as dead men; and let them alone, and you shall presently see them crawl to their old delights. Nothing but the world is in their mouths; they wallow in their filthy lusts, and earthly-rnindedness, as the swine tumble in their mire.

    METAPHOR

    3. There are some Worms very loathsome, such as breed in rotten putrified flesh, which are called carrion-Worms.

    PARALLEL

    3. Such a Worm is a wicked Man, a vermin, a Worm, that breeds in corruption, as it were a loathsome creature in God's sight. See the head of the metaphor.

    METAPHOR

    4. There are some Worms that deceive the eyes, seeming to be what they are not. Many have thought they had seen fire in the night, when they have cast their eye upon them in the place where they have lain. These are called Glow-Worms. R. W., tells us a story of a parson, that in the night, being drunk, casting his eye upon one of these Worms, having his pipe of tobacco filled, went boldly towards it, crying out, "Fire, I hope; Fire, I hope." When the light comes, these appear to all to be but Worms.

    PARALLEL

    4. There are some Men who deceive their neighbours: they take them to be holy and good Men, precious saints of God, and yet are greatly mistaken in them, they being no better than painted sepulchres, mere hypocrites; and notwithstandirig their outward show of holiness and sanctity, are but earth-Worms, having the world, viz., external advantage, or vain glory, in their eye, as the great thing they aim at in their profession; and in the day of Christ, they will appear to be what in truth they are.

    METAPHOR

    5. There are some very hurtful Worms, which spoil trees, flowers, and the fruits of the earth: such are the palmer -Worm, the caterpillar, and the cankerWorm: which sort of hurtful vermin God hath often brought upon a people and nation, as a punishment of their sins. See Joe 1:4; Am 4:9.

    PARALLEL

    5. So there are some Men, who, like to these Worms, are of a very hurtful nature, and endeavour to spoil Christ's spiritual trees, flowers, and precious fruit, &c. They are called locusts or caterpillars by the Holy Ghost; they are said to come out of the bottomless pit: "And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power," &c., Re 9:3. "By these locusts are meant, (as Franciscus Claudius, a Carmelite friar, and others expound the place, as is noted by Mr. Wilson,) those great swarms of Popish priests, friars, monks, cardinals, even the whole Popish hierarchy, and pontificial clergy. These are fitly likened unto locusts, which are a little vile vermin, springing, as some say, out of smoke," &c. And truly this is made too evident of that sort of Men this day in England, and other nations of Europe. Never were a more destructive generation of vile vermin in the world; none make, or threaten to make greater spoil of Christ's vineyard, and precious fruit-trees, than they. And in that they are let in upon us, we may plainly read God's displeasure against us thereby; and nothing but unfeigned repentance and reformation will doubtless free this poor nation from them, for at this very time we are sadly plagued and pestered with them. See God an Husbandman.

    METAPHOR

    6. There are also some profitable Worms, who are very laborious, and clothe the world with silk; and they are called silk-Worms.

    PARALLEL

    6. This sort of Worms resemble the laborious and faithful ministers of Christ, who spend them selves in preaching, and in divine prayer and meditation, that so they may enrich men's souls with grace and true virtue. These, as instruments in God's hand, may be said to clothe Men and women with silk, or gloriously adorn their better part, though hereby, through zeal and faithful industry for God's glory, they waste and consume their own carcases, spending, and being spent, as the apostle speaks.

    METAPHOR

    X. The house or place of divers Worms is the earth; they lie hid in the ground.

    PARALLEL

    X. So Man, who is a Worm, must take up his place for a short time in the earth: "The grave is my house, saith Job, the place appointed for all living," Job 17:13. This Worm must go to his fellows, to the Worms.

    INFERENCES.

    I. BY this we may see what a poor thing Man is: the mighty ones of the earth, who boast of great matters, are but Worms. And if Man be but a Worm, why doth he swell above the clouds, as if he would make his nest among the stars, whereas he must shortly fall among the clods, and be eaten of Worms?

    II. Take heed of having Men's persons in admiration; it is a vain thing to give flattering titles to others. As it becomes us not to reproach or "vilify any Man, though all Men be but as Worms; so it is a God-provoking evil, to flatter Men thereby, creating high thoughts in them of themselves; as some once served Herod, crying out, "It is the voice of a God, and not of a Man:" but the Almighty, to show how much he abhorred such as gave not him the glory, made them know he was but a Worm; and therefore the angel of the Lord smote him, and he was eaten up of Worms, Ac 12:22.

    III. Be not envious at others, though more rich and honourable than thee. The greatest of men are but Worms: and though some sparkle and shine in outward glory and splendour, and seem to excel every way, yet they may be but like glow-Worms; it is but for a night they seem like stars, in the morning they will appear like others.

    IV. Let us learn from hence not to overvalue ourselves, nor our lives: what is the life of a Worm!

    V. What fools are the wicked of the earth, to muster up their forces against God's people! Whom do they come out against? It is but against a Worm. Could they prevail, what honour could they gain by it? Is it so great a manner to destroy a Worm? for so Jacob in his low estate is called: "Fear not, thou Worm Jacob." But let them know, this Worm hath a mighty God to take its part: "I will help thee," &c., Isa 41:14. Why should Worms seek to destroy one another?

    VI. Lastly; What cause is there, these things considered, to admire, that the glorious God of heaven and earth should be mindful of a Worm, nay, to set his heart upon him, and give his Son to die for him; and to take such a poor and contemptible thing as Man into union and communion with himself! Job 7:17.