Year: 1871

abroad into the Church, and see how
much of cOldnCSs md wOrldliness, and
strife and variance there is; and
| humbling ourselves before God, we
pray that none of His judgments may
come upon us therefor.


1t should be a time Of special self
denial. 1t is by self-denial that we
! try ourselves, and find out how much
we are dependent for our happiness
| upon the things Of this world. There
| is an evening, perhaps, which we are
| in the habit of spending in visiting, or
reading useful books, or in some such
way. Now can we devote that time to
communion with God? to studying
His word, &c, and find it not a weari-
| ness, but pleasure? We are in the
| habit, perhaps, of going to little par
ties, reading books of amusement. &c.
things innocent in thens Ives, but
of which we are apt to become too
fond. Can we refrain from these
things, and feel no want of something
to do? How far can we do without
external pleasures, and find our happi-
hess in God only, and in His word >
If we can deny ourselves some luxury
so as to obtain money or time to devote





should strive to deepen our sense of
the unSaiiSfying nature of all things
here to make us happy without God
strive to get near 20 Him to get our
selves practically to believe that this
world is not our home-that we are in
land of shadows-see how far we can
go towards making the invisible things
visible to US through faith-dwell
much in our thought upon the charac-
ter of Christ, the nature of the religion
we profess, the practical bearing of the
truths of revelation.


Our abstaining from food should be,
/ think, rather denying of ourselves
delicacies, than a lessening of quantity
A plenty of good, wholesome food, it
seems tC me, is necessary that we may
keep cur bodies in health, and be able
to do the work that God has assigned
US. So to abstain that we become
sick, or cross, or unable to perform our
duties Alright, is a sin. "Who hath
required this at our hands?" Every
means is to be employed to draw US
nearer to GOd-tO wean US from the
world-to make us holier and wiser
than the children of this world. To
this end we should withdraw ourselves
from all that draws us from God; study
ourselves and God; find out our own
sin, strive to turn therefrom; and pray
more earnestly that the Spirit of God
may be in our hearts, and make our bod
les fit temples for His worphip. What
ever does not help as in these things
is bad for as, and, since people do so
differ, no one person can lay down
any very special rules for another
But it seems to me that, keeping these
things before us, the Lentec season
should be a time in which we grow in
grace and it ought to tell upon the
whole rest of the year; so that by its
proper observance we ought to reach a
higher point i'm our Christian life, and
hencefOrth to be more dead to the
world and more alive unto God. | do
not know that these words will help
you, but | send them for what they are
worth. DOub less you knew it all be-
fore vet cannot write more definite
-. AIUCu IN sChicf is done 10y people
going without meat Tor dinner, per-
haps, and then thinking that they are
the more beloved by God therefor
The season Of Lent and fasting is mere
ly a means II the great end of weaving
us from the world, and making us
more like Him whose doing the will
of God was rs meat and drink to Him.
IF 1t does not do this, it were better to
keep no Lent and fast not at all.