Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/518

  Is  your  heart  still  pure  and  uncorrupted? Have you a horror  of  everything  impure? Guard the  innocence  and purity of  your  heart  most  jealously,  for  it  is  your  greatest  treasure. Avoid the  society  of  bad  companions  and  suppress  all  sinful curiosity. Pray that  you  may  preserve  your  innocence.

Then, turning  to  His  apostles,  He  said  to  them:  “You  are the salt  of  the  earth. But if  the  salt  lose  its  savour,  wherewith shall it  be  salted? It is  good  for  nothing  any  more,  but  to  be cast  out,  and  to  be  trodden  on  by  men.

“You are  the  light  of  the  world. A city seated  on  a mountain  cannot  be  hid ; neither  do  men  light  a candle  and  put it under  a bushel,  but  upon  a candlestick,  that  it  may  give  light to all  who  are  in  the  house. So let  your  light  shine  before  men, that they  may  see  your  good  works  and  glorify  your  Father  who is in  heaven.”

The office  of  the  priesthood.  Under  the  two  figures  of  salt  and light our  Lord  showed  the  apostles  what  a high  vocation  theirs  was  in the  kingdom  of  God. Under the  first  figure  He  described  to  them the priestly  office. “Even as  salt  gives  a savour  to  food  and  preserves it from  corruption,  so  must  you  make  sinful  man  holy  and  pleasing  to God,  and  keep  him  from  the  corruption  of  sin.”

The office  of  teacher  was  described  to  the  apostles  by  our  Lord under the  figure  of  the  light  of  the  world. They were,  He  said,  to enlighten  the  world,  which  was  lying  in  the  darkness  of  sin  and  unbelief, by  their  teaching  and  example,  thus  showing  the  way  to  heaven. They being  the  vanguard  of  the  Church,  all  eyes  would  be  directed