spirit, and we pray for Christ's grace, that we may use this means. Now what is abstinence? It is, the keeping ourselves back from fulness of meat and drink: the eating and drinking less than we should like. It is stronger in its meaning, than moderation in eating and drinking it means more than just not eating too much it carries with it the notion of some selfdenial. And by praying for Christ's grace to do this, we surely as good as say, that such abstinence is a difficult thing to observe regularly, and one that is above man's unassisted strength. No one, therefore, can deny, my brethren, that we are grievous hypocrites; that we tempt God by asking what we don't want, and don't mean to use; if we pray for Christ's grace to use such abstinence as will subdue the flesh to the spirit, and enable us to obey Christ's godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, and yet aim at nothing more than avoiding excess in drinking-at no more than merely not grossly over-eating ourselves: if we go on at all times alike eating and drinking our fill, without any thought or fear of the flesh-any wish to subdue it to the spirit by extreme moderation, by such abstinence as is sufficient for the purpose. But ought we not to go further? In plain terms, ought we not to fast in Lent, and when the Church tells us to fast? The fast days are set down in our prayer-books. The observance of them has been often commanded. One of the homilies (as they are called), that is, of the sermons drawn up at the time of the Reformation, to be read in churches when the clergyman was too unlearned (as many then were) to make one, has for its title, "Of good works, and first of fasting." Moreover, the Christians of the earliest ages observed regular fasts; and our Lord's own fasting for our sakes, and his language on the subject, on several occasions, convince me, that fasting is a Christian duty. E Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself fasted for our sakes, and that, just before His being led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Now it surely seems to be a solemn consideration, that if we do not imitate our Lord in fasting, there is one point in which His conduct can be imitated, in which we do not imitate it. Moreover, Christ gave directions to the people how to fast, and said, that if they so fasted, God would reward them. He said of his Apostles and Disciples, that they should fast after the Bridegroom was taken from them, that is, after His death. And He said, when His disciples could not cast out the devil from the miserable demoniac, that that kind did not go forth except by prayer and fasting. By these remarkable and mysterious words He teaches us, that there is in fasting a spiritual power, the want of which, with the want of prayer, made the performance of a great miracle impossible. Now think, my brethren, what reverence we owe to Christ-think what weight belongs, of right, to every word that proceeded out of His lips-every word being the word of the eternal God. And then consider the way in which His commands are often conveyed in the Gospels. How little is said about them! Take even Baptism itself: but one passage asserts it plainly, in so many words, to be necessary to all men for salvation 2. Christ's words, however few, are enough for those that love Him. Those who receive them with honest and true hearts, learn, by obeying them, how holy and good they are, and they cling more and more to every hint of God's will. But the careless and the worldly overlook such hints; the command is not, to them, broad enough—not plain enough. It is not dwelt upon as they would have it; and so from 2 St. Mark xvi. 16. Many other texts agree with this (especially St. John iii. 5), though they do not say it in so many words. want of love, from want of obedience, they lose the power-the spiritual tact, if I may say so,-that catches Christ's meaning, and obeys His least command; even His only hinted commands the slightest indications of His will. In the matter of fasting, the will of Christ was interpreted by the practice of the Apostles. The Apostles fasted. In the 13th of the Acts we read, "that as they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away." Here you see the Holy Ghost came unto them, as they were fasting and praying, Again, when Paul and Barnabas ordained elders in every city, they prayed with fasting. St. Paul tells us that he was in fastings often; "that he kept under his body and brought it into subjection." And he speaks of married persons adopting a particular line of conduct by consent, for a time, that they might give themselves to prayer and fasting. Christ then fasted. His Apostles fasted. Christians have fasted in every age. Our own Church commands us to fast; but her commands have been generally neglected for a hundred years or more-at least neglected by very many, by far the larger part of professed Churchmen. What then has been the character of the age in which we have learnt to be wiser than the Church? wiser than the old Christians? wiser than the Apostles?—have learnt that it is not necessary to fast? It has been an age when men have learnt that preaching is better than prayer; that is, that being exhorted and persuaded to worship is a better thing than worshipping; that worshipping God publicly on one day in the week is plenty; that it is easy to serve God and mammon:-an age that has allowed thousands upon thousands of human beings to be crowded together with no churches to worship inthat has carried luxurious living to an enormous height: an age, in which reverence for God's house and Sacraments has almost disappeared from the great mass of mankind: in which drunkenness has fearfully increased: in which crime of every kind has fearfully increased. Surely, surely, the state of things does not lead one to think, that it is wise to give up the old rules of Church discipline; her frequent services; her abundant alms; her strict, but not superstitious, fastings. Had Christians, gene rally, kept true to the worship of the Church, and striven diligently to subdue the flesh to the spirit by abstinence, I feel sure that we should be now a holier and happier nation; with a far less amount of pride, of luxury, of schism, of drunkenness, of sensuality, of fleshly sins, to answer for and to provoke God's wrath against us. And I do hope, my brethren, that you will seek God's grace earnestly, and strive by it to subdue the flesh to the spirit by some considerable degree of real self-denying abstinenceat all events, by the utmost moderation in what you eat and drink. To this add more frequent prayer; more frequent reading of God's word; more frequent attendance at God's worship; more diligent self-examination; and also, as far as possible, alms-giving, and every work of kindness and charity. Do this in simplicity of faith, in sincerity, and God will assuredly bless you, and give you, for His dear Son's sake, that victory over the flesh, which wę must win, or be miserable for ever. Still may I feel, as each brief moment flies, Doing what we like is but the appearance of liberty the highest liberty is the absolute necessity of doing what is good.-Hengstenberg. WILLIAM WORTLEY. [This tale was originally published in a work which is now out of print.] Adam Brent and William Wortley had come back in an angry discontented state of mind from the small town of NThey had been to apply to the Board of Guardians for "their money;" but were told by a rather rough but honest-looking farmer, that he did not know they had any money of theirs. When did you bring it, my lads? he said; and which of us did you give it to? Wortley was a little put out by this question; but his companion tried to make out, that every man had a right to so much for each child from the parish. The Chairman explained to them, that the law gave no man a right of this kind; though the parish was still bound to support all who could not support themselves. On going into the cases, it proved to be only would not, as far as these applicants were concerned; they had not had work, it is true; but they had not chosen to look about for it. The bread of idleness was as good to them as the bread of industry, if they could get as much of it; or rather it was a deal better; for if ever two men disliked hard work, these did, and as to any unwillingness to be supported by others, they would have laughed at you, if you had talked to them about it. Of course they received no relief from the Board, because the members of it knew that there was plenty of work to be had for asking. They returned home vext and out of humour: but they had very different homes to go to. Brent's wife was a violent-tempered woman, who had brought him a little money saved in service: they had begun with keeping a shop; but the husband's idle habits soon ran away with all the profits, and lost all the customers. The money they had set up with was soon gone; and they had not been married six months, before |