Thereupon  Jesus,  after  first  trying  their  faith,  bade  them
make  the  people  sit  down  upon  the  grass.  Then  taking  into
His  hands  some  bread,  which  it  seems  a  boy  had  brought
with  him,  He  blessed  it,  and  gave  it  to  the  Apostles  to  set
before  them.  By  a  stupendous  miracle,  it  multiplied  in
their  hands,  so  as  to  be  more  than  enough  to  satisfy  the
wants  of  the  multitude,  which  numbered  about  ;  five
thousand.
As  soon  as  the  people  saw  what  a  wonder  had  been
worked  to  relieve  their  necessities,  their  enthusiasm  knew  no
bounds;  they  rushed  forwards,  to  take  Him  in  spite  of
Himself,  and  proclaim  Him  king.  But  Jesus,  knowing  their
intention,  fled  from  the  honour  which  they  wished  to  confer
upon  Him,  and  hid  Himself  in  the  solitude  of  the  mountain.
II.  This  incident  of  Our  Lord's  life  teaches  us  many
lessons,  chief  among  which  -is,  perhaps,  the  loving  care
which  God  has  for  His  children ;  for  it  shows  us  very
clearly,  that  He  literally  fulfils  His  promise  to  those  '  who
seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  His  justice  ;'  everything
else  that  they  desire  is  given  unto  them.  But  this  is  not


68  LECTURES  FOR  BOYS

the  lesson  which  we  would  have  you  learn  to-day  ;  it  is
rather  that  which  is  contained  in  the  concluding  lines  of
the  Gospel :  '  Jesus  hid  Himself,  and  fled  away  into  the
mountain.'  He  shrank  from  the  honour  which  they  would
have  conferred  upon  Him,  and  withdrew  from  their  sight.
