A Key Opening Mysterious Texts of Scripture, Collection of sermons 1 · Sermon 15
THE SEASONING OF ALL SPIRITUALL SACRIFICES: OR The Salters Text. A Sermon preached before the Company of the Salters at S. Maries Church in Bread-ſtreet. THE FIFTEENTH SERMON.
MARKE 9.49.
For every one ſhall bee ſalted with fire, and every ſacrifice ſhall bee ſalted with ſalt.
Right Honourable, Right Worſhipfull, &c.
THat I may not entertaine your religious attention with a cold or unſeaſonable diſcourſe, I have made choice of a text, wherein I finde both fire and ſalt; fire to heat it, and ſalt to ſeaſon it. And if any parcell of Scripture may be appropriated to any of the Worſhipfull Societies or Companies of this Honourable City, certainly you may challenge a peculiar intereſt in this. For here is both ſalt and ſalting (from whence you take your name) both of men & ſacrifices. The beſt of all creatures on earth are men, and the beſt of all gifts of men are ſacrifices, & both are made ſavory and acceptable to God by ſeaſoning; they with fire, theſe with ſalt. In relation to the former, me thinks as Chriſt ſaid to Andrew and Peter, aMatth. 4.19.Follow me & I will make you fiſhers of men; ſo I heare the holy ſpirit ſay to mee, Obſerve this text well and apply it, and I will make thee a ſalter of men; for every man muſt bee ſalted with fire, and, as it followeth, Every ſacrifice muſt bee ſalted with ſalt. bLev. 2.13. Every obla…ion of the meat offering ſhalt thou ſeaſon with ſalt, neither ſhalt thou ſuffer the covenant of thy God to bee lacking from thy meat offering.With all thine offerings thou ſhalt offer ſalt, ſaith Moſes from God: Every ſacrifice ſhall bee ſalted with ſalt, ſaith Chriſt from Moſes; whoſe drift in this place is ſomewhat obſcure, becauſe the ſenſe is covered under the vaile of an Allegory, which wee cannot draw without looking up higher into the chapter, and touching upon the precedent verſes. Wherein our Lord threatneth unquenchable fire, and an immortall worme to all that for want of the fire of zeale grow cold in religion; and for lacke of the ſalt of grace putrefie in their ſins. If, ſaith he, that perſon or thing that cauſes thee to offend, either in want of courage for God, or of zeale and Chriſtian reſolution againſt thy boſome ſinnes and naturall corruptions, bee as deare to thee as thine eye, or as neceſſary as thy right hand, part with them thou muſt; if it be an eye, plucke it out; if an hand, cut it off, and caſt it away from thee; better ſee thy ſelfe in heaven with one eye, than to ſee thy ſelfe in hell with both; better hoppe into life with one legge, than runne to eternall death with both; better without a right hand to bee ſet with the ſheepe at Gods right hand, than having a right hand to bee ſet at Gods left hand, and afterwards with both thine hands bee bound to bee caſt into hell fire, cver. 44.46.48.where the worme never dyeth, and the fire is not quenched, and againe, and a third time, where the worme never dyeth, and the fire is not quenched. At the mention whereof, it being the burthen of his dolefull Sonnet, our Saviour perceiving the eares of his auditors to tingle, in the words of my text hee yeeldeth a reaſon of that his ſo ſmart and biting admonition, ſaying, For every one ſhall be ſalted, &c. and withall hee ſheweth them a meanes to eſcape that unquenchable fire which they ſo much dreaded, and to kill the immortall worme which even now began to bite them. The meanes to eſcape the one, is to bee ſalted here with fire; and the meanes to kill the other, is to be ſalted here with ſalt; for ſalt preſerveth from that putrefaction which breedeth that worme. He who now is ſalted with the fire of zeale, or heart-burning ſorrow for his ſinnes, ſhall never hereafter bee ſalted with the fire of hell: this fire will keepe out that, asdOvid. Met. l. 2. Saevis compeſcuit ignibus ignes. Jupiters fire drove out Phaetons: and hee who macerateth here his fleſhly members with the ſalt of Gods uncorrupt word, and the cleanſing grace of his ſpirit, ſhall never putrefie in his ſinnes, nor feele the torment of the never dying worme.
