St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-09

To abstain from one kind of food at stated
times and make up the deficiency with other
delicacies, to abstain from meat and eat
oysters and fish seem hardly ''works meet
for repentance To exchange the ball
room for church, to pray instead of dance,
depend for their merit entirely upon the spirit
of the participants. These are the words of
God, SIS it such fast that I have chosen2
day for man to aflict his soul? is it to bow
sack cloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou
call this fast, and an acceptable day to the
Lord?"
Religion and common sense never dis
agree, and if the rites and ceremonies of the
church offend our common sense, the fault is
not in the vital principles of religion, but in
the Interpretation and errors of men,
Certain branches of the Christian church en-
join the observance of the Lenten season in
imitation of the Great Teacher, which prac-
tice, they claim hassthe sanction of the early
teachers. When it was instituted, and why
this particular event in the life of Christ de-
mands special recognition as an
example for his followers, may
not be sufficiently clear, but fasting, the kind
recommended in the Bible, commends itself
to the intelligent appreciation Of men, as
meet, and proper and beneficial in its re-
suits.
A popular periodical says that 'the forty
days of Lent are extremely useful to Ameri-
cans, even if we have not religious reasons
for keeping it. The need of change is
as great as the need of sleep; it is an in
stinct to be scrupulously and cautiously obeyed
No doubt people will work as hard for amuse-
ment during Lent as they did the month be-
fore. There will be early hours and palmer
dresses.n
If this sis putting ashes on our heads
starving our flesh and renouncing the
world and the flesh and the devil, the
task is pleasant one. Let us enjoy our
afternoon teas, our oyster patties. our stylish
tea gowns; but let US call it a change, rest,
sanitary measures-but not fast.
Neither is it meritorious to keep Lent
through loyalty to church; if the different
branches of church militant could GO up
in one group to judgment, and the pastor,
or rector, or priest could answer for them all;
if the different focks of the great fold could
be represented by the under shepherds, it
might do to blindly follow their lead.
But as every man "must give an account of
himself and there can be but one mediator,
common sense should teach a man to find
out for himself what his duty is.
Almost every sinner has some besetting
sin that will not leave him except through
prayer and fasting, and as there are many
kinds of fasting, which one will exercise the
evil spirit! This is the Bible prescription,
''To deal thy bread to the hungry, and that
thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy
house, when thou seest the naked, that thou
clothe him. Not to exchange meat for fish,
but to go without to give to the hungry; not
to close our homes to balls and receptions but
to open them to the homeless; not to wear
palmer dress, while preparing elegant toilets
for Easter and after gaities, but to be able to
clothe the naked. There is not particle of
saving grace in ashes or sackcloth, in hunger
or lowly bowed heads. In Christ's brief de-
scription of the day ''when the Son of Man
should come in his glory" the only reason
given for calling those on his right
hand ''besscd'' is that they fed the
hungered clothed the naked, visited the sick
and those in prison. To fast that others may
be fed, to practice self-denial in dress and
social amusements that others may be bene-
fitted, to help others bear their burdens, is
Gods fast
Lent is set apart as the time of otar Savior's
victory over temptation by fasting and pray
er 1t is considered fitting time to review
the work of the past and make new start for
the year to come.
In this review don't let US put down to
our credit the large business blocks we have
erected, nor the houses we have built to rent;
don't let US assume because we have en-
larged our business that we are any nearer
heaven. Have we comforted one despairing
heart, have we dried the tears on one sad
face, have we kept our promises unbroken,
have we given even cup of cold water in
the name of disciple2 The world may call
us ''public spirited.'' Have we the spirit of
Christ?
If we could correctly estimate our work,
how small would be the sum- We take too
much credit to ourselves for our prayers and
pray" Watch first, and pray when it is
necessary. ''Watch lest you enter into
temptation" and pray for strength to resist
Watch for opportunities to help others, and
pray for wisdom to do it well. Prayers are
not good deeds, they are petitions for help,
offerings of praise, or acknowledgment
of sin. The old Greeks called pray
ers lame spirits, because they
come after evil, as people are not apt to be-
gin to pray till harm has befallen
them," but to the good man they are the
voice Of friend speaking to friend, not re-
morseful confession of sin committed, but
the expression Of hope and trust of deliver
ance from evil. What good does it do?
When any one of Agassiz's scholars
brought him ''new specimen" he would
place it on the table before him, and, shading
his eyes, give himself up to the study of its
particular development, aiding his
vision with the lenses of
study the unknown individual until, when
his watch was ended, with piece of crayon
he could draw the form of the specimen on
the ever ready blackboard with perfect accu-
racy, displaying to his class the many times
enlarged figure of the specimen, perfect in
every detail, and which his practiced eye
alone could see.
If the works of Creation are worthy of so
much thought and study, what shall we say
of our relations to God and our
fellow men. Bird, insect and flowers pass
with the summer, but our duties have for us
an eternal interest as upon the fulfllment of
them depends our future. Can man spend
too much time in learning the right way to
Immortality and God?
L. H. al