manna. 32. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. Moses indeed gave you, or rather God by Moses, bread which fell down from the clouds, but that was not, properly so called, the bread from heaven; the true bread is that, which the manna typified and represented, namely Myself, and the doctrines of My gospel, which giveth life unto the world; whereas the manna served only as food for the body, only for a time, and only for one nation. This true bread the Father now giveth. The 33rd ver. 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 embraceth My gospel with all his heart, shall desire no other means of happiness, "shall 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 manna. 32. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. Moses indeed gave you, or rather God by Moses, bread which fell down from the clouds, but that was not, properly so called, the bread from heaven; the true bread is that, which the manna typified and represented, namely Myself, and the doctrines of My gospel, which giveth life unto the world; whereas the manna served only as food for the body, only for a time, and only for one nation. This true bread the Father now giveth. The 33rd ver. 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 embraceth My gospel with all his heart, shall desire no other means of happiness," shall 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 the dead, at the end of the world, and have everlasting life. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, sees Him in His true character, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. Here we conclude the reading; and observe, that our belief, our abiding belief, is the evidence that we see Christ aright, as the Son of God, and the Saviour of us and all mankind; our vital belief in all that He has said or done for our salvation; our belief in all His gracious promises, and in the necessity of obeying all His precepts; this is the proof of our seeing Him. "Other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. iii. 11.) But we must never cease to remember, it must be impressed as a living truth upon our hearts, that, as the foundation is laid, we must be careful and diligent to build upon it; and that our building is the only possible proof, that we are resting upon that one true foundation. Indeed the belief itself is called a work, "the work of God:" it is not a single act of faith, but a living principle and vigorous exercise of faith; nor is it to be acquired without a discipline of mind and heart, humbly submitted to the teaching and the will of God; not without much thought, self-examination, self-denial, using of the means of grace, decided and |