Jesus did not mean that they should not labour at all for bodily food, (for this would contradict both scripture and reason,) but that they should chiefly, and beyond all comparison, seek for spiritual food, for the eternal life of their souls." Him hath God the Father sealed:" power and authority are very often given to men by a seal, fixed to some writing; which seal shows at once by whom the power is given: so the miracles of Christ served as a seal, to shew that He had His authority from God. To how many professing Christians may the warning of the Lord, which we have just read, be suitably addressed! "Labour not for the meat that perisheth;" be not this thy great, thy principal care; let it not occupy too much of thy thought and time; let it not be a snare to withdraw thy heart from "the one thing needful," thy treasure in the heavens, which fadeth not away. Industry in our several stations, attention to the duties of our calling, are requisite, are necessary, for all we are commanded to be "not slothful in business, but fervent in spirit;" at the same time, let us bear in mind, "serving the Lord." (Rom. xii. 11.) Let earthly diligence, let earthly interests, have their place; we cannot serve the Lord without them: but we must see that they keep their proper place; that they spoil not our spiritual taste; wean not our affections, in any degree, from those higher and more enduring objects, which the Lord has mercifully re vealed to us, and placed within our reach—“ the kingdom of God and His righteousness," the gift of His Holy Spirit; the gift of life everlasting. He that is taken up with the cares or vanities of the present life, is "spending his money for that which is not bread, and labouring for that which satisfieth not.” (Isaiah lv. 2.) Beware of any excessive attachment for any created object; it will tarnish your whole christian character; it will be as leaven, spreading through the lump; as a moth fretting a garment; as a worm gnawing upon your peace; as a canker preying upon the vitals. Labour for heaven; live for heaven; look to Him who has opened "the everlasting doors," and strive, far above all things, to enter in and be saved. Thus shall there be, even in this world, a well-spring of peace in the bosom : fears may come, troubles may arise; but they soon take their departure, when the soul looks upward: the winds may beat, and the waves roar, but we shall behold, with the eye of faith, Jesus walking in the midst of the waters, with power and mercy, and say ing, "It is I, be not afraid." To Him then, the annointed Redeemer of all, let us all flee; our only refuge in time, our only hope in eternity. LECTURE XXI. Jesus had been calling upon His hearers to labour for everlasting life: they now enquire, in what this is to consist, what is to be done ;-having a notion, that this blessing was to be merited and earned by some works of their own. CHAP. VI. 28. 28. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29. Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. This is the means ordained by God for working out your salvation, that ye should believe on Me, as the sole author of life, and live according to My gospel. 30. They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see and believe thee? what dost thou work? They had signs sufficient already; but the Jews were always asking for signs, for some further evidence according to their own fancy, especially for a sign from heaven, as they intimate in the next verse. Num. 11. 7. al 24, 25. 31. Our fathers did eat manna in the Ex 16.15, desert; in the wilderness, when they journeyed 1 Cor. 10. 3. from Egypt to Canaan; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. And accordingly they expected (as it is said by their writers) that the Messiah, when He came, would provide them with similar food; and they perhaps meant to imply that the miracle of the loaves was not so great as that of the manna. 32. Moses indeed gave you, or rather God by 33. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Here, we see, Jesus expressly declares, not only that His doctrine, but that He Himself came down from heaven, to give spiritual food and eternal life to man : and He, who came down from heaven, must have existed in heaven, before He came upon earth. 34. Then said they unto him, Lord evermore give us this bread. Not knowing what they asked. 35. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh Ch. 4. 15. to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. He that want no manner of thing that is good." 36. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37. But though ye will not believe, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. This shews that they could not "work the works of God" by any mere will or power of their own, as they supposed, but by God's preventing grace disposing them, which must be sought by prayer, and be received in a humble and teachable spirit; and when the will was given them, they must, by the same grace, work with that will, and come to Christ in faith and sincerity; and all, who would so come, should, without exception, be admitted into His spiritual and heavenly kingdom. 38. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, merely, but also the will of him that sent me, with whose counsel Matt. 26. 39. and concurrence, and under whose authority, I act as the mediator of mankind. 39. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. That none of those who thus come to me, and live in the true faith, should perish; death itself shall not separate them from me, but they shall be raised again from |