The Philoſophers make three partitions, as it were, in the ſoule of man: the firſt they call the reaſonable, or ſeate of judgement; the ſecond, the iraſcible, or ſeat of affections; the third, the concupiſcible, or the ſeat of deſires and luſts. In the reaſonable part they who knew nothing of the fall of man, and originall corruption, find little amiſſe; but in the concupiſcible they note foreign, ſomething like ſuperfluous moiſture inclining to luxury; in the iraſcible, foreign, or foreign, ſomething like cold or rawneſſe enclining to feare: behold in my text a remedy for both; fire for the one, and ſalt for the other. And that wee may not loſe a ſparke of this holy fire, or a graine of this ſalt ſo ſoveraigne, let us in a more exact diviſion obſerve,
1 Two kindes of ſeaſoning:
1 With fire:
2 With ſalt.
2 Two ſorts of things to bee ſeaſoned:
1 Men without limitation, Every:
2 Sacrifices without exception, All.
God eGen. 4.4.had reſpect unto Abel and his ſacrifice; firſt to Abel, and then to his offering: hee accepteth not the man for his ſacrifice, but the ſacrifice for the mans ſake. Firſt therefore of men and their ſalting with fire; and after of ſacrifices and their ſalting with ſalt.
Every one ſhall bee ſalted with fire. SaintfHieron. in hunc locum. Mire dictum eſt, &c. ille verè victima domini eſt, qui corpus & animam a vitus emundando, Deo per amorem conſecratur, nec ſale aſpergitur, ſed igne conſumitur, quando non peccati tantum contagio pellitur, ſed & praeſentis vitae delectatio tollitur, & futurae converſationi totā mente ſuſpiratur. Jerome was much taken with this ſpeech of our Saviour: it is, ſaith he, an admirable ſaying; That which is ſeaſoned with ſalt is preſerved from corruption of vermine; that which is ſalted with fire loſeth ſome of the ſubſtance; with both the ſacrifices of the old Law were ſeaſoned: ſuch a ſacrifice in the Goſpell is hee, who cleanſing his body and ſoule from vice, by love conſecrateth himſelfe to God; who then it not onelyonly ſprinkled with ſalt, but alſo conſumed with fire, when not onelyonly the contagion of ſinne is driven away, but alſo all delight of this preſent life is taken away; and wee ſigh with our whole ſoule after our future converſation, which ſhall bee with God and his Angels in heaven. It is newes to heare of ſalting of men, eſpecially with fire: an uncouth expreſsion, yet uſed by our Saviour to ſtrike a deeper impreſsion into the mindes of his hearers: and verily the Metaphor is not ſo hard and ſtrained, as the duty required is harſh and difficult to our nature. It went much againſt fleſh and blood to heare of plucking out an eye, or cutting off an hand or foot, yet that is nothing in compariſon to ſalting with fire: ſalt draweth out the corrupt blood, and ſuperfluous moiſture out of fleſh, but fire taketh away much of the ſubſtance thereof, if not all. For the fatteſt and beſt parts of all ſacrifices were devoured by the flame, of ſuch things as were offered to God by fire. If ſuch a ſalting bee requiſite, wee muſt then not onelyonly part with an eye, or a hand, or a foot, but even with heart, and head, and whole body to be burned for the teſtimony of the Goſpell; if ſo the caſe ſtand that either we muſt leave our body behind us, or wee leave Chriſt. Such a ſalting is here preſcribed by our high Prieſt, as draweth out not onelyonly corrupt moiſture, but conſumeth much of the fleſh alſo, yea ſometimes all; (that is) not onelyonly bereaveth us of ſuperfluous vanities, and ſinfull pleaſures, but even of our chiefe comforts of life it ſelfe, our friends, our eſtates, our honours, yea ſometimes our very bodies. So hot is this fire, ſo quicke is this ſalt. Thoſe that are redeemed by Chriſts blood, muſt thinke nothing too deare for him who paid ſo deare for them: rather than forfeit their faith, and renounce the truth, they muſt willingly lay all at ſtake for his ſake, who pawned not onelyonly his humane body and ſoule, but after a ſort his divine perſon alſo, to ſatisfie the juſtice of God for us.
