Power to encourage Piety and good Manners and all that is worthy of Praise amongst Men. And whilst we make it manifest to the World that Righteous Men are in their Distress so far from being forsaken of God that not only their Distress but their Innocence too and their Vertue shall be considered by Men we do effectually reprove Wickedness and Vice and preach Honesty and Piety And it is not unlikely but Charity thus placed besides the Good that it does to the Bodies of some will do good also to the Souls of others Upon such plain Reasons as these we should more especially do Good to the Houshold of Faith Whereby also we may without farther trouble avoid their Censures who carry their Respect to those whom God loves and honours beyond what I have been pleading for I mean those who reckon it to be no small Act of Piety to visit the Bones and the Ashes and other Reliques of Saints and Martyrs and to leave costly Presents at their Shrines and Sepulchres For it has been laid to our Charge with no little Confidence that we dishonour and contemn the dead Servants of God because we do not thus offer to ' em But we may I hope clear our selves without offence and say that we are as ready to honour the Dead as to relieve the Living Saints We are not well assured that the Bones and the Utensils to which so mighty a Regard is given are indeed the Remains of Saints But if we were yet we are not satisfied that there is any respect to the dead Bodies of the Saints beyond that of a decent and honourable Interment warranted by the Examples of the truly Primitive Church and that any Service to 'em beyond this is acceptable to God has wanted Proof hitherto and Defence as well as Proof But now we are very sure that the Bodies of Righteous and Godly Men are holy and the living Temples of God whilst they live with us in this World For this the Scripture saith We are sure that the Sacrifices of Alms which are Sacrifices when given for God's sake that with them I say God is well-pleased for this is affirmed in the Scripture We are very sure that they are doubly pleasing to him when they are presented to his living Members when they are distributed to the Houshold of Faith for this also is according to Scripture And in all these things there is such evident Congruity that Reason without any Dispute presently agrees to ' em In a word I do not read that any the least Promise is made to visiting and presenting the Ashes of the Dead nor that Christ will take these things when done in honour of his Servants as done to himself But I read that at the last day our having visited and relieved our feeding clothing and comforting the least of his true Servants that are with us will be so accounted and will be rewarded as if these things had been done to himself In as much as ye did it to the least of these ye did it also unto me All which being considered we may be sure that we are well guarded against the angry Reflections of our Neighbours if we take care to excel them in Charity to the Living as much as they imagin they out-do us in honouring the Dead And thus much for the Objects of Charity as they are specified in the Text. I am now to touch upon that Intimation of the Rewards of it which we have in the Text also As we have opportunity It is a true sence of these words to interpret them thus as often as occasions of Charity present themselves and as long as we are in a condition to do good Works of this kind But as I told you they have a plain reference to the three foregoing Verses Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a Man soweth that shall he also reap For he that soweth to the Flesh shall of the Flesh reap Corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap Life everlasting And let us not be weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not As we have therefore opportunity let us c. i. e. as long as the opportunity or season of sowing in good Works lasts let us sow that we may reap plentifully when Harvest-time comes i. e. when the Rewards of Charity shall be given abroad as they will assuredly be in a better World if not in this also The Seed which he means as we find by the 6th Verse are the good things of this Life And as by sowing to the Spirit he undoubtedly meant doing good out of our worldly Store to All Men and especially to the Houshold of Faith so by sowing to the Flesh must on the other hand be meant the encreasing of our own Possessions and the serving of our own Pleasures I will not say providing for inordinate Lusts for this is more than the Text necessarily implies tho' that be sowing to the Flesh too So that we will set that aside and consider what the use of that Wealth will come to which is expended in things not to be blamed in goodly Houses and fine Cloaths and a plentiful Table and the like For this is sowing to the Flesh and the Apostle tells us that he that soweth to the Flesh shall of the Flesh reap Corruption i. e. at the end of this Life he shall find that all these things have perished in the using and can turn to no account for him now at last that there is no farther enjoyment of them and that the very remembrance of them which is all that is left hath neither Pleasure nor Profit in it And so he shall reap for this sowing nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corruption i. e. no increase but a loss of what he sowed Now true it is that thus we must all sow to the Flesh in some degree or other we must provide for our own Bodies and the needs of our Life and we may make a reasonable use of our Wealth for the innocent Pleasures of it too But this is that sowing which will yield no Harvest at last There is an Enjoyment for the time but when the use is over there is no farther Profit to be expected So that he is said by the Apostle to sow to the Flesh who does little or nothing else with the good things of this World that God has given him but only sets himself out with them and applies them wholly to the serving of his own Needs and Pleasures For by him that soweth to the Spirit he could not mean one that makes no use of his Wealth for supplying his own Needs and Necessities but one who does that and relieves others too Now of him it is said that he shall reap Life everlasting for tho' the Seed be it self of a transitory carnal and perishing Nature yet being thus disposed to a spiritual use being cast into such a Soil it
shall yield an everlasting Profit and an Increase that he shall live upon it for ever But then says the Apostle Be not deceived God is not mocked for as a Man soweth he shall also reap Tho' a Cup of cold Water given to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple shall not lose its Reward i. e. when either more is not in the hand of him that gives or no farther need in him that receives yet so small a thing is Mockery where there is greater need on the one side and ability to answer it on the other This being remembred it remains true what our Saviour said He that receiveth and therefore he that relieveth a Righteous Man in the name of a Righteous Man or because he is a Righteous Man shall receive a Righteous Man's Reward For to him in some part the Righteous Man's Thankfulness to God and the support of his Faith and Dependence upon God and the making of his perseverance therein more easie and the rescuing him out of Temptation may in good measure be imputed Now Brethren we have in this Life only the opportunity of sowing to the Spirit in this manner and of making Friends to our selves of the Mammon of this World that when it fails we may be received into everlasting Habitations and of turning the things of this World which so often betray Men to Perdition into the Instruments of our Salvation Let us therefore often consider those Words and Exhortations of St. Paul and that when our Reckoning comes to be cast up at the end of our Lives there will be no longer any Profit or Comfort in what we have worn and eaten and drank but we shall find that to be true The Belly for Meats and Meats for the Belly but God will destroy both it and them But that the remembrance of the Good we have done to All Men and especially to the Houshold of Faith will be sweet and pleasant to us and that the Reward of it will endure for ever Therefore my beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the Work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. A LETTER CONCERNING Protestants Charity to Papists Published by W. Claget D. D. SIR I Find that the Translation of the Wholsom Advices from the Blessed Virgin c. which may have help'd to settle the Minds of others has something discompos'd yours For though you are not I dare say pleas'd with the Protestant Preface to it yet however you dissemble your pain Wise Men say that you bite that Preface for grief of the Translation I cannot but admire the Art of you Gentlemen of the Church of Rome in running down Books with bold Contempt which you know not otherwise how to deal with This Translation and Preface for some Reasons is an Eye-sore to you and chiefly for helping to spoil the new Fashion of maintaining Popery by Representing it Something therefore must be done with it and so a little part of the Preface which did not belong neither to the main Design of the Book must be singled out and be made an Example As for all the rest 't is sufficiently answer'd by saying Must I set up for Reader of Anatomy upon all the Pamphlets that come into the World I am highly obliged to you for the Kindness but I think the Scavenger has much the better Office who has nothing but Dirt and Sinks to deal with much less offensive than to be always raking into filthy Calumnies fulsom Incongruities and noysom Impertinencies Which kind of Language one would hardly use but out of a great desire to be unanswerable one way or other After this touch upon the whole you come to touch at some Particulars which seem to fall within your Province of Representing or rather to touch at something which you were the better provided to touch because you had in the very same manner toucht it before in your Fourth Vindication of the First Part. The Particular is That Papists allow no less a possibility of Salvation to Protestants than Protestants do to Papists Now although this is all that I am concerned to oppose yet I shall offer a few Words to your Preparatory Discourse in which you pretend to shew what good Reason you have to pronounce against the Possibility of Salvation amongst us or rather in the new fashion'd Phrase that we as Protestants are guilty of Sins inconsistent with Salvation inasmuch as we are separated from your Communion The short of what you say is That after most serious Considerations and the weighing of all Reasons the Papist believes the Roman Church in which he is to be that one only holy Catholick Church and therefore he does not question but what is truly affirm'd of the Church of the Apostles and succeeding Ages and those that fell from it is most true of the same Church now in being of which he is a Member and of all those who separate from it upon what Pretext soever Now it had been much more to the purpose to have produc'd those serious Considerations than to have spent so much time as you did to prove what none of us make the least Question of viz. That Christ establish'd a Catholick Church that he committed the Care of it to the Apostles that they were inspir'd with the knowledge of Truth that they left Pastors to govern and feed the Flock after their Decease and that the Promise of Salvation is made to Believers exclusively to Unbelievers This I say is all very true but not to your purpose unless you had prov'd also what you do but insinuate That we have separated our selves from the Doctrine and Government of the Church of Christ Which Words I wonder that you were not afraid to use when they lay so fair to be turn'd upon your selves For we are no less sure that many of your Doctrines are no parts of the Doctrine of that Church and that Rome's being the Mother and Mistress of all Churches was not the Government of that Church over which the Apostles were c. Overseers for their time than we are that such a Church was established in the World And therefore if they who separate themselves from the Doctrine and Government of the Church of Christ as it was first establish'd cannot hope for Salvation Pray look to your selves as to that Point instead of contending that you are the only Catholick Church out of which there is no hope of Salvation As to what you would insinuate that there must be in the Church a Succession of Pastors to the Worlds end who should no more err in teaching than the Apostles themselves did and that your Church has that Succession I must tell you as to the first that it is by no means proved from John 14. v. 16. since what is there promis'd to the Apostles is not promis'd to the Church of all Ages so as it was to the Apostles The Spirit of God abode
