426 SECT. 1xxx, The Jews ask a sign, and boast of their manna: 30 They said there, Then, though they just before had seen such an astonishing miracle, and several of them lived fore unto him, What sign shewest thou then in the neighbourhood of Capernaum, where he that we may see, and VI. 30, had so long multiplied those wonders, yet some believe John thee? What of them were so unreasonable, that they said to him dost thou work? after all the miracles that he had wrought, If thou wouldest have us to regard thee as invested with so high a character, that far exceeds whatever has been claimed by any one before, thou shouldest produce some signal evidence of a superior kind to all that has been done by others; what sign therefore shewest thou from heaven, that we may see [it,] and believe thee? What dost thou perform more than others, or even equal to what Moses did, that we should treat thee with 31 so extraordinary a regard? Thou didst indeed yesterday feed some thousands of us in an extraordinary manner with barley-bread: but our He gave them bread fathers, who were incomparably more numerous from heaven to eat. than that assembly, did, under the conduct of Moses, cat manna, a far more delicious food, in the wilderness, even forty years; as it is written (Psal Ixxviii. 24.) "He gave them bread from heaven to eat ;" and, when thou shalt give us as glorious a demonstration of thy mission, we will pay thee an equal regard. 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the de sart; as it is written, 32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, 32 Then Jesus said to them again, Verily, verily, 33 For the bread down from 33 and most excellent bread from heaven. For that of God is he, which e Some of them were so unreasonable that they said to him.] The sentiments of those that speak to Christ in this discourse are so various (compare ver. 31, 41, 42), and the evangelist so expressly declares that there was a debate between some and others of them, ver. 52, that I think it would be wrong to imagine these to have been the perverse and ungrateful sentiments of the whole multitude, who had followed him with so much eagerness from place to place for several days. world heaven, and giveth life d That is indeed the bread of God, which descendeth from heaven, &c.] It is necessary to translate alabarwy, &c. in this ambiguous manner, that we may not supersede the explication which our Lord gives in ver. 35. Dr. Clarke has justly observed this; and it is of great importance to ap ply it to many other passages, where too clear and full a paraphrase of what is explained professedly in some subsequent verses would only serve to flatten the whole. Compare note con Mark iv. 3, sect. lxv. e Some But Jesus tells them, He is the bread of life. world of believers, whereas what Moses gave some 427 SECT. 1xxx. John They therefore, when they heard him speaking VI. 34. of so excellent a gift, were presently desirous to obtain it; and, though as yet they did not fully understand what he intended by this bread, s of the wiser and better part of them had such a notion of its excellence, that they said to him, Lord, give us evermore this bread, on which our life depends, and let us always live upon this heavenly manna. Then, for a farther explication of this impor- 35 tant truth, Jesus said to them, I am indeed the bread of life; nor is bread so necessary to the support of your bod es, as a believing regard to, me is to the life of your souls; he therefore that comes to me and makes his application aright, shall never hunger; and he that truly believes in me shall never thirst any more; but may depend upon it that he shall find the most restless desires of his soul satisfied, and, conscious of the noblest refreshment and nourishment already received, shall grow up to a state of everlasting complete satisfaction and enjoyment. But, valu-36 able as these blessings of my grace are, you are little disposed to pursue and accept them: for I have already told you (ver. 26), that you have even seen me, and beheld the miracles, that I perform; and vet are so perverse and obstinate that you believe not [in me,] and will not be prevailed upon to come to me for life and happiness. Nevertheless, though you reject me, yet I shall not 37 be universally rejected, nor shall the purposes of my mission be entirely frustrated ; for all that the Father has graciously chosen to himself, and whom he giveth to me in consequence of a peculiar covenant to be sanctified and saved by me, will certainly at length come to meɛ; and, Some of the wiser and better part of them.] See before, note c on ver. 30. I am the bread of life.] Though indeed it is very usual with the sacred writers to represent Divine instructions as the food of the soul, and to compare them to delicious and nourishing diet (see Psal. xix. 10; cxix. 10; Prov. ix. 5; Job xxiii. 12; Jer. xv. 16; and Heb. v. 12, 14); yet I can recollect no instance in which the Instructor himself, as such, is called Food, or any are said to eat him; much less in which, as below, they are exhorted to eat his flesh, on and drink his blood: so that Dr. Clarke's 8 All, that the Father giveth me, will come appeared 428 1xxx. All that the Father gives him will come to him. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the SECT. On the other hand, if any of you find yourselves disposed to such a believing application to me, John you have no reason to be terrified with any susVI. 