Matthew Poole and continuators on Mark 9:49

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

The Phrase of this Text is so difficult, and the Sense of it so [illegible: 1 word] to be understood, that it hath deservedly exercised the parts of many I[illegible: 2 letters]erpreters, and given them a Latitude to abound in [illegible: 1 word]. Those who would rightly understand it, must have a Retrospection to the sixverses immediately preceding, where our Lord had persuaded the M[illegible: 1 letter]rtification of our most [illegible: 1 word] and profitable, or Pleasant Lu[illegible: 1 letter]ts under the Notion of [illegible: 1 word] off the Right Hand or Foot offending, and plucking [illegible: 1 span] the Right [illegible: 1 word], under the Penalty of going into a Fire that shall [illegible: 1 letter]ever be quenched: as also to the Law, Levit. 2.13. which r[illegible: 1 letter]ns thus. And every Oblation of this B[illegible: 1 letter]rnt Offering, shalt thou season with Salt, neither shalt thou suffer the Salt [illegible: 1 letter]f [illegible: 1 span] of thy God to be lacking from thy Meat-Offering: with ac[illegible: 1 letter] thine Offerings thou shalt offer Salt. 2. They must next consider the Nature of Salt, and Fire. It is of the Nature of Salt ▪ by drying up the overmuch moisture in Meats, to preserve them from Putrefaction. 2. To cause smart to living Flesh. And of Fire to separate things not of the same kind in Compounded Bodies, and also to cause pain, and smart. 3. They must know, that every one in the former part of the Verse▪ is the same with every Sacrifice in the latter part. For every Man, and Woman living, will, or shall be a Sacrifice to God. Godly Man are not only Priests, 1 Pet. 2.5.9. Rev. 1.6. & 5.10. but Sacrifices, Rom. 12.1. wicked Men, tho indeed they be no Priests (Voluntarily giving up themselves unto God) yet they shall be Sacrifices like the Sacrifice in Bozrah, Isa. 34.6. or in the North Country by the River Euphrates, Ier. 46.10. see also Ezech. 39.17. Zeph. 1.7. The Saints are both Priests, and Sacrifices. These things premised the difficulty of the Text is not great. Our Lord had been in the former Verses persuading the Mortification of Mens dearest Lusts, under the Notions of cutting off the Right Hand, or Foot, and pl[illegible: 1 letter]cking out the Right Eye, and pressing this Exhortation, from the eligibleness of it, rather then (keeping them) to be thrust into Hell, where the Worm never Dyes, and where the Fire never goeth out. Now (saith he in this Verse.) For every one shall be Salted with Fire, and every Sacrifice shall be Salted with Salt. God hath a Fire, and a Salt, which every Man must indure. He hath a Purging Fire to take away mens Dross and Tinn. Some he Baptizeth with the Holy Ghost, and with Fire, Matth. 3.11. Luke 3.16. and he hath a Consuming Tormenting Fire, a Fiery Indignation, which shall devour the Adversaries, Heb. 10.27. It is true, the Lords sacred Fire of his Holy Spirit, will like Fire and Salt cause smart, while it purgeth out our Lusts, like the cutting off of a Right Hand or Foot, but judge you whether it be not better to indure that smart, then to endure Hell Fire, for every one must indure one of these. Yea, and every one must be Salted with Fire. The Saints shall be seasoned with influences of Grace, Eph. 4.29. Col. 4.6. and they shall by the holy Spirit of God be preserved by Faith through the Power of God to Salvation, till their Purity of Heart and holiness of Life, shall issue in an incorruptibility of Being, and Blessed State, 1 Cor. 15.52, 53, 54. they shall be Salted in, or, with Fire, that is▪ preserved, in, or by the holy Fire of Gods holy Spirit (nor is Salting with Fire so hard a Metaphor, as being Baptized with Fire▪ seems to be (nothing being so contrary to Fire as Water is) others, viz. wicked and ungodly Men, who will not indure this Fire, nor be Salted with this Salt, shall yet be Salted with another Fire, and with another Salt, which is the Fire that never goes out, mentioned 44.46.48. v. which will cause them a much greater pain, and smart, and in which being separated from all their Comforts and Satisfactions, they shall be Salted, that is (as to their beings)▪ preserved, that they may be the objects of the Eternal wrath and Justice of God; for every one must go through one or the other Fire▪ every Soul must be seasoned, with the one or other Salt. Now Judge you then whether it be not more adviseable for you, to be Seasoned with this Salt, tho you indeed shall indure some smart in your Acts of Mortification, and selfdenial, then to indure Hell Fire, where you will be Salted too as well as Burned, that is, not Tormented only, but preserved in Torments, so as you shall never Consume, but be ever dying, for with one or other of these Fires, every Person, every Man or Woman Breathing must be Salted, and seasoned, as of old, every Sacrifice was to be Seasoned with Salt.

Marginal references: Lev[illegible: 1 letter]t. 2.1[illegible: 1 letter]