suspense about the state of his soul : but thou hast in thine own bosom a ground of the fullest assurance. The work of faith is such as will at once commend itself to thy conscience as really done. Thou wilt feel a consciousness that thou renouncest every other hope, and reliest on Christ alone. And in Christ there is such a sufficiency of all that thou needest, that thou canst not possibly entertain a doubt, whether he be able to save thee to the uttermost. Go on, then, " strong in faith, and giving glory to God." And, as the world will look for the fruits of thy faith, yea, and as God himself also will judge by them, see that thou shew thy faith by thy works, and that thou " abound in all the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God."]
John vi. 34. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us
this bread.
A FANCIED approbation of the Gospel will con- sist with rooted enmity against it. But such an approbation always arises from carnal, or partial views of the truth. Many love God under the idea " that He is such an one as themselves." Thus the Samaritan woman desired the living water, that she might have no more occasion to go to the well*. Thus also the people, whom our Lord was now addressing, seem to have misapprehended our Saviour's meaning. They had desired him to confirm his Divine mission by some miracle equal to what Moses had wrought for their forefathers in the wilderness \ Our Lord assured them that He himself was the true bread, of which the manna was only a type and figure. They, little knowing what they asked for, desired him to give them the bread of which he spake. The petition however, in itself, was good. That you may be led to offer it in a more intelligent manner, we shall set before yon,
I. The excellence of that bread —
a John iv. 15. b ver. 31.