The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-06-16

But more frequently does our Lord usa
the fgure of food and drink. He =
Himself the bread of life - that true
bresd that came down from Heaven.l
He gives equally the water Of life. To
Him the thirsty ones come; and he n
within them q fountain Of water,t
springing up to everlasting life. The
two are combined, and we are told that
it IL only as we both eat and drink Of
Him that we have life abiding in us.
Doubtless the food and the drink Of
fered us is generally the instruction on
which we grow into noble Christian
life. That is what was offered 10 the
Samaritan woman to whom Jesus Of
fered the living water which would
mako her thirst no more. When she
asked for it He taught her how to wor-
ship God; He told her what were her
SINS; He then told her that He was the
Messiah and Saviour. She drank the
water; she believed on Him; she went
and carried the water to her towns
men, and they drank and believed for
her word and for the Masters.
For us the food we seek from Christ
is His word of instruction and promise.
Christ Himself did not need instruc-
ton; but He tells US He needed food,
and His food was of different kind.
II have meat to eat that We know not
Of He said to them; and when they
wondered what it was, He surprised
them by telling them it was work.
The two, in his case, are one-the food
and the work. "My meat" said He,
..is to do the will of Him that sent Me,
and to accomplish His work" So, i'm
Him, the two great occupations, the
eating and the working, are one. We
need strength for work; He found
strength in work. We must be en-
couraged for toll and endurance by re-
membering His promises and rejoicing
in His redemption. He found the very
endurance and toll for the Father re-
freshment to His soul. He fed on it.
He delighted in it. Nothing could
weary HIM of it or tempt Him from it.
The satisfaction we take in food, He
found in work. So He called His.
disciples and taught them; He called
the multitudes and repeated to them
His parallels, and healed their sick. He
went about doing good.
There have been ages of the Chris
tian Church in which taking food~
giving ones self to prolonged prayer,
receiving Christ's instructions, meditat-
ing on His love, and delighting ones
self in His character have properly oc-
cupied great part of the time given
! to the religious life. In this way the
saint found strength to work. The
times have changed, perhaps. This is
an age which has discovered that there
is so much work to do that there Is lit
tie time left for meditation. Perhaps
| %n0 1sGo Chr:ot ha oil0vuoA ~
find it to be our meat to do the will of
Him that has sent us, and to accom-
plish His work. If we take the work
on us to accomplish. we are surprised
to find what Joy and strength we
get out OF it. Work gives strength
for work. The Christian who
} has, this past season, seen the
harvest white, and has thrust
, in the sickle and gathered sheaves,
has found it deep and holy joy. The
work done has encouraged him to do
more. He will not want again to sleep
: in the daytime. Reading Gods Word
t has helped him; meditation has helped
him; prayer has helped him; but what
, has helped him SO much, what has
! given him so much strength and cour.
. age, as seeing his labor not in vain in
the Lord? Then laboring is praying;
! for work is meat, and we are brought
into fellowship with Him whose dis.
ciples could not yet understand it that
: when sitting weary and hungry will
. His journey, He should have refreshed
Himself by preaching to a poor, sinfu
! woman the gospel Of His messiahshiE
and the spiritual worship, Of the Father
N Y. Independent.