Wicked Men Compared to Swine

    WICKED MEN COMPARED TO SWINE

    "Neither cast your pearls before Swine" Mt 7:6.

    "The dog is turned to his vomit again, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire," 2Pe 2:22.

    SOME sort of Wicked Men are more especially in these scriptures compared to hogs or Swine; we shall in the following parallels show who they are, and how fitly they may be resembled to them.

    METAPHOR

    I. 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 noisome places.

    PARALLEL

    I. 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 it is 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.

    METAPHOR

    II. The Hog or Swine is a dull, stupid, and senseless creature, not like the Hart, and divers animals that might be named.

    PARALLEL

    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.

    METAPHOR

    III. Swine are craving and very greedy creatures. They are so greedy, saith Dr, Frantizus, that have no measure in eating; and hence grow so fat, that sometimes they are hardly able to go; nay, they will eat until they burst themselves.

    PARALLEL

    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," De 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.

    METAPHOR

    IV. Swine, as they are greedy and unsatisfied creatures, so they are commonly fed for the slaughter.

    PARALLEL

    IV. So the wicked, who flourish in this life, and feed in their filthy styes of sensual lusts, are let alone in their sins, being fatted for the day of slaughter, Jer 12:3.

    METAPHOR

    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 looked after, and kept up in their styes; nay, some of them will bite and devour men, if they look not to themselves.

    PARALLEL

    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 eaten up God's children, tearing them in pieces, like wanton and mischievous Swine, caring not what hurt they do. "Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord?" Ps 14:4. No Swine like the Romish Swine upon this account, who, like devouring locusts, strive to eat up every green thing, Re 9., 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.

    METAPHOR

    VI. Swine are of no use or service, saith Dr. Frantzius, to any one while they live; but when they are killed, they yield the owner some profit.

    PARALLEL

    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.

    METAPHOR

    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.

    PARALLEL

    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.

    METAPHOR

    VIII. The hog, though 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.

    PARALLEL

    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 cleanly 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, as our Saviour intimates by the unclean spirit's going out of a man, &c., Mt 12:43. And in him is that word made good, "The sow that was washed, is turned to her wallowing in the mire again."

    METAPHOR

    IX. A Swine cries out exceedingly, or makes a great noise, when he is taken hold of, and had away to be killed.

    PARALLEL

    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.

    METAPHOR

    X. The wild-boar is of a more stubborn and mischievious 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.

    PARALLEL

    X. So antichrist, who may be fitly compared to a wild-boar, I mean his unholiness, that firstborn 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: "The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast out of the field doth devour it," Ps 80:13.

    METAPHOR

    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.

    PARALLEL

    XI. So wicked and graceless men, though 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.

    METAPHOR

    XII. Swine will refuse pearls for peas; if ye cast pearls before them, they will tread them under their feet.

    PARALLEL

    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, and revile you, if they do not tear and rend you into the bargain, Mt 7:6.

    METAPHOR

    I. Swine were created such, they were Swine from the beginning.

    DISPARITY

    I. Man was created holy and upright at first, this Swinish and brutish nature came in by the fall.

    METAPHOR

    II. Swine retain their own nature, and it is impossible for them to cease being Swine.

    DISPARITY

    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

    I. This shows the brutish and base nature of sinful man; what is more contemptible in our eyes than a Swine?

    II. It shows what a vast difference there is between a true converted soul, and a brutish shiner; God esteems of the one as of his choicest treasure, but ungodly men are mere Swine and brutish creatures in his sight.