Every one. How farre this Every one extends, and what this ſalting with fire ſignifieth, the beſt Interpreters, ancient and latter, are not fully agreed. Some reſtraine every one to the reprobate only, and by fire underſtand hell-fire: others to the elect onelyonly, and by fire underſtand the fire of Gods ſpirit, or grace, burning out, as it were, and conſuming our naturall corruptions. They who ſtand for the former interpretation, conceive that Chriſt in theſe words yeeldeth a reaſon why hee ſaid that hell-fire ſhall never bee quenched;Ver. 48. for every one (that is ſay they) of the damned in hell ſhall bee ſalted with that fire; the fire ſhall be to their bodies as ſalt is to fleſh, which keepeth it from putrefying. O cruell mercy of helliſh flames: O ſaving deſtruction: O preſervation worſe than perdition: O fire eternally devouring, and yet preſerving its owne fuell: O puniſhment bringing continuall torments to the damned, and continuing their bodies and ſoules in it! It is worſe than death to be kept alive to eternall pains: it is worſe than perdition to bee ſaved for ever in theſe flames, to bee ever ſcorched and never conſumed, that is, to bee ever dying and never dye. Here, as SaintgAug. de civit. Dei, l 13. c. 11. Ibi non erunt homines ante mortem, ne que poſt mortem, ſed ſemper in morte, at que per hoc nunquam viventes, nunquam mortui, ſed ſine fine morientes. Auſtine acutely obſerveth, wee can never bee ſayd properly dying, but either alive or dead; for to the moment of giving up the ghoſt, wee are alive, and after that dead; whereas on the contrary, the damned in hell can never bee ſaid to bee alive or dead, but continually dying: not dead, becauſe they have moſt quicke ſenſe of paine; not alive, becauſe they are in the pangs of the ſecond death. O miſerable life where life is continually dying; O more miſerable death where death is eternally living! Yea, but ſhall all be ſalted with this fire, the fire of hell? God forbid. Doth Chriſt ſay of this ſalt, not of the earth but of hell, that it is good? (ver. 50.) is this the meaning of his exhortation, have ſalt in you; that is, procure the ſalt of hell fire to keep you alive in the torments of eternall death, to preſerve you to everlaſting perdition? By no meanes.hIn hunc locum. Maldonat therefore and Barradius, and all that are for this firſt interpretation are juſtly to bee blamed, becauſe they had an eye to the antecedents, but not to the conſequents of my text. On the other ſide, thoſe who adhere to the ſecond interpretation are not free from juſt exception, becauſe they had an eye to the conſequents, and not to the antecedents. For wee ought to give ſuch an interpretation of theſe words as may hold good correſpondence both with the antecedents and conſequents, and either give light to both, or receive it from them. The elect, to whom theſe latter reſtraine the word All, have nothing to doe with the unquenchable fire of hell, mentioned ver. 48. neither have the reprobate, to whom the former interpreters appropriate theſe words, any thing to doe with the good ſalt, ver. 50. yet both have to doe with ſome kinde of ſalting, and with ſome kinde of fire. For every one ſhall bee ſalted one way or other, either here with the fire of the ſpirit ſeaſoning our nature and preſerving it from corruption; or hereafter with the fire of hell. There is no meanes to eſcape the never dying worme of an evill conſcience, but by having ſalt in us, nor to prevent the unquenchable fire of hell, but by fire from heaven, I meane, heart-burning ſorrow for our ſinnes: Dolor eſt medicina doloris.
That we may not bee hereafter ſalted with the fire of hell, wee muſt be here ſalted with a threefold fire: of
1 The word:
2 The ſpirit:
3 Affliction, or perſecution.
Firſt, with the fire of the word: the word is a fire;iJer. 23.29. Is not my word like a fire, ſaith the Lord? It hath the three properties of fire:
1 To give light:
2 To burne:
3 To ſearch.
Firſt, it giveth light; therefore Pſal. 119. it is called a lanthorn to our ſteps, and a light to our paths. Secondly, it burneth,
1 In the eare:
2 In the mouth:
3 In the heart.
Firſt, in the eare:k1 Sam. 3.11. Whoſoever heareth my words, ſaith God, his eares ſhall tingle. Secondly it burneth in the mouth,lJerem. 5.14. I will make my words fire in the mouth. Thirdly, it burneth in the heart,mLuk. 24.32. Did not our heart burne within us when hee opened to us the ſcriptures?
Laſtly, it ſearcheth, pierceth, and tryeth like fire, ThenHeb. 4.12. word of God is mighty in operation, and ſharper than a two-edged ſword, &c.
