intended for his immediate support. Like the manna which descended every day, and of which every one was to gather according to his eating. Exod. xvi. 18. So this bread from Heaven is intended for the daily refreshment of God's people, for which they were commanded to ask by our Saviour in this language, "Give us this day our daily bread."

2d. As it is the gift of the Father, " My Father "giveth you the true bread from Heaven," hence if Christ was not given of the Father, as the angel of the covenant to redeem his people, he is not the true bread from Heaven. But we have two rules given us by Christ himself, (the spiritual bread) whereby his divine nature may be traced. 1st. The bread of God is he which cometh down from Heaven, and this must prove that his residence was in Heaven; and not merely so, but that he came immediately from the presence of the Father; thus he is said to have laid in the bosom of the Father, from all eternity; yea and more than this, for it proves also that he came forth from his Father's glory which still was not left behind, as if Christ was unworthy to bear it along with him, but came forth with him only shrouded behind the veil of his mortal flesh: thus it was he "who thought it not "robbery to be equal with God," who "took

upon himself the form of a servant ;" and this glory it was which Christ before his death, prayed the Father he might possess in his mediatorial fulness without a veil, as well as in his proper and es

sential divinity. "And now, O Father, glorify "thou me with thine own self, with the glory "which I had with thee before the world was," John xvii. 5. But, 2d. The divine nature of Christ may be traced not only as being the bread which cometh down from Heaven, and as such being the gift of the Father, but also as giving life to the world. In or through the beginning as one of the names of the divine Jesus, God created the Heavens and the earth. Gen. i. 1. Thus far for creation, but more particularly in redemption. "that believeth in me (says Christ) though he were

"He

dead, yet shall he live," John xi. 27. But again, "In him was life, and the life was the light of "men," John i. 4. So here, "I am that bread

of life. This is the bread which cometh down from Heaven, that a man may eat thereof and "not die," John vi. 48, 50.

But that bread is the only spiritual refreshment to the soul.

3d. As it alone can satisfy the cravings of an hungry soul. The soul of a man craves wisdom. The sinful desire of this, caused Adam to yield to the tempter, and made him ask to taste of the tree of knowledge of good and evil: hence we must not only seek wisdom, but seek it in the way of God's appointment. "Where shall wisdom be found? "(said one of old) Man knoweth not the price "thereof, neither is it found in the land of the

.

"living. The depth saith, It is not in me; and "the sea saith, It is not with me. God under"standeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the

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place thereof. When he made a decree, and a "way for the lightening and the thunder. Then "did he see it, and declare it, he prepared it, yea "and searched it out. And unto man he said,

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morse,

Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; "and to depart from evil is understanding,” Job xxviii. 12. 14. 23. 26 to 28. When the soul has begun by the blessed influence of God's Spirit to look heavenward; what is there can refresh it so much as the bread of life that cometh down from Heaven, which is most emphatically meat indeed ? What can bear up the soul above convictions, reand trouble of spirit: but him who can say, "Go thy way, thy sins which are many are forgiven "thee," or who adds, "Come unto me, all that are "weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” And who without leading us to dream of uncovenanted grace, can shew us the free grace and rich favor of God flowing through his blood as that blood of the covenant, which being itself an holy thing, can make those holy who are by faith led to wash therein. And to what trouble and anxiety is he exposed, who whilst he feels his own sins to be too heavy a burden, has not yet so humbled his heart, as to receive Christ as his only Saviour. Many of God's dear children are long exercised with this

painful conflict to the dishonor of Christ and the anguish of their own souls: from which they are not delivered, till they are experimentally shewn that out of Christ they can do nothing, have no strength and no comfort in the ways of godliness: and when they are savingly taught this, as they must be sooner or later if they are the adopted children of God, then they are led to cry out, " Lord evermore give 66 us this bread."

Many more reasons might be shewn, to prove that Christ is the only spiritual refreshment to the soul. But these must suffice, adding only the similar passage in the same chapter. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

7th. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. John vi. 53.

As the flesh of the Son of man, represented also as the bread of life which cometh down from Heaven, can alone satisfy the cravings of the hungry soul, so his blood alone can satisfy the thirst of him who longs to partake of that fountain which is opened for sinners. This lesson Christ taught more fully to the woman of Samaria," Jesus said unto "her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who "it is that said unto thee, Give me to drink, thou "wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. Whosoever drinketh of

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"the water that 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," John iv. 10, 14.

The necessity of receiving Christ in all his ordinances, may well be argued from the scriptures. In the sixth head it was shewn, that the eating of the bread of life was necessary to obtain eternal life, but here the blood of Christ is conjointly and inseparably spoken of as necessary for the same end. And this might be further argued by considering the method in which Christ administered the last supper at the time of the passover, and which has been called the Lord's supper, or sacrament of the supper of the Lord; for "Jesus took bread, and "blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the "cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it "to them; and they all drank of it. And he said "unto them, this is my blood of the New Testa

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ment, which is shed for many," Mark xiv. 22 to 24. A few things may be observed concerning the Lord's Supper, as first, it is to be received in prayer for a blessing upon it; that by faith it may be received as shewing forth the Lord's death till he come. If it be not viewed in reference to Christ, and to his body being broken for our sins, no ceremony is more unmeaning in the world. Can the eating of a morsel of bread or drinking a drop of wine, be well pleasing in the sight of God? Can