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cry."

The birds have neither storehouse nor barn, yet our "heavenly Father feedeth them." He is always giving, so quietly that we are often unobservant of His bounty as of the silent dew; so regularly, that we notice His gifts more by their occasional seeming interruption than by their regular bestowment.

How marvellous is the supply of food throughout the ages for the support of man! Inorganic substances cannot feed him, but they are transmuted by an unfailing chemistry into vegetable products which are fit nourishment for animals, and both become the food of man. But how is it that dead particles of earth and water and gas combine to form a plant, and arrange themselves into a complex organism which is itself alive? "There must be some power distinct from the force possessed by each particle, and superior to all, which directs the movements of each, as the general directs the movements of every soldier on the field. What is this power? You say it is Life. Yes, that is a beautiful word—but it means nothing unless it means pattern-forming mind. These wonders conduct us to the all-pervading Spirit of God, who 'maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains, and satisfieth the desire of every living thing.' It is not then a piece of poetry, but profoundest truth, when we say, It is God who 'giveth food to all flesh'" (E. White).

This was the great truth the Israelites were taught in the wilderness. Accustomed to the abundant

stores of Egypt, they had no sooner entered the desert than they felt their helplessness. In answer to their cry the manna fell. Besides furnishing needful

supplies, it taught their dependence on God for daily bread. "He fed thee with manna, that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by everything that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord." God showed that He could feed them independently of the Nile flood and the corn of Egypt. By His command He could make the air distil this unknown product and endow it with nutriment to satisfy their hunger during forty years. Thus they were taught that ordinary food nourishes not by any inherent necessity, and that when they were settled in Canaan the produce of their own cornfields would, equally with the manna, be the gift of God. Our Lord, tempted to employ His miraculous power to relieve His hunger, quoted these words. Satan suggested that if He were indeed the Son of God, He had power to turn stones into bread. But He replied that man's life depends not on bread alone, but on God who gives bread and renders it nutritious, whose power can support life without it, whose favour therefore is life, and obedience to whose word is the life of life. If bread is effectual for food by the Word of God alone, how foolish as well as sinful to violate that word in order to obtain that food! "Better starve than go to the devil for provender." Our Lord placed Himself on our level. As man, He both suffered temptation and triumphed.

He did not assert any special privilege, but as one of us He said, "It is written, Man,"-all men, the race of mankind," shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." That Word alone makes bread to nourish; and therefore the bread must be received as the gift of God, which can only really benefit when it is sought and received as such.

Other miracles besides that of the manna had reminded the Jews of the same truth. On two occasions Moses was supported during forty days without food; Elijah was thus preserved in the desert; ravens brought him meat beside the brook; and the widow's barrel of meal wasted not, These facts showed that the Word of God could preserve life in other ways than by natural processes, which are equally the product of His Word. That Word brought the great multitude of fishes to the net of the disciples who had toiled for them all night in vain, and that Word multiplied the five small loaves to feed five thousand men. In the regular harvest no less than in the obvious miracle, the hand of God is at work. The comparatively small quantity of seed-corn resulting in the produce which feeds the whole multitude of mankind is the miracle of the loaves on a larger scale. Those miracles were "but flashes of light from the heavenly regions to illuminate our darkness-concentrated lessons, strongly-marked diagrams, to teach our dull minds that our heavenly Father gives us our earthly bread" (Saphir). Because God works by means,

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such as sunshine and rain; and because He ordains that we should be fed in connection with our own efforts in ploughing and sowing, men are apt to dwell on these second causes and forget Himself. The seed grows by the action of light and heat, of sun and rain; but it is He who ordains these influences. "He left not Himself without witness, in that He did good, and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” So as regards our own exertions. Faculty of thought, invention, contrivance; power of will, resolution, perseverance; strength of arm, mechanical skill, — all these come from Him, and therefore He is the Giver of all they produce. Say not in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth."

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"One day I asked the children in our infant school, Who gives you the bread you get to your dinner? Almost every voice answered, 'My mother.' But who gave it to your mother? The baker.' And who gave it to the baker ? 'The miller.' And who gave it to the miller. The farmer.' And who gave it to the farmer. 'The ground.' And only when I asked, Who gave it to the ground? did I get the answer, 'It was God'" (J. H. Wilson). How many children of a larger growth attribute their blessings to any second cause rather than to the gift of their Father! When the food has been produced we still need to

say, "Give." The field may be golden with corn, but there may be no fit weather for harvesting it. The barn may be filled with grain which the mould may corrupt or the fire consume. Throughout the year

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and every day of it the beautiful prayer is appropriate, Give and preserve to our use the kindly fruits of the earth, so as in due time we may enjoy them." And when thus preserved we need to say, Give; for it is by the Word of God alone that the grain can nourish. We might have no appetite to desire it, no power to digest it, no health to enjoy it. For all this we need to say, Father, Give!

III. THE GIFT-" DAILY BREAD."

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There has been much discussion on the word rendered daily,” ἐπιούσιον. It occurs nowhere in Greek literature, and is found only in the Lord's Prayer. Some have interpreted it as referring to the future; bread being asked for to-morrow, or even all the days following. But this seems totally opposed to our Lord's teaching on the same occasion, "Be not therefore anxious for the morrow; for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." The meaning is seasonable, bread suited to our need. "Thus émiovotos will be required for our subsistence,' equivalent to the things needful to the body'" (Alford). "The idea of fitness for a purpose and of actually serving it are united in the closest Thedaily' stands in the middle between

manner.

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