"Ye are the salt of the earth," "Ye are the light of the world," "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which art in heaven."--Matt. 5:13, 14, 15. These sayings of Jesus from the sermon on the mount are quite remarkable. No other teacher ever used such words to his disciples, "Ye are the light of the world." Had the Jewish doctor of the law heard these words of our Lord to his humble sun-tanned, bare-footed, shaggy-browed fishermen, he would have been quite disgusted with what to him would have seemed the consummate egotism of the Nazarene. The meaning of the words of Christ is very plain. The disciples, their lives, character, spirit, the power of the Christ in them must, and would, permeate society like salt, and purify and save from sin. They must illuminate the world, so dark with vice, and show it the way back to God. -------- Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God.--Rom. 5:1. -------- These words of Jesus to the disciples who sat before him that day, are addressed by him to all of his followers for all time, to all of those who trust him and gladly obey him (and only such are disciples). He says, "Ye are the salt of the earth," "Ye are the light of the world." "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." -------- I have somewhat to say unto thee.--Luke 7:40. -------- We must not forget that God's plan is to save the lost, through the instrumentality of those who were themselves once lost, but are now saved from sin. If we would have a great testimony meeting in the city of the skies, and all of the countless hosts there should one by one stand up to tell how they were brought from sin to Jesus, each one of them would point out some person who had been the chief instrument in his or her salvation. There is this one characteristic of all who are truly saved--they desire the salvation of all souls. In fact, this is a very good thermometer with which to get the correct temperature of one's spiritual life. Does he long for the salvation of the lost? If so, in the nature of things he must be in a state of salvation. Is he indifferent to the condition of the lost? Then he is himself in a lost state. Let us here impress the important truth that Jesus did not say to his disciples, "Ye must try and salt the earth," but said, "Ye are the salt of the earth." He did not say, "Ye shall kindle a flame that shall illuminate the world." He said, "Ye are the light of the world." We are not, as the disciples of Christ, to be makers of light and salt, but we, by the power of Christ, must be made into salt and light. It will be interesting to notice the processes through which one must pass in order to become salt and light. Let us go back to the beginning of this sermon of our Lord and we will hear him saying, "Blessed are the poor in