They said therefore to him, "Lord, always give us this bread."
      (1.) When they heard of such a thing as the  bread of God,  which  gives life,  they heartily prayed for it (John 6:34):Lord, evermore give us this bread.  I cannot think that this is spoken scoffingly, and in a way of derision, as most interpreters understand it: "Give us such bread as this, if thou canst; let us be fed with it, not for one meal, as with the five loaves, but  evermore;" as if this were no better a prayer than that of the impenitent thief:  If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us.  But I take this request to be made, though ignorantly, yet honestly, and to be well meant; for they call him  Lord,  and desire a share in what he  gives,  whatever he means by it. General and confused notions of divine things produce in carnal hearts some kind of desires towards them, and wishes of them; like Balaam's wish, to die the  death of the righteous.  Those who have an indistinct knowledge of the things of God, who see men as trees walking, make, as I may call them,  inarticulate  prayers for spiritual blessings. They think the favour of God a  good thing,  and heaven a  fine place,  and cannot but wish them their own, while they have no value nor desire at all for that holiness which is necessary both to the one and to the other. Let this be the desire of our souls; have we tasted that the Lord is gracious, been feasted with the word of God, and Christ in the word? Let us say, "Lord, evermore give us this bread;  let the bread of life be our daily bread, the heavenly manna our continual feast, and let us never know the want of it."