according to our LORD's words in St. John iij. 6, that which is "born of the spirit is spirit," yet a tendency. towards evil remains as the Ninth Article of Religion declares, the "infection of nature doth remain, yea, in them that are regenerated." Thus, in the Christian there is a struggle between the natural and the spiritual, between the body and the soul, on the one hand, and the spirit on the other. This is what St. Paul refers to in Gal. v. 17, when he says "the flesh," or natural man-body and soul, “lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other."

The "lusts of the flesh" are the natural desires which God has implanted in the soul of every human being, and which act upon the body: such as hunger, thirst, and carnal appetite.

These natural desires may become sinful lusts in thought or in deed; as our Lord taught and teaches in St. Matt. v. 28. Thus Hunger unrestrained leads to Gluttony; Thirst to Drunkenness; Carnal appetite to Fornication and Adultery.

The Devil uses our natural desires as a means of temptation as when he tempted our Lord in His hunger to make bread miraculously out of stones. [Luke iv. 3.]

St. Paul says in Gal. v. 24: "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts." He speaks in Rom. viij. 13, of "mortifying" the deeds of the body, or flesh, through the spirit. And in I Cor. ix. 27, the Apostle says of himself, “I keep under my body and bring it into subjection :" words similar to those later on in the Catechism about "keeping the body in temperance, soberness, and chastity."

One chief way of bringing the body into subjection and restraining the lusts of the flesh is to use fasting as a habit. Examples of this habit are given in Scripture. Thus the Jews fasted as David [2 Sam. xij. 16]: the whole nation under Jehoshaphat: [2 Chron. xx. 3,] and at regular stated periods: [Lev. xxiij. 27; Zech. viij. 19]. Thus those who were not Jews also fasted: as Job, and the people of Nineveh. Our Lord, the great example of resistance to temptation, fasted forty days and forty nights in the time of His temptation. [St. Luke iv. 2.] The disciples of John the Baptist fasted, and our Lord said that His disciples should fast after His Ascension [St. Luke v. 35], which we find they did by what is said in Acts xiij. 2, 3, and 2 Cor. vj. 5, and xj. 27.

In the Church of England regular fasting days are appointed. Friday in every week: The forty days of Lent: The Evens or Vigils before certain festivals : The Ember days at the four seasons of ordination : The Rogation days.

A good way of keeping a fast-day is to give up at least one meal, or to abstain altogether from meat, or to take less food than usual. The object being to "afflict the soul," fasting should produce a sensible effect upon the appetite. But, however much it is practised, Fasting will be of little or no use in bringing the body into subjection, unless it is undertaken in a reverent spirit, for the glory of God, and accompanied by prayer.

There is a prayer in the Litany in which our Lord's own act may be well pleaded in connection with our own, “By Thy . . . fasting, . . . Good Lord, deliver us."

With respect to the whole Vow of Renunciation the following prayers are specially applicable. The one in the Litany

"From all the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the Devil, Good Lord, deliver us."

And the other, the Collect for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity

"Lord, we beseech Thee, grant Thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil: and with pure hearts and minds to follow Thee the only God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

CHAPTER III.

Christian Faith.

"Question.-What did your Godfathers and Godmothers then for you?

Answer. They did promise and vow three things in my Secondly, that I should believe all the articles of the Christian faith."

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HE vow of Faith is thus set forth in the Service for the Public Baptism of Infants.

§ 1. The Vow of Faith.

"Minister.-Dost thou believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth?

And in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son our Lord? And that He was conceived by the Holy Ghost; born of the Virgin Mary; that He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried, that He went down into hell, and also did rise again the third day; that He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and from thence shall come again at the end of the world, to judge the quick and the dead?

And dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholick Church, the Communion of saints, the remission of sins, the resurrection of the flesh, and everlasting life after death ?"

To which the Godfathers and Godmothers, in the name and on behalf of the child, make the

“Answer. All this I steadfastly believe;" when the further question is asked by the

"Minister. Wilt thou be baptized in this faith?

"Answer. That is my desire."

Thus we were baptized into the Christian Faith on condition that we would believe all its articles, or separate parts, as stated in the Apostles' Creed.

§ 2. The Faith with which we Believe.

To believe thus, pre-supposes the power of believing, just as to see pre-supposes the power of seeing. This power to believe is called Faith.

Christian Faith is thus a faculty of our spiritual nature, as sight is a faculty of our bodily nature, or reason a faculty of our mental nature.

Faith is not originated by any effort of the mind, any more than sight or reason are so originated. It is the gift of God. It is first given to us when our spiritual nature is given to us, as sight is given with our bodily nature, and reason with our mental nature.

But the faculty of faith is capable of development, so that persons can grow to believe better as they can grow to see better, or to use their reason better. So it is the duty of Christians, especially if they feel doubtful about any of the articles of the Creed, to pray as the Apostles did, "Lord, increase our faith." [Luke xvij. 5.]

The spiritual faculty of faith is exercised upon spiritual things, which cannot be known or observed by the natural faculties of the body or the mind, such as sight or reason. As we know things that we can see or touch by means of sight or touch, and things that we