the priests of God, or those who were pure, might partake. Of which it is said that it was taken. "from the children of Israel by an everlasting

covenant."

Such may we suppose was that cake given to Elijah by the ministration of an angel, in the strength of which he went forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

Such also the barley loaves which were multiplied by the Prophet Elisha to support an hundred men.

Such in the dream of the Midianite, which Gideon heard, was the cake of barley bread which tumbled into the host of Midian and destroyed the tent of the enemy. For such bread signified a man commissioned of God, the captain of Israel's salvation. Surely such tokens and prophecies going before should fill us with solemn reflections respecting that high dispensation in which we live; in a higher sense than did Israel of old, we eat and drink in the presence of God, and see His face and live.

The same moreover is sometimes alluded to in scriptural expressions, as where the Psalmist says, "Thou shalt prepare a table before me, against them that trouble me: Thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.”

Here it is to be observed that not only are the table and the cup spoken of, but oil also; for as bread and wine are put in Holy Scripture for the body and blood of Christ, so oil is the figure made use of in speaking of the Holy Spirit, and they who are sanctified by Him are said to be anointed with oil. Here is the promise given fo Israel, "with corn and wine have I sustained him." And it is supposed to be with reference to this sacrament that the Prophet Zechariah, in speaking of the peaceable kingdom of Christ, says, "corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids."

And now when we come to the New Testament, there we find still more referring to that wonderful provision which God was about to make to support the life of our otherwise dying souls. In alluding to these things, let us entreat God for that seriousness of thought without which the mention of them will do us more harm than good.

Such, for instance, were those two miracles of the loaves, both of which are recorded so often : they both took place, like that of the manna, in the wilderness; on each of these occasions we find that they first brought the loaves to our blessed Saviour, as we make to Him our holy

oblation of bread and wine. And then did He bless them, and break them, and receive so many thousands to feast with Him. Again, all the Evangelists agree together in expressly recording the circumstance, that on each of these two occasions our Lord did not give the bread to the people Himself; but that He gave it to His disciples, and His disciples distributed the same to the multitudes. Even thus does He with regard to the Eucharist; He gives it in charge to His appointed ministers, and they distribute to His people. It may further be observed how much is said of our Lord's breaking and blessing bread on different occasions, as if mindful of this; nor is it here necessary to allude to that instance of the same, in which He was, it is significantly stated, known unto them in breaking of bread.

Now we cannot but notice that on the occurrences of this memorable evening St. John gives us no account of the appointment of the Eucharist itself, which the other three Evangelists have so minutely recorded; there was indeed no occasion that he should; but he has detailed to us a very memorable conversation of our Lord's on the subject. For in order that we might think very seriously of this awful miracle of the loaves, and turn our thoughts from common bread to

that bread which came down from heaven, St. John has recorded at great length in the sixth chapter of his Gospel, that wonderful discourse which ensued when they followed our Saviour, wishing to obtain from Him more bread. He told them not to labour for that meat which perisheth, and said that He Himself was "the true Bread that came down from heaven," "the living Bread," "that a man may eat thereof and not die;" whereby He is leading our thoughts throughout, as is very evident, to this most comforting sacrament.

Moreover, by these admonitions of our Lord not to seek the bread that perisheth, we are taught that when we pray for "our daily bread" in the Lord's Prayer, we should think of more than common bread, of the daily life of our souls. And indeed to the primitive Christians this Communion was literally their daily bread.

But it is to be observed that Holy Scripture does not only refer to this heavenly feast under the figure of bread and wine, but as in that discourse at Capernaum our Saviour sometimes spoke of bread, and sometimes of eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood, so is it often alluded to as a sacrifice of flesh and blood. Indeed the sacrifices which we read of in the Old

Testament appear to have contained in them types of this or memorials of it beforehand. For in those sacrifices the lamb without spot, or whatever else it might be, was first offered up to God, and then He admitted the Priests and Levites, who were holy, to partake of it. And this was in great measure their livelihood, the Lord Himself being their inheritance.

And

Therefore when our Blessed Saviour was about to be offered up for our sins on the cross, He said to His disciples on imparting to them the bread, "This is My Body;" and when He gave them the cup, "This is My Blood. Do this in remembrance of Me;" i. e. in commemoration or to serve as a memorial of Me. on subsequent consideration of these words, the disciples must have seen plainly that as the sacrifice was eaten by the priests after it was offered up, so were they in this manner to partake of the sacrifice of His death in a spiritual fulfilment. Moreover that we might not understand His words in a low and carnal sense, but after a high and heavenly manner, our Lord added in that discourse at Capernaum, "it is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life."