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pains fome might take to gather a great SER M. deal, and others thro' their weakness or in- VII. firmity might gather lefs, yet when they came home, they were all found to be of equal measure, a compleat omer for every perfon in their families refpectively. But others have chofen rather to explain it without a miracle, as intending nothing more than this, that after they had gathered in the field by guefs and without an exact measure, they proceeded at home to measure it by an omer, when he who had above his quantity difpofed of it to others who had lefs, that fo there might on no hand be either defect or fuperfluity. And this interpretation of the place may feem to fuit better with the Apostle's application of it as a motive to induce the rich, out of their abundance, to fupply the needs of the poor. As it is written, (fays he) He that had gathered much had nothing over, and he that had gathered little had no lack*.

For its form and figure, it is represented to have been small and round, like the hoar froft, and like coriander feed, and its taste to have been like wafers made with honey, and as the taste of fresh oil. To reconcile which variation the Jewish Expofitors remark, that it had the taste of honey, when it was eaten fimply as it fell + Exod. xvi. 14, 31. and

* 2 Cor. viii. 15. Numb. xi. 8.

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SERM. from heaven, but that it received the taste VII. of oil, when it was dreffed and prepared by art and management *; when, as the fcripture fpeaks, they ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it.

Hence the Jewish Writers take occafion to magnify the excellency of this heavenly Manna, as containing fuch variety of tastes, that it might fuit to every palate, and give to each particular perfon the relish of those delicacies which his foul defired. Nor is this indeed any novel conceit, or invention of the modern Rabbins, but we find it as old as the Author of the book of Wifdom, who has in thefe terms given his encomium of this celeftial food:-" Thou

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feddeft thine own people with Angels "food, and didst send them from heaven "bread prepared without their labour, "to content every man's delight, and agreeing to every tafte: For thy fuftenance declared thy fweetness unto thy "children, and ferving to the appetite of the eater, tempered itself to every man's liking."

So far the Hebrew Writers have carried the excellency of this Manna, which fome have thought | fhould be but figuratively

Vid.

* Apud Buxtorf. Exercit. ad Hift. Mannæ, cap. 3. + Numb. xi. 8. Wifdom xvi. 20, 21. Buxt. de Manna, cap. 3.

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understood to denote, that as it was given SER M.. immediately by God from heaven, it not VII. only had all the perfections and virtues of ordinary food, but even exceeded and furpaffed them; fo that they who were blesfed with fuch provifion might well be content with it, and ought not to defire any thing befides, or complain of any deficiency. Its figure was the most perfect, being round: Its colour the most grateful, white: Its fubftance was pure and tranfparent like chryftal: Its tafte was sweet as honey, and withal it was rich and oily to promote the better nutriment: It was not in any natural way generated by the earth, or air, or water, but made by the immediate power of God. Yet fuch was the ingratitude and folly of many Ifraelites, they made it matter of complaint, if they had nothing else, they even lothed the de licacy which was made common, and preferred the very cucumbers and garlick of Egypt to this heavenly provifion *.

In this view they fitly reprefent to us those earthly and carnal minds, which (as the Apostle speaks) do relish only carnal things, and difdain that spiritual banquet and repaft of fouls, which this Manna of the Ifraelites fignificantly figured out. So St. Paul intimates that the people in the Wilderness did eat the fame Spiritual meat

*Numb. xi. 5, 6.

+ Rom. viii. 5. N 4

with

SERM. with us*: And our bleffed Saviour more VII. plainly declares himself to be the bread of

God, which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world: Who in the myftical fymbols of his body and blood, does offer himself to the faithful partakers of that holy communion, to affure them of the pardon of their fins, and fuftain them to eternal life. If any of his Auditors took offence at his difcourse, it was because (as he tells them) they believed not, nor understood the fpiritual purport and design of it.

But as the thing prefigured is more excellent and honourable than the Type which only did prefigure it, fo it was fit our bleffed Lord fhould give the preference to that bread of life which he has fet before us in the new teftament, and facramentally exhibited in his laft fupper. Your fathers (fays he) did eat Manna in the wilderness, and are dead: This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. And again, This is that bread which came down from heaven:' not as your fathers did eat + John vi. 33. Manna,

I Cor. x. 3.

Manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this SER M. bread, fhall live for ever *.

And thus far of the circumftances of this great event, and the fpiritual application of it; I proceed next in the

II. SECOND place, to urge the reasonableness of that inference which is drawn by Mofes in the Text, and explains the end or defign of this ftupendous dispensation : That he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.

Our fuftenance being usually supplied in a regular and fettled course of nature, we are too apt to overlook the gracious hand of Providence in the supply of it, and afcribe it with too little caution to human art and management. But God taught the Ifraelites, by fending Manna from heaven, that however the foil were barren of itself, and no way cultivated or improved by rural cares, yet he was able to provide for his people in the wilderness, and fupply all the defects of nature.

This example may remind us how the Divine Providence watches over us for good; and tho' fuch extraordinary supplies are not to be expected for the fake of private and particular exigencies, nor yet * John vi. 49, 50, 51, 58. where

VII.

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