A PARAPHRASE WITH NOTES Upon the Sixth Chapter of St. JOHN With a Discourse on Humanity and Charity By W. CLAGET D. D. The Second Edition Imprimatur Jo. Battely RRmo Patri ac D no D no Wilhelmo Archiepisc Cantuar. à Sacris Domesticis Ex Edibus Lambeth Maii 31. 1686. LONDON Printed for J. Robinson at the Golden Lion and T. Newborough at the Golden Ball in St. Paul's Church-yard 1693. THE PREFACE SIR 'T IS not for nothing that we are desired to read the Sixth Chapter of St. John every day I have engaged my Thoughts with what attention I can upon those Passages between the 51 and 61 Verses and the more I consider them the more favourably they seem to me to look upon that Opinion that the very Flesh of Christ is eaten in the Sacrament I know not what to say to this that though the Jews understood Christ's Words of eating his very Flesh and he saw plainly enough that they did so yet he went on in the same strain of Expressions Verily verily I say unto you Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you I know you told me that these Passages are not to be interpreted of the Sacrament and that there is no mention in them of any outward and visible Signs which are necessary to a Sacrament But I have heard that the Church always thought these words to be spoken of the Sacrament And besides though there be no mention of a Sacrament yet if Christ's Words enforce this that the natural Substance of his Flesh must be properly eaten by us it will follow that it must be thus eaten in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood unless we could tell how or where else it is to be done I would be glad to see such a Paraphrase upon this Chapter as you speak of which would help to make all appear plain And it were well if others might see it too and thereby see this at least that you are so well satisfy'd with your own Reasons that you are not afraid to let those judge of them that are otherwise perswaded I am c. The PREFACE SIR YOU are desired to read the 6th Chapter of St. John's Gospel every day and this I doubt not for the sake of that part of it between V. 51 and V. 61 which seems to require eating the Flesh and drinking the Blood of Christ in the proper sense And here I make no question your Thoughts were closely engaged But perhaps you have not applied that attention to the rest of the Chapter which you gave to that part where the difficulty lies and then no wonder that the difficulty still remains For I beg leave to put you in mind once more that the true Sense of those difficult Passages as you count them is to be gained by observing their connexion with all the rest And therefore to that Request that you would often read the 6th Chapter of St. John which I acknowledge to be a reasonable Request I must add another as reasonable as that which is that you would not only often read but likewise often consider the whole Chapter and mind our Saviour's Design in it That you would therefore observe what sort of People he had to do with and what was the occasion of this Conversation between him and them What was the Fundamental Cause of their Prejudices against him and with what Arguments and Applications he laboured to remove those Prejudices For you will then find that they were Men whose Belly was their God and who minded earthly things that they followed Christ for the Loaves that he disappointed their Hopes that they were angry at it and altered their Opinion of him upon it that their earthly-mindedness was the Reason why they now liked him not but set themselves to cavil at all his Sayings that to take them off from the Cares and Pleasures of this present Life he laid before them better and greater Things the Means and Hopes of everlasting Life Finally that he calls the Means and Causes of bettering our Minds and bringing us to everlasting Life Meat and Drink and our believing and obeying his Doctrine eating and drinking And then if I am not deceived you will easily acknowledge that in particular he calls the Belief of his Death and Passion for the Sins of the World and the saving Fruits of that Faith eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood And that there is no more reason to imagine that his Flesh should be eaten and his Blood drank in the proper and corporeal sense than that he should make himself Bread to be eaten by us as we use to eat Bread But that there is good reason to understand throughout by that eating and drinking which he required spiritual Actions only which the whole strain of his Discourse shews that he opposed to that corporeal feeding which they were so inordinately sollicitous for I must for the same Reason desire you to mind those plain Intimations scattered here and there in our Lord's Discourse by which it is evident what he meant by eating and drinking He saith V. 29. This is the (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Work of God that ye BELIEVE on him whom he hath sent which is an Interpretation of V. 27. (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Labour not for the meat that perisheth but c. Again V. 35. He that BELIEVETH on me shall never thirst And again V. 47. He that BELIEVETH on me hath everlasting Life So likewise V. 36. and V. 40. This I say is fit to be minded For when not only the occasion he had to use these Terms of eating and drinking which was their following him for their Bellies shews these Terms to be allusive but as if that were not enough he likewise added now and then the plain and proper meaning of those Allusions it must I think be a wilful Mistake in him that attends to this to interpret those Expressions as if they were not allusive Nor is this all for you may please to consider also that when our Saviour found some of his Disciples to understand him as the Carnal Jews did he thought fit for more abundant satisfaction to explain his meaning once for all V. 62 63. as you will find by the ensuing Paraphrase and Notes As for our Saviour's repeating those Expressions at which the Jews had already taken offence you may consider that V. 51. he added that Expression of drinking his Blood to that of eating his Flesh which was a more plain Intimation of that violent Death which he was to suffer for us than that former Saying of giving his Flesh for the Life of the World And so tho' he kept still to the Allusion yet he represented what kind of Death he was to suffer more fully than he had done before But perhaps you are at a loss why he continued to speak allusively at all when he found that he was so grosly
represents the Death of Christ and our Spiritual feeding thereupon and these words in St. John signifie what the Eucharist represents No wonder therefore if Christian Writers in speaking of the Eucharist produce these words which have so near an affinity with it And this I think they may do pertinently enough without supposing that these Passages in St. John signifie the Eucharist because they signifie some of the same things which the Eucharist signifies St. Augustin indeed brings forth that saying Except ye eat the Flesh c. in his Disputations against the Pelagians supposing there as it should seem that it was a direct and proper Command to receive the Eucharist under the penalty of Damnation And I remember that in one place he urges it for the necessity of Communicating Infants This is so notoriously known that I shall not turn to the places and though I will not be positive yet I think he is not clear for this Sense in any other Cause but that wherein he was engaged against the Pelagians But there is this very great Prejudice against his Authority in this matter that elsewhere viz. out of the Heat of that Controversie he gives clearly another sence of these words and speaks of them as if they were reductive only to the Eucharist Mark therefore what he says (o) Hunc itaque cibum potum societatem vult intelligi corporis membrorum suorum quod est Sancta Ecclesia in praedestinatis vocatis justificatis glorificatis Sanctis fidelibus ejus Hujus rei Sacramentum id est unitatis Corporis Sanguinis Christi alicubi quotidie alicubi certis intervallis dierum in Dominicâ Mensâ praeparatur de Mensâ Dominicâ sumitur quibusdam ad vitam quibusdam ad exitium Res vero ipsa cujus Sacramentum est omni homini ad vitam nulli ad exitium quicunque ejus particeps fuerit Aug. Tract 26. in Johan Therefore by this Meat and Drink he would have us to understand the Society of his Body and Members that is the Holy Church consisting of his predestinated and called and justified and glorified Saints and Faithful And presently after The Sacrament of this thing that is of the Vnity of the Body and Blood of Christ is in some places every day in other places upon certain days prepared upon the Lord's Table and received from the Lord's Table by some to Life by some to Destruction But the thing it self of which it is the Sacrament is for Life to every Man for Destruction to no Man whosoever he be that partakes of it By which words it is evident that St. Austin did not here understand that eating of the Flesh and drinking of the Blood of Christ to which Salvation is promised of sacramental eating but of being incorporated into the Invisible Church of Christ and this because he says The Sacrament of this thing may be received to Destruction and because he expresly says That this Meat and Drink is the Society of the Body of Christ consisting of his predestinated c. Members And that therefore he would not have scrupled to interpret eating by believing since 't is Faith by which we are united to the Body of Christ no reasonable Man will question However we have his own Word for it who upon that Saying of our Saviour This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent Goes on thus †Hoc est ergo manducare cibum non qui perit sed qui permanet in vitam eternam Ut quid paras dentes ventrem Crede manducasti Id. Tract 25. This therefore is to eat that Food which perisheth not but endureth to everlasting Life To what purpose dost thou make ready thy Teeth and thy Belly Believe and thou hast eaten Afterwards he puts both together * Accedat credat incorporetur ut vivificetur Id. Tract 26. Let him come and believe and be incorporated that he may be quickned Which Words of his are the more remarkable because in that place he professedly treats of the Exposition of this Chapter Where also upon that saying He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him he discourseth thus (p) Hoc est manducare escam illam illum bibere potum in Christo manere illum manentem in me habere Ac per hoc qui non manet in Christo in quo Christus non manet proculdubio nec manducat spiritualiter carnem ejus nec bibit ejus sanguinem licet carnaliter visibiliter premat dentibus Sacramentum Corporis Sanguinis Christi sed magis tantae rei Sacramentum ad judicium sibi manducat bibit quia immundus praesumsit ad Christi accedere Sacramenta quae aliquis non digne sumit nisi qui mundus est c. Tract 26. in Joh. This it is to eat that Food and drink that Drink viz. to dwell in Christ and to have Christ dwelling in me And therefore he that dwelleth not in Christ and in whom Christ dwelleth not undoubtedly doth not spiritually eat his Flesh nor drink his Blood although he doth carnally and visibly press with his Teeth the Sacrament of his Body and Blood but he rather eats and drinks the Sacrament of so great a thing to his Condemnation because being impure he hath presumed to come to Christ's Sacraments which none worthily receives who is not pure of which 't is said Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Whence it is manifest that in St. Austin's Judgment to eat the Flesh of Christ and to drink his Blood was to eat and drink it Spiritually so as good and holy Men only do partake thereof not all that do press the Sacrament thereof with their Teeth And it is further observable that if to eat that Food and drink that Drink be as St. Austin says to dwell in Christ and to have Christ dwell in us then all holy Persons do constantly e t the Flesh and drink the blood of Christ because they still dwell in Christ and Christ in them but they are not always receiving the Sacrament and therefore St. Austin could not understand these words properly of the Eucharist And that these were not sudden Notions of his appears from this that we find them elsewhere and particularly in his Book of the City of God towards the end which Book he finished just before his Death There he hath these words (q) Nec isti ergo dicendi sunt manducare Corpus Christi quoniam nec in membris computandi sunt Christi Ut. enim alia taceam non possunt simul esse Membra Christi Membra Meretricis Denique ipse dicens qui manducat Carnem meam bibit Sanguinem meum in me manet ego in eo ostendit quid fit non Sacramento tenus sed reverâ Corpus Christi manducare ejus Sanguinem bibere hoc est enim
