“In a sense Belgium could still have saved her face; but she preferred to save Europe.  This, it seems to me, gives her a claim on something beyond pity or even gratitude—­a claim on our intellectual honour beyond anything that even suffering could extort.”

Our Lent is nearly over.  With all its opportunities, its calls, its privileges, it is now behind us.  Some perhaps began it with high resolves and brave hopes, and are disappointed at the apparently small results.  None, we trust, are wholly satisfied with themselves, for that would point to a condition far worse than despair.  There is such a thing as divine discontent, and every true Christian should know something of it.  For all the conscious failures ask pardon, but do not give up striving.

Standing under the Cross of Christ, as we do to-day, we have a standard for the measuring of ourselves which makes our little efforts at discipline look very poor indeed.  Yet He remembers our frame, He knows whereof we are made; He can and will accept the feeblest struggles of our will towards His.  Perhaps some progress in the life of grace may have been made, then thank Him and take courage.

Let us just cast our minds back.  The discipline of the will means, laying ourselves open to listen to the voice of the living God.  The discipline of the body means, never letting it get the upper hand of the real self.  The discipline of the soul means the taking a very serious view of the responsibility of life.  The discipline of the spirit means, a close approach to God by every channel of worship.  The discipline of obedience means, that we put self in the background, so that we may exalt the person of Christ.  The discipline of sorrow means, that Christ is still present in His suffering ones, and there is our opportunity.  The discipline of bereavement means, the trial of our faith that it may enter into the realities of the spiritual kingdom.

Then comes the crown and climax, the discipline of self-sacrifice.  Place steadily before you the thought of Christ crucified, see there the culmination of all possibility of the offering up of self for others.  No element of completeness was wanting.  The sacrifice was voluntary, was made for enemies, brought no return to self.

Strong in His strength go forth ready to spend and be spent, if only by the discipline of self-sacrifice you can lighten the load borne by any one of your fellow-creatures.

  What hast Thou done for me, O
    Mighty Friend,
    Who lovest to the end? 
  Reveal Thyself that I may now behold
    Thy love unknown, untold,
  Bearing the curse and made a curse for me
    That blessed and made a blessing I might be.

  Wounded for my transgressions, stricken sore,
    That I might sin no more,
  Weak, that I might be always strong in Thee: 
    Bound, that I might be free;
  Acquaint with grief that I might only know
    Fulness of joy, in everlasting flow.