Or Work not -h ver. 54. ch. iv. 14.-i Mat. iii. 17; & xvii. 5. Mark i. 11; & ix. 7. Luke iii. 22; & ix. 35.

and more than thrice happy are

1 John iii. 23.-7 Mat. xii. 38; & xvi. 1. Mark viii. Il. 1 Cor. i. 22-m Ex. xvi. 15. Num: xi. 7. Neh. ix. 15. Wisd. xvi. 20. 1 Cor. x. 3.-n Ps. lxxviii. 24, 25.-o See ch. iv. 15.-p ver. 48,58 -q ch. iv. 14; & vii. 37.-r ver. 26, 64.-s ver. 45.- Mat. xxiv. 24. ch. x. 28, 29. 2 Tim. ii. 19. 1 John ii. 19.-u Mat. xxvi. 39. ch. v. 30.- ch.

iv. 34.- ch. x. 28; & xvii. 12 ; & xviii. 9.-% ver. 27, 47,

54. ch.iii. 15, 16; & iv. 14.

READER.-Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth to everlasting life.Let us be ashamed to live with our heads bowed down, like grovelling beasts gazing upon the earth, or even to catch at the vain and airy shadows of science, while, in the mean time, we know not, or do not consider, whence we took our rise, and whither we are soon to return, what place is to receive our souls, when they are set at liberty from these bodily prisons. If it is the principal desire of your souls to understand the nature of this felicity, and the way that leads to it, search the Scriptures; for, from them alone, we all think, or profess to think, we can have eternal life. I exhort and beseech you, never to suffer so much as one day to pass, either through lazy negligence, or too much eagerness in inferior studies, without reading some part of the sacred records, with a pious and attentive disposition of mind; still joining with your reading fervent prayer, that you may thereby draw down that Divine light without which spiritual things cannot be read and understood.-LEIGHTON.

This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. The great business of our life is this acceptance of Christ, and an inseparable union with him. Thrice happy,

this undivided union, which no complaints, nor even the day of death, can dissolve; nay, the last day is happy above all other days, for this very reason, that it fully and finally completes this union, and is so far from dissolving it, that it renders it absolutely perfect and everlasting.

But that it may be coeval with eternity, and last for ever, it is absolutely necessary that this union should have its beginning in this short and fleeting life. And, pray, what hinders those of us, that have not entered into this union before, to enter into it without delay? Seeing the bountiful Jesus not only rejects none that come unto him, but also offers himself to all that do not wilfully reject him, and standing at the door, earnestly begs to be admitted. O! Why do not these everlasting doors open, that the king of glory may enter, (Ps. xxiv,) and reign within us? And indeed, no man truly receives Jesus, that does not, at the same time, deliver up himself wholly to him. Among all the advantages we pursue, there is nothing comparable to this exchange. Our gain is immense from both, not only the acceptance of him, but also from surrendering ourselves to him: so long as this is delayed, we are the most abject slaves: when one has delivered himself up to Christ, then, and then only he is truly free, and becomes master of himself. Why should we wander about to no purpose? To him let us turn our

eyes, on him fix our thoughts, that he, who is ours by the donation of the Father, and his own free gift, may be ours by a cheerful and joyous acceptance. As St. Bernard says on these words of the prophet, "To us a child is born, to us a son is given. Let us therefore make use of what is ours, saith he, for our own advantage." So then let him be ours by possession and use, and let us be his for ever, never forgetting how dearly he has bought us.LEIGHTON.

The bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. -Lo, thou art bread indeed not the common bread; : but manna: not the Israelitish manna; alas, that fell from no higher than the region of clouds, and they that ate it died with it in their mouths; but thou art the Living Bread, that came down from the heaven of heavens, of which whosoever eats lives for ever. Thy flesh is meat, not for our stomachs, but for our souls; our faith receives and digests thee; and makes thee ours, and us thine.

Our material food, in these corruptible bodies, runs into corruption: thy spiritual food nourisheth purely, and strengthens us to a blessed immortality.

As for this material food, many a one longs for it that cannot get it: many a one hath it, that cannot eat it; many eat it, that cannot digest it but into noxious and corrupt humours; all that receive it, do but maintain a perishing life, if not a languishing death. But this flesh of thine, as it was never withheld from any true

appetite, so it never yields but wholesome and comfortable sustenance to the soul; never hath any other issue than an everlasting life and happiness.

O Saviour, whensoever I sit at mine own table, let me think of thine: whensoever I feed on the bread and meat that is set before me, and feel myself nourished by that repast, let me mind that better sustenance, which my soul receives from thee; and find thee more one with me than that bodily food.HALL.

HYMN.

Thee we adore, Eternal Word,
For thou our souls hast fed;
Thou art our living stream,
O Lord,

And thou the immortal bread.
The manna came from lower skies,
But Jesus from above,

Where the fresh springs of pleasure rise, And rivers flow with love.

