The Washington times., 1915-03-15

sad countenance."
He said in part:
The Lenten sea-
~ Ison-the forty days
f%$ fast preceding the
Il Il | ve sary
of Jesus death
pkas!Sk: = kgssE4 hae fiaed ''nt rule ' with
some Christian people. Although not OF
divine command the custom appeals to
many. Like every good thing, 1t is
misunderstood and perverted by the ma
jority. because they are not spiritually
minded. To many of these 1t Is com
mand. the neglect Of which would bring
upon them the disapprobation of friends,
and the observance Of which would
bring them some favor from God or
some relaxation from proper punish
ments for their sins-they know not
exactly what.
or such perfunctory fasting. displeas-
inc to God and valueless to the individ-
quaintance who professcd to observe
Lsnt was instructed to drink but one
cup of coffee daily. He made some kind
OF compromise with his conscience by
which he got his usual amount Of coffee
in & bowl Apparently he thought that
the Lord would not notice the cheat,
and would reward him for such hypo-
critical fasting.
Lords sight than a hypocrite. Honesty
is the one quality which all who would
be pleasing to God must possess. no
matter how weak or fallen they may
be by heredity. In His preaching Jesus
condemned hypocrisy. perhaps as much
as all other sins together. With every
| body the first lesson should be honesty
not merely in monetary affairs, but
In everything including words ana
thoughts.
Although nothing in the Bible sug-
gests Lenten season, the Apostles
| commend fasting. st. Paul wrote, "Ap-
| proving ourselves in HASTINGS" and
| again. lin Hastings often" q CorIn-
| is in the nature of self-sacrifice-a vol
! untarv offering to God, with a view
to greater efficiency in Gods service or
| to greater control over our imperfect
mortal bodies in the interests of our
| spiritual new nature.
Appropriate Lenten Thoughts.
Much may be said In favor Of fasting
| during the Lenten season. On hygienlc
| grounds alone, 1t would be of advantage.
particularly to the well-fed. II during
| the springtme they would restrain
themselves from eating literally of
| meats, sweets. pastry. etc. Boils, pim-
pies. liver arrangements. fevers ana
doctor bills would be greatly lessened II
this course were pursued. This is the
practical side of the question, which
| may have led to the custom.
| The Christian, however. may advan-
| ltageously take a much deeper, spiritual
meaning out of Lent He may remenI-
| Der the Saviors experience for the
| forty days preceding His crucifixion. He
| may remember that just before His
| cruCifixon Jesus instituted the Lord Is
supper, and indicated the date as the
proper one for it's annual commemora-
tion amongst His followers. as was
the custom in the carly Church. He ma :;
also remember that all Jesus follow
ers covenant to share His Cup oi
| suffering. of ignominy, misunderstand'
ing, Misrepresentation, slander. abuse
death, He may remember that as this
was the special time of trial fol
Jesus, so it seems also to have beer
from the very first time of special
trial, testing. sitting. amongst His fol
| lowers
All these considerations might vel
move Gods true people to fast DURING
a period preceding the anniversary OF
their Redccmer's death. In observing
such restraint of appetite, from a desire
to drt W especially near to God, they
would certainly be contributing a share
toward that end in harmony with tn,
Scriltural declaration, Draw nigh unto
Me, and will draw nigh unto you
We have no suggestion to offer re-
specting the kind OF food or the guam
people in such physically weak con,
dition that ii would be absolutely
wrong for them to abstain from such
nourishments as they can assimilate
Heart and head should combine In de
termining this matter of fasting.
Darrell the Prophet tells us that fol
three Who'll" weeks he ate no pleasant
bread" while he especially sought n.
perplcAed him. Evidently he confined
himself strictly to the things absolutel!
needed for the maintenance of menta
and physical strength: He ate nothing
superabundanty.. to clog his system, tC
make him sluggish in mind and body
and to inCapacitate him for his routin,
work and for his special prayers TO
wisdom. We can take a good lessor
from this Scr'ptural example.
Jesus did not teach His disciples (,
fest. This does not mean. however
that they lived sumptuously; for on tw,
occasions after Jesus had miracuousl,
ted a multitude on plain bread and FISH
He directed His disciples to gather u,
with them as their own food supply TO
many days. This was practically fast
ing. Jesus declared that the days wouI,
come when He would be gone, and II
said, I'm these days they shall fast
Matthew 9:14. 15) The days OF fastini
| began as soon as the Lord was CruCified
and have continued ever since. whethe
outv ardlv or known only to,their owl
| hearts. All His followers have prac
ticed fasting, self-denial;' else surel
they would not have progressed il
spirituality.
The Christians Perpetual Fast.
\ 1t is a mistake to suppose that fastin
| applies merely to food. In its oroades
sense, it signifies self-denial-denial c
the desires of the flesh, to the inter
that the spiritual nature may b
strengthened. The Apostle clea cly show
this in his suggestion that husbands an
wives occasionally live apart, that the
may give themselves the more thorough
ly to prayer and the consideration
spiritual things. q Corinthians 7:5.
The true Christian really lives a life {
= daily self-denial. He remembers III
Apostles words. ''If ye live after II
flesh. ye shall die: but II ye through II
Spirit do mortify the deeds of the fies
: ye shall live" Such modification of Il
flesh. such self-denials of the variol
| feshly inclinations. in the interest
the new nature. are fastngs.
II The ideal condition for Christian
would be TO maintain perpetual fast
to live always in so abstemious MAJ
ner as would keep them spiritually
the best condition and make them mo
efficient i'm the lords service Whe