2 THE CANADA LUTHERAN. IF WE KEEP LENT., Spiritually: By real sorrow for sin and struggle against it. "There is no immunity from sin for any of us. The daily presence of sin, the daily need of forgiveness, oppress the soul at times with an overwhelming sense of weariness, almost of hopelessness. But there arc two great comforts to dwell upon. One is the conversion of the Apostles. Even they fell into sin. The denial of Peter, the cowardice of the eleven, the persecutions of the early Christians by Paul and the subsequent strength as shown in their inspired writings and martyrdom bring hope and strength to every sinner. A second and far greater comfort is the knowledge of Christ's help. For the Apostles He prayed; for all the world He pleaded on the cross; in heaven He makes perpetual intercession for us. As He prayed for Peter before his denial, so the ever-present aid of Christ provides for our needs and weaknesses even before they have conic to pass." Mentally: By abandoning light literature and, instead, reading God's Word and books that help to devotion. "Five minutes a day seems of little value viewed as a period of time. but, small as it is, when devoted to the study of the Holy Bible and other good books, it may prove long enough to enable us to touch the spring of Divine communication between heaven and earth." Socially: By entirely withdrawing from ordinary amusements and gayeties. "Christ left the turmoil of the world behind Him to fast and pray for forty days, but not for a time of rest. Imagine Him saying, as many now say, `I am glad Lent has come; I shall now get the rest I so much stand in need of; it is a happy release from parties and social calls.' What a mockery! Is Lent only a cloak behind which to hide from the calls of society and obtain rest? When Christians so speak, well may the world mock at our Lenten fast." Bodily: By real self-denial in meat and drink. "When we fight against fleshly appetites, we are fighting against an alien. And when we call Reason and Conscience and Will to our aid, we sacrifice passion to principle and ennoble and enthrone ourselves. So to gain in self-denial is to gain also in self-respect. Self-denial is the complete triumph of the spiritual over the animal--the victory which God gives us through Jesus Christ." On Easter Day we shall have a livelier sense of our position as sinners; a warmer love for Jesus Christ who died on the cross to save us; a life in many respects nearer to God and quickened by holy affections.--Tract. CANADIAN LUTHERANISM. (By Rev. N. Willison.) A year or so ago I dined with a prominent and highly cultured family and in the course of the conversation remarked that my church work was all (lone in the English language. "0," said the lady, "then you don't preach in the language of the Lutherans." Her words astonished and almost amused me. Imagine a person of intelligence saying to you, "So you don't preach in the language of the Christians." In the middle ages when Latin dominated Christendom such a question might have seemed proper but at the present time it would puzzle many and amuse not a few. It would reveal an ignorance almost pitiful ill its simplicity. It would be interesting to ask what was the language of the Christians even on the day of the birth of the Church, that great pentecostal day when Parthians and Medes and Elamites and dwellers in Mespotamia and in Judea and Cappadocia, in Pontius and Asia, Phrygia and Pomphilia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians all heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their own tongue. In view .of the fact that the Evangelical Lutheran Church, which is simply that same pentecostal apostolic church restored to the people through God's chosen instrument Luther, preaches the gospel in German, Swedish, English, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Esthonian, Hungarian, Lettish, Slovakian, Polish, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Lithuanian, Russian, Wendish, Bohemian, Lapp, Indian, a number of Asiatic languages and also African languages the "Lutheran language" becomes somewhat composite in its character and if any denominations, in this country or elsewhere, can lay claim to any linguistic exclusiveness it is time some one woke them out of their sleep and reminded them of the world-wide commis- [ commission ]