St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-12-06

USED to put 1t, for He tells them to
work not for the perishable food. which
they could onl, get by work, but for
the Heavenly food. which they could
only get by faith.
The Textile 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 declaration that
eff any man eat of this Bread, he shall
live forever" and the method of &C
comprising that mission by suffering
and death is implied when lie 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 realization of tina t factis an 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
consideration 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
derness they began to cry to Him for
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 cententeuly chews his cud OF
hay and supplies the needs OF its body,
but man would starve upon such
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
upou other things, and the soul is
starved to death as consequence
| Away back in lsaiah'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 la Dor for that which
! satisfeth not? Hearken diligently
unto me, and eat ye that which is
good, and let your soul delight itself in
! fairness"
Two important facts in regard to
! the relation of bread to the body re-
quire neutrality-suspicious. and
Assimilation. Our second proposition,
therefore, is that bread is of no use
unless it is partaken of and the stom-
ach performs its function OF assimila-
ton. OF what good would all the
bread in the world be to me If did not
appropriate some OF it to the needs OF
nv body? l would starve with plenty
all around me unless reached out and
took the loaves in my hand and con-
viewed them to my mouth. l. 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 a great river, with
it's abundant supply of fresh, sweet
water. But notwithstanding there
was life giving water all about them
| their throats continued parchec ano
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 deliriun
threw himself from the boat. AS the
re treshing waters touched his parchee
a.d bleeding lips aud swollen tongue
he managed to gasp, "Water!" ane
then sank from sight. But the wore
which he had uttered caught the ear:
of the other dying men in the boat
and with eager haste they leaned ove1
the sides of the boat and sucked in thu
cool, life-giving water, but 1t was no
until they began to appropriate 1t tina
If could do them any good. So it is ii
regard to the soul. Adrift on the Sc;
of life, it is furnishing and dying fo7
: want of the Living Bread. Christ il
at hand ready to give, but if the sou
does not reach out and appropriate tn
\ Gift of Eternal Life it must perish il
its blindness and with the cry ring
} ;no in the ears of BREAD, Livin.
Bread"
Do YOU remember the picture o
those little children of the stree
standing upon the snowy ground OF
: Christmas night and peering throug
the brilliantly lighted window OF tn
mansion upon the scene of plenty an
ioy within? The table groaned un
der it's weight of good things. In
family and friends were gathere'
about the board, and, while they ate
the half-fed urchins on the stree
watched them with hungry and long
ing look. But wish as they nigh
thew could not sit at that table no
!. partake of that feast. twas only pre-
nared and intended for the few. Bu1
: oh. how different is the provisio
which God has made for the world
No one is shut out who will come. N
!, shut windows or barred door to kee
= the hungry soul outside, for Whose
ever will may come" The orly pa