LXI.

SERM. the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.” And that we may not mistake His meaning, as some of His auditors John 6. 63. did, He afterwards adds, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life." Whereby He plainly discovered, that all that He had said concerning eating His flesh, and drinking His blood, is to be understood only in a spiritual sense not that we could eat that very flesh which He assumed, and drink that very blood which was spilt upon the cross; that is so absurd and impossible, that no man in his senses can take His words in such a carnal sense as that. But His meaning is, that He having taken our flesh upon Him, and offered it up together with the blood thereof, as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, they who believe in Him, do as really partake of that sacrifice and of all the benefits of it, as if they had eaten of the very flesh that was sacrificed, as the Jews did of the Paschal Lamb. By which means Almighty God being atoned and reconciled to them, gives them that Holy Spirit which is united to, and always accompanieth the flesh of Christ, to be a standing principle of new life in them, to nourish and strengthen them with all true grace and virtue, as truly and really as our bodies are fed and supported by what we eat and drink. So that the whole drift and design of this Divine discourse, is briefly comprehended in that short sentence wherewith He begins it, and which may serve as a key to open all that follows, saying, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth in Me hath everlasting life."

ver. 47.

Matt. 26. 26-28.

From hence we may see also by the way, into the meaning of such expressions when used by our Lord in the institution of His Last Supper, saying of the Sacramental bread, “Take, eat, this is My body." And of the cup, "Drink ye all of it: for this is My blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." For these expressions are doubtless to be understood in the same sense here, as those in St. John before mentioned. For though our Lord did not then ordain this Holy Sacrament, yet He used words so very like to those in the institution of it, that St. John having recorded them, did not think it necessary to describe,

as all the other Evangelists did, the institution of His Last Supper, nor what words He then used, they being much the same with those which he had before recorded, as spoken by our Lord upon another occasion. But there is this difference to be observed, that in St. John, He only saith, "That His flesh is meat indeed, and His blood is drink indeed." But in the Sacrament, He offers this His body to be eaten, and His blood to be drunk by all that come to Him. So that all who receive that Holy Sacrament with a quick and lively faith, do really partake of all the blessings which He merited by His body and blood being broken and shed for the sins of the world; and so as our Church expresseth it, "The body and blood of Christ are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper." And their souls are there strengthened and refreshed by the body and blood of Christ, as their bodies are by the bread and wine. This therefore, is the meat which endureth to everlasting life, and which our Saviour here saith "He will give unto you," even to all that believe in Him; so that they may all say with St. Paul, "I can do all things through Christ which strength- Phil. 4. 13. eneth me."

Nothing now remains to be explained in the words, but the reason which our Lord here gives for His last assertion. He had said that the meat which endureth to everlasting life, is that which He, the Son of Man, shall give. And though His word and promise is a sufficient ground for our faith; yet for the greater confirmation of it He adds, "For Him hath the Father sealed," that is, the Father hath sanctified and sent Him into the world to give life unto the world, as the bread of life, "that a man may eat thereof, John 10. 36; and not die." And as princes, when they send an ambas- 6. 50. sador into a foreign country, confirm his commission under their seal; so the Father confirmed His mission of the Son Eph. 1. 13. of Man, by giving Him the seal of the Spirit. As He did at Matt. 3. 17. His Baptism, when He was solemnly inaugurated into His Office; and also by the wonderful works which He did; to John 10. 37, which He Himself therefore appeals as an undeniable argument that He came from the Father. So that He was confirmed in His Office, as it were under the broad seal of Heaven, that we may not doubt, but firmly believe, that He

38.

LXI.

SERM. is indeed the bread that came down from Heaven, and that He came for that end and purpose, that we might have life, John 10. 10." and that we might have it more abundantly;" and by consequence, that He will certainly do as He hath said, even give the meat that endureth unto everlasting life, to all that labour after it.

But then the great question is, How we must labour for this meat, that we may be sure to get it? Or, which is the same, How we may seek so as to obtain that everlasting life, which the Son of Man here promiseth to give? He promiseth to give it, but it is to those only who labour for it; and that labour so as He would have them. Otherwise they will labour in vain, and to no purpose, as many do; Luke 13. 24. " Many," saith He, "shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able," because they seek amiss; they do not observe the rules that He hath set them for it, and then it is no wonder, that after all their labour and pains they miss of it. That this therefore may not be your case, I shall endeavour to shew you, in as plain and perspicuous terms as I can, how you all ought to labour for this meat which endureth unto everlasting life, if you desire in good earnest to have it.