Secondly, with the fire of the ſpirit; the ſpirit is a fire, oAct. 1.5.You ſhall be baptized with the holy Ghoſt and with fire. Water will waſh out filthy ſpots and blots on the skinne onelyonly; but fire is more powerfull, it will burne out rotten fleſh and corrupt matter under the skinne. This fire of the holy Ghoſt enlightneth the underſtanding with knowledge, enflameth the will and affections with the love of God, and zeale for his glory, and purgeth out all our droſſie corruptions.
Thirdly, with the fire of perſecution and affliction. Perſecution is called ap1 Pet. 4.12. fiery tryall; and all kinde of afflictions and temptations, wherewith Gods Saints are tryed, in Saint Auſtines judgement, are the fire whereof Saint Paul ſpeaketh;q1 Cor. 3.15. He ſhall be ſaved, as it were through fire. And of a truth, whatſoever the meaning of that text bee, certaine it is that the pureſt veſſels of Gods ſanctuary, firſt in the Heathen, next in the Arrian, and laſt of all in the Antichriſtian perſecution, have beene purified and made glorious like gold tryed in the fire. There is no torment can bee deviſed by man or divell whereof experiments have not beene made on the bodies of Chriſts martyrs: yet the greater part of them, eſpecially in theſe later times, have beene offered to God by fire, as the Holocauſts under the law. Bloody perſecutors of Gods Saints, ſet on fire with hell, of all torments moſt employed the fiery, becauſe they are moſt dreadfull to the eye of the beholders, moſt painefull to the body of the ſufferers, and they leave nothing of the burned martyr, ſave aſhes, which ſometimes the adverſaries ma…ice outlaſting the flames of fire, caſt into the river. And many of Gods ſervants in this land, as well as in other parts, in the memory of our fathers have been ſalted with this fire; call you it whether you pleaſe, either the fire of martyrdome, or martyrdome of fire. And howſoever this fire in the dayes of Queen Mary was quenched eſpecially by the blood of the ſlaine for the teſtimony of Jeſus Chriſt, as the fire in the city of therLiv. decad 3. l. 8 Bruſon. facet. & exempl. l. 1. Aſtapani (as Livie obſerveth) when no water could lave it our, was extinguiſhed with the blood of the citizens: yet wee know not but that it may bee kindled againe, unleſſe wee blow out the coales of wrath againſt us with the breath of our prayers, or dead them with our teares. Admit that that fire ſhould never bee kindled againe, yet God hath many other fires to ſalt us withall, burning feavers, fiery ſerpents, thunder and lightning, heart-burning griefes and ſorrowes, loſſe of deareſt friends, wracke of our eſtates, infamy, diſgrace, vexations, oppreſſions, indignation at the proſperity of the wicked, terrors of conſcience, and ſpirituall derelictions. And God grant that either by the fire of the Word, or of the Spirit, or ſeaſonable afflictions, our fleſhly corruptions may bee ſo burned out in this life, that wee bee not ſalted hereafter with the fire of hell; which burneth, but lighteth not; ſcorcheth, but yet conſumeth not; worketh without end both upon ſoule and body, yet maketh an end of neither. O that they who are frozen in their ſins were ſomtimes ſinged and thawed with the conſideration of this infernall and eternall fire! If they did but minde it, they could not but feare it; and if they feared it, they would in time ſeeke meanes to eſcape it; and if they ſought them in time, they might find them in my text. And ſo I paſſe from the ſalting of men with fire, to the ſeaſoning of ſacrifices with ſalt.
Every ſacrifice ſhall bee ſalted with ſalt. There was nothing butt2 King. 2.14. death and barrenneſſe in the waters of Jericho till Eliſha caſt ſalt in the ſprings. In theſe waters SaintuIſidor. Peluſ. ep. 16. foreign. Iſidore deſcryeth a type of our naturall eſtate, wherein we were dead in ſinnes, and barren of good workes, till the true Eliſha, Chriſt Jeſus, caſt ſalt in the ſprings, I meane, our hearts, whence are the iſſues of life. Salt hath three moſt knowne properties;
1 To powder:
2 To ſeaſon:
3 To cleanſe.
It powdereth fleſh, and keepeth it from putrefaction: it ſeaſoneth meats and drinkes: and it cleanſeth wounds, fretting and eating out the corrupt matter in them. And anſwerable hereunto there are three effects of the word mixed with faith;
