fellow-Apostle to the Gentiles would be likely to treat his subject much in the same way as St. Paul himself would have done. The Epistle then becomes the word of the Gentile Apostleship to the believers from among the circumcision; and shows that, whatever division of labour may for convenience be adopted, to every Apostle really pertains the care of all the churches. FOURTH SUNDAY IN QUADRAGESIMA. How Jesus feeds His people. John vi. I-14. THE narrative of to-day's Gospel instructs us as to the manner in which the Lord feeds His people when they gather to Him. First, He does it out of such material as is furnished Him. It would have been as easy for Him to have created loaves and fishes as to have multiplied them. But He did not. He called upon His servants for what they could supply, and then made that suffice for the great multitude. And so it is now. He "speaketh from heaven," not with a naked voice, as it were new-made for the purpose, but through the lips and from the minds of men. He takes the few thoughts and feeble words they bring, and makes them effectual to quicken and sustain all who depend upon Him. "What are these among so many?" Nothing indeed, but for His multiplying blessing, for His word of bidding. But with these enough and to spare for multitudes ever so great. Secondly, the barley loaves and the small fishes were themselves brought to the Apostles by one of the company; there is a lad here, which hath" them. The ministers of God do not stand alone: "we live, as ye stand fast in the Lord." They depend upon the body, as the body depends upon them. Only in their hands. does the provision become multiplied for all: but it may come to their hands from the youngest or humblest of the flock. Let all be encouraged, therefore, to bring up their meat-offerings,-not looking on the smallness of the thing, for the Lord can make it great, if He will. Bring them up, if perchance they are the very loaves and fishes with which He intends to feed His people. In your hands they must continue five and two, as they are: but in those of His servants they may supply five thousand souls. Thirdly, observe the goodly order of the feeding. There is no rushing forward to take directly from His hand. 66 'Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down." He has entrusted the ministration of His blessing to His ordained servants; and they who would receive from Him must receive at their hands. That "feeding themselves without fear" of which St. Jude speaks does not get the bread of life for its pains, but only grapes of Sodom and apples of Gomorrha. Christ's food is dispensed by those whom He sends. : And lastly, when all are fed, what remains for the ministering servants themselves? Are they mere instruments? have they no share in the feast? Nay they shall find that while they have been caring for others, they themselves have been cared for. Each shall have his basket ful for his own needs, after all have eaten. The utterance of the word of truth shall have cleared his own vision of it: the speaking of warning or comfort shall have quickened his own sense of the things ministered on. And so the Christ in him shall grow, as the Christ from him goes forth to all with whom he has to do. We have said these things, as regards the grace of Christ in general. But they are specially true of the holy Feast to which from time to time we draw near. Here too the people bring up the elements of the banquet to Christ's servants, that they may offer them to the Lord. And when at His altar the thanks have been given, and the grace of blessing and consecration has come down, then again He distributes to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude, and all are filled, and the fragments are gathered up. The flock of God is fed, and His shepherds go away with strengthening and enrichment. So may He feed us here below, till "with all His saints above, Jesus the Mediator. 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6. "There is One God, and One Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." If there is any one title of our Lord Jesus Christ in which is contained the whole substance of His office and work, it is this of Mediator. All other names of Him express what He is towards God, or what He is towards man. But a mediator is not a mediator of one. He has aspects towards both the parties between whom he transacts. In naming the Man Christ Jesus," therefore, the one Mediator between God and man, we imply that His work looks both Godward and manward. And, so far as the word mediation carries us, so far we express also the nature of this double-visaged working. 66 I say, so far as the word mediation carries us. And it carries us a very long way. It tells of the manner in which has been effected the Atonement between heaven and earth, the Reconciliation of God and man. It has been effected by a mediator, a go-between, or, as we say, "a mutual friend." There is much significance in this last phrase, common-place though it is. We are not using mere synonymous terms when we say, through Jesus Christ our Mediator and Advocate." An advocate belongs to one side only. His whole duty is to make the best of that cause in favour of which he is retained. But a mediator must be an advocate of both sides. He must not only understand the nature of the dispute or the cause of the alienation, but he must also be possessed of the mind and purpose of both parties, and must have the interests of both at heart. Such a "mutual friend" is the only sure peace-maker between man and man: and to name the Lord Jesus "Mediator" implies such a relationship on His part as regards man and God. The basis of the relationship is laid in the double nature of the Mediator: what He does He does because of what He is. Being in the form of God, He has the mind of God, and comes manifesting His character and doing His will: being made in the likeness of men, He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and afflicted in all our afflictions. He is able thus on the one hand to reveal God to man, and on the other to present man before God: and in so revealing and so presenting to plead the cause of the one with the other, God's cause with man, and man's cause with God; to be the daysman who can lay His |