Newport weekly independent., 1902-10-31

ate the mama died, did they not?" The mama did not go bey the physi- cal life. It sustained life for a time, but the fathers all died in due process of time. But the True Bread from Heaven was sent not to feed the physi cal body, but to give life unto the soul. Hence Jesus begins His talk by appealing to them not to labor for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto verlasting Life. A double paradox, as Mr. Moody used to put it, for He tells them to work not for the perisha ble food, which they could only get by work, but for the Heavenly food, which they could only get by faith.
 The TeXt.-The words of our text are fairly saturated with Gospel truth. The figure of the Living Bread clearly illustrates the relation which Christ sustains to the soul. His origin is posi- lively stated as from Heaven. His mis- sion is indicated in the declara ion that eff any man eat of this Bread, he shall live forever" And the method of ac- complishing that mission by suffering and death is implied when He declares that He will give His flesh for the life of the world. His life for the life of the world is a worldwide fact and brings Eternal Life within the reach of all, but the realiza tion of that factis m in dividual matter. He holds out His gift of Eternal Life to the whole world, but the appropriation of that gift is left to the "any man" who will eat of this Bread. Let us turn our considera tion to the statement of Christ that He is the Living Bread come down from Heaven.
 Our first proposition in regard to this is that there can be no life with out bread. While the Israelites sat by the flesh pots of Egypt they did not realize how vital connection the food sustained to the life of the body, but when God got them off in the will bread. With plenty at hand they had no sense of need, but fed from the hand of God day by day they under stood how their life depended upon the daily supply of mama. And as physical life cannot be sustained with out partaking of food, so the soul cannot live without feeding upon the Living Bread. And further, as the proper food for the body must be that which can be assimilated by the body, so the food for the soul must be that which can give life and satisfy. The plant feeds upon the black, damp earth pressed close about its roots, but man would fill his stomach in vain with that which the plant thrives upon. The OK contentedly chews his cud of hay and supplies the needs of it's body, but man would starve upon such a diet. So it is with the soul. There is but one food upon which it can live and thrive, that is the Living Bread, Jesus Christ Man tries to feed it upon other things, and the soul is starved to death as a consequence. Away back in Isaiah's time we hear him crying out against such folly, when he says: "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness."
 Two important facts in regard to the relation of bread to the body re- quire emphasis-Appropriation and Assimilation. Our second proposition, therefore, is that bread is of no use ,es, ,t of on1 tho ct ach performs it's function of assimila tion. Of what good would all the bread in the world be to me if 1 did not appropriate some of it to the needs of my body? 1 would starve with plenty all around me unless l reached out and took the loaves in my hand and con- veyed them to my mouth. It is related of a shipwrecked crew drifting upon the expanseless ocean that their scant supply of water gave out, and as day after day went by, they came nigh unto death from thirst. But unbe- known to them they finally drifted into the mouth of great river, with it's abundant supply of fresh, sweet water. But notwithstanding there was life-giving water all about them, their throats continued parched and dry, their tongues swollen and their eyes wildly watching for the cloud that might bring rain. And while they drifted death drew nearer and nearer, until one of the men in his delirium threw himself from the boat. As the refreshing waters touched his parched and bleeding lips and swollen tongue he managed to gasp, "Water!" and then sank from sight. But the word