for us in ten thousand dangers, and supplied our continually returning wants — ]
The peculiar interposition of God in relation to it deserves also particular notice —
[It was so ordered by his providence, that, when the mem- bers of the different families had put together the portions which they had severally collected, and measured it out again for the purpose of distributing to each his regular portion, there never was found any redundancy, or any wantg. What this was designed to teach us, we are at no loss to determine ; since God himself has suggested the proper improvement of it. We all are members of one great family. Some, by God's blessing on their diligence, or by some other means, possess much ; whilst others, through a variety of circumstances, possess but little : we ought therefore (not indeed to make one com- mon stock, but) to " lay by us for the poor, according as God has prospered us ; " that, as far at least as the enjoyment of the necessaries of life are concerned, there may be an equality; the abundance of the rich supplying the necessities of their less-favoured brethren11. O that there were in all of us such an heart, and that, instead of scraping together all that we can save, for the purpose of enriching our families, we found our happiness in doing good, being " glad to distribute, and willing to communicate ! " ]
From viewing the mercies God vouchsafed to the Israelites, let us turn our attention to, II. The corresponding provision he has given us —
St. Paul tells us, that the manna of which we have been speaking, was "spiritual meat1." It was carnal indeed in its immediate use ; but it typically shadowed forth the food on which our souls must live: and, to those who partook of it in faith, it was a source of spiritual and eternal blessings. The Lord Jesus Christ has fully explained the subject to us ; and drawn a parallel between the manna on which the Israelites subsisted, and himself as the life of our souls k. We shall not trace that parallel here1, but consider the subject in a more appropriate view.
Three things then we wish you to remark;
1 . The freeness of this provision —
8 ver. 16—18. h 2 Cor. viii. 14, 15.
» 1 Cor. x. 3. k John vi. 32— 58.
1 The parallel is drawn in Dis. on John vi. 34. and 1 Cor. x. 3, 4.