Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
Ver. 50. Salt is good] Nature hath prudently mingled salt with all things, that they may not easily putrefy. Greges enim pecorum urinam salsissimam effundere videmus, et in omnes stirpes salem infusum. John Bodin. Theat. Naturoe.
Have salt in yourselves] Habete in vobis sal. A cuius admonemur tribus literis (ut curlose observat quidam), Sapere, Agere, Loqui. The conjuring of salt among the Papists is intolerably blasphemous; it is thus: I conjure thee, O salt, by the living God, &c., that thou mayest be made a conjured salt to the salvation of them that believe. And that unto all such as receive thee, thou mayest be health of soul and body; and that from out of the place wherein thou shalt be sprinkled, may fly away and depart all fantasy, wickedness, or craftiness of the devil's subtlety, and every foul spirit. By salt here we may understand mortification and holy discretion, or sincerity of doctrine and discipline, whereby the saints are seasoned and preserved from the putrefaction of sin and error; from the plague of emulation and dissension, as those good souls (Miconins and his colleagues) who could say with comfort, Cucurrimus, certavimus, laboravimus, pugnavimus, vicimus, et viximus semper coniunctissime, &c. We have run together, striven, laboured, fought, overcome, and lived always together in much peace and concord.
And have peace one with another] By mortification, season, tame, and purge your own hearts of those lusts that war in your members, James 4:1, and prove offensive to others, Mark 9:43, so shall you be at peace one with another. Stomach worms are killed with salt.