been fatisfied. But it is evident, that both Four, and Five thoufand fo fed, is an Effect infinitely above the Power of Natural Caufes and Agents; and fo is the Remainder of Seven, or of Twelve Baskets: be the Meafure of those Baskets, what it will. The Confiderations therefore, on which I defign to infift, and the Practical Improvements to be made of them, belonging by Parity of Reason to each Account, I fhall think Both fufficiently treated of, under the Three following Obfervations, and the Inferences refulting from them. I. First, Our Lord's Behaviour, before this Feeding and Diftribution, taken notice of Ver. 11. when he had given thanks, he diftributed, &c. Or, as St. Matthew, fomewhat more exprefsly, looking up to Heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave, &c. Matth. xiv. 19. II. Secondly, The fatisfying fo many with fo fmall a Store; He diftributed of the loaves to his Difciples, and his Difciples to the multitude, and likewife of the fishes, as much as they would. III. Thirdly, The faving of the Remainders, Ver. 12. and 13. Upon thefe Particulars I fhall endeavour to fay fomething, that may be of Ufe to Us in our own refpective Circumstances. I. I begin with our Lord's Behaviour, before this Feeding and Distribution, called by the Evangelifts, Blessing, and Giving of Thanks. By the Former, fome Interpreters understand the multiplying Virtue, which he then commanded down upon the Suftenance they were about to take; and that marvellous Increase in the Hands of the Distributers, whereby it became a Repaft sufficient for fo vaft a Multitude. Others, that he thus gave Thanks to his Father for, and begged his Bleffing upon it, for the wholfome Nourishment of those Bodies, which were to be fed with it. And thefe Notions feem abfolutely neceffary to that Paffage of St. Mark, who, after the mention of his giving Thanks, adds, that he Сс blessed bleffed a few small fishes, and commanded to Chap. viii. 12. fet them also before the People. It is enough to warrant the indifferent Ufe of thefe two Words, that the Forms of Addrefs to Almighty God, upon the Ufe of his Gifts for our Refreshment, have ufually been mixed; and confift partly of Praises, and partly of Petitions. Accordingly we expressly call this Action, Giving Thanks, faying Grace, Bleffing the Table, Craving a Bleffing, and the like. Because the End of fuch Devotions is manifeftly Two-fold. They are defigned to render our Acknowledgments to God for his Liberality; and alfo to beg, that it may be fanctified to us, by tending to promote all those good Purposes, which fuch Bounty is intended to ferve and advance. The Whole indeed of this Service feems to have been exactly defcribed by St. Paul, when, condemning the Erroneous Superftition of Some, who preached up the Diftinction of Meats, he declares the Lawfulness of All, and, that the Danger lay not fo much in the Kinds eaten, as in the Manner of Eating. For every Creature of God (fays he) is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with Thanksgiving. For it is fanctified by the Word of God, and by Prayer. 1 Tim. iv. 4, 5. Hence it seems evident, that a fecret Senfe of God's Goodness, upon fuch Occafions, is by no means enough; but that it is expected, Men fhould make folemn and outward Expreffions of it, when they receive his Creatures for their Support. This is a Service and Homage, not only due to Him, but profitable to Themfelves. The Creatures are His, and therefore to be received with Thanksgiving: But the Sanctifying those Creatures to Man's Ufe, and rendring that which is good in its own Nature, ferviceable and advantageous to the Party receiving it, this depends upon the Word, or particular Bleffing of the Creator; and therefore it is Our part to draw down that Word by Prayer. This Drufius on 1 Sam. ix. 13. Acts xxvii. 35. Matth. xiv. 19 xv. 36. Luke xxiv. 30. This is to eat, and drink, like Men and Christians, when we perform an Act of Worfhip, which appears to have had a place even in Natural Religion, and the PraEtice of Heathens themselves. This was certainly obferved by the Jews; This St. Paul would not omit in all the Confufion of a Storm and Shipwrack: This we have feveral Inftances of in our Saviour: And This he here performed with great Serioufnefs and Zeal; thus teaching us, when, looking up to Heaven, that the Eyes of all ought, in the most literal Senfe, to wait upon that Lord, who gives them their Meat in due Seafon. And, What part of Religion can be better contrived, to keep up a conftant Awe and Reverence of God in our Minds? Which are too apt, but will fcarce find it poffible, to forget him, when accustomed to call upon his Name, at every Supply of thofe Natural Appetites, and Neceffities, which cannot but of course refresh our Memories very