and spiritual working of the same divine power, to change the outward sign of partaking of this cup, into the partaking of his atoning sacrifice, and receiving of his Holy Spirit into your soul, of which spirit his flesh and blood are themselves the sign; for "it is the Spirit," says He, "that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing." Take heed, therefore, that you neglect not so great a benefit: nor be so unthankful for it, as to be unmindful of the conditions of receiving it; which are," to love Him who hath first loved us," and to show that love in the way He required, by keeping his commandments.

And one of these commandments is that of celebrating his holy communion as He has enjoined us. If the servants at the feast in Cana had disregarded his directions as unreasonable, or unimportant, they could have had no ground for expecting Him to perform his mighty work. Nor can we, if we disregard any of his injunctions, whether we understand the reason of them or not, have any claim to his offered mercies.

Apply therefore to yourselves, my brethren, the directions which the blessed Mother of

"Whatsoever,"

Jesus gave to the servants; said she, He saith unto you, do it." So, and only so, shall you partake with her the blessing of being reckoned among his kindred! When you behold Him (as all men one day must, whether they will or no), may you hear those gracious words addressed by Him to you; "Behold my mother and my brethren! for he that heareth the word of God, and doeth it, the same is my mother, and sister, and brother."

I am the bread that came down from Heaven.

THE discourse of our Lord which is now before us, follows immediately the narrative of the feeding of the five thousand with five loaves, and has an evident reference to that miracle.

I took occasion lately to remark* to you that there is one point of view in which most, if not all of his miracles ought to be contemplated, but which is often passed over: I mean, their instructive character. They may be regarded, as I then remarked, as a kind of acted Parables; designed to convey to us some figurative and

* See preceding Sermon.

emblematical representation of the Gospel-doctrines. In opening the eyes of the blind, healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out demons,*—in all these-besides the proof thus afforded of his divine mission, and the immediate benefit to the persons relieved-He represents his spiritual agency in enlightening the mind, and curing the diseases of the soul, and overthrowing the dominion of Satan, and procuring immortal life for his disciples. And in his first miracle, that at the marriage of Cana, He prefigures the change from the Levitical Law to the Gospel.

So, also, the miracle of the loaves was designed, I have no doubt, to give a representation of Christ as the spiritual "bread that came down from heaven:" and as being Himself the

* I have preferred this, the more literal rendering of the word dayμória, to that in our version, for the sake of avoiding an ambiguity, which, I think, has led to hurtful results. The word Diabolos, which is translated Devil (or rather, retained untranslated; for it is the same word, only altered in its transference from one language to another), is in reality a proper name or title, of Satan, the prince of demons; and consequently it should never be used in the plural number. + See John xi. 25, 26.

fulfilment of the type of that bread with which God has formerly fed his people in the wilderness. "Your fathers," said He, "did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead; this is the bread that came down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die."

On the nature then of that type I propose now to offer some observations, which may throw light on a subject not in general sufficiently attended to by readers of Scripture, the connexion of the Old Testament with the New, and the explanation afforded of the Gospel-dispensation, by the Mosaic. The one does not merely contain types, figures, shadows of the other, but consists almost entirely of them, and was principally designed as a forerunner of the Christian scheme. And parts of the Mosaic Law which, even at the time that was delivered, answered important purposes, had yet, beyond these, a reference also to something still more important that was to come.

Thus, for instance, the miraculous supply of manna to the Israelites in the wilderness, did, indeed, answer the purpose of relieving their present wants, in such a way as to show them that