The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-07-30

earth-they are now the malt of the earth
By persistent following, in turn, of this
new idea, and it is not long until the first
letter of the appellation is changed again
and they become the halt of the earth
the SAVIOUR of the salt being lost in the
malt, and the latter, by its breeding OF
disease through the unhealthy SAVIOUR
producing the halt, who go forward
through life, far removed from the path
comprehended by the words of the Sa.
vior.
We contemplate single handful of
the "salt." He takes possession of por-
ton of the earth, and lives a life that is
filled with SAVIOUR. Verify, he is consid-
cred as the salt of the neighborhOod, or a
large and important grain thereof. AT
the temple of worship on Sunday, he is
affable and warm-hearted with his friends
and neighbors In the encouraging "eX-
perience" of the public congregation the
strength of this salt reaches out and in
fuses new vigor into the weaker brethren.
Can all this strong, enduring, handful of
salt ever lose it SAVIOUR? Who that has
not undergone the bitter experiences of a
neighborhood quarrel, can understand
the danger to which the salt is subjected ?
Over there on the land which is the loca-
ton of the handful of salt, is a line fence,
beyond which lives fellow-farmer.
Over that line fence jumps an offending
cow. The salt concentrates all its strength
for one great effort. The salt collects
itself in one great mass about the handle
of butcher-knife, and the butcher-knife,
and the salt, go in pursuit of that cow,
and as the COW has entailed loss upon the
salt, so the salt curtails the COW. By
that act alone, the SAVIOUR was slightly
weakened. But by careful outstanding
of strength the remaing SAVIOUR is-tem-
porarily at least-preserved. and possibly
a portion of the old strength renewed.
The neighbor who owned the breachy
ship, riding young horse, full of life and
playful. The salt is also there, and takes
its place well to the front. The neighbor
comes in just as the choir and the salt
are singing the good old hymn Nearer,
My God To Thee" The neighbor at
tempts to pass into the pew, but salt stands
firm, a veritable pillar of salt, and there
is no crowding past. The salt is losing
its strength The service closes, the ben
ediction is pronounced, and the good peO-
pie go forth with "grace, mercy and peace
abiding with them always" But when
the salt comes out it finds that the young
horse has been chewing the saddle-blanket
ho faif nj old 10 q frulnO
moment, but the salt "will be even," and
out comes the only too ready jack-knife,
and the skirt is hastily cut off of the sad
die upon the young horse. Now the truth
stands forth as clear as daylight. The
salt has lost its SAVIOUR, and is only fit to
be cast away and trodden under foot.
In the turmoil of the political world, a
handful of the salt very much desires to
be placed in a coveted location. Under
the pressure of this desire, the strength
and SAVIOUR are widely manifest. All are
shown the great strength and power, and
the crystals concentrate about the unpre-
tentious child of God, in the busy town.
There the salt will remain in the pride of
it's strength until the coveted place is
reached, when the friend who assisted ma
terially in placing it there is ignored, as
mere nobody, until his services are want
ed again. Thus the salt becomes rank,
and offensive to all the noble sensibilities
of manhood. 1t has lost its flavor. Thus
all along the pathway, and amid all the
experiences of life, there are offensive beds
of salt which has lost its flavor and useful
ness. Christ's ideal salt was strong-en-
during for all time, yet with power for
self-destruction. And such, metaphoric-
ally speaking should be the life of every
Christian. Gods people are the salt of
the earth, and it requires no greater effort
to retain the strength and SAVIOUR of the
salt, than it does to become stale and use
less. Let the life of every one of Gods
children be such that the SAVIOUR of the
salt of Christianity shall endure for time
and eternity.