St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-11-03
Savorless Salt.

SNmbOllcally, salt Is tine principle of
self denial. Satnrating our lives with
Remuneration ol self. which L. the re-
nunciltiun of evil and the antIdotc to
corruption. is the tultillmcnt of the type
of the salt which WAS spIinklcd on every
sacrifice 10y the command of God. To he
the token of His covenant with His
people. 80 that Il sacrifice Offered to
God without salt. 10y the Jewish law
Was an illumination ; and 81 Il life pro
fc>scdll dedicated To His service with
out any Scltdenial, is IL m"ckrrN and
an otltnSc.
Have salt in yourselves, SAYS ON
Lord. land bc ut peace one with an
other" That is, have the >pllil of self
denial. Receive the holy spirit which
om Saviour showed when He descend
ed to the humiliation of His earthly lite
and the agony of death. in order that
He might Ice the salt of the world. pre-
serving. partly ing and blessing it, which
He inculcated over and over again III
such language a>, "Who>oc\cr among
You will be first, let him he last of all
and servant of all
And why does the religion of Christ
not do more than it does III the world ,
If tie Christian discipleship is the salt
of the eaIth, why is not the world
sal;ed The answer i. hccau>c the
salt is So terribly left ont of the sacrifice.
1t L. because Christians are carry in" ON
the great cmtrrpI Uses of the kingdom of
God with 50 little interruption of their
worldly business and habits: with 81
little sacrifice of their time, thoughts.
posSc>Sion>, talents aud gifts bcraII>c
they are 50 Ian gtlN hiring the work done
for them. and not doing it themselves
hccaIsc the rank and file of the s.ICra-
mental host are sending their leaders
out into the conflict, and not going
themselves; because immunity from
personal toll is purchased 10y Il largrs-
Of our substance that We do not miss
because We give that which we do moi
feel the giving of, in order 10 save that
which We do feel the giving of. That
i. our sacrifice has no salt in it. And
the Christian churches are irving to en-
tend the kingdom of Christ in earth.
without much use of the salt OF self
denial. Ii would be very wrong to SaN
that there are no sacrifices that are SEA
>oucd with salt. 1t would hr AN out
rage on Christian hcmcticrmcc aud con
secration. and a di>hnuor to the Holy
Spirit who produces 81 much zeal and
love III Christian hearts, to say that tia,
salt has all lost its priceless SAVIOR. And
Vet the real trouble with the church III
large is, that it has lamrutablN lost it,
saline SAVIOR. There are men now VIA,
have the virtue of the old apostles; and
women, too, tor that matter: but ot lh,
mass of those who call thcnScl\c>
Christians, WheIr l. ouI salt ! Whrr,
is our self denial ! Where is our low,
for others ! The absence of salt l. tn,
parent of oSteutatlom and >cltishIr>>. al
false security. The >altlc>> salt make,
religion itself IL rcproach To the suffer
ing and needy world makes our re-
ligious life consist of beautiful churches
ambitious preachers. fine rclig IouS APP
paratIIs, easily cushioned pewS. com
Portable lives inuOculated with IL modi.
fled form of goodness and truth, IN
order t" prevent our catching the thor
ongh, >elt-absorbing and sclf-denNin.
religion of the cross of Jesus Christ
Why do not wars cease WHY i.
protligacy rampant Why do the star,
look down every night upon 81 mucl
horrible vice and crime in oul laru,
cities Why are there 50 many out
casts, paliahS. MagdalenS. ahandone,
SONS and daughters Of God little chill
dren, even, with pimched cheeks anc
hungry eyes and starving hearts. APP,
peallng vainlN the world over for help
why is not the world more obviously
subject to the power of Christ ! Is il
not because the church has allied itScl
with the world. because it depends upon
the world, because the world wants ;
respectable church and an cIoquen
ministry. which will not NEEDLE Will
its sins. and the church accepts til,
money of the world and holds its tongue
and shuts its mouth to ardent Christian
testimony ; Is it not for these reasons
III part, that the proteSSed disciples al
Christ are incapable of impartiug purity
and health to others And if the salt
has lost its SAVIOR, whcrcWith shall il L.,
sailed Is 1t thcnceforth good for moth
ing but to he east ont and troddcl
nnder foot of man Vermont (hT0HicIr
THE ISL NER RI-JE Nnl all Ln,,