1 It powdereth the heart:
2 It ſeaſoneth the ſpeech:
3 It cleanſeth the ſores of wounded conſciences.
Materiall ſalt is not more neceſſary in our houſes, than this ſpirituall ſalt in the houſe of God; for without it no taſte of goodneſſe, no reliſh of holineſſe, no ſapour pleaſing to God. In ſome ſacrifices of the old law, fleſh, in ſome wine, in ſome oyle, in ſome meale; but in all and with all ſalt was offered. Theſe ſacrifices were not onelyonly ſhadowes of the body, which was Chriſts ſacrifice on the croſſe; but alſo types of our ſpirituall ſacrifices: the meat offerings of our almes deeds, whereby wee feed the hungry; the drink offerings of our penitent teares; the peace offerings of our praiſe and thanksgiving; the heave offerings of our elevated deſires and affections; the whole burnt offering or holocauſt of martyrdome for the teſtimony of the Goſpel. And as the legall ſacrifices were ſeaſoned with ſalt, and conſumed with fire; ſo all our ſpirituall ſacrifices muſt bee ſeaſoned with the ſalt of diſcretion, and conſumed with the fire of zeale. And becauſe the zeale is in the man, and the diſcretion is ſeene in his offering, it is ſaid, Every man ſhall bee ſalted with fire, and every ſacrifice ſhall bee ſalted with ſalt. To begin with the holocauſt, or whole burnt-offering. When a ſervant of Chriſt overcommeth the violence of fire by his faith, and remaines as unmoved in the torment thereof, as thexGodwin in Archiep Cant. Cranmerus flammâ ſaeviente, erectis in coelum oculis, Domine ſuſcipe ſpiritum meum exclamavit, & corpore tam immotus perſtitit quam palus cui alligatus eſt. ſtake at which hee is burnt: in this ſacrifice ſalt is moſt neceſſary, I meane, the ſalt of ſpirituall wiſedome and religious diſcretion. For a man muſt not offer himſelfe to the mercileſſe flames; but being adjudged to them, and by the ſecular arme brought to them, patiently and cheerfully ſuffer them, rather than deny the Lord that bought him. No man muſt ſeale the truth of the Goſpell with his blood, unleſſe hee bee called in as a witneſſe, and required to depoſe: and then hee muſt not onelyonly depoſe in a free profeſſion of his faith, but alſo depoſite his life for the further confirmation of his Chriſtian profeſſion. He that is called to ſuffer, muſt in the firſt place conſider for what he ſuffereth; for all are not bleſſed that ſuffer, but thoſe thatyMat. 5.10. ſuffer for righteouſneſſe. Bleſſed, indeed moſt bleſſed are they that are perſecuted for righteouſneſſe ſake; not thoſe who are executed as malefactors, for murder, felony, blaſphemy, ſchiſme, obſtinacy or fancy. None dyeth a Martyr but hee who dyeth for the faith by which the juſt liveth. If a Jew bee ſcourged to death for the abrogated rites of the ceremoniall law: or a Jeſuited Papiſt hanged, drawne, and quartered, according to the penall ſtatutes of this kingdome, for treaſon againſt the Prince, in the Popes quarrell: or if an Anabaptiſt bee burned to aſhes for his fanaticall and fantaſticall revelations; hee dyeth the Popes, or his owne Martyr, not Chriſts. His ſuffering, aszEp. 1. Si occiſi extra eccleſiam fuerint, corona fidei non eſt, ſed potius poena perfidiae. Cyprian the bleſſed Martyr determineth the point againſt all heretickes, is, Poena perfidiae, non corona fidei, a puniſhment for his hereſie or perfidiouſneſſe, not a crowne of faith or a wreath of glory.
Another ſacrifice of the whole man, is when a devout Chriſtian giveth up his members as ſervants unto righteouſneſſe, and his whole body as a living aRom. 12.1.ſacrifice unto God: in this likewiſe the ſalt of ſpirituall wiſdome and diſcretion is moſt requiſite. For wee muſt ſo devote our ſelves to the ſervice of God, that we altogether forget not our duty to man: we muſt ſo follow the things that are above, that we neglect not our affaires below, quit not our calling on earth, much leſſe in aſpiring to angelicall perfection, caſt our ſelves down beneath Heathens and Infidels, by caſting away all care of proviſion for ourb1 Tim. 5.8. If any provide not for his owne, and eſpecially thoſe of his houſe, or kinred, hee hath denied the faith, and is worſe than an Infidell. family. There was never any ſect had a more plauſible pretext for their hereſie than the Euchites, who nothing but praied continually: yet becauſe they diſtinguiſhed not between time and ſeaſon, miſ-underſtanding the precept of the Apoſtle,c1 Theſ. 5.17. pray continually; which requireth that we pray upon every occaſion, and at all ſeaſons, that is, fit houres for prayer, not ſimply, at all times which are allotted us by God fordEccl. 3.1. every purpoſe under heaven; but eſpecially becauſe they juſled out all other duties of piety and Chriſtian charity for it, they were themſelves by the ancient Fathers driven out of the Church, and deſervedly excommunicated, whoeEpiph haereſ. Maſſal & Euchi…. & Aug. de haereſ. ad quod vult Deum. communicated nothing to the publicke, but were all for their private devotion.