And from the bottom of my heart I give thanks to Almighty God that I have had my Education in the Communion of a Church which at the same time that it prescribes to me a Rule of Doctrine and Worship does give me full liberty to enquire all manner of ways whether she has dealt sincerely with me or not Under the Discipline of so honest a Church I trust that I have learn'd to be an honest Man For though I am as confident of the main Question as I desire to be yet I have and by the Grace of God always will have a quiet Reserve for better Information And I shall not count him an Enemy but a Friend that both can and will discover my Mistakes For which Reason I have obeyed your Advice and asked the leave of my Superiors to let these plain Thoughts go into the World And I let them go much rather desiring that they may meet with Contradiction than Approbation in any part where they ought to be contradicted Nay I will not refuse to make allowance for them who cannot oppose an Adversary without Huffing and Vanity If I can see that they offer though but a little Reason I will readily acknowledge it or if they offer none at all let them but seem to believe what they say and they shall not go without a Reply As for that Sense which I have not without good Authority offered of those Passages in this Chapter concerning the Father's drawing and giving Men to Christ if it does not equally please all Persons I hope they who are otherwise minded will not be displeased with me when I have declared that I shall no longer care for it when any Man shall lead my Understanding to a better Sir I have but one thing more to say Let you and I observe and follow the Moral Instructions of this Chapter which if all would do I am confident none of us should run into any dangerous Mistake about the meaning of any part of it Our Lord hath said it That if any man will do his Will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God In paraphrasing our Saviour's Discourses here I could not but observe how apt it was to infuse a truly wise honest and godly Temper into the Minds of his Hearers And therefore for a Conclusion I added to the Paraphrase what I thought was a suitable Exhortation that whilst we may happen to dispute about the sense of some more difficult Passages in this Chapter we may not forget to make the great Design of it the Subject of our Practice And so I commend you to the Grace of God and rest Your most c. The Sixth Chapter of St. JOHN The ARGUMENT This Chapter begins with a Narrative of the miraculous feeding of Five Thousand in the Wilderness and consisteth wholly of those Passages that happened upon this occasion The People were so overjoyed with the Miracle that they resolved to make Jesus a King which he avoided and secretly went to Capernaum But they not so satisfied followed him thither the next day when he took another course to prevent their design and that by reproving their worldly-mindedness and by calling them off from the Cares and Pleasures of this Life to mind Heavenly Things and everlasting Life which so turned their Stomachs against him that they fell to cavil at his Sayings and to disparage his Miracles by setting up the Manna wherewith Moses had fed their Fathers against his feeding them the day before Whereupon he inculcated two things upon them with great Earnestness The one was this That they might gain eternal Life by Him and his Doctrine which he therefore called the Bread of Life and the Bread that came down from Heaven and therefore that it was a vain thing in them to challenge him with Moses's giving their Fathers that Bread from Heaven which served only to sustain a mortal Life The other was this That they had sufficient Evidence of his coming from God but that they believed not because of their worldly Prejudices against him Whereupon he tells them that God had committed no other Persons to his effectual Care to convince and save them but such only who were disposed to receive the Truth by an honest Mind and that himself was not bound to conquer the obstinacy of unteachable Men. Notwithstanding all which they proceeded to cavil at his Sayings and because in allusion to the Loaves he had multiplied and to that Manna which they boasted of he had called himself the Bread of Life and in pursuance of such Figurative Speeches he did also express believing in him and trusting in his Death c. by eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood They exclaimed against him as if he had in the literal sense offered his Flesh to be eaten some of his own Disciples also understanding him in that manner To whom indeed he explained himself But for all that upon his free Reproof of their insincerity they left him And then he proved the Constancy of his Twelve Apostles permitting them also to go if they were not willing to stay shewing withal that he understood who were sincere and who were not The Chapter V. 1. AFter these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee which is the Sea of Tiberias V. 2. And a great multitude follow'd him because they saw his Miracles which he did upon them that were diseased V. 3. And Jesus went up into a Mountain and there he sat with his Disciples V. 4. And the Passover a Feast of the Jews was nigh V. 5. When Jesus then lift up his eyes and saw a great company come to him he saith unto Philip Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat V. 6. And this he said to prove him for he himself knew what he would do V. 7. Philip answered him Two hundred penny-worth of bread is not sufficient for them that every one of them may take a little V. 8. One of his Disciples Andrew Simon Peters Brother saith unto him V. 9. There is a lad here which hath five barley loaves and two small fishes but what are they among so many V. 10. And Jesus said Make the men sit down Now there was much grass in the place So that men sat down in number about five thousand V. 11. And Jesus took the loaves and when he had given thanks he distributed to the Disciples and the Disciples to them that were set down and likewise of the fishes as much as they would V. 12. When they were filled he said unto his Disciples Gather up the fragments that remain that nothing be lost V. 13. Therefore they gathered them together and filled twelve Baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained over and above unto them that had eaten V. 14. Then those men when they had seen the miracle which Jesus did said This is of a truth that Prophet which was to come into the world V. 15. When Jesus therefore perceived
that they would come and take him by force to make him a King he departed again into a mountain himself alone V. 16. And when Even was now come his Disciples went down unto the Sea V. 17. And entred into a Ship and went over the Sea towards Capernaum and it was now dark and Jesus was not come to them V. 18. And the Sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew V. 19. So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs they see Jesus walking on the Sea and drawing nigh unto the Ship and they were afraid V. 20. But he saith unto them It is I be not afraid V. 21. Then they willingly received him into the Ship and immediately the Ship was at the land whither they went V. 22. The day following when the people which stood on the other side of the Sea saw that there was no other boat there save that one whereinto his Disciples were entred and that Jesus went not with his Disciples into the Boat but that his Disciples were gone away alone V. 23. Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread after that the Lord had given Thanks V. 24. When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there neither his Disciples they also took shipping and came to Capernaum seeking for Jesus V. 25. And when they had found him on the other side of the Sea they said unto him Rabbi when camest thou hither V. 26. Jesus answered them and said Verily verily I say unto you Ye seek me not because ye saw the Miracles but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled V. 27. Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth to everlasting life which the Son of Man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed V. 28. Then said they unto him What shall we do that we might work the works of God V. 29. Jesus answered and said unto them This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent V. 30. They said therefore unto him What sign shewest thou then that we may see and believe thee what dost thou work The Paraphrase 1. I Shall not mention those Miracles which Jesus wrought between the Passover last mentioned Ch. 5. v. 1. and that which was now at hand v. 4. of this Ch. saving that only of the Loaves which though it be reported by all the other Evangelists yet they have omitted that Discourse upon it which he had with the Jews The occasion of it was this He went in a Boat with his Disciples over that part of the Lake of Genezareth in Galilee which washeth the City Tiberias 2. And a great multitude followed him on foot Mat. 14.13 through Tiberias some of them being diseased Persons whom he cured in the Desert where they overtook him Luke 11.11 3. And he took his Disciples with him to a Mountain in that Desert to instruct them 4. But the People now hastning from all parts towards Hierusalem because of the approaching Passover 5. The Company that came to Jesus in this Desert place was greatly encreased which he observing was desired by his Apostles to speak to them to depart and to provide for themselves Whereupon he said to Philip Dost thou think it possible to procure Meat for this Multitude in the Wilderness 6. Which he said not that he was at a loss what to do but to prove the Faith of the Man who was none of the forwardest to believe Ch. 14. v. 9. 7. Philip not expecting a Miracle answered All the Stock we have will not buy Bread enough for every one of these so much as to taste a little of 8 9. But Andrew presently interposed saying That they had five Loaves and two small Fishes by which he seemed to expect that his Master would do some extraordinary thing but what he knew not the Provision being so very little 10. Then Jesus commanded the Twelve to dispose the Men in order upon the grass of which there was great plenty at that time of the year see v. 4. and so they did not distrusting the Event and found the Men to be about five thousand 11. And when Jesus had blessed the little Food that was there by thanking the Great Creator and Preserver of all things he with his own hands delivered so many Portions of it to the Twelve and commanded them to divide themselves to administer to the Multitude And the Bread and the Fish were so marvellously encreased as it went through their hands that every one of that great Company had as much as he desired to eat 12 13. And when they acknowledged that they had eaten enough he bad the Twelve gather up the Fragments c. And every one of them filled his Basket with what was left so that there were twelve Baskets full of broken Food which was an evidence of the unquestionableness of the Miracle and that no juggle had been put upon the Peoples Stomachs since there remained so much to be seen after they had all eaten 14. And this Miracle was so plain every one of them having his Belly filled with it that they called to mind v. 31. how Moses gave their Fathers Manna in the Wilderness and foretold that God would raise up a Prophet like unto him out of their Brethren and now they concluded that this was that Prophet and the Person that was to deliver them from the Romans as Moses delivered their Forefathers from the Egyptians c. since he as well as Moses could in the greatest Extremity supply them with what Provision they should need 15. And of this they talked so vehemently that at last they resolved to make him King whether he would or not which Jesus perceiving he first sent away his own Disciples almost forcing them into the Boat that brought them thither and promised to be with them before they came to the other side v. 17. Mark 6. Mat. 14. And being thus rid of his Disciples who were pleased with the Resolution of the People and ready enough to join with them in it he more easily satisfied and dispersed the Multitude and so without any Followers he returned to the Mountain to pray by himself 16. Now is was just about the Evening when the Disciples came down to the Shore 17. And entred into the Boat to go over towards Capernaum but it grew very dark before Jesus came to them 18. And the Sea also was tempestuous with a contrary Wind Mark 6.48 19. Insomuch that their Sails being a hindrance to to them they laboured hard with their Oars and yet by the fourth Watch of the Night they had not gained above 25 or 30 Furlongs when they saw Jesus walking upon the Sea as if he were passing by the Ship and not yet knowing him they took him for an Apparition and were afraid Mat. 14.26 20 21. But when they knew him they received him gladly
