testimony which the Father had borne to the Son's MessiaLship. This also is Suicer's view, and Alford's.
Stier remarks, " This seahng is not to be understood merely of miracles, but of the stamp of divinity which was impressed upon His wliole hfe and teaching." This is Poole's view, and Hutcheson's.
It has been thought by some that there is a tacit reference here to the history of Joseph ; and that our Lord meant that aa Joseph was appointed to be the great almoner and rehever of the Egyptians by the king of Egypt, so He is appointed by the King of kings to reheve the spiritual famine of mankind. At any rate it is an apt and suitable illustration.
The idea of Hilary and some others that the expression "sealed" refers to our Lord being the "express image of the Father's presence," appears to me far-fetched and without foun- dation.
The last words of the verse should be rendered more literally, " Him hath the Father sealed, even God." It almost suggests the idea that our Lord desired to prevent His hearers supposing that He referred to Joseph as His Father. It is as if He said, " the Father I mean, remember, is not an earthly father, but God." -^ '
Rollock remarks on this verse, that our Lord does not confine Himself to showing the folly of only seeking " the meat that perisheth," but is careful to show the true food of the soul, and to point out who alone can give it. He observes that this is an example to us in teaching man the Gospel. The remedy must be as plainly taught and hfted up as the disease. He observes truly that none can speak better of the vanity of earthly things and the glory of heaven, than many Papists do. But it is when they come to the feeding of man's soul that they fail. They try to feed him with man's merits, the inter- cession of saints, purgatory, and the like, and do not show him Christ.
It is note-worthy that it was the remembrance of this verse which made Henry Martyn persevere in preaching to poor Hindoos at Dinapore in India. He had found they only came for temporal relief, and cared nothing for his preaching, and he was on the point of giving up in despair. But this verse came across his mind. '• If the Lord Jesus was not ashamed to prear^h to mere bread-seekers," he thought, " who am I, that I should give over in disgust ?"