Book IV. S A IN T S COMPARED TO M E R C H A N T S. 73' METAPHOR. Food, and meet to be received by fuch as want it. PARALLEL. good Life, in them that preach and profefs the Golpel, the Word becomes fit to be received. This makes it relifh, and this way a Preacher ot Proferfor may be faid to feafon his own Doctrine. And on·the other Hand, how un· favary cloth chat good Doctrine feem to be, and what little ReliOJ is there in it, that is preached by an unholy and unfanCl:ified Perfon? Rom. ii. 21~24. . . . VII. Salt may Jofe its Savor, and VII. So Profeffors, tf they lofe thetr Saver, tf become aood for nothing, but to they become vain, vicious, and carnal in their be trodden under Feet of Men. Converfations, what ~re they good for? A Chrif.. It is not fit for the L and, nor yet tian to turn an Apoftate; he rhat feemed once fu. for the Dunghil, bttt Men call: it vary and ferious in his Words and Behavior, to out. Naturalifts tell us, that Salt become filthy, unclean, proud, ambitious, covtt· havina loft its Saver, being laid ous, &c. is one of the worft of Men; fuch are fit upon Land, it caufeth Barrennefs. for nothing but to be caft into Hell. Of thefe the Apoftle fpeaks, It is impojjible to renew them again by Repentance, &c. Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6. Unfavory Profetfors, and wicked Apoftates, tend to make the Church barren; they hinder the lncreafe thereof. I N F E R E N C E ~ I. HOW unfavory is the World! Sinners by Nature are loathfome and ftinking in God's Sight: 9.. heir 'l hroats are like open Sepulchres, Rom. iii. 13. ll. It fhews Saints their Duty, which is to fealon orhers. They fhould feafon the Place, Town, Family where they live: (1.) By good Doctrine. (2.) By a gqod Con– verfation. (3.) By good Counfel. ]acob told his Sons, Simeon and Levi, by their flaying the Sichemites, they made him to }link among the Inhabitants of the Land, Gen. xxxiv. 30. The Speech, as well as the Practice of Chriftians, fhould be a feafonina ond favory Pattern, chat it may adminifter Grace to the Hearers, and Obfervers thereof\" !I!. 0 let it flir up every Chrifhan, as well Preachers as others, to be favory! How can we leafon others, if the Salt have loft its Savor? Take heed of fcandalous Sins. ( 1.) By thefe the Name of the Lord is bla!phemed, Ezek. xxxvi. 20. Rom. ii. 2 4 . ( 2 .) Reli,: ion brought to Contempt and Reproach. (3.) The Hearts of all fincere Ones greatly grieved. (+) The Converfion of Sinners hindered. (5.) Mens Damnation furthered. Hence faith Chrift, Wo be to the fVorld becaufe of Offences. But on the other Hand, (1.) A holy and favory Life mJkes a Man life up his Head with much Boldnefs, th?ugh reproached: Whofe Ox have I taken, or whofe .dfs? Or of whoft HandJ have I recezved a Bnbe.? 1 Sam. xtt. 3· (2.) It tends to ftop the Mouths of the Wicked, 1 Pet. iii. 16. (3.) It is many Times not only a Means of Convic– tion, but Converfion of others; nay, and of fuch as will not be won by the Word, 1 Pet. iii. 1. . IV. If Saints are the Salt of the Earth, and Intereft of Nations, it !hews the Folly of chafe wicked Men, that flrive to root them up, and turn them out of the vVorld. V. Laflly; It may caution all that profefs the Gofptl, againfl: Apoftacy. Remem– ber Lot~s Wife, .Luke :cvii. 32. She for not bei~ favory, or for looking back, was turned mro a Ptllar of Salt, nay, and mto a ftandmg Ptllar, &c. Gen. xix. 26. May not one Reafon of it be this, viz. To fhew, that that very Example of God's Severity upon her, might ferve, or be li.tfficient to feafon all Chriftians, to the End of the World againft Apoftacy, or looking back? ' s A I N T s COMPARED TO M E R c H A N T s. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Mercbant-Man, fteking goodly Pearls, whq when he had found one Pearl ofgreat Price, &c. Matt. xiii. 45, 46. SIMILE. 1. A Merchant is a great Dealer iD>the Things of theWorld. PAR ALL EL. I. A TrucChriftian is a great Dealer in theThings of Heaven; his Affections are fee upon thofe Things that are above, where Chrift litreth at the .Right·hand of God, Col. iit. 1. H. The
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