The Necessity, Dignity and Duty of Gospel Ministers

Thomas Hodges (1600-1672) was a fiery puritan minister of the Gospel and an active member of the Westminster Assembly. Matthew 5:13, “Ye are the salt of the earth.” Hodges shows that ministers are to be savory salt, for Christ teaches the disciples to be this preserving and medicinal salt. Gospel ministers are necessary, and why their duty before God is so important, is seen in six areas: 1. It is their duty to be savory salt. 2. Some ministers may prove to be unsavory salt. 3. How salt becomes unsavory. 4. Unsavory salt is hardly curable. 5. That in this condition it is useless. 6. That bad ministers, unfaithful in their office, are liable to ejection and contempt. Preachers must realize, being salt, are a preservative, and a medicinal, where their preaching must be sharp, truthful, biblical, doctrinal and applicable. This work is not a scan or facsimile, has been carefully transcribed by hand being made easy to read in modern English, and has an active table of contents for electronic versions.