The Jews, the fathers, died at last,

Who ate that heavenly bread; But the provisions which we taste Can raise us from the dead. Our souls shall draw their heavenly breath, While Jesus finds supplies; Nor shall our graces sink in death, For Jesus never dies.

Daily our mortal flesh decays,

But Christ our life shall come; His unresisted power shall raise Our bodies from the tomb.

§ CCXLVI.

CHAP. VI. 41-71.

Christ declareth himself to be the bread of life to believers. Many disciples depart from him. Peter confesseth him. Judas is a devil.

41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

42 And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? 43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.

44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

52 The Jews therefore " strove among themselves, saying, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

53 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.

9

54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, 'dwelleth in me, and I in him.

57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

4.

a Mat. xiii. 55. Mark vi. 3. Luke iv. 22.-b Cant. i. ver. 65. c Is. liv. 13. Jer. xxxi. 34. Mic. iv. 2. Heb. viii. 10, & x. 16-d ver. 37.-e ch. i. xviii; & v. 37. - Mat. xi. 27. Luke x. 22. ch. i. 18; & vii. 29; & viii. 12.-g ch iii. 16, 18, 36. ver. 40.-h ver. xxxiii. 35-1 ver 31.-k ver. 51, 58.- ch. iii. 13.-m Heb. x. 5, 10.n ch vii. 43; & ix. 16; & x. 19.-o ch. iii. 9.-p Mat. xxvi. 26, 28.-9 ver. 27, 40.63. ch. iv. 14.-r I John iii. 24; & iv. 15. 16.-8 ver. 49, 50, 51.- ver. 66. Mat. xi. 6. -uch. iii. 13. Mark xvi. 19. Acts i. 9. Eph. iv. 8.2 Cor. iii. 6.- ver. 36.-z ch. ii. 24, 25; & xiii. 11.44, 45.-6 ver. 60.-c Acts v. 20.-d Mat. xvi. 16. Luke vi. 13.-ƒ ch. xiii. 27.

64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray

69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ,

the Son of the living God.

READER.-No man can come to me, except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him.-Doth Christ compel men against their wills to be subject hath ordered to bring them in by unto him? No, in no wise. He

way of voluntariness and obedience. And herein is the wisdom of his power seen, that his grace shall mightily produce those effects in men, which their hearts shall most obediently and willingly consent unto; that he is able to use the proper and genuine motions of second causes to the producing of his own most holy, wise, and merciful purposes. As we see human wisdom can so order, moderate, and make use of natural motions, that by these artificial effects shall be produced; as in a clock, the natural motion of the weight or plummet causeth

the artificial distribution of hours and minutes; and in a mill the natural motion of the wind or water causeth an artificial effect in grinding the corn; how much more,

God, whose weakness is stronger, and whose foolishness is wiser, than men, be able so to use, incline, and order the wills of men, without destroying them or their liberty, as that thereby the kingdom of his Son shall be set up amongst them! So that though there be still an habitual, radical, fundamental indetermination and indifferency to several ways, unto none of which there can be a compulsion, yet by the secret, ineffable, and most sweet operation of the Spirit of grace, opening the eyes, convincing the judgment, persuading the affections, inclining the heart, giving an understanding, quickening and awakening the conscience, a man shall be swayed unto the obedience of Christ; and shall come unto him so certainly as if he were drawn, and yet so sweetly as if he were left unto himself. For in the calling of men by the word there is a drawing and a coming. The Father draweth and the man cometh. That notes the efficacy of grace, and this the sweetness of grace. Grace worketh strongly, and therefore God is said to draw; and it worketh sweetly too, and therefore man is said to come.-REYNOLDS.

It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore, that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.-Man, in this life, becomes so much the more perfect and happy, in proportion as he has his mind and affections more thoroughly conformed to the pattern of

life: and this is, indeed, the great ambition of a true christian, this is his study, which he ceases not to pursue with ardour day and night: nor does he let so much as one day pass, without copying some lines of that perfect pattern; and the more he advances in purity of mind, the greater progress he makes in the knowledge and contemplation of Divine things.

But who will instruct us with regard to the means of reaching this blessed mark? Who will shew us how we may attain this conformity to God, and most effectually promote his honour and glory, so that at last we may come to the enjoyment of him in that endless life, and be for ever satisfied with the beatific vision of him? What faithful guide shall we find to direct us in this way? Surely he himself must be our leader; there is no other besides him, that can answer our purpose. It is he alone that acquaints us with his own nature, as far as it is necessary for us to know it; and he alone that directs us to the way wherein he chooses to be worshipped.

Nothing is more certain, than that the doctrine which leads us to God, must take its rise from him; for by no art whatever can the waters be made to rise higher than their fountain.-LEIGHTON.

The Father of mercies hath appointed means of the salvation of mankind, which lie open to them, if they would not be wanting to themselves; but especially to us,