The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-02-14
LENT
The season OF Fasting ana Prayer

ilNNlN INV NNNiN NF'ffN w
tho life Of our Lord, Some event IN
scripture history, ~ q desire 10 keel ~
remembrance the virtues aud plply ol
the saints who adorned the early
church, But the origin Of the season
II Lent, IL not 80 obvious, though II Is
usually supposed that Lent Is observed
la commemorative OF our Saylor's
temptation aud fasting Of forty days
In the wilderness, II IN most proba'
bic that the Christian Lent originated
from u regard to tho words Of our Re-
deemer "rbe days will come when
the bridegroom shall be taken away
from them, then shall they fast there
Dny days. We learn from the MS
tory Of the church that tho primitive
Christians considered that In this pass
age, Christ alluded 10 the Institution
OF particular season Of fasting and
prayer In bls future church. Accord
lngly, they In the first Instance, began
this solemn period on the afternoon OF
the day on which they commemor0led
the crucIhxOn, aud continued II until
tho morning Of That Of the resurrec'
ton. The whole Interval would thus
be only about forty hours, But 10y de-
grees, this institution suffered u con-
siderable change, different however,
NJ different times aud places. From
the forty hours or the two days origin
ally observed, II was extended 10 other
additional days, but with great variety
In their number, according to the
Judgment Of various churches Some
Galcd three days In the week before
Easter, some four and others SIX. a
little after, some extended the last TO
three weeks aud Others to ak, and
other churches appointed certain por.
tlons of seven weeks In succession.
The result Of all this was the even
tual liking the time nj forty Days, COM
menclng on the Wednesday In the
seventh week before Easter and ex-
Guiding the intermediate Sundays. II
Is not, however, to be supposed that
the church remained long In uncer-
tainty on this point, for 1t appears that
the Lent of forty days can DO traced to
aperiod very near that of the Apostles.
That lts term Of forty days was settled
at n very early period, IL evident from
the writings Of the bishops Of those
times, VINO refer us in vindlcalion of II
to the example of Moses, elias and
our Lord, oil Of whom tasted forty
days. From all this, then, We arrive
at the conclusion that though fasting
Is frequently alluded to In the scrip
lures as n Christian duty, yet the sci
times for II ure to DO referred solely I,
tho authority Of the church. The
name applied to this season is derived
from the time of the year when it oc
ours. The term Lent in the SaXor
language signifies spring, and rs useC
indicates merely the spring fast, pre-
paratory TO the rising of Christ from tn,
grave.
The Lenten fast does not embrac,
all the days included between Ash
Wednesday and Caster, for the Sun
days are 30 many days above the mum
Der of forty. They are excluded be
cause the Lords day is always held n.
II festival and never as u fast. Thes,
six Sundays are, therefore, called Sun
days in Lent, not Suudads of Lent
They are in the midst OF it, but do no
form part of il. On them Is still con
tinued, without interruption, the cele
brati0n of our Saviour's resurrection.
The principal days of Lent are th,
first day, Passion week, and particular
ly the Thursday and Friday In thi.
week.
The first day of Lent was formerly
called the head of the fast, and also by
the name which the church retains
Ash "Wednesday. In the church O
England there is solemn service ap
pointed for Ash Wednesday, under tn,
title of combination or denouncing o.
Goods anger and Judgement against
sinners" This was designed to occu-
Ply, as far as could be, the place of the
ancient penitential discipline, rs is sci
forth in the beginning of the Office in
the English prayer book. The Amer.
lean church omitted it, only retaining
those of its prayers which are now ill.,
serted after the collect for Ash We'd
nesday. The last week of Lent called
Passion week, has always been consid-
cred as its most solemn season. 1t is
called "The Great Week." from the
important transactions which were
then commemorated, and Holy week
from the increase of devotional exer.
cises among believers. The Thursday
in Passion week is that on which il
celebrated the institution ofthe Lords
Supper, "it being on this day that Christ
first partook Of it. On the following
day the sufierings and death of the Sa-
\ior are celebrated, which is called
Good Friday. AS this day has been
kept holy by the church from the earli-
est times, so has II also been made n
time of the strictest devotion and hui
initiation.
"A right g0odly show, glass cut cum
ningiy, silver fretted like SNOW flake
| ON Juno's nipple, and mirrors from
| Venice"
The religious editor of THE HERALD
who looks after bear.fights and other
Il Ia L.. Il