prophesied of him, by the voice which bore testimony to him, by the supernatural works which he was daily performing. For that then which he could give, the meat which endureth unto everlasting life, for that they should labour.

This leads them to ask a question, which we might expect every man to ask who may come to years of understanding.

28. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God??

29. Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

A plain and obvious reply, suited to the inquirers of every age. You desire to do the works of God; to fulfil that which he expects of you. This is as it should be, that the creature should perform the work assigned him by his Creator. Nor is that work doubtful. He has sent his message; he has commissioned his own Son to deliver it; and he requires you to believe him. "This is his commandment, that ye should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ." This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

As this is a sentence not belonging to the Jews alone, but to all whom the sound of the gospel reaches, it is right to stop awhile and inquire, whether we in this respect are working the works

2 The works of God-those works which he requireth and which he alloweth.

of God. Do we believe on him whom he hath sent?

He came to tell us, that in ourselves, and our natural condition, we are lost: lost through that sin which Adam brought upon the world, and of which he bequeathed to his posterity both the guilt and the penalty. "For in Adam all die." 'By one man's disobedience many were made sinners."

He came to tell us, that by the blood which he shed upon the cross, the ransom which he paid there, the sacrifice he then offered, this sin has been atoned for, this guilt may be taken away, and the sinner restored to the favour of his God. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."3

He came to tell us, that this atonement is imparted, this benefit made over to those who receive its Author for what he was sent to be receive him in the affection and devotion of their hearts as the Redeemer by whom their souls are ransomed, are made acceptable to God, and endowed with everlasting life. As was declared in the last chapter, (v. 24,) "He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

He came to tell us,

that "

every man who hath

3 Rom. v. 19; 1 Cor. xv. 22.

this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure;" is "renewed in the spirit of his mind ;" "mortifies his members which are upon the earth and gives all diligence, that he may not be idle, nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, but may "be fruitful in every good work unto all well-pleasing, being filled with the fruits of the Spirit, which are to the glory and praise of God."

This he reveals to the truth of this revelation God the Father hath set his seal and to believe this, is the work which he would have us do.

To the question, then, which an awakened mind is anxiously led to ask, How shall I be reconciled to God, and live more conformably to his will?-to this question it would not be a proper reply to say, in the first place, "Do justice, love mercy;'

give alms of thy goods;" "keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guile." These indeed are the works of God, the works which he requires but the first thing that he requires, is, that we believe on him whom he hath sent: and then go forth in the spirit of that faith and in obedience to his word, to walk before him in righteousness and holiness. It is only through that faith that God will receive our works: only through that faith that we can so perform them that they shall be acceptable to him. We must first be grafted

Art. xiii. "Works done before the grace of Christ, and the inspiration of his Spirit, are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ."

upon the right stem, and become branches of the true vine, before we can bring forth fruit pleasing to God through his Spirit working in us.

To this, then, look constantly and habitually, as to the foundation. See that it is securely laid. Have you a just sense of your own exceeding misery, as shown in the estrangement of the natural heart from God; and of God's exceeding mercy, as shown in the incarnation of his Son? To increase this sense, of helplessness on the one side, and of mercy on the other, is the way to "abound in the works of the Lord." No principle of holiness is so strong, as that arising from the atonement which he made for sin no principle of charity so cogent, as "the love of Christ constraining us" to imitate his wonderful example, and to comply with the declarations of his will. "Because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them."5

5 2 Cor. v. 14.

N

LECTURE XXXIII.

JESUS DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS THE BREAD OF LIFE; AND REVEALS THE WILL OF HIS FATHER CONCERNING THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HIM.

JOHN vi. 30-40.

30. They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?

31. Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

Jesus, in what was last read, had demanded from those with whom he was discoursing, faith and allegiance; declaring that this was the work expected of them by the Father, that they should believe on him whom he had sent. They, in return, require a sign, a proof that he was sent of God. What sign showest thou then, that we may see and believe thee? And the sign to which they refer, seems to imply that they were still looking for that temporal support which had been lately given, when the multitude was provided with food. fathers did eat manna in the desert. Moses showed this sign of his divine commission: as the Scripture relates, he gave them bread from heaven to eat.1 And this affords to our Lord an occasion of explaining the spiritual purposes of his mission, and the spiritual nature of the benefit which he offered

1 Neh. ix. 15.

Our