G R A c E COMPARED TO s A L T. Book IV, METAPHOR. it is faid to fealon all Thinas; we receive great Advantage 0 by it. It is known to be exceeding ne– ceffary both by Sea and Land. VI. Salt, as Pliny, and other Naturalill:s fay, is exceeding good ag~inlt the Sting of Serpents, and will defl:roy Worms that breed in the Body, and bath many other medicinal Virtues in it. VII. Salt was made ufe of under the Law in Sacrifices : And every Oblation of thy Meat-Offering fbalt thou feafon with Salt. With all thy Offerings thou jbalt ufe Salt, Lev. ii. 13. METAPHOR. I. SALT is natural, or elfe made by Art, or falt Water, Afhe,, Fire, &c. Pliny fays, * that in India they have Salt out of Qo!arries of Stone. 11. If Meat be quite corrupted, putrified, !1:ink, and is loathfome, Salt cannot recover ir, nor make it favory. Ill. Salt may lofe its Saltnefs or Saver, and become good for no– thing, but to be trodden under the Foot of Men. IV. Things may be over-faltecl or feafoned, fo that they may be fpoiled, and become unwholfome to human Bodies. PARALLEL. Believers receive thereby are wonderful. All Men, of what Rank or ~tality foever, !1:and in need of Grace; they had better be without Gold, than without Grace. It is good in every Place ahd Condition ; Men need it as well at Sea as at Land, in Sicknefs and Health. VI. Grace is a moll: fovereign Remed'y againfl: Sin, that Sting of the old Serpent, and there is nothing like it to kill the Worm of Confcience, that is bred by means of the Corruption of the inward Man, :tnd there gnaws, and greatly tor– ments the Soul; and many other Soul-medicinal Virtues it hath. V!I. Grace mu£1: be made ufe of in all our fpi– rimal Sacrifices and Offerings unto God. We mufl: pray with Gr>ce, and ling with Grace, and do all in God's Worfhip with Grace in our Hearts; nothing we do will be accepted without it. Every one jhall be fa!tcd with hre, or feafoned with Af– flicbon, and every Sacrifice foal! be falted with Salt; viz. Grace, Matt. ix. 4· D I S P A R I T Y. 1. GRACE is fupcrnatural. No Man hath the divine lnAuence and Operation of the Spirit of God naturally, nor can he get it by any human Contrivani~C or Art whatfoever; it is the Gift of God, John i. r 4· I!. But if the Soul be wholly or in every Fa– culty thereof corruptec\, ltinks, and is loathfome in the Noll:rils of God, yet Grace can quickly recover ir, and make it very favory and fweet to God and good Men. Ill. Grace cannot lofe its excellent Saver. Chrill:ians may lofe much of their Salr, or decay in Grace; but Grace, be it little or much will never lofe its own precious Virtue. IV. But no Man can be over much feafonecl with Grace ; never had any Chrill:ian too much of this fpiritual Salt in him. The more you receive and take in of this, the better you will be feafon• ed thereby. N F E R E N C E ~ I. FROM hence we may infer, that Grace is the principal Thing. 11. How unfavory are all gra"elefs Perfons? '!'he whole /Vorld lieth in Wicked– mft. They are like putrified or 1\inking Carrion in a Common-fhorc, as the Greek Word there fignifieth. HI. This may !1:ir up all ungodly ones to look out and cry mightily for Grace, the excellent Nature of which is fet forth under the Metaphor Light. IV. Let all who profefs themielves Chrill:ians, examine themfelves thoroughly, whether they be falted with Grace, or not. Are you favory Men and Women ? What is your Communication, your Speech, your Converfation ? &c. V. Take heed you lofe none of this divine Salt; you will foon become unfavory, if you have not Salt in yourfelves. VI. You that fhould feafon others, fhould have much Salt in your own Hearts and Lives. re are the Salt of the Earth. • Plin.lib. 31. p. 414, 415·· . 3
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