cious offers of assistance, and promises of eternal life; and feeling that though without him we can do nothing, by him strengthening us, we are able to do all things?

This alone is life. This it is "to live by faith in the Son of God"-to have "Christ in us, the hope of glory."

It is remarkable that this metaphor, so largely insisted on in the before-mentioned discourse, of eating the flesh of the Son of Man, and drinking his blood, is carried out and embodied in visible symbols in the institution of the Lord's Supper. In this way, the bread and wine there used, as representing the body and blood of Christ, shadow forth to us by lively images, the entire doctrine and substance of vital Christianity.

EMBLEMATICAL CHARACTER OF OUR

LORD'S MIRACLES.

THE MIRACULOUS DRAUGHTS OF FISHES.

There is one quality in the miracles performed by our Saviour, during the period of his sojourning on earth, which distinguishes them from those which are recorded in the Old Testament, and it is this: that they are not only instances of supernatural power exerted in mercy to man in relieving him from physical evils; but they are emblematical, and may almost be considered prophetic, of a new æra in the history of the world, when the same power would be exerted for the removal of the far more deeply seated moral evils, which, since their first declension from innocence, have afflicted the human race. The miracles of healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, making the blind to see, the lame to walk, the

dumb to speak, and the like, are all emblematical of the Saviour's power to purge the soul from the evil and pollution of sin, and error, and all the weaknesses and frailties arising from those causes, and to restore to man that purity, wisdom, and moral greatness, which he lost at the fall.

The miracle of changing the water into wine at the marriage at Cana, has been supposed to be typical of the conversion or regeneration of the soul from the natural to the spiritual state, a work which all must admit, can only take place by means of divine influence.

The feeding of the four thousand and of the five thousand, at different times, by means of a few barley loaves and some small fishes, was emblematical of the boundless riches of divine grace, and the unlimited efficacy of that spiritual food which the Saviour is always ready to impart to those who are willing to receive it, and that without money and without price.

The raising of sundry individuals from the dead, is emblematical of the Saviour's power to revive those who are dead in trespasses and in sins, and to restore them to the enjoyment and the privileges of spiritual life.

There are two miracles very similar to each other, to which I, at present, wish to direct attention :

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namely, those where the disciples, on two different occasions, having cast their nets, agreeably to their Lord's directions, obtained each time a miraculous draught of fishes. Both of these were evidently emblematical of the conversion of multitudes to his doctrine; and, indeed, he himself, as we shall see, points to this application; but though thus far they are alike, they differ in other circumstances, which shew, I think, that they refer to different sets of events, and to different periods in which these were to be accomplished.

The first of the miracles took place at the very commencement of our Lord's public ministry; the other almost at the close of his appearance on earth, and after his resurrection from the dead. The first is related shortly in the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark; but the circumstances are more fully detailed by St. Luke, chap. v., verses 1-7. It is there mentioned, that as Jesus stood by the lake of Gennesaret, he saw two ships standing by the lake, but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. These fishermen having, as they afterwards informed him, toiled all night and caught nothing, and being tired, no doubt, of this unprofitable labour, had given up the task as hopeless, and had drawn up their ships to the beach. Having entered into one of the ships, which was

Simon's, he desired him to thrust out a little from the land, and he sat down and taught the people out of the ship.

When he had done speaking, he said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught." Simon, dispirited by his want of success, the previous night, but re-assured by the calm and confident manner in which the command was given, let down the net accordingly; and behold what happened. Observe every circumstance here related.

"And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net brake.

"And they beckoned unto their partners which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them; and they came and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink."

This unlooked-for success, so much beyond what could have occurred by natural means, filled the minds of these simple fishermen with terror. They were all astonished at the draught of fishes they had taken. Peter fell on his knees before Jesus, whom he clearly perceived to be a superior being, saying, "depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." Jesus said unto Simon, "Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men."

We shall now turn to the other instance referred to, which is related in the 21st chapter of the Gos