A17384:767
A commentary
A commentary: or, sermons upon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter wherein method, sense, doctrine, and use, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of divinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.A commentary: or, sermons vpon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter vvherein method, sense, doctrine, and vse, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of diuinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.
London: printed by Humphrey Lownes for George Latham, 1623London: printed by Humfrey Lownes for George Latham, 1623
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Fifthly, there must be fire to burn the sacrifice: This fire is holy zeal, and the power and fervency of the spirit in doing good duties: The fire on the Altar first came down from heaven, to signify, that true zeal is kindled in heaven, and comes down from above: It is no ordinary humour, nor a rash fury: It is no wild fire: And it was required about this fire, that they should preserve it, and never let it go out, but put fuel still to it; and so it was kept for many years: so must we do with our zeal, we must labour by all means to preserve the fervency of our hearts, that we never want fire to burn our sacrifices: Our zeal should be, as the love mentioned, Can. 7.10. that much water could not quench it: Every sacrifice must have fire, Mark 9.
Fiftly, there must bee fire to burne the sacrifice: This fire is holy zeale, and the power and feruencie of the spirit in doing good duties: The fire on the Altar first came downe from heauen, to signify, that true zeale is kindled in heauen, and comes down from aboue: It is no ordinarie humor, nor a rash fury: It is no wilde fire: And it was required about this fire, that they should preserue it, and neuer let it goe out, but put fuell still to it; and so it was kept for many yeeres: so must wee doe with our zeale, wee must labour by all meanes to preserue the feruencie of our hearts, that wee neuer want fire to burne our sacrifices: Our zeale should bee, as the loue mentioned, Can. 7.10. that much water could not quench it: Euery sacrifice must haue fire, Marke 9.
Sixthly, The sacrifices must be salted with salt: so must our Christian sacrifices, as our Saviour Christ shows, Mark 9.49, 50. And thus we must have the salt of mortification, and the salt of discretion, ⟨p. 167⟩and we must look to it, that our salt lose not his saltness, but that it have a draining power in it, to extract corruption out of our sacrifices: our words to God and men must be powdered with salt,