Undoubtedly, as when the fatteſt and beſt of the ſacrifice was conſumed, the Prieſts might take the reſt for their uſe; ſo after wee have given God the flower and beſt of our time, the reſt wee may, nay wee muſt employ in the workes of our ſpeciall calling for our owne and others behoofe.
Next to the ſacrifice of the whole man is the ſacrifice of the hidden man, of the heart, I meane,fPſal. 51.17. a broken ſpirit, and contrite heart. In this ſacrifice the ſalt of diſcretion is as neceſſary as in the former. For even godly ſorrow muſt not exceed, the rivers of Paradiſe muſt bee kept within their bankes. A man may pricke his heart for his ſinne, nay wound it, but hee muſt not kill it. Hee may dive deepe into the waters of Mara, but not ſtay ſo long under the water till hee bee drowned. Hee that hath grievouſly wronged Gods juſtice by preſumption, let him take heede that hee doe not more wrong his mercy by deſperation: his ſinnes can be but finite, but Gods mercy, and Chriſts merits are infinite.
There remaines yet two other ſacrifices, the ſacrifice of the tongue, and the ſacrifice of the hand, Prayer, and Almeſ-deeds: Prayers are tearmedgHoſ. 14.2. Render the calves of your lips. Vituli labiorum, the Calves of the lippes; and Almeſ-deeds are graced with the title ofhHeb. 13.16. To doe good and communicate forget not, for with ſuch ſcarifices God is well pleaſed. ſacrifices by the Apoſtle; and Saint Auſtine yeeldeth a good reaſon for it; becauſe God accepteth theſe pro ſacrificiis, or prae ſacrificiis, for, or before all ſacrifices. With both theſe ſalt muſt bee offered, the ſalt of diſcretion with the one, and of admonition with the other: ſpirituall wiſedome muſt guide both the lifting up of our hands to God, and the ſtretching them out to our brethren.
Firſt for prayer. No unſavory prayers proceeding from a corrupt heart are pleaſing to God; no words ſound well in his eares but ſuch as are conſonant to his word, and miniſter grace to the hearers. Let my iPſal. 141.2.prayer, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, be directed to thee as incenſe; prayer muſt be directed, not ſuddenly throwne up, as it were at all adventures. Wiſdome and intention muſt direct it, not to Saints and Angels, but to God. As it muſt be directed, and that to God; ſo in the third place it muſt be directed as incenſe from a burning cenſer, that is, a zealous heart; or, to uſe the phraſe of my text, it muſt be ſeaſoned with ſalt, the ſalt of diſcretion, and ſalted with fire, the fire of zeale. Is this to pray & praiſe God, to draw neare to him with our lips, when our hearts are farre from him? to lift up our eyes and hands to heaven when our mindes are on earthly things? is this to pray unto, or praiſe God, to vent out our unhallowed deſires and indigeſted thoughts in broken words, without any premeditation, order, or connexion? No ſurely, this is not to offer to God Vitulos labiorum, the calves of our lippes, but labia vitulorum, the lippes of calves.