believing that all things would go well now he was with them and so it proved For though they had made so little Progress before yet now the Ship came presently to the place whither it was bound 22. Now the People whom Jesus had fed in the Desert were not so perfectly dispersed but that many of them kept together till the day following and came to the Shore where the Disciples took Ship the Evening before and although they knew there was no other Boat there when the Disciples went to Sea but that into which they entred and that Jesus did not go with them 23. Tho' there came other Boats from Tiberias afterwards which these Men found that morning near the place where the Miracle was wrought 24. Yet knowing that the Disciples were gone and not being able to find Jesus on that side they believed he was gone after them tho' they knew not how v. 25. And so they resolved to follow the Disciples in those Boats that were newly come from Tiberias hoping to find Jesus himself with them at Capernaum or Bethsaida 25. And when they found him they desired to know by what Miracle he got thither so soon for they knew he went not over with his Disciples and no other Boat was on the other side to transport him but those in which they came and the way by Land over the Bridge of Tiberias was too far about to get thither in so short a time 26. But Jesus without satisfying their curiosity in this matter turned the Discourse to things of greater moment and answered them in this manner I certainly know that ye do not follow me for the true end of those Miracles which I work which is that ye might believe in me and obtain everlasting Life but meerly for that present Benefit which you hope to receive by them as you did yesterday when you did eat c. 27. But I had a farther end in feeding your Bodies which now I require you to mind and that is to perswade you not to take so much pains for the prolonging of a Life which will shortly end as for that Vertue and Knowledge which are the Food of Souls and the means of living happily for ever when this Life shall be no more You should follow the Son of Man for such things as these the Father having shewed him to be the Person who should convey these Blessings to the Souls of Men and that by those wonderful Works which he hath sent him to do for the relief of their Bodies 28. These Men were so suddainly disgusted with this Spiritual Doctrine that they replied in this manner We who have the Law of Moses do already know what Works God requires And canst thou tell us what will be more pleasing to him than our keeping of the Law 29. Jesus answered God hath sent his Son into the World to reveal a better Doctrine and to prescribe a better Life than Moses did And that Work pleasing to God and necessary to your Salvation which you must do is in short this To believe him whom God hath sent and to take his Word for your Security in doing all that he requires 30. But they were so strangely prejudiced against Jesus upon his calling them off from the Cares of this World to a Heavenly Life and a better Hope that the late Miracle for which they had so extolled him v. 14. was now in their Opinion nothing at all And so they replied to him as if they had said If thou pretendest to a higher Doctrine than Moses taught why dost not thou shew us equal if not greater Signs and Wonders than he wrought that we may see them and believe thee for their sake What dost thou perform answerable to such a mighty Faith as thou requirest of us NOTES V. 30. This suddain Turn of theirs was so strange that Grotius does not allow those that said this to be the same Persons that were fed in the Wilderness the day before But I can see no reason for his Opinion for the Evangelist plainly seems to continue the Relation as of the same Persons and it is no unusual thing for Men either to keep or alter their Perswasions as they are led by their Prejudices and Interests And our Saviour told those that had been fed in the Wilderness that they followed him for worldly Advantages and not for Instruction in Spiritual and Heavenly matters v. 26. So that finding themselves disappointed it was not unlikely that they would fall in their Opinion of him To which we may add that one main Design of his following Discourse was to shew that external Evidence was not sufficient to create Faith without the inward preparation of a sincere and honest Mind Which was very pertinent to the Case of those Men who were made confident that Jesus was that Prophet by the late Miracle till they found that his Doctrine was contrary to their worldly Affections For which reasons I have chose to continue the Discourse in the Paraphrase as the Text seems to direct i. e. between Jesus and the same Persons that spake to him v. 25. rather than to substitute other Speakers for which there is neither Authority of the Text nor any need upon the account of avoiding inconvenience V. 31. Our Fathers did eat Manna in the Desert as it is written He gave them Bread from Heaven to eat V. 32. Then Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you Moses gave you not that Bread from Heaven but my Father giveth you the true Bread from Heaven V. 33. For the Bread of God is he that cometh down from Heaven and giveth life unto the World V. 34. Then said they unto him Lord evermore give us this Bread V. 35. And Jesus said unto them I am the Bread of Life He that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth in me shall never thirst V. 36. But I said unto you that ye also have seen me and believe not V. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out V. 38. For I came down from Heaven not to do my own Will but the Will of him that sent me V. 39. And this is the Father's Will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day V. 40. And this is the Will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day V. 41. The Jews then murmured at him because he said I am the Bread which came down from Heaven V. 42. And they said Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph whose Father and Mother we know how is it then that he saith I came down from Heaven V. 43. Jesus therefore answered and said unto them Murmur not among your selves V. 44. No man can come
to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day V. 45. It is written in the Prophets And they shall be all taught of God Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me V. 46. Not that any man hath seen the Father save he which is of God he hath seen the Father V. 47. Verily verily I say unto you He that believeth on me hath everlasting Life V. 48. I am that Bread of Life V. 49. Your Fathers did eat Manna in the Wilderness and are dead V. 50. This is the Bread which cometh down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die V. 51. I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven If any man Eat of this Bread he shall live for ever and the Bread that I will give is my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the world V. 52. The Jews therefore strove amongst themselves saying How can this Man give us his Flesh to eat V. 53. Then Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you V. 54. Whoso eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood hath eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day V. 55. For my Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed V. 56. He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him V. 57. As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me V. 58. This is that Bread which came down from Heaven not as your Fathers did eat Manna and are dead he that eateth of this Bread shall live for ever V. 59. These things said he in the Synagogue as he taught in Capernaum V. 60. Many therefore of his Disciples when they had heard this said This is an hard saying who can bear it V. 61. When Jesus knew in himself that his Disciples murmured at it he said unto them Doth this offend you V. 62. What and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before V. 63. It is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing The words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life V. 64. But there are some of you that believe not For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not and who should betray him V. 65. And he said Therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my Father V. 66. From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him V. 67. Then said Jesus unto the Twelve Will ye also go away V. 68. Then Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go Thou hast the words of eternal life V. 69. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God V. 70. Jesus answered them Have not I chosen you Twelve and one of you is a Devil V. 71. He spake of Judas Iscariot the Son of Simon for he it was that should betray him being one of the Twelve 31. 'T is true that in our need thou gavest us Bread to eat making five Loaves to serve above five thousand of us But what was this to Moses's feeding our Fathers in the Desert who were vastly many more and this Forty years with Manna also which was not earthly Food such as we are yesterday but Bread from Heaven as we are taught in Psal 78.25 32. Now the Reply that Jesus made to this supposed that these Men wanted not evidence of his coming from God and that they ought not to compare the Manna which their Fathers ate with the Bread that he had given them the day before but rather with that inestimable Blessing which God had now bestowed upon them in giving his own Son for the Life of the World And in this he pursued his constant Design of taking off their Affections from Worldly and directing them to Heavenly Things For he answered them to this effect Whereas you magnifie Moses for giving your Fathers Bread from Heaven I tell you it came not from that Heaven which is the place of Immortality but only from that Region of the Air which though it be also called Heaven shall at last perish with the Earth But now God offereth unto you that which in the most excellent sense is Heavenly Bread and which indeed comes from the place where his Majesty dwelleth 33. Whereas also you extol Moses for preserving the Lives of your Fathers in the Wilderness so long as he did you may consider it was but a short Life at longest which that Bread served to sustain But he whom God hath now sent from Heaven is indeed and desires therefore to be called the True Bread because he can preserve you to Eternal Life And Lastly the Bread which Moses gave your Fathers did indeed serve a great many yet they were but a very few in comparison for that which I speak of is sufficient to give Eternal Life to the whole World 34. They replied hereupon We desire no other Bread than this which thou so highly magnifiest give us but such Bread always as this and without all question we shall believe thee V. 34. They are still the same Persons that speak for there is yet no reason to suppose the contrary And by this saying it seems they understood Jesus as if he had spoken to them of Bread from Heaven in the literal and gross sence and by giving that to 'em from day to day had promised to make them live for ever So that from his last Words they seemed to conceive some better hope of him again and that he would go on to fill their Bellies every day Therefore they spake to him now with more respect So hard it was even for Jesus to bring them to any understanding or sence of things that concerned their Minds though he would lead them thereunto by allusion to things grateful to their Senses And this indeed was the general Temper of the Jews in our Saviour's days who were also in this respect rather worse than their Fore-fathers It was just such another Answer that the Samaritan Woman made to a like Speech of our Lord as you may see Ch. 4. 5 13 14 15. 35. Jesus answered If you understand me aright you have your Wish I do not now discourse of those Signs which you desire to see before you believe for you have already had Signs in abundance but of the far greater Benefits which you will gain by believing in me than your Fathers had from Moses I tell you therefore that I am the Bread of Everlasting Life and he that believeth in me and submitteth to my Doctrine hath the Bread and Water of Life and shall hunger and thirst no more for
