him, and know what he doeth? They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee?" 7 Here the Pharisees were to Nicodemus in the place of the right hand or right eye, which he was to cast from him. They were a stumbling-block in his way. To do what duty required, and separate himself from the party to which he belonged, was no easy trial. Nothing could make him consent to this, except a conviction that it was desirable to enter into the kingdom of God, with a despised and persecuted party, rather than with the approbation of rulers and friends to be cast into hell. And many, we are told, in Nicodemus's situation, did fall under this trial: "among the chief rulers many believed in him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. To consent to be separated from their brethren, would be to cut off the foot or hand. And it was more than they could consent to sacrifice.

"8

In the case of Ananias and Sapphira, it was not the love of credit or companionship, but the love of fortune which occasioned their fall. Their estate was dear to them as an eye or a limb. And it became "an offence to them :" so that when they followed the general example, and sold their possessions and goods, "they kept back part of the price, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet." To give up the whole of the possession, would evidently have been to them like the parting with a hand, or a foot, or an eye. It was a selfdenial to which they could not But it

7 John vii. 51.

9 Acts x. 29, 30.

consent.

John xii. 42.

would have been better for them to enter into the kingdom of God maimed of their earthly possessions, than having their whole fortune to be cast into hell fire, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

It was needful, therefore, for our Lord to urge these strong enforcements. He knew the trials to which his disciples must be exposed; not his present disciples alone, but in every future age. He knew that nothing except the most overpowering motives could engage them to resist temptation, and remain stedfast in the faith. Therefore, he leaves them motives which might well have this effect, and supply strength to the weakness of nature. "What shall it profit a man, if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

LECTURE LVIII.

TRIALS TO BE UNDERGONE.

MARK ix. 49.

49. For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

To understand this verse, we must call to mind the thoughts and sayings which precede and introduce it. Jesus had been speaking of the trials which his disciples must overcome; trials so severe, as to

be justly compared to the parting with a right eye or a right hand: privations so painful to human nature, that nothing could induce men to submit to them, and maintain their faith in spite of them, except the awful alternative, It is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God halt or maimed, than to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched.

"For

He then proceeds to say, that they must be prepared for such trials. He tells them before they came to pass, in order that when they came, they might not be unexpected or unforeseen. every one that would live godly in Christ Jesus,"every faithful disciple-must expect to be tried,"even as gold is tried in the fire." For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

Three different images are here placed together; and must be separately considered, with the qualities belonging to them.

We have, first, an allusion to the properties of salt. It preserves from corruption. The salt enters into the substance to which it is applied; and the consequence is, that what would otherwise speedily decay is kept free from putrefaction and dissolution.

The next image is taken from the properties of fire. Fire has the effect of separating the parts of substances exposed to it: and therefore enables the workman to remove what is worthless, and retain what is valuable. Such is the process of refining. The metal is dissolved by the operation of heat:

U

those parts of it which are impure and refuse ascend towards the surface, and are skimmed off by the workman as they rise, till by degrees the alloy has altogether been removed, and only the pure silver or gold remains.

These reflections on the respective properties of salt and of fire, prepare us for the explanation of the words, For every one shall be salted with fire. We are here forewarned, that every one of the people of God shall be purified by trial, and kept from corruption by affliction. Fire is the emblem of affliction; and salt of purification. To be salted, is to be preserved from spiritual decay: to be salted with fire, is to be preserved from such decay by a process like that of the refiner's furnace. We know by experience that the effect of fiery trial often is to purify. Even when purification seems hardly needed, its effect is to strengthen the christian character. But it is commonly needed, to refine: to carry off the earthly mixture which adheres even to the sincere Christian to wean his affections more completely from things below: to show him the worthlessness of all that belongs to this present world: to subdue his remaining pride of heart: to draw him closer to God here, before he enters into his everlasting kingdom. St. Paul describes the process, saying, "Tribulation worketh patience; and patience experience; and experience hope." Patience, and experience, and hope, are the seasoning of the Christian's heart; and these, as we know from observation, and are

1 Rom. v. 3, 4.

here assured by St. Paul, these are strengthened and confirmed by the fire of tribulation.

The Lord proceeds farther, to say, Every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. This introduces a new idea, a third metaphor, taken from the worship of the Jews. A sacrifice, is an offering made to God. These sacrifices were required by the law of Moses. "An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shall sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen." ? the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to put his name there, thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks."3

"Unto

With such sacrifices God was well pleased, whilst the law remained in force, and the shadows prefigured the reality which was to come: the typical victim represented "the Lamb of God," who "by his one offering of himself once offered, made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world."

But when the law, being fulfilled, had now "vanished away," the sacrifice was to be of another kind. It was the man himself, who being "reconciled to God through the blood of the everlasting covenant," was devoted to him, and was now required to present himself, his soul and body, a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God."

2 Ex. xx. 24.

3

Deut. xii. 6.

4

Rom. xii. 1.