"But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart." These words are weighty; they are worthy of him who uttered them: at once they express the tenderness of his concern for the people, and the all-sufficiency which he felt in himself.

Observe his tenderness to the people. The proposal was, that they should go into the adjacent villages for food; but perhaps those villages were few and small, unequal to the supply of so great a company. It was also proposed that they should buy provision; but not unlikely many of them were poor and had no money, or were strangers and had little credit. There might be serious difficulties in the way of compliance with this proposal: it was considerate therefore, it was kind in Jesus; it evinced the peculiar tenderness of his compassion, when he said, "They need not depart."

And not less evident is the all-sufficiency which he possessed in himself: he was conscious of his own ability. And are not we persuaded of the same thing? Have not we indubitable proofs of the encouraging fact? Let our necessities be what they may, there is no need to depart from Jesus:-to forsake him is to perish. What can we want that is not with him, and at his disposal? Bread is his for the hungry, health for the diseased, friends for the destitute, and justice for the oppressed. He is "Head over all things to the Church," and "by him all things consist." But the consolatory truth is not confined to earthly things: the all-sufficiency of Jesus exactly meets the condition of fallen man. Pardon is his for the guilty, peace for the penitent, "everlasting consolation and good hope through grace" for sinners that deserve to sink in utter despair. "In him it hath pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell."

"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." In all our difficulties, therefore, under the pressure of every trial, and the burden of guilt and fear, never let us forsake the Saviour. The closer we adhere to him the better. Let us abide in him, and seek all from him.

Connected with the prohibition to depart, was this direction to the disciples: "Give ye them to eat." What had they to give? Jesus knew their poverty; but he spoke thus for the trial of their faith, and as a test of their obedience. "And they say unto him,

We have here but five loaves and two fishes." Well might they ask, as the Evangelist John informs us, "What are these among so many?"

Mark the plainness of their provision, as well as the scantiness of the supply. Here was neither variety nor dainty. Fish could be no treat to fishermen, and loaves," barley loaves," were coarse bread: yet it was such as the Saviour and his disciples eat; it was such as the Prince of life and Lord of nature was thankful to enjoy. How instructive is this! How it shames our delicacy and reproves our pride! How it checks our ungrateful murmurs, and urges the important precept-" Be content with such things as you have."

Jesus replied, in reference to the five loaves and two fishes, "Bring them hither to me." Now we behold the dawn of some mighty work, the rising of an energy altogether divine. Most likely the disciples saw in the countenance of their Master the glow of peculiar benevolence, and perceived from his manner that he was about to put forth the exceeding greatness of his power.

And learn from this, however little you have, to bring it to Jesus, and he will make it more. However

small your supply of food, and with whatever difficulty obtained, bring it to Jesus, and he will bless it. His blessing will make the meanest provision sweet, and for a mere pittance his grace will make you thankful. Bring what you have to the Saviour, and receive it back from him, and you will find it increased: you shall have not only enough for yourselves, but something also to spare for others.

It was once asked by the murmuring Israelites, "Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?" The answer is before us: God in our nature furnished this table in "a desert place," and fed an immense assembly from his munificent hand. Observe the manner in which it was done: "And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves and the two fishes, and, looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude." What simplicity, and yet what dignity in this procedure! When a certain eastern monarch would shew to his princes and nobles" the riches of his glorious kingdom, and the honour of his excellent majesty," he prepared a royal feast; and they sat on "couches of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black marble*." But a greater than Ahasuerus was here, and majesty infinitely higher was maintained; yet no display of art, nothing whatever to dazzle the imagination, or to gratify a sensual taste: the people sat down, but their only canopy was the sky, and their seats were the grass of the ground.

And observe the devotion of the great Master of the feast: "He took the five loaves and the two fishes,

*Esther i. 3-6.

and, looking up to heaven, he blessed them." We are not to understand his looking up to heaven as intending that he supplicated power to perform the miracle: he had no need to do this; he possessed power inherent in himself; but it expresses the piety of his heart, the gratitude which he felt to his heavenly Father; and doubtless it teaches us a most reasonable and incumbent duty. It was clearly the practice of our Lord, and also of his apostles as taught by him, to acknowledge the Most High in the provision they received from his hand; and shall not we do the same?"Every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified;" that is, it is set apart for our use, "by the word of God and prayer*."-Heads of families, never be ashamed of what is here recommended; rather, let such be ashamed as are conscious of criminal neglect. Look up to heaven, give God thanks, and implore his blessing on your daily bread.

Our Lord employed the disciples as the dispensers of his bounty: "He gave the loaves to the disciples, and they to the multitude." In this he regarded, not so much his own ease, as their benefit. It was an honour done to them: it was giving them to see his Divinity clearly demonstrated, his authority and grace sweetly combined. It was also adapted to teach them, and to teach us, to be prompt in doing good; and that, be our means of usefulness ever so confined, yet employed at the command of the Saviour, and accompanied with his blessing, we may hope to witness the most extensive and beneficial results.

But the miraculous increase of this pittance of

* 1 Tim. iv. 4.

provision is strikingly observable. The "five loaves and two fishes" were literally all that the disciples received from Jesus; but while handing these to the multitude, immediately the portion of each multiplied, and continued to multiply, by an act of creative power, till all were sufficed: "They did all eat and were filled :" here was enough for all, and sufficient for each. "And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children." What shall we say of this? It was "the Lord's doing!" and he asks," Is there any thing too hard for me?" If the faith of the disciples was tried, now it was confirmed! If this large body of people wanted evidence of the Divine power and compassion of the Saviour, on this occasion, and by this astonishing work, it was given with effect! The stores of nature are his, and at his disposal: the gifts of Providence are under his controul, and are to us just what he makes them and no more: his power can blast the greatest plenty, and make it worthless; but his blessing maketh rich, and addeth no sorrow.

The increase of this provision, at the very time of its distribution, is important in another view. It reminds us of the widow's oil, which multiplied not as it stood in the vessel, but as it was "poured out;" and it affords encouragement to us to be liberal, to be "ready to distribute, and willing to communicate," let our ability be what it may. What God gives us is not augmented by hoarding, but by its prudent and pious use, according to that remarkable promise: "Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of thine increase; so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine." And hence the truth of the sentiment