he shall need no other means of obtaining Everlasting Life than to become my Disciple 36. Do not think that I take that for granted which I ought to prove for you have already seen enough to convince you that I speak the Truth But as I told you before ver 26. Signs and Miracles will not work true Faith in you so long as you follow me for Temporal Benefits and have not learned to prefer Spiritual good Things and everlasting Life above Meat and Drink and all the Enjoyments of this World whatsoever V. 36. These Persons of whom our Lord said that they believed not were those very Men who the day before having seen the Miracle which he did said This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the World Whereby it should seem that then they believed but that their Minds were now changed tho' upon no other reason than that they now perceived his great Design was to feed their Minds with good Doctrine and not to pamper their Bodies Which is a plain Instance how great an hindrance worldly-mindedness is to True Faith since in this Case the same Evidence which convinced these Men while they took our Saviour to be a Benefactor to their Bodies had lost all its force with them when they once perceived that his great Business was to save their Souls Some also of our Lord's Disciples were of this Disposition and it had the same effect upon them as you may see v. 64. 37. So that the reason why you believe me not is because you are not prepared by a good and honest Heart to receive the Truth And now I tell you that the Father who would have all to be saved does not expect that I should give a good account of any other Persons but such as are of a towardly and teachable Disposition These he hath committed to my special care and they will learn of me and not one of them shall want means requisite for his Conviction and Instruction But though I came to save the World v. 51. I am not bound to bring those to Faith and to Salvation that obstinately set themselves against all that Evidence which is sufficient for honest Minds V. 37. It seems very reasonable to interpret these Phrases of the Fathers giving some to Christ and drawing them by what our Lord said v. 26. that these Men followed him because they did eat of the Loaves i. e. not from a sincere desire of learning the Truth and attaining Eternal Life but for worldly Ends For on the one side the Lusts of these Men were the cause of their Unbelief on the other side our Saviour says that all who are given and drawn by the Father would believe and become his Disciples and none else Therefore the Father gives those only to Christ who are prepared by an honest Heart and willingness to learn The Phrase is an Allusion to what is often seen amongst us i. e. to a Man's committing the Care of educating a hopeful and promising Child to a wise and skilful Master with the expectation of having a good account of him at last Not but that these Expressions also imply the preparations of the Heart to be from the Lord Neither does this hinder but that our Lord must be understood to have done what was fit to prepare those whom he found so averse as these Men were See Notes on v. 45. But the meaning is that if Men obstinately persisted in their sensual and worldly Prejudices against the Truth God hath provided no Remedy for such Men. And therefore as St. Chrysostome shews we must not argue in this manner If every one whom the Father draweth or giveth cometh to Christ and none else then those whom the Father giveth not are discharged of all Fault and cannot justly be accused For says he these are vain words and meer pretences since the free Choice of our own Wills must go to the effecting of this Matter For to be taught and to believe depends much upon our own chusing 38. For in this matter as well as in all others I do what is as much the Fathers Will as my own And I came from Heaven to do it and cannot depart from it Observe therefore what I say 39. It was his pleasure to commit to my care all Persons of honest and well-disposed Minds that not one of them should be lost but that I should do all things which would bring them to Faith and Repentance and should take care of their Salvation from the First to the Last even till I shall raise them from the Dead at the last Day V. 39. Although the Wicked shall be raised up at the last day by the Power of Jesus as well as the Just yet when the Resurrection is simply mentioned it is commonly understood of the Resurrection to eternal Life i. e. the Resurrection of the Just And by speaking of this Resurrection at the last Day our Lord did now put them out of doubt that he meant not to pamper their Bodies and to take care for their Pleasures in this Life but that he spake to them of a better Life after this and the means of attaining it 40. For it was his Decree also that every one who seeing the Works that I do v. 36. and attentively considering the Evidence whereby it appears that I came from God does thereupon believe and follow my Doctrine that he I say should have everlasting Life and that I should for that end raise him up at the last Day Now as my Father doth not expect that I should save any but those that believe and obey the Gospel so neither doth he expect that I should bring any to Faith but those that are of teachable Dispositions But if Men obstinately set themselves to oppose all means of Conviction and Reformation it was no part of the Trust committed to me by the Father to reclaim them notwithstanding their incorrigibleness V. 40. To see Jesus signifies the same that it does v. 36. i. e. seeing his Miracles and all other Testimones of a Divine Authority that were discernable in him Only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to note an attentive consideration of them which is proper to ingenuous and honest Men and will certainly produce Faith Whereas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 36. may signifie that careless and superficial sight of his Works proper to those Men in whom Prejudice so prevailed that they saw and yet believed not Now that our Saviour does here and elsewhere repeat his Doctrine concerning that inward Work of God viz. an honest and godly Disposition is an Argument that he laid great stress upon it and that indeed this was the main thing they were to take pains with themselves about For the outward Evidence was given them whether they would or not but the inward Preparation without which the outward Evidence would do them no good at all must in some part be their own Work as well as God's which was plain from
Christ's speaking to them so much about it as he did For if it was not their own fault that they were not inwardly prepared and if it was impossible for them to do any thing considerable towards it his Reproof had seemed something unreasonable and unjust and if they had so understood it they had not been wanting to tell him so 41. But the People were by no means pleased with what Jesus said for they expected he would give them Bread from Heaven as Moses had done for their Fathers v. 34. but now they plainly perceived that by the Bread of Life coming down from Heaven which he spake of he meant Himself and his Doctrine v. 35. and that instead of feeding their Bodies he promised them everlasting Life which they were not greatly concerned about And upon this disappointment they again set themselves to disparage him all they could 42. And said one to another Why does this Man whom we know to be the Son of Joseph and Mary pretend such high things of himself How could he come from Heaven who was born into this World as other Men are and in as mean Circumstances as the most 43. To these Cavils Jesus answered Do not lose time by raising Difficulties about my Person and Doctrine There is another Work that lies upon your Hands which is at present more seasonable and necessary for you than to strain for Objections against what I say and that is to mend your Tempers to shake off your worldly Spirits to make eternal Life your End and sincerely to desire the Knowledge of that Way which leads to it 44. For if you are not thus qualified all my Sayings and Works will never convince you of the Truth For the Father did not send me into the World with any other Charge than that I should do what is abundantly sufficient to save Men of plain Honesty and sincere Intention which Dispositions therefore you should endeavour after and if by the Grace of God you obtain them then you will readily understand and embrace the Truth But till then you do but entangle your selves to no purpose And therefore I advise you to leave off objecting and disputing till you have learnt plain Duties and to become honest Men. And I tell you again I will take care that no such Persons shall want abundant means of Conviction and Salvation but they shall be my peculiar Charge from the time that they are so disposed till I shall raise them up at the last Day V. 44. St. Chrysostom observes that upon this saying the Manichees confidently affirmed that nothing was in our own Power For said they If a man comes to him what needs he to be drawn But says he this does not take away all power over our own Actions but rather shews that we stand in need of God's help and that not every negligent Person but he that takes great pains with himself will come to Christ The true sence of this Verse is more largely expressed in the Paraphrase and in Notes upon V. 37. 45. And these Admonitions I give you are warranted by the Prophets who have foretold that when the Kingdom of Christ shall begin to be established upon the Earth Men shall not want any reasonable means of Conviction for the saving of their Souls because God will then vouchsafe to appear more remarkably to instruct Men than ever he did since the World began And therefore if any Man remains in Unbelief or refuses to obey it cannot be for want of means to make him wise unto Salvation but for want of an humble and an honest Mind and a sincere Intention without which God's speaking to Men by his own Son will have no success upon them but will leave them as bad as they were before But because God is a Master in whom nothing can be wanting to instruct every one that desireth to know the Truth and to be saved will submit to the Doctrine of his Son and become his Disciple V. 45. The 54th Chapter of Isaiah containeth a Description of God's gracious Care and Providence over his Church one Instance whereof v. 33. is this And all thy Children shall be taught of God Which must needs imply these two things 1. That God would reveal that Truth which the Church should profess and this was eminently done by the Son of God himself coming down from Heaven to make it known and by the Holy Ghost inspiring the Apostles afterward 2. That God would abundantly satisfie Men by Divine Testimonies that he had sent his Son into the World for that purpose For these Reasons all that believe in Christ are taught of God Now the force of our Saviour's Argument from this Prediction lies in this If God hath promised to reveal to Men the knowledge of saving Truth and to convince them that he doth reveal it then no Man to whom this Revelation is made shall want sufficient means of Instruction and Conviction and consequently every Man that is not under the power of worldly Lusts and Interests will be effectually wrought upon by them And this freedom from such Prejudices our Lord here calls hearing and learning of the Father which is the same with being given or drawn to Christ the Phrase used before and this intimates that it is something we do towards the preparing our selves and that we may also hinder it For Hearing and Learning are voluntary Actions A Man may stop his Ears against Instruction and alienate his Mind from what is suggested to him Therefore something Men may do to attain that honest Heart which the Divine Inspiration worketh They may also quench this Work of the Holy Spirit The meaning of the whole is as if our Lord had said You must have God for your Master before you can be the Disciples of the Son You must be prepared by those qualities which there is no need of a new Revelation to teach you before you are fit to receive that Doctrine which the Son brings And now it is plain that these very Speeches and Reasonings of our Saviour tended to prepare them for Conviction and Faith For by shewing them the great need of a teachable Spirit in hearing and learning of God and what Blessings the want of this Disposition would bereave them of and by repeating and inculcating upon them that great Concernment of the Resurrection at the last Day he did what was most proper in it self to dispose them to a better Mind to weaken their Prejudices and to make them attend to those Testimonies of his coming from God which they had already seen instead of desiring more Signs which in the temper they were in at present would have done them no good if they had been granted 46. The meaning of which Scriptures is not that any Man shall be immediately taught by the Father For the Will of the Father is not thus to be manifested to any of you it being the Priviledge of the only begotten Son intimately to know his Mind
