concerning the Old Testament. Supposing therefore the truth of the New Testament, the Divine authority of the Old Testament is to be acknowledged. S. Luke x. 26; xxiv. 27, 44; Acts xiii. 18; x. 23; xxiv. 14; xxvi. 27. -Bp. Seth Ward. He wrote of me. It is said in a place (S. Luke xxiv. 27) that Christ "began at Moses ;" and so must we for Moses is the fountain and ocean, from whence all the rest of the Prophets drew their waters of life. Acts iii. 21, 22.-Bp. Cosin. V. 47. The carnal Jews understood neither the grandeur, nor the meanness, assigned to Christ in prophecy. They knew Him not in His Majesty, that He was from Eternity. They knew Him not in His humiliation, that He was obedient unto Death. Had only a single individual composed a Book of prophecies, respecting the Saviour, and the time and manner of His coming; and if Jesus Christ had come, conformably to these predictions, this would be evidence of the utmost force. But we have much more than this. Here is a series of men, who, during four thousand years, constantly and without variation, have successively foretold this extraordinary Advent. Here is a whole people, subsisting four thousand years to the present time, invariably testifying their assurance of this Advent, and adhering to their confidence, in defiance of menaces and persecutions. Acts xxvi. 6, 7, 22.-Pascal. 105 CHAPTER VI. VERSE 5.-Perhaps, as Bengel suggests, the care for provender, was entrusted, from among the disciples, to Philip, as we know "the bag" was to Judas. xii. 6.— J. Ford. V. 6. It was to prove him, what manner of trust He had in Him, whom he had himself already acknowledged the Messiah, "Him, of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write" (i. 45); and, whether, remembering the great things which Moses had done, when he gave the people bread from heaven in the wilderness, and the notable miracle which Elisha, though on a smaller scale than that, which now was needed, had performed, he could so lift up his thoughts, as to believe, that He, whom He had recognised, as the Christ, greater therefore than Moses and the Prophets, would be sufficient to the present need. 2 Kings iv. 43, 44; Cant. xiv. 8, 9.-R. C. Trench. V. 9.-Every word hath its weight. Fish, small fish, a few small fishes; so (S. Mark viii. 7) baskets, full baskets, seven full baskets.-Dean Boys. Loaves and Fishes. Idle and indecent application of sentences, taken from the Scriptures, is a mode of merriment, which a good man dreads for its profaneness, and a witty man disdains for its easiness and vulgarity. Eph. v. 4; iv. 29.-Dr. Johnson. Small they must needs be; or, how could the little lad (Greek) have tugged them thither? The multiplying is thought to have been first in the hands of our Saviour (as S. Augustine notes with S. Jerome); then to have continued in the hands of the Apostles (as Chrysostom); and, lastly, to have its compliment in the hands and mouth of the eaters, as S. Ambrose concludes with S. Hilary.Edw. Leigh. We may observe from the last remark, that in the Sacred elements of the Lord's Supper there are three states of their existence, consecutive, and yet distinct. 1. Common bread and wine; as from the hands of God, the Creator of all things. 2. Sacramental bread and wine; the effect of the Priest's Consecration, setting these creatures apart for a holy purpose. 3. The Body and Blood of the Lord, " verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful" in their hearts, and to their great and endless comfort.-J. Ford. V. 10. By mentioning matters so in detail, he invites. our thoughts to them. xiii. 4, 5.-S. Cyril. Mark, how the Divine Evangelist lets down his eagle wing to touch the earth, when for wise purposes he notices the smallest things. John Baptized in Ænon near to Salim, "because there was much water there." Jesus makes "the men sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. iii. 23.-J. Ford. V. 11. He glorified His Father three ways: with His eye, He looked up to heaven; with His tongue, He gave thanks; and with His Spirit, He Blessed. (To give thanks was the piety of His human nature, but this Blessing came from the virtue of His Divine nature.) If you will scan the value of an action by the rarity of it in Holy Scripture, and by the incidency upon none, but great occasions, then both these do concur in this, that Christ looked up to heaven. Once, S. John xi. 41; once again, S. John xvii. 1. And the tradition is of long continuance, that He lifted up his eyes to heaven the fourth time, when He consecrated the elements at His last Supper. Let our eyes look unto the eyes of our Master." When He looks upwards, let not us look downward, but let us mind heavenly things. builds his nest on high. Job xxxix. 27. The eagle The soul Ps. cxxi. 1; V. 12. When they are filled. They had come "taking no thought," for three days at least, of "what they should eat, or what they should drink," only anxious to hear the Word of Life, only "seeking the kingdom of heaven;" and now the meaner things, according to the promise of the Saviour (S. Matt. vi. 33), were "added unto them." Ps. xxxvii. 3.-R. C, Trench. V. 13. Oh, my Lord, if Thou hast provided so plentifully for this vile body of our's, and given it such advantages, by the firmament, by the air, by the earth, by the sea, by light, by darkness, by cherishing heat, by refreshing shades, by dews, by showers, by winds, by birds, by fishes, by beasts, by trees, by manifold herbs, by variety of plants, by the ministry of all Thy creatures; what manner of things, Blessed God, how rich, how great, how good, how innumerable are those, which Thou hast prepared for the soul in its Heavenly country, where we shall " see Thee face to face!" If Thou do so much for us in our prison, what wilt Thou in our palace? If Thou bestow so much in this world upon bad and good men, promiscuously, Oh, how plentiful is Thy treasure, which Thou hast laid up for good men in the life to come! If Thy enemies and friends together enjoy so much here below, what shall Thy friends, when separated from those enemies, what shall they not receive above? If the days of fasting and mourning have such consolation, what shall be the rejoicing of this Marriage Feast? Oh, my Lord, Thou art a great God, and great is Thy magnificence, and sweet is Thy mercy. And, as there is no end of Thy greatness, no number of Thy mercies, no bottom of Thy profound wisdom, no measure of Thy liberality, so neither is there any number any measure of the depth, and length, and greatness, and most diffusive extent, of the rewards laid up for them, that love and fight for Thee. S. Matt. v. 45; Ps. viii.-Parsons. V. 14. Beloved, in this matter of miracles, we do much abuse ourselves. For why? Seems it unto us a greater miracle, that our Saviour once turned a little water into wine, than every year in so many vine trees to turn that into wine in the branches, which being received at the root was mere water? Or, why was it more wonderful for Him once to feed five thousand with five loaves, than every year to feed the whole world, by the strange multiplication of a few seeds cast into the ground? After the same manner do we by the daily |