37. picion that you are excluded from hope by any secret transactions between the Father and me; for I declare it to you as an universal truth, and perfectly consistent with the former, That him that cometh to me, whoever he may be, I will by no means cast out, nor shall he be rejected or re38 fused on any consideration whatsoever. And you have sufficient reason to believe this, because I came down from heaven into this lower world, will of him that sent not to do my own will, or to seek any separate in- me. terest of my own, but to do the will and to seek 39 the glory of him that sent me. And this is the will of the Father who sent me, That of all the Father's will which hath whole body of my people whom he has given me, which he hath given and committed to my care, I should lose none, me, I should lose nonot even the meanest member, but should as- thing, but should raise it up again at the last suredly raise it up at the last day in complete day. 40 glory and happiness. Or, to express it in more 40 And this is the general terms, even this is the will of him that will of him that sent sent me, That every one who views the Son with which seeth the Son, an attentive eye, and, in consequence of that and believeth on him view, cordially believes on him, receiving him by may have everlasting faith, and trusting in him as an all-sufficient him up at the last day, Saviour, should have eternal life; and I will accordingly raise him up at the last day, and make appeared to me most agreeable to the words h And him that cometh to me, whoever he him 39 And this is the sent me, That of all me, That every one life: and I will raise great doctrines of the gospel which have i Every one who views the Son with an attentive eye.] Thus the words was, o Japan TOV DIGV, should undoubtedly be rendered, There are many other places where away signifies to view with attention. Compare Mat. xxvii. 55. Luke x. 18. xxi. 6. John xvii. 24. Acts iii. 16, and Heb. vii. 4. The Jews murmur at his saying, He came down from heaven. 429 1xxx. him completely happy, both in soul and body, SECT. IMPROVEMENT. How gratefully should we acknowledge the Divine goodness, Ver. in giving this true bread from heaven for the life of the world; and 32, 33 how solicitous should we be, that by a true faith we may feed upon it! In the midst of so many ensnaring circumstances, let us be strictly watchful over ourselves, that the vigour of our pursuits and labours may not be laid out on the meat, which perishes, 27 to the forgetfulness of that, which endures to eternal life: but acknowledging those authentic seals, by which Christ is marked out to that important trust, may we apply to him as sent of God the 49 Father to be the Author of eternal salvation, and come to him to be partakers of his saving benefits! It must surely grieve us to observe the neglect and contempt with which he is too frequently treated; but it may comfort us that there yet remains a remnant according to the election of grace, (Rom. xi. 5.) All that the Father giveth him, will come to him; 37 and blessed be God, that this appears to be no inconsiderable number. Secret things belong to the Lord our God, (Deut. xxix. 29.) let it therefore be our care to make first our calling, and then, by a happy consequence, our election sure, (2 Pet. i. 10.) Whatever discouragements may arise in our way, may we fly to cast ourselves at the foot of Christ; and then we may be sure he will never on any consideration cast us out, but will receive us in the arms of his almighty compassion, and, having sheltered and maintained us in his house on earth, will at length conduct us safely to the presence of his glory and to the blessed abodes of complete felicity! SECT. LXXXI. Christ having represented himself as the bread of life, enlarges on the necessity and benefit of feeding upon him as such. John VI, JOHN VI. 41. THUS did our Lord declare himself to be the szer. 4 with J.hn 430 No man can come to Christ, unless the Father draw him. SECT. with a becoming regard, that on the contrary, bread lxxxi. which came 42 And they said, Is not this Jesus the son they took offence and murmured at it, because he down from heaven. John said, I am the bread which came down from heaVI. 41. ven, to feed and support the Divine life in the 42 soul. And, being strangers to the doctrine of his miraculous conception and Divine nature, of Joseph, whose fathey said among themselves. Is not this Jesus, ther and mother we the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then have long known, having lived many years in the neighbourhood? How is it therefore, that this man should claim so high a character? or how does he presume to say, that I came down from heaven? that he saith, I came down from heaven? 43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not 43 Jesus therefore, who well knew all their secret 45 my kingdom. come to me, except For so it is written in the 45 It is written in prophets, (Isa liv 13 and Jer xxxi. 34.) And shall be all taught of the prophets, And they they shall all be taught by God, by Divine in- God. Every man there a Whose father and mother we have long known.] Dr. Wells argues from hence that Joseph was yet alive; but it may signify only, We know who his father and mother were. It is at least certain that Joseph died quickly after; for if he had been living, Jesus, when dying on the cross, would not have consigned his mother to the care of John. John xix. 26, 27. (Compare note b on John ii. 1. sect. xxiii. and Mat. xiii. 55, p. 385.) b Unless the Father who has sent me, draw him.] The sense I have given in the paraphrase seems so natural from a view of the words themselves and of their connection, as well as so agreeable to the whole tenor of scripture, that I wonder so many learned and ingenious men should have laboured to disguise it by other interpre tations. Dr. Clarke explains it as an in fluences fore timation, that to be well grounded in na. word |
