opened to your view; everything that sincerity could devise, has been done to cause you to bring forth fruit; and under these circumstances I charge you to nquire of yourself whether or not you have brought forth fruit in proportion to the culture, of whatever kind, that has been bestowed upon you.

It would be well also to be very scrupulous in examining the fruit that you do bring forth, whether or not it is of the right sort; whether or not it is good fruit. It is very easy to deceive yourself; you may be making a visible profession of adherence to the Lord Jesus Christ; you may be sacramentally implanted in him, and yet not be a member of his body; but, "by their fruits shall ye know them." Moral discipline, a regular and formal attendance on the ordinances of his house, works of charity not performed from pure and disinterested love to the Redeemer, are not fruits of righteousness. And it will be well if you will take the trouble to examine all your doings, making the word of God your standard of comparison.

It will be well to bear in mind the importance of bringing forth fruit before the season is ended; before the day of grace is closed by death: "If not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." Let this year be commenced with new resolutions, for if you persevere in the ways of sin, God can cut you off from the means of grace, or he can withdraw his restraining grace, and send you strong delusions; he can put the mark of damnation upon your forehead, ready for the fires of hell, before he cuts you down by death. Bear fruit, and let it be good; bring forth much fruit, that there may be no uncertainty whether or not you are a barren tree.

205

LENT.

A LADY strictly attached to the observance of the church of England informed me that the reason assigned for keeping Lent is, that "Our Saviour fasted forty days, and we are told it is our duty to follow his example;" and with this vague and undefined notion she, in common with others of her denomination, "keeps Lent."

The passage of scripture on which this observance is founded is the following: "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterwards an hungered." During this period he was miraculously supported, and there needs no argument to prove it. Christ's miraculous deeds are not recorded in scripture for our imitation; otherwise why not follow his example in healing the sick, and the blind, and the lame? for we are as able to do these cures as we are to fast forty days and forty nights. Our Saviour fasted but once in his lifetime for forty days and forty nights; papists mock the observance every year; they call it keeping Lent, but it is only pretending to do it. Keeping Lent is a relic of popery, and church of England people think it a desirable farce to imitate. But if the example of Christ

were followed in this particular, the fast would be literally kept for the whole period; which, as it would be impossible to do, for human nature would sink under such an attempt, Christians conclude (I might say sensible Christians) that it was not recorded for their imitation, and they regret to see so much popery prevailing in the church of England.

There are other parts of the Redeemer's conduct of much more importance to imitate, which the advocates of "keeping Lent" never think of attempting: "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart." And here is a command annexed to it; whereas there is no command for our imitation annexed to Christ's fasting forty days and forty nights.

It is to be regretted that there is so much pride manifested in the general carriage of those who pretend to follow the example of our Saviour, and that so very few try to imitate him in meekness and lowliness of heart; on the contrary, most church-going people look down upon dissenters with a degree of haughty supremacy, as if their practices were so much more sensible and correct than those who would think their intellects degraded were they to unite in such a ridiculous farce as that of "keeping Lent."

In point of fact, the "keepers of Lent" are Pharisees; and those who are the most punctilious in these outward observances think themselves to be the most righteous and deserving of the favour of God. The Redeemer "continued all night in prayer to God." The keepers of Lent never try to imitate him in this particular; notwithstanding, if they possessed the right spirit, they would most likely succeed, as many of them give proof of physical ability, by dancing all night!

Our Saviour has nowhere appointed any stated fasts;

but he has implied that private fasting is an occasional duty, and that the practice ought not to be known abroad. In the same passage he has given directions against ostentation in religious services, which would go far towards deprecating the wearing of black clothes during that period which the papists call "Lent." "When ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily, I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."

Notwithstanding their black clothes, (the outward appearance of fasting,) the keepers of Lent cannot do without some parties of pleasure during the forty days and forty nights; they must have their amusements, or forty days of religious observances would make them gloomy and melancholy, and they would quite lose their appetite for fish and eggs. They have therefore their amusements modified; the more demure call their evening parties, " tea parties," from which cards, I believe, are usually excluded, but only to gamble with the greater avidity on Easter Monday. Theatrical amusements are also frequented during Lent; I have known the greater part of the keepers of Lent in a country town attend church in the morning, and in the evening travel in their various vehicles ten miles to witness the actings of a company of strolling players. But then, it must be admitted, that the participants in these various pleasures frequent them religiously in the garb of mourning; but, of course, there can be no sorrow for sin in their hearts! Is not this the hypocrisy against which the Saviour warns us?

"When

ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, who appear unto men to fast."

The keeping of Lent is a form, or ceremony, substituted for repentance, and intended to quiet the conscience; but will it quiet the conscience in the hour of death and the day of judgment?

The keeping of Lent goes no way towards the salvation of the soul, and wherefore, then, is the use of its observance? On the contrary, there exists ample reasons why it should be discontinued; for the ignorant are apt to consider themselves praiseworthy, according to the degree of strictness they shew during this forty days farce.

As our Saviour did not lay any commands upon his disciples to keep this fast, it carries the appearance of pretending to know better than him. Had he seen it to be necessary to keep Lent, he would have instituted it, as he did the ordinance of the Lord's supper. Also, had he seen it to be desirable to keep Good Friday and Christmas-day as holy days, he would have made the appointment, as he did the sabbath; but not one word is said about these days in the Bible, notwithstanding they are superstitiously venerated both by the church of Rome and the church of England, the greater part of whose votaries think nothing of breaking the divine command, “Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy;" vainly fancying that if they attend church in the morning, they have done their duty, and are at liberty to make gossipping calls upon their acquaintances, to walk and visit, to feast and travel, or pursue various pastimes and pleasures.

Occasional fasting is doubtless a duty; and I would recommend that every sabbath day should be kept as a fast day; and I believe that the followers of the Lord Jesus may consider it to be their duty on that day to