Page 36 - Treatise on Salt

Recapitulation

My dear brother, and son, inquirer after this art, let us now resume
from the very beginning all those things that are chiefly necessary to you,
if thou desirest thy inquisition should be assisted, and attended with good
success.

In the first place thou must imprint strongly in thy memory, that
without the mercy of God, thou art altogether wretched and unhappy,
nay, even more miserable than the Devil himself, within whose power
are all the damned, because, as he has given thee an immortal soul, thou
must, whether thou wilt or not, live a whole eternity, either with God
among the blessed, in the fruition of an inconceivable bliss, or else with
Satan among the damned in torments not to be expressed. Wherefore
adore God with all thy heart, that he may vouchsafe to save thee for all
eternity, employ thy whole strength and all thy endeavours to follow his
holy commandments, which are the rule of thy life, as our saviour has
injoyned it, in these words: seek first the kingdom of God, and all the
other things shall be given you. By this means you will imitate the sages
our predecessors, and you will observe the method which they pursued,
to get into favour of this dreadful Lord, (before whom Daniel the prophet
saw a thousand millions of assistants, and a great many myriads served
him) as likewise the most wise Solomon has faithfully pointed out the
way which he kept to obtain the true wisdom, by the mean of this
doctrine which is the best, and which we must entirely practise. “I was,”
(says he) “a child endowed with good qualities, and by reason. I had
received a good education, I found myself to have attained the age of
adolescence in a life without crime, and without reproach: but after that, I
perceived that I had even less disposition than any other man to become
virtuous, unless God granted me that grace, (and that even it was wisdom
to know whose gift that was) I went to the Lord, I prayed to him, and
said to him with all my heart: Oh God of my fathers, and Lord of mercy,
who didst constitute man to reign over all the creatures thou hast made,
to regulate and dispose all the earth in justice, and to judge in equity of
heart: give me I pray, that wisdom, which encompasses continually the
throne of your divine majesty, and do not cast me out of the number of
your children: for I am your servant, I am a weak man, and of short

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