Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/401

 furnish a  table  in  the  wilderness,"  (Ps.lxxvii.  19)  and Who  can  enable  you  to  suck  "  honey  out  of  the  rock,  and oil out  of  the  hardest  stone."  (Deut.  xxxii.  13.)  He  will never  suffer  those  to  want,  who  trust  in  Him.

II. " And  they  did  all  eat,  and  were  filled." (Matt, xiv. 20.)  The  delights  of  this  world  may  please  and  even fascinate us  for  a  time,  but  they  can  never  fill  "  the  cravings of  our  immortal  soul." The capacity  of  this  immortal soul  is  greater  than  can  be  filled  with  any  thing earthly and  transitory. Being itself  immortal,  it  can  only be ultimately  satisfied  with  imperishable  goods. Christ alone can  satisfy  it. Hence the  Prophet  asks,  "Why  do you  spend  money  for  that  which  is  not  bread,  and  your labor  for  that  which  doth  not  satisfy  you." (Is. lv.  22.) Approach, therefore,  to  Christ,  in  order  that  you  may  be filled.

III. After all  had  been  fed,  Christ  ordered  His  Apostles to  collect  what  remained;  and  they  collected  more than had  been  originally  distributed,  viz.:  "twelve  full baskets  of  fragments." Thus God  is  accustomed  to reward  the  charity  of  His  servants,  and  to  be  liberal  to the  liberal. " He  that  hath  mercy  on  the  poor,  lendeth to  the  Lord,  and  He  will  repay  him." (Prov. xix.  17.) Give, therefore,  to  your  brother,  "  good  measure,  pressed down,  and  shaken  together,  and  running  over,"  in  order that you  may  receive  the  like  "  into  your  bosom." (Luke, vi. 38.)

I. "Then  those  men,  when  they  had  seen  what  a  miracle Jesus  had  done,  said,  this  is  the  Prophet  indeed."