You heare how needfull ſalt is in the ſacrifice of the tongue: as neceſſary it is in the ſacrifice of the hands.kPſal. 41.1. Bleſſed is hee, ſaith the Kingly Prophet, qui intelligit ſuper egenum, who conſidereth the poore and needy; that is, firſt taketh notice of their condition and quality, and accordingly relieveth them, leſt otherwiſe hee contribute to idleneſſe, and not to neceſsity. Some want worke to their will, others will to worke: ſome are impotent indeed, others are counterfeit: to the one a gift is an almeſ-deed, to the other the beſt almes is to give them a ſharp admonition, or ſend them with their errand to the Houſe of correction. The Philoſopher might ſay when he beſtowed an almes upon a lewd rogue,lPlutarch. apoph. Non homini dediſed humanitati, Not to the man but to manhood; not to his perſon, but to his nature; not to his ill conditions, but to his miſerable condition: but he that feareth God muſt take heed that he caſt not ſeede upon accurſed earth, leſt it bring forth the fruits of Gomorrha; or it prove like the ſeed ſowne bymOvid. Met l. 3. Vipereos dentes populi incrementa futuri, &c. Creſcitque ſeges clypeata virorum. Cadmus, whence grew up on the ſudden armed men, I meane an army of ſturdy beggars, armed againſt us in the high-wayes. Hee muſt make a conſcience both what he giveth, and out of what, and in what manner, and to what end. Firſt, what; hee muſt not give the childrens bread to dogges: ſecondly, out of what; hee muſt not give to God of that which hee hath ſtollen from man, or got by any indirect courſes, for this were to make God acceſſary to his ſtollen goods: thirdly, in what manner; manu ſerendum, non corbe, hee muſt caſt ſeede out thriftily by the hand, not careleſly throw it out of the basket; he muſt ſo draw out that the ſpring of bounty be not exhauſted: fourthly, to what end; to glorifie God, not to receive praiſe from men; to relieve want, not to maintaine vice. Though his left hand muſt not know what his right hand doth, yet his right eye muſt know and direct his right hand to poure the oyle into the wounds of the Samaritane, and not to ſpill it upon the ſound fleſh. As eye-ſalve laid to the foote profiteth not at all; and a plaſter or poulteſs made for the feete, if it be applyed to the eye endangereth the ſight: ſo bounty miſplaced doth more hurt than good, benefacta malè locata, malefacta arbitror.
The application.I wiſh it were ſo in the miniſtring phyſicke for the ſoule, as it is in the phyſicke for the body, where the Phyſitian preſcribeth, and the Apothecary miniſtreth: the Phyſitian maketh, or appointeth the making of the ſalve, and leaves it to the Apothecary to apply it. For of all texts this needes moſt warily to bee applyed, becauſe there is in it both fire and ſalt; and fire if it bee layd cloſe will ſcorch, and ſalt if it bee rubbed into a wound will make it ſmart. Howbeit the beſt is, that rule in corporall phyſicke holdeth alſo in this; Nulla medicamenta tam faciunt dolorem quam quae ſunt ſalutaria, The more bitter the potion for the moſt part the more effectuall; and the more ſmarting the plaſter the more wholeſome. To apply therefore in a word. In the ſetting forth of any banquet or ſervice, fire and ſalt muſt bee at hand; fire to dreſſe the meat, and ſalt to ſeaſon it. Likewiſe in the ſacrifices of the old law neither fire nor ſalt could bee wanting; ſalt to prepare the ſacrifices for the altar, and fire to conſume them upon it. Neither can there be any ſpirituall ſacrifice, or evangelicall ſervice acceptable unto God, without the fire of zeale, and ſalt of diſcretion. Zealous diſcretion, and diſcreet zeale is a rare compoſition, not of art but of grace, which maketh both our perſons and our offering agreeable unto God. No cold ſervice, nor unſavory diſh is for his taſte: without heate of zeale the ſacrifice wee offer is the ſacrifice of dead men; and without ſalt of diſcretion the ſacrifice wee offer is a ſacrifice of fooles. Prophaneneſſe and worldlineſſe cold in the true worſhip of God, offereth a dead ſacrifice; and idolatry and ſuperſtition hot in the falſe worſhip, offereth a fooliſh ſacrifice; religion in the middle, being zealous in the true ſervice of a God, offereth a holy, living, and reaſonable ſacrifice unto him; by zealous diſcretion pleaſing God; and by diſcreet zeale men. Some offer unto God fire, but want ſalt, they are zealous without diſcretion: ſome have ſalt, but want fire, they are diſcreet but without zeale. The Papiſts have fire, fervent zeale, but they want ſalt, direction from Gods word, and