without the mediation of any other Person Ch. 1. v. 18. 47. Take notice therefore of what I say The Will of my Father which by me he makes known to you is this that he who receiveth my Doctrine firmly believing it and submitting his Heart and Soul to it shall as surely obtain Everlasting Life as if he were possess'd of it already V. 47. This Saying of our Saviour explains all that he says about the necessity of eating c. shewing clearly that he meant the believing of his Doctrine and being conformed to it in Heart and Life For if he that believeth shall obtain everlasting Life then he eateth Christ according to his meaning in this Chapter that believeth in him 48. And therefore as I told you before you are to look upon me as the True Bread of Life whereof I have been speaking to you for I came down from Heaven to guide you to everlasting Life V. 48. Here our Lord calleth himself Bread again thereby implying what he afterwards expressed that he is to be eaten Now most certainly we are in such a sence to eat Christ as that is wherein he is Bread But no Man will say that Jesus was or can be properly Bread therefore it is not eating him literally and properly that can be here meant but only believing on him which is by the same Figure called eating whereby he called himself Bread 49. Which should make you concerned to attend my Instructions instead of desiring such Bread as Moses gave your Fathers in the Wilderness which served only to sustain a short Life in this World for they are long since dead that ate it v. 31 34. 50. But I bring you Food from Heaven which whosoever eateth it shall preserve him to everlasting Life For I bring you a Doctrine the Belief and Obedience whereof will avail to your Salvation and I who bring it am come with the highest Authority to require your Faith and with Divine Testimonies of my Authority to justifie your Faith so that nothing is wanting to secure your Salvation but forwardness on your own parts to eat this Heavenly Food that I invite you to feast upon now that it is brought down to you from Heaven and is as near you as that Bread wherewith I fed you yesterday in the Wilderness Nothing is wanting I say but that you would think who it is that God hath sent to you and of how great concern to your Souls that Message is which I bring you from Heaven and how abundantly God hath testified that I am come from him to give you everlasting Life and that considering these things you would do like reasonable Men believe what I say and receive my Doctrine into your very Hearts and Souls and give thanks to God for his unspeakable Gift V. 50. This is the first place where our Saviour in pursuance of that Figure of calling himself Bread expresseth believing in him v. 35 47. by eating him In the 35th ver where he also calls himself the Bread of Life he did not pursue the Figure throughout by saying he that eateth me but he that cometh to me i. e. who is my Disciple shall never hunger and he that believeth on me not he that drinketh me shall never thirst Which makes it very plain that by eating here we are to understand believing not a corporeal but a spiritual Action And because it does not yet appear that he limits the Object of Believing we are therefore to understand him as speaking of the necessity of receiving his whole Doctrine and submitting to it in Heart and Life which whosoever does shall not die but live eternally 51. And when I tell you that I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven and which he that eateth of shall live for ever as you are to understand this with respect to all that Doctrine which I deliver so especially with respect to that part of it that I am come into the World to lay down my Life for the Salvation of Mankind And as I came for this end so I will give my Body to the Death for the Life of the World which is an infinitely greater Benefit than either your Fathers received from Moses when he gave them Manna to eat or than you received from me yesterday when you were filled with that Provision I made for your Bodies V. 51. Without doing great Violence to our Saviour's Words in this place they cannot be so understood as if he promised to turn Bread into his Flesh for the Life of the World as they must suppose who will ground the Roman Doctrine of Transubstantiation upon this place For if some such Change were here to be understood it must be quite contrary viz. a Change of his Flesh into Bread inasmuch as he calls himself the living Bread and says That the Bread which he would give was his Flesh that he would give for the Life of the World If therefore it be insisted upon that the Words are to be properly understood and that therefore a change must be supposed of one Substance into another it must not be of Bread into the substance of Christ's Flesh but of Christ's Flesh into the substance of Bread which Interpretation I think no body has ever yet been so unreasonable as to contend for What account therefore is to be given of these Words but this That our Saviour having hitherto pursued a Figurative way of speaking upon the occasion so often mentioned went on in the same way of expression to lay before them that principal Doctrine of the Gospel that Christ was to die for the Salvation of Mankind which is the plain sence of giving his Flesh to be bread for us For he gave his Flesh for the Life of the World when he gave himself to the Death for us all And his Flesh so given is Bread to us because his Death is the means of our living for ever And whereas Christ mentioned the giving of his Flesh for the Life of the World as a future thing and likewise the giving of his Flesh to be Bread it does not follow that because the former was to be performed on the Cross only therefore the latter was to be performed only in the Eucharist This I say does not follow unless it could be proved that he promised in those Words to give us his natural Flesh to be eaten properly in the Eucharist which I have shewn is impossible to be proved from hence Still therefore we are to understand not a corporal but a spiritual eating And whereas our Saviour said The Bread which I will give is my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the World the meaning is this that his Flesh shall be given for the Life of the World once for all but the Spiritual Food or Nourishment which his Flesh so given should afford would be given evermore not only in the Eucharist but in the whole ministration of the Gospel which holds forth the Death of Christ
shall be to him a means of that Eternal Life to which I shall raise him at the last day and this as certainly as if he were now in actual possession of it V. 54. Because our Lord continues in his Speech to make a separate mention of his Flesh and Blood it follows that he still speaks of his Death and the particular Doctrine concerning his Death which would be entertained with the greatest difficulty viz. that he was a Sacrifice for the Sins of the World and therefore a Saviour because crucified c. The lively belief whereof is that which our Lord means by eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood and not eating and drinking the Sacrament of his Body and Blood which a Man may do to his Condemnation And therefore although St. Austin sometimes understood these words of the Eucharist yet he did not so understand them as if every one who partakes of the Eucharist does also Eat the Flesh and Drink the Blood of Christ for he manifestly denied that the Wicked were partakers of the very Body of Christ though they partook of the Sacrament of his Body And yet 't is impossible but they must do the one as well as the other if it be true that the proper Substance of the Body of Christ is in the Sacrament as the Church of Rome pretends And by consequence if this corporal eating be intended it seems clearly to follow that no Man who partakes of the Eucharist can be damned which is certainly very false and therefore corporal eating cannot be meant here but only spiritual eating And so St. Austin understood it although he applied these Words sometimes to the Eucharist inasmuch as he denied that the Wicked do eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of Christ although with their Mouths they take the Sacrament of his Body and Blood But because this spiritual eating which is necessary to Salvation is by no means confined to the participation of the Eucharist and because many do not partake spiritually in the Body and Blood of Christ that yet do partake of the Sacrament I cannot understand why our Saviour should speak here directly and properly of the Eucharist and therefore I adhere to the sence of those Fathers who interpret this place and those that follow of spiritual Actions only 55. So that the Doctrine concerning my Sufferings and Death which will give the greatest offence to Unbelievers is the most excellent Meat and Drink because it is the Food of Souls when 't is received with a firm and efficacious Faith and will secure also the Resurrection of the Body to everlasting Life V. 55. He continues to distinguish the Flesh from the Blood and therefore still speaks of his Passion giving some kind of preeminence to Faith in his Death above the belief of other particular Doctrines though that would be admitted with greatest difficulty 56. And therefore he that believeth my Death to be a Sacrifice for the Sins of the World and does thereby learn that Duty which it teacheth and receive that Comfort which it affordeth he will love me and devote himself entirely to my Service because I have thus humbled my self though that be the reason for which such as you will be violently prejudiced against me And on the other side he shall be peculiarly beloved and cared for by me For though in love to Mankind I am to be made an Offering for Sin yet 't is a particular care I shall express towards those who have a true sense of my Sufferings in their behalf who make a right use of them and return that thankfulness and obedience which their Faith requires 1 Tim. 4.10 V. 56. His pursuance of the same Expression still shews that he speaks of the same thing viz. believing his death to be a Sacrifice c. And here he intimates that his Sufferings which would be a Stumbling block to Unbelievers would be an effectual Engagement to all good Men to love him and that their fervent Love and humble Gratitude would be rewarded with his especial Love For as God's dwelling in Men signifies his gracious Presence amongst them and his delight in doing them good so their dwelling in him signifies their Love to him and constant attendance upon the doing of his Will and the delight they have in knowing themselves to be always in his Presence 57. And one remarkable Expression and that of weight enough to make you consider what I say of my peculiar love to every such Believer is what I have told you already and I do earnestly repeat it again As sure as the Father who sent me will raise me from the Dead so surely will I raise up every one to everlasting Life that believeth my Doctrine and liveth by his Faith V. 57. Here our Lord seems to leave the special consideration of his Sufferings and Death and to speak now of his whole Doctrine as he had done before for as by eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood we are to understand believing the merit and instruction of his Death c. so by eating Him we are taught before V. 35 47 50. to understand believing him in general that is believing all his Doctrine 58. Mark therefore what I say to you V. 33 35. at first That I am that true Bread from Heaven wherewith the Manna that your Fathers ate and the Bread which you ate yesterday are not to be compared for they were good for nothing but to preserve a mortal Life for a short time whereas he that feedeth upon the Word and Doctrine which God hath sent you from Heaven shall be raised from the Dead to ascend thither and to live there for ever V. 58. Here he concludes all with returning to the same thing and using the very Expressions that he began withal V. 32 35.50 than which we need not a clearer proof that he all along spake in the same style and in those Expressions of eating and drinking perpetually alluded to the Manna and the Loaves in the Wilderness which gave occasion to all this Discourse 59. These things he said publickly in the Synagogue at Capernaum where the People whom he had fed in the Wilderness found him V. 24 25. and gave him the occasion of discoursing in this manner by following him for the Loaves V. 26. and when they found themselves disappointed by setting the Manna which Moses gave their Fathers against the feeding so many thousands the day before V. 31. And the great end of his Discourse upon this occasion was to draw their Minds from worldly to heavenly Things and to make them more desirous of the Spiritual and Heavenly Benefits of his Miracles than of the bodily relief which they had found by them 60. But because he expressed his Mind in this figurative way and was by many understood as if he had commended to them the eating of his Flesh and drinking of his Blood in the literal sence therefore many even of those that had for some time followed him
