73° s A I N T s COMPARED TO s A L T. Book IV. SAINTS COMPARED TO SALT. Ye are the Salt of the Earth; but if the Salt have lojl its Savor, wherewith foal/ it be falted? It is henceforth good for nothing, but to be c4l out, and trodden under Fool of Men, Matt. v. 13. BELIEVERS, as well as MiniO:ers, are called by our Savior the Salt of the Earth; for ChriO: preached this Sermon not only to his Apoides, but eo all the Difciples; it ts not appropriated to Minifters alone, but to all Believers. Why the Godly are and may be compared to Salt, is briefly opened in the following Parallel. METAPHOR. I. SA LT is very profitable, it keeps and preferves Meat from putrifying, which would fuon ftink, corrupt, and perifh, was it not for it. ' Salt, as one faith, is • the Blolfom of Nature, it is • mingled with all mixed Bodies, • and preferves them from Corrup– ~ tion.' PARALLEL. I. so the Godly are moO: profitable in all the Earth. (1.) Theykeep the World from being totally corrupted by evil and peO:ilent Errors anti Herefy. (z.) From being tpotled by Profanenefs and hellifh D ebauchery. They, by their holy Lives, Dothine, and gracious Deportment, put a Check to the overfpreading Wickednefs of thofe Places where they live. The World would foon grow much worfe than it is, were it not for the Saints ar,d People of God; it would O:ink, and be fo abominable in God's Sight, that he would not endure it any longer. And beGdes, God many Times fpares a People, Family, and Nation, for the fake of the R ighteous who dwell among them. The Godly are the IntereO: of People and Nations, as it is elfe– where fhewed. Had there been but a little more of this fpiritual Salt in Sodom, viz. but ten righteous Ones, it might have continued to this Day. And he faid, 0 let not the Lord be angry, and I will fpeak yet but this once, Peradventure there jhall be '!"en found there, &c. And he faid, I will no! deflroy. it for 'Ten's fake, Gen. xviii. 32. Nay, though there was fcarce ever a godly Soultn tt, but nghteou~ L ot; y~t what fa id the Ancrel? Hafle thee, ejcape thither, for I cam.at do any thing till thou be come thither, Gen~ x~<. 22. As Zoar was faved for Lot's fake, fi> Sodom could not be fet on fire, till he was out of it. Again, was not Jofeph dw lntereft of Potiphar's Houfe I W as not hi• MaO:er bleffed for his fake? And was not Laban, and what he had, bleffed for Jacob's fake? And was not the whole H oufe of Ifrael and Judah preferved and faved from utter Ruin, for the fake of a holy Remnant that was among them. Except the ,Lord of Hofls had left us a <•cry final/ Remnant, we jhould have been as Sodom, and been Like unto Gomorrah, lfa. i. 9· Il. Salt ·draws putrifying Hu– mors out of Meat; it is of a purg– ing and cleanfing Q!!ality. !I. So graciom .ChriO:ians, by their Doctrine and holy Example, and in particular, Preachers, draw out Rottennefs and Filth from the Hearts and T ongues of Men. 111. Salt feafons Mear, and • I11. The godly Chriftian by his Wifdom feafons makes it favory. the Minds of good Men. Hence Sapimtia is de· rived a Sapore, from Savor. The L atins exprefs wife and witty Sp~eches, pleafant Difcourfe, a good Grace in fpeaking, and Salt, by the fame Word. This agrees with that of the Apoftle: Let your Speech be always with Grace, Jcafoned with Salt, that ye may know how to anfwer every Man, Col. iv. 6. IV. Salt is of a hot anJ fiery I V. So Chrifr's Difciples are by the Spirit made Nature; being caO: into the Fire, hot, fervent, and zealous for God, and his Truth; it fparkles, and burns furiouOy. yet this Heat lhould be mingled with Difcretion, lefr they fly·om, as thofe dtd who called for Fire V. Salt O:irs up ThirO:. from Heaven, Luke ix. 33· V. So the good Example of Chriflians ftirs up others to thirft after Chrifr, and heavenly Things. We fhould not fo much look for ·Examples from others, as give Examples ourfelves. VI. Salt makes Meat fit for VI. So by the Salt of a holy Converfation, or a good
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