judgement to diſcerne betweene reaſonable ſervice and will-worſhip; and for want of this ſalt their devotions are tainted with much ſuperſtition. The conformable Proteſtant hath ſtore of ſalt, wholſome directions from Gods word to ſeaſon his ſpirituall ſacrifices, but doth hee not want fire? is hee as zealous for Chriſt as the other is for Anti-chriſt? doth hee contribute as freely to the pure worſhip of God, as the other doth to the gariſh ſervice of the Maſſe? are his eyes as often fixed on Chriſt in heaven, as the others are on his crucifixe? doth hee keepe the Lords day as ſtrictly as the other doth our Ladies, and other Saints? Although the Papiſt hath no command for hallowing any day to Saints, eſpecially ſuch as wee finde in the Romane Kalendar: wee have both the command of God, and the injunctions of the Church to devote this daynHomily of the time and place of prayer. wholly to the ſervice of God; yet how many Clients on this day beſiege your doores, when you and wee all ſhould bee Clients onelyonly unto God? Should God deale ſo with us in our portion of time on the weeke-dayes, as wee deale with him in his; ſhould hee reſtraine the light of the ſunne, and take away ſo many houres from every day in the weeke, as wee defaulk from his ſervice on this day, what darkeneſſe, what out-cryes, what horrour, what confuſion would bee in all the world? WhenoXen Cyr. paed. l. 2. Cyrus was young, Sacas was appointed by his Grandfather to bee his moderatour, both in his diet, recreations, and all expence of time; but when hee grew riper in yeeres hee became a Sacas to himſelfe, and tooke not ſo much liberty as Sacas would have given him. Where the law ſeemeth too laxe, there every man ought to bee a Sacas to himſelfe, and for the health of his ſoule forbeare ſomething that is permitted to the recreation of his body. Againe, thoſe who are of the ſtricter and preciſer ſort have fire in their invectives againſt Popery, in their reproofe of ſinne, and their voluntary and extemporary devotions; but they want many a graine of ſalt, and therefore offer often times, with Nadab and Abihu, ſtrange fire upon Gods altar: they diſtinguiſh not betweene Epiſcopall Hierarchy and Papall tyranny; ſuperſtitious rites and comely ceremonies; decent ornaments and meretricious painting of Chriſts ſpouſe. They are alwayes Boanerges, and ſeldome or never Barnabaſſes; alwayes Sons of thunder, and ſeldome or never Sons of conſolation. And when they are Sonnes of thunder, and caſt forth their lightning, it is not like the lightning whereofpPlin. nat. hiſt. c. 51. l. 2. Martia gravida icta partu exanimato vixit. Pliny writeth, which killed Martia's childe in her wombe, but hurt not her at all; that is, deſtroy ſinne in the conſcience, but no way hurt the perſon in his reputation: but contrariwiſe, they blaſt the perſon, but kill not the ſin. Their prayers are all fiery indeed, burning with zeale, and therein commendable; but for want of ſalt of diſcretion they make all things fuell for this ſacred fire; like fire their devotion keeps within no bounds. As the ringing, ſo the praying now adayes in requeſt is all upon the changes, the round of a ſet forme is utterly deſpiſed; and as ringers in the changes, ſo theſe in their extemporary oriſons, goe up and downe, backward and forward, are often at a ſtand, uſe vaine qMat. 6.7.repetitions prohibited by our Saviour, and by claſhing phraſes, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, maker1 Tim. 1.6. vaine janglings. Suffer, I beſeech you, yet one word of exhortation, it ſhall bee but a Monoſyllable, ſal: we live in a moſttJuven. ſat. 1. Et quando uberior vitiorum copia! quando major avaritiae patuit ſinus, &c Nil erit ulterius quod noſtris moribus addat Poſteritas. corrupt age, and therefore never more need of ſalt than now, Et vos eſt is ſal, you are the ſalt of the commonwealth, as wee of the Church, ſi ſal infatuatus fuerit, if the ſalt grow unſavoury through the corruption of hereſie, bribery, ſimony, or vitious living, quo ſalietur? wherewith ſhall it be ſeaſoned? I hope it is not ſo, I pray God it bee never ſo, but that wee may bee alwayes like pure and wholſome ſalt, preſerving our ſelves and others from corruption. The good will of him who appeared in the fiery buſh, ſalt our perſons with the fire of the Word, Spirit, and ſeaſonable Afflictions, and ſeaſon our ſacrifices with the ſalt of faith and diſcretion, that God may have alwayes reſpect to us and our ſacrifice for the merits of Chriſts infinite ſacrifice offered on the Altar of the Croſſe. To whom, &c.