The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-03-25

or such ferfuaetory fasting dis
pleasing to God and yalnciess to The
individual hypocritleal fasting ",
give an illustration An acquaintance
who profeSsed 70 observe Lent was in
structed that be should drink bat one
cup Of coffee during the Fast lie
made some Kind OF compromise with
his conscience by which he got his
coffee In bowl He got the same
amount OF coffee as when he took two
cups. but thought the Lord would not
notice the cheat, and would reward him
for such hypocritical fasting.
Nothing is more contemplate In the
Lords sight than hypocrite, Honesty
is the one quality which all who would
be pleasing 20 God must possess, no
matter how weak or fallen they may
be by heredity In His preaching Je.
sus condemned hypocrisy more than
any other sin on the calendar perhaps
as much as all other sins together.
The first lesson with Christians. with
everybody. should be honesty-not only
In monetary affairs, but in everything,
including words and thoughts.
Although nothing In the Bible sug'
gests Lenten season, the Apostles
commend fasting. st, Paul wrote,
Approving ourselves In HASTINGS and
again, "in HASTINGS often" q Corin-
thians GA. 3: II :27) Evidently fasting
IS In the nature Of elfsacritice-Dot a
thing commanded but voluntary Of
fering OF the soul TO God. with a view
TO greater efficiency In Gods service or
10 greater control over our imperfect
mortal bodies In the interests OF our
spiritual new nature
Appropriate Lenten Thoughts.
Indeed. much may be said In favor OF
fasting during the Lenten season. On
hygienic grounds alone II would be OF
advantage, particularly to all well-to-
DO and well-fed. II during the spring
time they would fast, or restrain them
selves from eating as literally OF
meats, sweets, pastry, etc, as they
we're inclined to eat during the colder
less than their APP
Detites crave Boils, pimples, liver de
feyers and doctor bills
would be greatly lessened II this course
we're pursued. This is the practical
tide OF the question, which may have
iad to do with the original institution
# the Lenten custom.
The Christian, however, may ad
take much deeper,
piritua meaning out of Lent. He
lay remember the Savior's experiences
or the forty days preceding His cruel
xion. He may remember that 1t was
ust before His crucifxion that Jesus
instituted the Lords Supper, and in
icated that date MS being the proper
ne for It's annual commemoration
mongst His followers, as was the
ustom in the early Church. He may
sympathetically the Re
eemer's trials at this season Of the
'dii anu disb I'lI'lihtl mat an iht
blowers Of Jesus covenant, agree.
, share His Cup Of suffering Of ig-
ominy. OF misunderstanding, of mis-
of SANDER. Of abuse, of
cath. He may remember that. as this
'as the special time Of trial for Jesus,
, II seems also to have been from the
cry first time Of special trial. test
IL, sitting. amongst His followers. ,
All these various considerations might ,
ell move the true people of God to ,
he observance Of fast during peri /,
] preceding the anniversary Of their =,
edeemer'S death. In observing such
fast-such restraint of appetite
ON desire to draw especially near +,
God. they would certainly be con :
ibuting n share toward that end, in !.
lrmony with the Scriptural declara
IN. Draw nigh unto Me, and ] will ,
'aw nigh unto you" !,
a Model Fast. t
We have no suggestions to offer re q
Getting the kind of food or the guam p
y that should be eaten. We believe t
at there are people in such n physi- -
lily weak condition that . would be Il
wrong for them TO abstain h
ON such nourishments as they may o