upon thy great work, and thou shalt “ bear the glory." "A far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory," indeed, awaits me as built up on thee a lively stone ; but this is not the glory of praise. It is the glory of beauty, and excellence, and holiness, reflected from thee, who, as the light of the heavenly temple, will forever shine thereon, without a veil or cloud. Thou hast ascended to thy throne, and there art now seated as the kingly Ruler, and interceding Priest of thy people. Lord, rule in and over

Mercifully grant me an interest in thine intercession. By thine Almighty Spirit, be pleased to impart to me a clear and appropriating view of “the counsel of peace between” the Father and thee. Shade, and shelter, and refresh me with thy sweet fruit, O thou ever-living, all-beauteous, and all-glorious Branch! until I shall be weary and hungry no more forever.

me.

BRANCH OF THE LORD! the tender shoot,
That sprang from David's withered root,

In Bethl’hem's arid ground;
Who, that beheld thy lowly birth,
Amidst the poorest sons of earth,

Thy regal glory found ?

But, as the oak-buds swell and rise,
'Till, midway between earth and skies,

They fling their might abroad,
And cover, 'neath their cool retreat,
The fainting flocks in summer's heat, –

Wast thou, great Son of God!

For now, o'er plain, and hill, and glade,
Thy saving strength extends its shade,

And welcomes all to reşt;
And soon, throughout the world's vast whole,
From India's deserts to the pole,

In thee shall all be blest.

I come, my Saviour, - come to thee;
From sin, and wrath, and hell I flee:

The tempest still is rife;
But through thy sheltering, healing leaves,
Nor thunderbolt nor lightning cleaves,

Thou deathless Tree of Life!

SEVENTH MEDITATION.

BREAD.

MY SAVIOUR is 66 THE BREAD OF LIFE.” I have it on no doubtful authority. I haye it on

For “ Jesus said unto them” who heard him in the days of his flesh, and he now says unto us, by his holy word, “I am the bread

his own.

of life.” *

When my first parents yielded to a sinful appetite, — excited in them by the father of lies, - and partook of the forbidden fruit, they reduced themselves and their children to a state of spiritual destitution, too aptly pictured by starvation. The soul, by nature and habit estranged from God, is in a starving and perishing condition. Under these circumstances, the Lord mercifully interposed between man and the penalty of his own violated law. He provided for man's entire relief and preservation, and gave a fore

or bread

taste of his ample purposes

of
grace,

in exceeding rich and precious promises, and also in the expressive types of the Mosaic ceremonial law. There were not wanting striking events also in the history of his ancient people, which emblematically set forth the provision made for the spiritual wants of man.

In the tabernacle and temple, the officiating priest every Sabbath placed twelve loaves of bread upon the golden altar before the Lord, which were called “the shew-bread," * of the presence.

“ And since part of the frankincense put upon the bread was to be burnt on the altar for a memorial, i. e. of the bread, even an offering made by fire unto the Lord; and since Aaron and his sons were to eat it in the holy place, it is evident that this bread typified Christ, first presented as a sacrifice to Jehovah, and then becoming spiritual food to such as in and through him are spiritual priests to God, even his Father.”

That shew-bread, always on the golden table, typically interceded for sinners. My Saviour ever liveth to make intercession for me: “ For Christ is not entered into the holy places made

with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. By faith, I may still feed on him in my heart with thanksgiving, especially in my commemoration of his great sacrifice, when I “ take and eat bread in remembrance that Christ died for me."

The miraculous supply of the Israelites with manna in the wilderness, was sufficiently wonderful, considered merely as a display of almighty power and goodness. “He satisfied them with

. the bread of heaven." " He commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, and rained down manna upon them to eat, and gave them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels' food.”All this, however, was designed to bring Christ before the soul, and typified the more than angels' food, which the famished soul will find in the Lord Jesus. He himself has established this fact beyond doubt or controversy, in his discourse with the Jews. Let me meditate on that discourse, and feed upon its precious truths !

The Jews referred to the divine gift of manna, and asked our Lord to give a sign, in testimony