talked amongst themselves as if these Sayings of their Master must needs be offensive to the Ears of all Persons that had a sence of Humanity and as for themselves that they knew not what to make of them 61. Neither did they desire him to explain himself further but he by his Divine Spirit knowing what they muttered amongst themselves applied himself to them in particular and upbraided them in this manner for taking so unreasonable an offence against him 62. When you shall see me ascend up to Heaven it will not seem strange that I came down from thence and because even then it will remain necessary that you should eat my Flesh and drink my Blood you may be sure I do not mean that gross feeding upon my Flesh and drinking my Blood in which you understand what I have said for my Body will then be too far removed from the Conversation of mortal Men to be capable of being so used 63. No when I speak to you of the Conditions of obtaining everlasting Life though I have now expressed them by eating my Flesh and drinking my Blood yet you had reason to understand me of spiritual Actions which do indeed tend to the bettering of the inward Man For they are such things only that feed the Soul and can preserve it to Eternal Life But to this purpose the flesh profiteth nothing No not my own Flesh if you should eat it as grosly as you understand my Sayings For even this would be but bodily Nourishment but would have no Influence upon the Mind But if you would know what those things are that better the Soul and it is my Business to call you off from that sollicitous Care you take of your mortal Bodies to mind your Souls and to provide for a blessed Resurrection If I say you would know what things are proper for the Improvement of the Mind they are the Words that I speak unto you they are those Precepts of a heavenly Life and those Promises of eternal Life which I have laid before you that Faith which I require you to have in my Death and that Example of Doctrine Charity and Humility which I require you to follow These are the spiritual means of renewing your Minds and therefore Means also of fitting you for Eternal Life V. 61 62 63. Our Lord perceiving how grosly the Jews and some of his own Disciples understood those Expressions of eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood did upon this occasion explain his own meaning as fully as he did to Nicodemus in the point of Regeneration For Nicodemus having said How can a Man be born when he is old Can he enter the second time into his Mothers Womb and be born Jesus answered Verily verily I say unto thee except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God That which is born of the Flesh is Flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Which was as much as to say The Flesh profiteth nothing as here V. 63. And if you were by a strange Miracle to be born again the natural way by this fleshly Birth you would come again but into a mortal Life but that fleshly Birth would not avail you for everlasting Life In the very same manner our Saviour repeated in this Chapter those Sayings which the Jews and some of his own Disciples were offended at and in the same manner he explained them afterwards It is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life Which being compared with the Answer to Nicodemus now mentioned and explained by the light that Answer affords can yield no other meaning than that which I have expressed in the Paraphrase As for the 62d V. it might be intended as an Answer to that particular Exception against him mentioned V. 42. that he was the Son of Joseph and could not therefore reasonably pretend to come down from Heaven To which if our Lord referred his words are a proper Answer viz. that when they should see him ascend into Heaven they would no longer doubt of the truth of his coming from thence But I rather think those words refer to that great Offence which some of his own Disciples took against him that he should speak of their eating of his Flesh and drinking of his Blood For they were his Disciples only that saw him ascend And when they should know that he was in Heaven they could not without great Stupidity think that he would give them his Flesh to eat and his Blood to drink in that gross sence wherein they understood him However I have put both these Interpretations into the Paraphrase 64. But no wonder that you wrest my Sayings to so absurd a sence as you do for there are some amongst you that dislike my Doctrine and are grown weary of following me and wait for an opportunity to leave me For as soon as any Man professed himself his Disciple Jesus knew how he stood affected towards him And he did not only know who of the Multitude that follow'd him would revolt but likewise which of his Apostles would betray him See V. 36. 65. And Jesus added Because I knew that there were some such amongst you therefore I thought fit to tell you before V. 37 39 44. that my Doctrine would never be heartily entertained by any but those whom God had prepared for it by enduing them with a Mind willing to learn and with a prevailing desire of obtaining God's Favour and Eternal Life 66. Upon this close application of his Doctrine to the Consciences of those insincere Disciples of his they finding themselves discovered and that it was to no purpose to dissemble resolved to pretend themselves his Disciples no longer and went off from him without more ado 67. Jesus seeing them turn their Backs upon him took this occasion both to shew that some of his Disciples were sincere and that he cared not to be followed by any but those that were willing and therefore he said to the Twelve You see I do not compel Men to follow me but that I let them depart if they will go Now what say you will ye still continue my Disciples or follow the Example of these Men and go away 68. Whereupon Peter who was still the most forward Speaker in his Master's Cause answered for himself and the rest Lord our greatest concern is to attain eternal Life and there is none other but thy self who can guide us to it And we understand that those very Sayings of thine with which these Men were so unreasonably offended do shew us the necessity of believing thy Words and Doctrine as thou didst now tell them V. 63. that we may live for ever V. 68. Thou hast the words of eternal Life This saying of St. Peter confirms the Interpretation I have given of V. 63. For here he seems plainly to repeat our Lord's sence almost in the
same Words The Words that I speak unto you they are Life or the Words of Eternal Life As if St. Peter had said We do not understand thee in that gross and absurd Sense to which these Men have perverted thy Sayings for we perceive that thou speakest of those Doctrines and Revelations by which we are to be guided to eternal Life But if St. Peter had understood our Saviour in that sence wherein the unbelieving Jews and his revolted Disciples understood him St. Peter's Answer would surely have been to this purpose Whatever appearance there is of Inhumanity and Contradiction in giving thy Flesh to be eaten and thy Blood to be drunk for the Life of the World yet we believe that we shall eat thy natural Flesh and drink c. because thou hast said it For though this hard Saying staggered those Men that are gone off yet it does not stagger us at all This had been a Confession of Faith suitable to the occasion and to the Spirit of St. Peter if he had understood our Saviour as the Jews did At least he would have used those very Expressions which our Saviour used when the Jews took offence i. e. he would have said To whom should we go but to thee who wilt give us thy Flesh to eat and thy Blood to drink that we may have Eternal Life But when he rather chose to confess his Faith in the Explanatory words V. 63. Thou hast the words of Eternal Life I think a reasonable Man must acknowledge that St. Peter did not understand our Saviour's Expressions as the perverse Jews understood them 69. And we have already arrived to this Faith by seeing thy mighty Works and hearing thy Divine Doctrines for by these Testimonies we are convinced beyond all doubt that thou art the promised Messias and whereas these Men casted thee the Son of Joseph we assuredly believe that thou art the Son of that God who giveth Life to All and will give Eternal Life to all that believe in thee And to this Answer of Peter's all the rest assented V. 69. And St. Peter having thus shewed plainly enough what he understood by the Flesh and Blood of Jesus viz. his Doctrine or words of eternal Life he shews as plainly in this Verse what he and the rest understood by eating viz. believing as Jesus himself had explained it before Vers 47. Therefore says he And we believe and are sure c. So that by what St. Peter said upon this occasion it appears sufficiently that if Jesus had meant the literal and gross sence the Jews and the Disciples that forsook him understood him aright and Peter and the rest of the Apostles and Disciples that staid mistook him which 't is certain they did not because our Saviour approved what St. Peter said in the name of all the rest And in the Interpretation of our Saviour's words it is I believe more safe to follow St. Peter with the approbation of our Saviour than to follow any of his Successors without it 70. But this being spoken in the Name of All Jesus to shew that he as well understood the Hearts of his Twelve Apostles as he did of the multitude of his Disciples V. 64. answered them to this purpose What one of you hath said in behalf of All is true of All but one I have indeed chosen you Twelve before all my other Disciples to be my chief Companions and Ministers but there is one of you who already hates me and is treacherously bent to do me mischief 71. Though he did not mention Judas the Traytor yet he meant him and not any other of the Apostles THE CONCLUSION AND now I heartily beseech All into whose Hands these Papers may chance to come not to think that this Chapter is to be done withal when they are once satisfied what our Lords meaning was in those Expressions of Eating him and the like but that they would please to attend to the Reason and End of these and such kind of Sayings which will convince them I doubt not that this excellent Chapter is fit to be thought of and laid to heart every day they live Great pity it is that this Portion of God's Word also should come to be a Bone of Contention which was designed to beget and improve in the Disciples of Jesus a Spirit of true Wisdom and Piety and to establish them in a Holy Life That which our Lord principally aimed at in all this Discourse was to make his Hearers concerned in good earnest for their Eternal State which will at first sight appear to any Man that mindeth how often those Sayings return of everlasting Life and living for ever and being raised up at the last day Now this indeed seemed to be his great Design in almost all his Sermons and Applications to the People from whence we may gather this profitable Instruction that Men were more or less prepared to receive the Truth as it is in Jesus according as they were more or less affected with the End of his coming into the World which was to bring them to everlasting Life But in this Chapter and in some others there is a peculiar Instruction tending to this purpose which we ought all of us very frequently to consider not slighting it because it is very plain but making much of it both because it is very useful and strongly suggested by our Lord himself And 't is in short this that the Care we are at and the Pains we take for the Welfare of this short Life should awaken in us a greater care and concern for our everlasting Welfare And that we who are so thoughtful and diligent in pursuing our Temporal Interests should be ashamed and count our selves reproved by our worldly Cares if we are not much more careful to work out our Salvation This was the Method our Lord took to bring those People to Wisdom and therefore he represented to them the Means and Conditions of everlasting Life under the Names of those Things which their Hearts had hitherto been most set upon i.e. Bread and Eating and Drinking For these were the Men that had been fed by him the day before and now they followed him for the Loaves that is in hope to reap such bodily Advantages as these from him every day But to bring them to some sense of better things and to lead them towards a due Esteem of that end for which he came into the World he proceeds in his Admonitions by calling the Spiritual Benefits which he had in store for them Bread and Food and their receiving those Benefits Eating and Drinking ever and anon letting them know that if they ate and drank of that Food which he came to give them they should live for ever And what was the Instruction of this way of discoursing to them but that if the bodily Food for which they were so sollicitous were a valuable Enjoyment which yet would serve but for the prolonging of a mortal Life how ought
