Grace Compared to Salt

    GRACE COMPARED TO SALT

    Have Salt in yourselves" &c., Mr 9:50, Exete en eautoij alaj, &c.

    TOUCHING the several metaphorical notations of this term, Salt, we shall refer you unto the eleventh chapter of Philologia Sacra.

    By Salt in this place, is meant the blessed and most precious grace of the Spirit.

    METAPHOR

    I. SALT is of a searching quality; if it be laid or rubbed upon meat, it will pierce and search it to the very bone.

    PARALLEL

    I. TRUE grace, or the spiritual operation of the Spirit, is of a searching nature; it will, when received in truth, infuse itself into every faculty of the soul: "The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God," 1Co 2:10. If there be any sin hid, it will search and find it out.

    METAPHOR

    II. Salt is of a purging, cleansing, and purifying nature, it will work out blood, filth, &c., as common experience shows.

    PARALLEL

    II. Grace is of a purging and purifying virtue; it will not only search corruption out, whether it be in the heart or life, but also in a blessed manner purge and work it forth: "He that hath this hope, purifieth himself, even as he is pure," 1Jo 3:3.

    METAPHOR

    III. Salt hath a preserving quality; it will not only purge corruption out of meat, but also preserve meat, and other things, from corruption and putrefaction.

    PARALLEL

    III. Grace preserves the soul from all manner of sin and defilements; it will not suffer a, saint to "Run with others to the same excess of riot;" "But teacheth us to deny all ungodliness, and worldly lusts, and to live righteously, soberly, and godly in this present world," 1Pe 4:4; Tit 2:12. "How shall I do this thing, and sin against God?"

    METAPHOR

    IV. Salt seasons things, causing to taste savoury, which otherwise would be no way pleasant, wholesome, or good for the body. Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without Salt?" Job 6:6.

    PARALLEL

    IV. Grace seasons a Christian; it makes him that savoury to God, and to all good men, savoury in his words, savoury in his dealings and commerce, savoury in all his whole conversation; not only savoury himself, but seasoning others also; hence called the Salt of the earth. "Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with Salt: that ye may know how to answer every man," Col 4:6.

    METAPHOR

    V. Salt is of universal use throughout the world; it is the one thing needful among men; it is said to season all things; we receive great advantage by it. It is known to be exceeding necessary both by sea and land.

    PARALLEL

    V. Grace is absolutely necessary; it is the one thing needful to salvation, without which there is no getting to heaven. The advantages all believers receive thereby are wonderful. All men, of what rank or quality soever, stand in need of grace; they had better be without gold than without grace. It is good in every place and condition: men need it as well at sea as at land, in sickness and health.

    METAPHOR

    VI. Salt, as Pliny, and other naturalists say, is exceeding good against the sting of serpents, and will destroy worms that breed in the body, and hath many other medicinal virtues in it.

    PARALLEL

    VI. Grace is a most sovereign remedy against sin, that sting of the old serpent, and there is nothing like it to kill the worm of conscience, that is bread by means of corruption of the inward man, and there gnaws, and greatly torments the soul; and many other soul-medicinal virtues it hath.

    METAPHOR

    VII. Salt was made use of under the law in sacrifices: "And every oblation of thy meat-offering shalt thou season with Salt. "With all thy offerings thou shalt use Salt," Le 2:13.

    PARALLEL

    VII. Grace must be made use of in all our spiritual sacrifices and offerings unto God. We must pray with grace, and sing with grace, and do all in God's worship with grace in our hearts; nothing we do will be accepted without it. "Every one shall be Salted with fire," or seasoned with affliction, "and every sacrifice shall be Salted with Salt," viz., grace, Mr 9:49.

    METAPHOR

    I. SALT is natural, or else made by art, or salt water, ashes, fire, &c. Pliny says,[1] that in India they have Salt out of quarries of stone.

    [1] Plin. lib. 31. p. 414,415.

    DISPARITY

    I. GRACE is supernatural. No man hath the divine influence and operation of the Spirit of God naturally, nor can he get in by any human contrivance or art whatsoever; it is the gift of God, Joh 1:14.

    METAPHOR

    II. If meat be quite corrupted, putrified, stink, and is loathsome, Salt cannot recover it, nor make it savoury.

    DISPARITY

    II. But. if the soul be wholly, or in every faculty thereof corrupted, stinks, and is loathsome in the nostrils of God, yet grace can quickly recover it, and make it very savoury and sweet to God and good men.

    METAPHOR

    III. Salt may lose its saltness or savour, and become good for nothing, but to be trodden under the foot of men.

    DISPARITY

    III. Grace cannot lose its excellent savour. Christians, may lose much of their Salt, or decay in grace; but grace, be it little or much, will never lose its own precious virtue.

    METAPHOR

    IV. Things may be over-salted or seasoned, so that they may be spoiled, and become unwholesome to human bodies.

    DISPARITY

    IV. But no man can be over much seasoned with grace; never had any Christian too much of this spiritual Salt in him. The more you receive and take in of this, the better you will be seasoned thereby.

    INFERENCES.

    I. From hence we may infer, that grace is the principal thing.

    II. How unsavoury are all graceless persons! "The whole world lieth in wickedness." They are like putrified or stinking carrion in a common-sewer, as the Greek word there signifieth.

    III. This may stir up all ungodly ones to look out and cry mightily for grace, the excellent nature of which is set forth under the metaphor Light.

    IV. Let all who profess themselves Christians, examine themselves thoroughly, whether they be Salted with grace, or not. Are you savoury men and women? What is your communication, your speech, your conversation? &c.

    V. Take heed you lose none of this divine Salt; you will soon become unsavoury, if you have not Salt in yourselves.

    VI. You that should season others, should have much Salt in your own hearts and lives. "Ye are the Salt of the earth."