A Golden Chain

And we must withal endeavour, that the whole ⟨p. 355⟩course of our lives, and our speech it self be gracious and poured with salt,¹ least God at length spue us out of his mouth. To this end hath God appointed his ministers to be the salt of the earth, that by their ministry they might apply the death of Christ, and season the people. And it hath pleased God to be sprinkle this land with more plenty of this salt then hath been heretofore. But, alas, small is the number of them that give any relish of their good seasoning. The more lamentable is their case. For as flesh that cannot be seasoned with salt, putrefies: so men, that cannot be sweetened and changed by the sacrifice of Christ, do rot and perish in their sins.² The waters that issued from under the threshold of the Sanctuary, when they came into ^athe dead sea, the waters thereof were wholesome: but miry places and marishes which could not be seasoned, were made saltpits. Now these waters are the preaching of the gospel of Christ, which flowing through all the parts of this Isle, if it do not season & change our nation, it shall make it as places of nettles & saltpits, & at length be an occasion of the eternal curse of god. Thirdly, Christs priesthood serves to make every one of us also to be priests. And being priests, we must likewise have our sacrifice and our altar. Our sacrifice is the clean offering, ⁴which is the lifting up of pure hands to God without wrath or doubting in our prayers:⁵ also our bodies and souls, our hearts, and affections, the works of our lives, and the works of our callings: all which must be dedicated to the service of god for his glory, and the good of his Church. The altar whereon we must offer our sacrifice, is Christ our redeemer, both God and man, because by the virtue of his death as with sweet odours he perfumes all our obedience, and makes it acceptable to God.⁶