often. What can more effectually humble us, with a juft Senfe of our own precarious and depending Condition? What more difpofe Men to ufe his Gifts moderately, to entertain them thankfully, to be content with their Portion, if it be little; to impart of their Abundance, if it be much; to compaffionate those who want the fame Comforts, to recollect, that they are Stewards; and that their Orders are, to give freely of what they have received freely? What, Laftly, can be more likely to fanctify, to enlarge, and multiply our Bleffings, than fo decent, so publick, fo devout, fo humble, a Teftimony of our Great Benefactor's Goodnefs? II. The Second Thing, I propofed to confider on this Occafion, is, The fatisfying fo many with fo finall a Store. And here I might obferve the Zeal of these Multitudes; the Nature of that Refreshment they were provided with; the Quantity, which only was a prefent undeniably plain, that, what we few is not quickened, except it die; and that which we fow, we fow not that Body that shall be, "but bare Grain, but God giveth it a Body, as it hath I Cor. XV, 37, 38. pleafed Him; and to every Seed his own Body. This is what we call Natural, because it proceeds by Method and Rule, and in a Series of Caufes. But if we trace Each of thefe to its firft Head, there is no lefs Demonftration of infinite Power and Wifdom in this Increafe, than in That, which, in the Scripture now at hand, we diftinguish as miraculous, because it was extraordinary and uncommon. Nay, I had almoft faid, the Demonstration I am speaking of, is greater. For, when a Miracle is wrought, Nature is set aside, and its Procefs fuperfeded; the thing is done at once, in an instant, and at an heat. But in That, which we call Nature, Providence acts by Inferior Causes, and some of those, free ones too. And, albeit the whole goes on leifurely, and makes lefs vigorous Impreffions upon the Senfes The Multiplicity however of thofe Caufes, what Wisdom muft it require to direct, what Power to influence and invigorate, what fteady Management to keep them uniform? So that This is, in Effect, a long Succeffion of Wonders; A Chain, in which, if one Link be broken or difplaced, the Whole falls to pieces. And the Links of this Chain are the Variations of every Day in the whole Year. Thus every Furrow in our Fields is loaded with Evidences of a Divine Power: And not Five thousand only, but Millions of Millions, to whom God gives Meat in due Seafon, are fuftained by Omnipotence; and not one of them ever feeds at lefs Expence than that of a Wonder, nay, of an infinite Train of Wonders. III. The Last Head, I promised to speak to, is, Our Bleffed Mafter's Care, that the Fragments remaining might be gathered up, and put into Baskets. For which, no doubt, this had been a fufficient Reason, that Those might might prove both the Reality of the Miracle, and the exceeding Greatness of the Increase. But, in regard our Lord affigns Another, when faying, Gather up the Fragments, that nothing be loft: The proper Ufe, I think, of this Head, is, thence to form a Direction, how to manage our Subftance to the beft Advantage; and fo to approve our felves Charitable and Kind, as at the fame time not to be Profuse and Indiscreet. Jefus, 'tis true, by fetting his whole Store before the Multitudes, hath left us a Pattern of Beneficence and Largenefs of Heart. The Provifions, growing fo prodigioufly upon his Hands, are an Emblem and Intimation of thofe unaccountable Acceffions, which we may fometimes obferve to the Fortunes of generous and merciful Perfons. And, by fome Paffages of Scripture, an unwary Reader might be led to think, that in thofe Actions there could be no Excefs, at leaft no Poffibility of Offending by fuch Excels. But yet the fame Jefus would not, that even Fragments fhould be loft; And herein he hath fhewed, that all Referving for the future is not unlawful; that Charity is very confiftent with Frugality; indeed not only that they may, but fhould go together. For God will be fure to make a mighty Difference, between the Virtue, and the fpecious Extreme beyond it; between the Liberal, and the Lavish Man. That every one is bound, by the Rules both of Prydence and Religion, to moderate his Expences, to keep within his own Property, and retrench all Superfluities unfuitable to his Calling and Condition, is too notorious to need a Proof. That, which the Cafe before us feems rather to suggest, is, good Husbandry, in not laying out, even upon proper Objects, beyond fuch Proportions, as the Circumstances of our Affairs will allow. For, altho the Poor be our Care, yet are not they our only Care. The Juftice of thofe Demands, which our Families have upon us, I had Occafion formerly to take notice of. But, befides Cc 4 Epift. for Ad vent Sunday. These, |