they to hunger and thirst for the Meat that would preserve them for ever And therefore when he came in the same way of speaking to intimate to them those Benefits of his Passion which they would better understand afterwards than they could at present He told them My Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed as if he had told them in plainer Words than he thought fit to use at that time It is infinitely more profitable to enjoy the Fruits of my Sufferings and Death by being reconciled to God by forbearing to provoke his Justice and by following my Example than if I should take the same care of you as long as I live which I did yesterday when I fed your Bodies by a Miracle And this indeed seemed to be our Saviour's great Design in preaching the Necessity of Faith and Repentance and a Godly Life to the People under so many Figurative Expressions as we find he used viz. to lead them by Temporal Things to the Care of Things Eternal and to raise their Minds from Earth to Heaven by a most familiar and convincing way of arguing with them from Earthly Things themselves Therefore if he found them valuing themselves upon their Liberty or careful for Life or labouring for Wealth or sollicitous for Food He called himself sometimes and sometimes his Doctrine and their receiving of it Liberty Life and Treasure and Meat and Drink as occasion required and this to let them understand that there was a more real Good to be found in Faith and Piety than in these or any other kind of worldly Advantages and that whatever reason they had to be concerned for these transitory Enjoyments they had much more to be careful in receiving as they ought those Spiritual good Things which he came to confer upon them If therefore we will suffer our selves to be instructed by such Passages as these are most of us I fear may learn from our Concern about the things of this World to be ashamed of our remisness in providing for a better And all of us should learn to reflect very often upon matters of greater Concernment when we are engaged even in the honest Designs of this Life and pursuing the lawful Business thereof and so we should in some measure preach to our selves as Christ once did to his Hearers when he was upon Earth And we should not think that the Jews only had need of this kind of Instruction who I confess had been Educated under a Law that promised little else besides Temporal Advantages to those that observed it but that we our selves who know the great Blessings promised in the Gospel to be Spiritual and Eternal stand in need also of such Admonitions as these are For the Cares of this World and the Love of its Riches and Pleasures and Honours are as apt to take hold of us as they were of the Jews if we do not take pains to affect our selves deeply with that Truth concerning another Life which our Lord Jesus hath revealed and to the belief of which we have been educated in his Church And if we have less prejudice against these Doctrines than the Jews had and yet are swallowed up with this World as much as they were we are but the more inexcusable So that undoubtedly the advantage we have over them should make us the more concerned to lay these things to heart because we are so much the more to blame if knowing these things almost from our Infancy we do not practise accordingly Nay when the Profession of the True Faith does bring in Worldly Advantages there seems to be as much if not more reason to reflect in this manner upon our selves as when nothing was to be gotten by it in this World but the loss of all things We are then doubtless to remember that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this World and that the good things of this Life are not the Rewards which he hath promised but that by setting our Hearts inordinately upon that worldly Ease and Profit which we enjoy by the Profession of true Christianity we are in the way of losing that Fruit thereof which will last for ever and the hope of which was all that our Lord used to invite Men to become his Disciples If we follow Christ for the Loaves we shall forsake him when we find our selves disappointed as the Jews at Capernaum did and take Occasions and Pretences so to do as easily as they and some of his own Disciples found them For we are not to think that that Saying Except ye eat the Flesh c. was the true cause of their going off from him but only such a plausible Occasion as they had a good while waited for The reason of their Offence at the bottom was that they had long since perceived our Saviour was not likely to satisfie their worldly Expectations and they did not believe it worth their while to follow him for a Reward in another Life which Prejudice against him had destroyed all their Faith as he told them himself There are some among you that believe not Vers 64. They were those that said Vers 60. This is an hard Saying who can hear it For it is not said that All but only Many of his Disciples when they had heard this said This is an hard c. viz. Those very Men of whom he said But there are some among you that believe not Vers 64. i. e. who had followed him for worldly Advantages as the Jews did from the Wilderness to Capernaum Of whom our Lord said the same thing viz. That they believed not Vers 36. For though but the day before they had acknowledged him to be the Prophet that was to come into the World yet finding that he was likely to disappoint their worldly Hopes they presently changed their Opinion of him So that a sincere Aim at Everlasting Life is very necessary even towards a constant Belief and Profession of the Faith And much more to a Practice answerable to it which will as I said before be advanced not a little if we will use our selves to consider what care we at for these mortal Bodies and this worldly Life and what reason there is to be incomparably more concerned for a blessed Resurrection to Eternal Life which I make not the least doubt is the great Instruction we are to learn from these figurative Discourses of our blessed Saviour And if we constantly have it in our Eye it will not not only render the meaning of this Chapter very plain but the reading of it if we should read it every day we live very useful to us And indeed those parts of God's Word which are purposely designed to work in us a deep Concern for Everlasting Life ought to be very present to our Minds and to dwell richly in us that we may be always well provided to resist the Temptations of the World For which Reasons we should often think of those Lessons of our
Saviour Lay not up for your selves Treasure upon Earth where Moth and Rust doth corrupt and where Thieves break through and steal But lay up for your selves Treasure in Heaven where neither Moth c. And Be not afraid of them that kill the Body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell yea I say unto you fear him And that in this Chapter Labour not for the Meat which perisheth bat for that which endureth to everlasting Life which the Son of Man shall give unto you Which Rules seeming at first sight to discharge us of all Care for our Life and Welfare in this World St. Chrysostom thought it needful to observe upon the last of them that our Lord did not intend to countenance Laziness who himself said It is more Blessed to give than to receive And that St. Paul admonisheth a Man to work with his hands the thing that is good that he may have to give to him that needeth But since these Exhortations run as if we were to be absolutely unconcerned about this Life no question but that care of Eternal Life is prescribed in comparison to which our Cares for this World should seem nothing at all Therefore when we desire our appointed Food we should think how much more it is our Interest to hunger and thirst after Righteousness and that Meat which endureth to everlasting Life And when we most of all feel the hopes and fears of things that go no farther than this World we cannot entertain a better Thought than this that if we are so much concerned for this Life how careful ought we to be not to miss of Eternal Salvation Which kind of Reflections are the more necessary for us the more deeply we are engaged in this World For we do not only labour for the meat that perishes that is for just enough to serve the Necessities of Life but we would be at ease beside and live in reasonable Plenty and enjoy what is convenient for the Pleasure as well as the Sustenance of Life and there are very few that know when to make an end of multiplying Riches when once they are got into the way of Encrease But are we thus concerned for an end of infinitely greater Moment Or rather do not these very worldly Cares reprove our negligence about better and greater things while perhaps we do no more towards our Salvation than to avoid the grossest Sins of all but take little thought how to grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The whole Strain of our Saviour's Discourse in this Chapter naturally leads to such Considerations as these And if we mind them in good Earnest they will by the Grace of God moderate our Affections and Cares about this World in the first place and then leave all that Concern for present and transitory good things which we cannot be without as a perpetual Admonition to be much more thoughtful for our everlasting Salvation and to make it the greatest business of our Lives by Prayers and good Works to lay up for our selves Treasure in Heaven and to lay the stress of our Comfort whilst we are here in the joyful hope of being raised up at the last day to live for ever Amen A POSTSCRIPT SInce these Papers were almost Printed off I met with Dr. Godden's Sermon upon St. Peter's Day in which he endeavours from some Passages in this Chapter to infer the substantial Change of the Bread and Wine in the Eucharist into the Body and Blood of Christ But upon the most Impartial Judgement that I can make of his Performance I do not find that he offers any colour of Argument for his Conclusion which I have not prevented And therefore instead of stopping these Papers for the sake of his Sermon I think it fair enough to say to him and to the World that I can see no reason obliging me to do it A DISCOURSE OF HUMANITY AND CHARITY GAL. VI. 10 As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all Men especially unto them that are of the Houshold of Faith By W. CLAGET D. D. LONDON Printed for J. Robinson at the Golden Lion and T. Newborough at the Golden Ball in St. Paul's Church-yard 1693. A DISCOURSE OF Humanity and Charity GAL. VI. 10 As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all Men especially unto them that are of the Houshold of Faith FROM these Words I might well take occasion to discourse upon three distinct Subjects First Of the several Acts or Expressions of Charity which are here all comprehended under doing good although by the 6th Verse it should seem that the Charity of communicating in the good things of this World was principally intended in this place Secondly Of the Objects of Charity concerning which the Text expresly affirms that they are all Men in general but especially the Houshould of Faith And Thirdly Of the Rewards of Charity which are intimated in the Text by the reference of those words As we have therefore opportunity in the foregoing Promise vers 9. In due season we shall reap if we faint not For this shews the Opportunity here mentioned to be the time that we have for sowing our good Works and that if we use it they will yield a Harvest of Rewards which we shall certainly reap in due season But in so narrow a compass of time I must not undertake to enlarge upon these three Particulars and therefore omitting the First I chuse to insist upon the Second and to conclude with some few Reflections upon the last And thus the first thing to be considered is the Exhortation to doing Good with respect to the general Object Let us do good unto all Men. Now because it is impossible that we should be actually beneficent to every Man in the World otherwise than by our Prayers for All Therefore the plain meaning of the Exhortation is this that we should exclude no Man out of our Charity who needs our Help and comes within the Compass of our Ability to do him good Which tho it be a Duty so much for the Interest of Mankind that one would think no body should be against it yet as the World goes it seems to need the Charity of us All in standing up for it against all false Principles and bad Examples that are advanced in opposition to it I must be content at this time to speak for it without reflecting upon any Opinions or Practices that are against it And therefore I proceed forthwith to represent this part of the Apostle's Exhortation To do good unto all as a Duty under Obligations common to all Men and under Obligations peculiar to Christians I. The Obligations of the first sort are Common Humanity and Natural Piety 1. Common Humanity For the sense of that Nature which is common to us All does oblige us to bear