The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-10-06
SATURDAY NIGHT
MA 52ASERMONS
.W&sA@ BY
3 REySAMUEL
" WpURVISDD
THE WORLDS PRESERvATIvE.

lll'l'N' NlIlNllNSI Ul'l''N' 'h'"'' wy
phircs, pearls; animals, birds. fish.
flowers all are part of wonderful
imagery used to illustrate speech.
Now the Naznrcnc holds UP n crystal
OF salt before his disciples -"lc nrc
the salt of the earth" That conveyed
n picture to the unCiCnts. The nation
that had much OF 1t was rich. Among
more than man. TcutOns wngcd
war for salt streams. Oldest trade
roads were salt routes. Via Snlaria
(snlt road, oldest in Italy, was made
to carry salt for Romans. Roman sol
dicrs were paid an allowance for salt
their "salarum," or salary" hence
n worthless soldier mot worth his
cause they lived in n warm climate
where food was difficult to keep. Their
religion made 1t necessary to use 1t
in sacrifice 1t was sold In temple
market SO Christ was using familiar
figure. Their mission was to cleanse
and swcctcn the world, to keep II from
decay. IL they dcfaultcd in that they
Democracy of Religion.
The symbol was good and common.
The Creator has stored 1t away In
abundance. It's democratic com
modify, surely, found on table of poor
and rich. Diamonds are rare. costly.
belong to arstoCraCy; few can afford
them. Yet salt is more precious than
diamonds. If all diamonds in the
world were to disappear the world
would not he seriously inConvcnlenCed,
but If all the salt of the world should
disappear humanity would die. for
blood would thickcn, fcvcrs would
burn through veins, energies would
fail, hearts would lag, food would rot,
the race would perish. The disciples
were common salt people, content to
live and labor with the masses, be-
longing to the whole world mot the
idle, nonproducing Four Hundred of
any community, but the workers Mt
desk and bench and forge and field.
These are the worlds saviors, the salt
of the earth. Notice how wide their
territory. "Of the carth''-not Galilee
alone. The gospel pushes out our
frontier, expands our horizon, en-
largcs our sky line. Christ was just
now standing on mountain top the
vaulted dome of a universal Father
spread overhead. We sneer at our
neighbor's religion; we are the people.
But "God so loved the-word" "Ye
are the salt of the earth"
The True Preservative.
Christianity is to be a world savior.
Salt triumphs over those enemies Of
system that produce fermentation, de-
composition, disease and death. 1t dis
solves into animal and vegetable fluids,
mets away out of sight, quickly and
silently pcrvades the whole tissue.
"Wife, what's matter with the soup?
It's inSipid, lacks taste" "Oh, forgot
the salt" 4 sprinkle does the trick.
Christianity is the salt. 1t must come
into contact, though. Won't do any
good in barrel or bin. Religion mustn't
be locked up in the heart. In these
days we are afraid to drink from the
same cup, ride in the same car. sit at
the same table, shake hands with a
stranger like high caste Brahman re-
fusing to touch low caste Hindu. We
must not let our piety be that kind.
Jesus, the clcansome man, touched
the foulsome lcpcr! I've seen white
ribbOned dcaconess or Salvation Army
lassie in dark alley at midnight where
police went only by twos and armed
Only Christianity saved the old hea-
then world. Classic writer's tell US
Greece and Rome were rotting. At
every crisis of the worlds history the
salt saves it-Augustine. Savanarola.
Luther. Wesley. When Christianity
becomes government instead of
gospel, n system instead of "A salvation,
n mere organization instead Of "the
visible body of Christ on EARTH" then
the salt has lost its SAVIOR The sodium
chloride is washed out. Only soil re-
mains.
The Salt Hungry World.
Have you a savOr? The pear has
flavor the flower perfume. You cannot
weigh or analyZe either The secret
of greatness Is SAVIOR, a certain subtle
something that affects others Lincoln
and Lee, two great simple unaffected
men, were marvellous in their SAVIOR
The salt of their character swcetened
and preserved those who knew them
They were the salt Of their times, men
of great heart. Others there were of
intellect, clear as "A frosty night, but
just as cold in heart. They are for
gotten, The world needs saving sadly
Jails and churches are built side by
side. Preachers are pleading; police
men are patrolling. Both come of the
same faCt-the world needs saving
Weeds grow without care; grain, fruit
and vegetables require toll and cult.
vation. The policeman clubs to curb
crime; the preacher pleads to correct
the cause. The church has been the
only agency for ages working for the
redemption OF man. But If the salt
has lost its SAVIOR, wherewith shall II
be saltedF Meanwhile we are making
handouts and building jails, we make
treasurerS give bonds and clerks use
cash registers, and the car conductor
records the nickel received. And the
church, the SAVIOR, needs not so much
ritual and doctrine, but the saving salt
OF salvation.