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
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
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
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
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
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
mistunderstood And then I answer as I have done in the Notes upon that place that I am not obliged to say precisely what our Saviour's reason was for that But besides what you will find there it may be said that sometimes it well becomes a Man of Wisdom and Authority when he finds his Words perverted by caviling People to repeat them again and thereby to speak his own Assurance that they did not drop unadvisedly from him and that 't is not his own but his Hearers Fault that he is misunderstood And this is the more reasonable to be said in the present case if the Jews wilfully perverted our Saviour's Words to that absurd sense of eating his Flesh with their Teeth as 't is probably they did and that because his Expressions were plainly allusive and because also the Allusion was now and then explain'd as I shew'd before What inconvenience is it therefore to suppose that our Lord perceiving that his Divine Discourses and Exhortations had but hardened them in a Spirit of Contradiction did not think himself bound to use presently the utmost plainness of Words for the sake of Men to whom he had spoken plainly enough already if any good were to be done upon them But for further satisfaction in this matter I refer you once more to the Paraphrase and Notes which are already finished and where some little Light is given to those Passages which may seem obscure enough I hope to lead you out of all danger of suspecting those words of our Saviour V. 51 c. to enforce that the Substance of his Flesh must be eaten by us either in or out of the Sacrament It seems I told you that these Passages were not to be understood of the Sacrament I should have added that because they signify those things which are signify'd in the Sacrament that they may be very aptly applied to the Sacrament especially in Exhortations to Devotion nay and that there are some cases in which a Man may argue from the one to the other and some Questions to which both the one and the other give equal Light which may very well be and yet it will by no means follow that these words are primarily to be understood of the Eucharist And this Opinion I cannot deliver up meerly because you have heard that the Church always held the contrary No Man I believe has a greater regard to the constant and universal Tradition of the Church than my self But then I do not think my self bound to believe that the Church has always held this or that because this and that Man tells me so For if a Man can speak and has a Cause to serve 't is as easie to say Thus saith the Church as to say Thus saith the Scripture I remember indeed that our Country-man Nicholas Sanders tells us That (c) Nic. Sanderus de Euchar. p. 23. to deny these words to be understood of the Eucharist is contrary to the Instruction and Authority of all Antiquity And Maldonate says That (d) Maldon in Joan. 6. all the ancient Fathers acknowledge it And others say the same thing and it seems you have heard it Now this is but a custom of speaking which some Men have gotten For I am well assured that all the Fathers were not of their mind Clemens Alexandrinus (e) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paedag. lib. 1. c. 6. p. 105. Paris supposes these Expressions to eat the Flesh of Christ and to drink his Blood to be as figurative as that of St. Paul to feed with Milk and tells us upon this occasion that the word is variously allegorized being called Meat and Flesh and Nourishment and Bread and Blood and Milk and that our Lord is all these things for our enjoyment who believe in him Now I am perswaded you will not say that this Father interpreted the Words under Debate of the Eucharist Tertullian to shew that these Words the Flesh profiteth nothing do not make against the Resurrection of the Flesh saith (f) Sic etsi carnem ait nihil prodesse ex materia dicti dirigendus est sensus Nam quia durum intolerabilem existimaverunt sermonem ejus quasi vere Carnem suam illis edendam determinasset ut in Spiritum disponeret statum salutis praemisit Spiritus est qui vivificat atque ita subjunxit Caro nihil prodest ad vivificandum scilicet Exequitur etiam quid velit intelligi spiritum Verba quae locutus sum vobis Spiritus sunt Vita sunt Sicut supra qui audit Sermones meos credit in eum qui c. Itaque Sermonem constituens vivificatorem quia Spiritus Vita Sermo eundem etiam Carnem suam dixit quia sermo Caro erat Pactus proinde in causam Vitae Appetendus devorandus Auditu ruminandus intellectu Fide digerendus Nam paulo ante Carnem suam panem quoque Coelestem pronunciaret urgens usquequaque per Allegoriam c. Tertul. de Resâ—r Carnis c. 36 37. That we are to be directed to the sence of what is said by the subject-matter of it For because they thought his saying hard and intollerable as if he intended his Flesh should be truly eaten by them he to shew that the Cause of Life and Salvation was spiritual premised this That the Spirit quickneth and then added The Flesh profiteth nothing that is in respect of quickning And then he shews what he means by the Spirit The words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life As he had said also before He that heareth my words and believeth in him that sent me hath Eternal Life and shall not come into Condemnation but hath passed from Death to Life Therefore making his Word to be the quickning Principle since his Word is Spirit and Life he called his Word also his own Flesh for the Word was also made Flesh and therefore in order to Life it is to be hungred after and devoured by HEARING and to be chewed again by the VNDERSTANDING and to be digested by FAITH And afterwards he affirms that our Lord all along urged his Intent by an Allegory So that Tertullian was so far from thinking these Passages to refer to the Eucharist that I am in some doubt whether he understood them with any special reference to the Death of Christ. Origen also interprets Flesh and Blood in like manner For says he (g) Carnibus enim sanguine Verbi sui tanquam mundo cibo atque potu reficit omne hominum genus Orig. in Levit. Hom. 7. By the Flesh and the Blood of his WORD as with pure Meat and Drink he refresheth all Mankind And †Vide in Mat. Tract 12. elsewhere he speaketh to the same purpose St. Athanasius likewise seems to me to be of the same Opinion who speaking of the literal sence in which the Jews understood our Saviour hath these words (i) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Athan. in
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
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