The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-02

REV. Il. CLAGETr SKINNER. ID. ID.
Text .Si ~. arc the salt of the earth: 5H.
In literature. both ancient and
modern, common salt has a prominent
place. BY some nations 1t Is regarded
not only as precious. but sacred. The
ancient Germans gathered for worship
n tho salt district, and regarded that
rs q proper place for building their
temples. They sometimes waEcd war
over their salt springs. Homer sings
% divine salt" Plato said il is a
substance dear to the gods. Among
Eastern nations salt is an emblem of
fidelity and friendship. In Arabia
friends arc those between whom there
is salt In Persia tho word for traitor
means untrue TO salt. In Abyssinia
and Tibet cakes of salt arc used for
money.
Ia tho sthlc sal; is tho symbol of
character Have salt in yourselves
said Jesus. II was JcsuS's plea for
character Every ono shall be sailed
with fire He said. which. being in
terpretcd, means that the character OF
every Christian shall be tested by a
fiery process.
50 when our Master remarks. ''Ye
arc the salt OF the earth" He employed
= common thing to reinforce :, ia
lniliar truth. salt puritics. preserves,
palatatcS.
ron pUKIFICATION
J. salt purncs. When the men of
Jcricht complained to Elisha that the
water OF the city Was unwhoicsoine
tile prophet cast salt into the waters.
and they were healed that day.
Christian people are tl,c salt which
christ has placed in the world for
its publication.
Experience has shown that the
natural tendency o. human society is
not upward, but downward. 1t re-
cures something supernatural to coun-
terac, this tendency. To be sure, there
may have been INSTANCES OF progress
without piety, refinement without reiig-
lun culture without character: hut they
have been spasmodic and cphemcral,
serving only as thin cover for the
rcckinG corruption which lay beneath
Tho surface. There has never been a
steady ana sustained advance in the
morality ana social upli;t Of :, people
without religion - its impcllnc force.
Tho Apostle Paul says the gospel is
the power OF God that saves. We must
understand how this is. The gospel
told by the -four cVaurclistS and writer's
OF the cpistlcs. the gospel recorded in
:
sociatcd. has but little dynamic. Tha
gospel is u saving force when it be-
comes incarnatcd in personality. 1t
was the divine Son. who lIimsH f.had 10
supplement- the written regulation of
Goa by the .piNin" OF Himself a ransom
Tor many. II is when this gospel I've
comes operative IL personality and
ChriSts followers I'LL up what Is lack
ing ina the Sunerines of Christ that
these same followers become grains OF
salt That purify the social order. 1t is
nigh umc We arc learning that the
gospel has no tongue. no hands on feet
uc heart c%ccpt the tongue. hands, feet
auld hca.t of thcs" upon whom Christ
Jas breathcd ;md said: Receive We the
Holy Spirit II We're well Cor us to
cease TO expect amy maeic-working
wonder apart from personality. Eco
ple arc Wou a. the Kingdom. the king
DOM itself rs extended. when the salt
retains i.s strength aud comes in vital
contact win the world.
ALSO AZ AGENT
ron pHE>EIs, \TIoN
II. Salt preserves.
}. salt preserves living things. Il is
- pruphH lactic. II prevents the living
from dying ], is Indispensable to ami
mas! !lfc. II YOU arc Il normal man, YOU
consume "a peek Of salt y year. When
men were rushing 10 the Klondillc some
Years ago, Frank LcSlca Magazine
made "a list az the things each person
would need for years stay in the
klondike and ou the list was twenty
pounds Of salt Lieutenant lIcrndoh
says That in crossing the continent of
south America. his horses and cattle
dicd Of starvation, while they were
eating the rich green grass. because
his supply or salt WAS exhausted. They
would lie down and die almost niDping
tie grass, because they had no salt
Christian manhood and woma nhood
preserve the living church. The Bible.
III sens. is tho foundation OF the
church but there is another sense in
which the church is the pillar and
ground Of the truth. as Paul puts it.
Without the word put into flesh and
blood-put into llfc-,hc world would
not believe The Bible they DO not
read II except as they 80 II dcljneatcd
ia character. Long ago, before hymn
books were plentiful. the minister used
TO line Off the hymns 1T is as Ch,is.
tian people line off the virtues OF the
Christian religion in daily conduct and
personal witnessing that this salt pre-
serves. This is what Chrisi's apostle
meant when he said: "rc are cpistlcs.
known and read of all men"
.. salt preserves dead things Salt
is an antseptic 1t prevents decay II
is put upon our animal food 10 save it
from putrcfaction. The life and teach
ing Of Christ. shining through tho char
actcF Of His followers, save tho world
from fetidncss Things which arc dcaG
arc kept from offensivcucss by the salt
Of character. What would the worldli-
ness. spiritual Indifference and unbcl!cf
come TO, were Il not for Christianity?
Matthew Arnold ONE said, there IS not
place ten miles square from which
the influence of Christ has been OK
cludcd, where the life Of Il man or the