The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-06

fasting, necessary and vital qualities In the upbuilding of Christian character or are they only useful in helping cer
 tain people to be not better Christians, or woman hold the truth of Lent, just exactly as his or her taste may dictate and will the character in either case be permanently and really effect ed?
 Our Lord did not say in the sermon on the mount:
 Thou shalt give aims!
 Thou shalt pray!
 Thou shalt fast!
 But what He did say was more sig nificant and more commanding than any such inJunctions. He said, When thou doest alms.' When thou prayest.' When thou fastest
 why, there was nos need for any command to be given aims, in those well known and tested lines. As 8 matter of inheritance of religious precept, aims giving. and praying. and fasting were we'll known-and general ly practfced. Our Lord simply enlarged their meaning and deepened their pow CT by lifting them into a higher sphere.
 You say. why, of course we believe the Sermon on the Mount, and our Lord does certainly most strikingly com mend these things to us. 1 But I answer, do you observe these truths? Do you keep Lent? For Lent is simply the practical observance of those primary truths of Christianity. You may keep Lent, when and where and however you please. but remember you are not to lay a finger upon any one of these truths--alms- giving, pray ing and fasting.
 My brethren, say 1t in all love, but in all earnestness-that the peculiarity is not to be found in the church, but in the various bodies of Christian peo- pie about us. They have set us high and fine example in aims giving; they have revealed devotion and reality in prayer, but they have omitted and struck out the last. and shall I say the greatest and the hardest truth--fast- ing.
 | What have they done with fasting? And yet 1t has the same sanction and authority in very words from the lips of Christ, When thou doest aims, when thou prayest. when thou fastest l The testimony from those whom the world has called good and Godly, is that fasting Is the one greatest power by which the flesh Is made subject to the spirit that it may respond to the call of God more gladly. | The conflict in the life of that man, St. Paul, as he tells us, was hard and terrible, and we can see in his words to others the discipline of his own character. I therefore so run, not as one that beateth the air. But I keep under my body, and bring 1t into sub lection; lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
 And yet again if we had not this testimony from the lives of saints, nor a word in the new or Old Testament about fasting. Even then the picture that comes before us now so forcibly would be enough The | Savior of our race fasting in the lone ly desert forty days and forty nights Then, said Jesus unto His disciples If any man will come after Me. let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me-
 | Tt is easy and smart to ridicule and |. to find fault. but unless you have said | all that can be said about fasting call it medieval. call 1t Popish, call it unnatural and unmanly, call it farcical and hypocritical Then come back to yourself and ask one question: Did you ever deny yourself of one thing that hurt for the sake of Christ? Don't presume to judge what you do not un- | derstand: don't go about like a child making light of things that are deep CT than your eyes can sec Don't try to excuse yourself by saying that fast ing Is old-fashioned
 'The Kingdom of God is not in meat and in drink. but the Kingdom of God has never come to a man or a woman who has not known what 1t means to be able to deny himself, In meat and in drink.
 Eating fish on certain days doing without butter and sugar and milk. denying self of candies and sweet things--oh! how childish and foolish and formal 1t all seems-this observ- ance of Lent--a thing suitable for wo- men and children.
 "oh! if only today could say to some man in tones of authority and power: You will be stronger man and better man, and z happier. if you will learn little by little what the Master meant when he said: Let him deny himself
 "The world in babblng words is for ever pouring into your ears the things that 1t knows you love to hear. It is my duty to bring the lie, the light and to say to you, men as well as women and children. fasting, self-denial, is a cardinal principle of Christian man hood and womanhood, and that Lent Is just as much, yea, infinitely moro, a. necessity for men than for women. Here I must leave the matter with you. and leave to your Judgment the statement with which began. Is Lent a peculiarity, a custom, a law of the Episcopal Church, Or is Lent, in its truth an essential part of Christ's own teaching and in its application an essential factor in the working out and perfection of the Christian life and character. Take with you through these days that can mean so much. and that may mean so little--the full and rounded truth which the Church has received from her Master. Tn the sober judgment of many thoughtful people who are in positions to observe the movements of our times. we are on the verge of a great relig- ious revival.
 Here at hand, then, in our Lenten season, we have a possibility, and why not make the coming Lent a time for very earnest and aggressive move ment among those who are neglectful of religion.
 Let the services take on new pow CT and let the congregations come with new zeal and earnestness. Let us not be satisfied with the quiet, dignified services of the past--let us not be sat | isfed with a church respectfully filled with women and children. but let us stir up those who are negligent, and bring in those who are wayward. Let us not be satisfied with the pal | ..s.- ~f htIk nf