If you desire, I say, in good earnest to have it: for that is the first thing required to your labouring aright for it, even, that you heartily desire it, and set yourselves in good earnest about looking after it, more than after all things in the world besides: otherwise you will but beat about the bush, and never find it; ye may do something perhaps towards it, but not all that is required: and what ye do, you will do it with that coldness and indifferency that it will come to nothing, unless your minds be wholly bent upon it, and Matt. 5. 6. resolved to go through with it. Whereas if ye really "hunger and thirst after righteousness," Christ Himself saith, "you shall be filled." If you earnestly desire and prefer it before all things here below, and accordingly make it your chief care and study to attain it, there is none of you but, through Christ, may certainly attain it; for He Himself hath said you shall. Let this therefore, be the first step you make towards it: make no longer any vain excuses; resolve in the Name of Christ, that from this time forward, you will, by His assistance, labour with all your might for

the meat which endureth to everlasting life; and then you will be sure to have it, as sure as God's Word is true.

But for that purpose you must observe the method here prescribed for it. You must not labour any longer with so much care and anxiety for the meat that perisheth; but you must keep your bodies under, by constant temperance, and frequent abstinence, or fasting, that you may be rightly disposed for that which endureth to everlasting life, and able to endure all the labour and pains that is requisite to the obtaining of it. Remember the words of the great Apostle, "Every man that striveth for the mastery is tempe- 1 Cor. 9. 25rate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached unto others, I myself should be a castaway."

27.

Being thus resolved and disposed for it, ye must "desire 1 Pet. 2. 2. the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby;"

13.

“That ye may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our 2 Pet. 3. 18. Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ;" "Till ye come in the unity Eph. 4. 13. of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." This you can never do without the ministry of the Word, nor by it neither, unless you hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest it, so as to turn it into proper nourishment for your souls; which that you may, ye must Heb. 4.2. always mix it with faith in the hearing of it. You must receive it, not as the word of men, "but as it is in truth the 1 Thess. 2. Word of God, which effectually worketh in them who believe." To other people it is a mere dead letter, without any life, or motion, or power at all. But in those who believe, it works effectually, to the purifying and cleansing their hearts from all vicious and corrupt humours, and to the strengthening them in all true grace and virtue: so that by the Word abiding in them, they are made so strong as to be able to overcome the world," "to work righteousness," 1John 2. 14. "to run with patience the race that is set before them," Heb. 12. 1. and to "work out their Salvation with fear and trembling." Phil. 2. 12. And the great reason is, because, "if ye abide in Christ, and John 15. 7.

66

9.]

LXI.

[Phil. 4.

13.]

SERM. His words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." They are Christ's own words, and therefore ye must believe them, and accordingly pray to God in His Name, to cleanse the thoughts of your hearts. by the inspiration of His Holy Spirit, that ye may perfectly love Him, and worthily magnify His Holy Name; that [2 Cor. 12. "His grace may be always sufficient for you, and His strength made perfect in your weakness;" that the power of Christ may rest upon you; that ye may "do all things through Him that strengtheneth you." This you must pray for every day, as you do for your daily bread: you do it for the meat which perisheth, how much more for that which endureth to eternal life! If you really desire that, you must never let a day go over your heads without praying for it morning and evening, and at other times when you can get an opportunity; and that too, both privately, every one by himself, and publicly in the church with other good people there met together for that purpose. Unless you do this, if you can go a whole day together without saying your prayers, you may be confident that you have no appetite to this spiritual food, not so much as you have for bodily. There is never a one, I dare say, among you, but feed your bodies every day in the year; and if ye had but the same care of your souls as ye have for your bodies, you could not forbear to feed them too, by praying every day for that meat which will preserve them to everlasting life: which therefore, I must advise and beseech you all to do: and to do it heartily, sincerely, earnestly, as for your life; for your life, your eternal life depends upon it: and that ye may never pray in vain, ye must always do it in the Name of Christ: it is He, as ye have heard, that gives this spiritual food: and therefore it is in His Name only, and for His sake, that you must pray for it; believing and trusting in Him, that He, accordJohn 14. 14. ing to His promise, will do whatsoever ye ask in His Name; and so exercising your faith continually in Him, to sanctify and strengthen your souls with His grace and Holy Spirit, that they may be preserved to everlasting life.

This is the chief work to be done, without which all your labouring will avail you nothing: as appears from the words following my text; for our Lord having required them to