A wild Ass, alone by himself

A wild Ass, alone by himself.

This creature the Scripture mentions in divers places for one of the most unruly, and untamable, and fierce creature in the world. Such a creature as cannot be brought to be serviceable, it will not be brought to live with men, no, it cannot be brought to live long with other beasts, no nor to keep company with their own kind, so fierce and savage it is, but runs up and down in the wilderness alone. In Job 11:12 we have mention of this creature: For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild Ass's Colt. And in Job 39:5, Who has sent out the wild Ass free? or who has loosed the bands of the wild Ass? And in Jeremiah 2:24, to name no more: A wild Ass used to the wilderness that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves, in her month they shall find her. In her occasion when he has a mind to the female, she snuffeth up the wind, as the historians say of her, they go up to mountains and there they seek to have the scent of the female, or the male, so they snuff up the wind even for the scent of her. And so the naturalists that write the nature of this creature, Pliny in his eighth book and fortieth chapter: those that are scholars that desire to know more of the nature of this beast may find divers things there. But now we are only to speak of it as the Scripture speaks of it here.

Why does God compare Ephraim and the ten Tribes to the wild Ass?

For two reasons. 1. To show the extreme stubbornness and fierceness of this people. Wicked men that have forsaken God, and are left to themselves, do not only become like to savage creatures, but the very worst of all savage creatures, they run up and down satisfying the lusts of their own hearts irresistibly and bear down all before them, they stamp, and rage, and are mad when at any time they are opposed in their wicked way, this is the scope of the Holy Ghost here: thus Ephraim was when he was opposed. Do you not find many so, that are in a violent way set upon wickedness and ungodliness that they will hear nothing, they snuff at the wind and all that is said against them, and run violently upon wicked ways, and upon their own ruin? It may be in their month you shall find them; that has reference to the very last month which the wild Ass goes when it is with young, then when it is so big, and till then there is no dealing with them. Some historians say that the wild Asses are so fierce, that they will tear asunder armor of proof, but only in the very month when they are so big that they cannot wield themselves, then you shall find them. So, though sinners be never so stubborn, yet God has his month, and perhaps then you shall find them. When at any time you find your children, or servants, or others to be stubborn and stout against whatever is said to them, and even rage in their madness for the satisfying of their wicked wills, you may remember this text and creature: they are as wild Asses that are alone by themselves. And among all wicked men idolaters are the most stubborn and stout in their wicked ways, their hearts are set upon their idols, yes, as the phrase of Scripture is in Jeremiah 5:38, They are mad upon their idols. There's nothing that can be said to those whose hearts are taken with false worship, nothing will prevail with them without an infinite power of God put forth, and there's no sinners more bold, more untamable and fierce in their ways, than those that are superstitious, and that's their reason that if they be opposed in their way of false worship, you know there will be such tumultuousness of people flinging of stones against windows where God is truly worshipped, anything in the world though they know not what they do, yet because they think themselves condemned in their sinful ways, therefore they run like wild beasts in a furious manner even against those that worship God better than themselves.

Secondly, God compares the ten Tribes to the wild Ass in way of contempt of them. As in the former place of Job 11:12, Vain man would be wise; though man be born like a wild Ass's Colt: he would fain think himself somebody, yet he is a most base and vile creature. And if any of you be not so fierce in your wicked ways as some others are, if God has tamed your spirits by His Word and Spirit, bless God for it, for all men are born like a wild Ass's Colt, they are mad upon their wicked ways to ruin themselves. But because there's no men that think higher of themselves than stubborn spirits; for stoutness and stubbornness does evermore proceed from pride, because they think it such a dishonor for their wills to be crossed in any thing, therefore the Scripture casts the more contempt upon them, and calls such, proud, stout fools, wild Asses; and indeed there are none more contemptible in the eyes of God than stout sinners. It follows.