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and happiness contained in this glorious passage, remember it contains duty as well as privilege. Wherefore, come out from among them, and keep yourselves separate; and be careful not so much as to touch the unclean thing, and then "I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

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MEDITATION XXIII.

JOHN VI. 35.

I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE.

BLESSED Jesus! what various titles hast thou assumed, all of them expressive of love and tenderness; and in what various characters dost thou accommodate thyself to the necessities of poor and perishing sinners. When we were full of wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores, what we most wanted was a physician, compassionate and skilful; one that could be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and was mighty to save. And it was music, it was infinitely better than music to our souls, to hear thee say, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted." When we were dead in trespasses and sins, what could be a more suitable declaration than that, "I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." When we were distressed, and almost distracted with a sense of sin, when our flesh trembled for fear of God, and we

were afraid of his judgments, our souls were transported, to be assured that there is one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus. When we were ready to grope for the wall, like the blind, and our souls were just beginning to inquire, "Where is God, my Maker?" and it was the earnest and ardent language of our hearts, "O that I knew where I might find him;" then didst thou seasonably appear, and say, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh to the Father but by me." When we looked forward to the wilderness we have to pass through, and the many wants and dangers we may be called to struggle with, we rejoiced to hear thee say, "I am the good Shepherd;" and read over and over, with raptures of gratitude, that Divine and tender description of thy conduct in that office; "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." A Husbandman, a Householder, a Teacher, a Priest, a Ruler, a Rock, a Refuge, a Friend, an Elder Brother, a Husband. Wonder, O heavens ! and be astonished, O earth! the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, assumes all those titles, and is all this, and infinitely more than is contained in the nearest and dearest of these relations. O, how must angels and archangels be astonished at the condescension of

Emmanuel! That He, who is in heaven all glory, should on earth be all grace. That He should awe them into the most respectful reverence, and yet that he should be accessible to the poorest and most despicable of the human race; and should seem to delight more in the unutterable groans and prayers of the broken and contrite soul, than in their most elevated and rapturous hallelujahs. Blessed Jesus, why this difference between us and angels? We, that were by creation a little lower than the angels, are raised above them. O, how far above them by thy favourable notice of us! We can rejoice in favours which angels never knew. We can claim an alliance which angels would glory in; and we are feasted with dainties so delicious and inestimable, that fallen angels would be glad of the crumbs which fall from our table. But of all the characters which thou hast assumed, there is none more suitable to the distresses of our hungry starving souls than this of the Bread of Life.

Prodigal like, we had left the provisions of our Father's house, and gone into a far country; wasted our substance, and reduced ourselves to circumstances of beggary and want. There was a famine in the land; nothing was to be had but husks, and we were perishing with hunger, when thy invitation reached us; "The oxen and the fatlings are killed; come, for all things are ready."

We should have thankfully accepted a place among thy hired servants, among the doorkeepers of thy house, among the dogs of thy flock. But thy goodness, which knows no bounds, has made us sit down at thy own table, and eat children's bread.

Perhaps it may not be unpleasant nor unprofitable, before we break the sacramental bread and eat it, to consider in what respects, or on what account the blessed Jesus is compared to bread. Among other particulars, I would only insist upon the following:

1. It is a substantial blessing.

Experience tells us how well it is adapted to the support of life, and is therefore called, "Bread, which strengtheneth man's heart," Psa. civ. 15. It is indeed the most substantial blessing we can enjoy in life; and for that reason is frequently used in scripture to denote many other blessings. A happy emblem of our blessed Saviour, who is the most substantial blessing that ever was bestowed by God on creatures. When God gave his Son to us, it was no empty favour, that had only the name of a kindness. The apostle speaks the language of every christian, when he said, "Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift:" a gift, the excellency and value of which could not easily, could not possibly be described.

Like bread He is the food of souls, and yields

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