cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Jesus said unto them, “I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." Christ, then, the Saviour of the world, can alone nourish and support the soul. In the Gospel he is set forth under this character. He administers this nourishment by his own power, and we receive it by faith. He is the living bread; we take it, and go, like the prophet of God, in the strength of that meat. live by faith on the Son of God, who hath loved us and given himself for us.

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But as the Israelite went out to gather his portion of manna daily, so must we be diligent in the use of all the means of grace. If the Israelite neglected this privilege, no more food could be expected till the following day; if his faith in the supply of God's bounty failed him, and he gathered more than he could consume, he was punished for his covetousness; the manna bred worms, and stank. Thus the highest spiritual gifts of our heavenly Father are to be used with a grateful, dependent spirit. There must be diligent, constant attention on our part.

The servant of God goes to the house of prayer; there he attends in faith to eat of the bread of life; he is constant in his attendance, not forsaking the worship of the sanctuary, as the manner of some is, but rather exhorting himself and other devout worshippers, the more as he sees the day of God approaching. He does not suppose that his outward act of worship will deserve thanks, or merit a reward; he does not imagine that a more than ordinary strictness on one sabbath will exempt him from his duties on the next sacred day of rest. No! he has learnt a better lesson. He has been educated in a better school. He knows that God stoops from the throne of his majesty and glory to meet him there. "In all places where I record my name, I will come and bless you." He has been led to esteem the services of God's house above gold and precious stones. His duty becomes his privilege. He has fellowship with the Father through the Son. His life is a life of communion, a feast. He breaks forth in the rapturous exclamation of the psalmist, How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!" "Blessed

are they that dwell in thy house, they will be still praising thee. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand." Thus the Christian goes forth constantly, in a true spirit of devotion, to gather up the bread which cometh down from heaven. He finds it to be his greatest blessing. He knows from experience that it will satisfy when everything else fails to impart pleasure. He tastes and sees that the Lord is gracious, and that they are blessed who trust in him. And here I would for a moment beg to draw a comparison between every earthly good, and the joys which Christianity, as it comes from its divine Author, can impart. Of the pleasures of the world it may be truly said in the language of the wise king Solomon, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." As the almighty Creator, when he had made the world, looked with complacency upon it, and saw every thing which he had made, and behold it was very good; so, after the fall, the same God is described as looking down from heaven the children of men, and they were all gone out of the way, they were altogether become abominable, there

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was none that did good, no, not one." In like manner, the servant of God, who is taught to distinguish between temporal gratification and heavenly joy, after having tasted of this world's best gifts, says, "They are delivered, they will not, they cannot abide with me; I must go from them, nay, they will go from me; they make themselves wings, and fly from me: they vanish as a dream." And let our blessed Master, who knew what was in man, and what this world's best pleasures were; let him speak. Wearied with his journey, the Saviour of the world came to Jacob's well: there met him a woman of Samaria, whose errand was to draw water. Jesus saith unto her, "Give me to drink." The woman marvelled that he, being a Jew, should ask drink of a woman of Samaria. But our Lord taught her a new lesson of charity and christian kindness. He moreover taught her, that drinking of this water she would thirst again; but immediately declared. "whosoever drinketh of the water which I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him.

a well of water springing up into everlasting life." The woman saith unto him, "Sir! give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw." Here, we behold the greatest teacher pointing out, under a figure, the value of spiritual religion; call it communion with God by faith, prayer, and devotion; it is the same thing, it can satisfy the soul. Such are your services. Here bread shall be given you, and water shall be sure.

2. Few words will be necessary to show the goodness of God, in ordaining that the manna should cease on the morrow after the Israelites had eaten of the old corn of the land. They needed it no longer. They had a full provision in the promised land. But, behold the goodness of God! Amidst all their murmurings the manna was never taken from them whilst they needed it. That God, "who makes his sun to shine on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust," never withdrew his rich bounty whilst they were on their pilgrimage. How exactly does this correspond with his dealings now! If the Lord were to restrain

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