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Many follow Jesus for]

S. JOHN.

22 The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;

23 (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks :)

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.

[the loaves and fishes.

perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work ?

them

31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He bread from heaven to eat.

gave

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.

25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? 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, 33 For the bread of God is he which and were filled. cometh down from heaven, and giveth 27 Labour not for the meat which life unto the world.

EXPOSITION-Chap. VI. Continued.

turned their fears into affrightments; for they supposed it to have been a spirit: but he appeased their fears with his presence, and the manifestation who he was ; which yet they desired to have proved by a sign. For Simon Peter said, " Lrd, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." (Matt. xiv. 28.) The Lord did so, and Peter, throwing himself upon the confidence of his Master's power and providence, came out of

the ship, when his fears began to weigh him down, and he cried, "Lord, save me." Jesus took him by the hand, reproved the timorousness of his faith, and went with him into the ship; where, when they had worshipped him, and admired the divinity of his power and person, they came.... to their (desired) ́port immediately."— (Life of Christ, Pt. iii. § 14.)

NOTES-Chap. VI. Con.

Ver. 22. None other boat-The same vessel is in ver. 17 called a ship, which shows what humble ships these were. It is evident they had both sails

and oars.

Ver. 23. Tiberias was a fort, near the south-west corner of the lake or sea of Tiberias-otherwise called the lake of Gennesareth, Cinnereth, and Galilee.

Ver. 27. Labour (Marg. work) not for the meat that perisheth.-This is a precept very liable to be abused by idle people as in the following instance from an ancient writer-" A certain brother came to the Convent of Mount Sinai, and finding the Monks all at work, shook his head, and said to the Abbot, Labour not for the meat that perishethMary chose the good part.'-'Zachary,' said the old Abbot to his servant, give the brother a book, and show him into a cell.' There sat the Monk alone all day long. At night, wondering that nobody had called him to dinner, he goes to the Abbot. Father (says he), don't the brethren eat to-day ? O yes,' replied the Abbot, they have eaten plentifully.

And why (added the Monk) did you not call me?" Because, brother (replied the Abbot), you are a spiritual man, and have no need of carnal food. For

....

our parts ..... we are obliged to eat, and therefore we work.' Pardon me, father, I perceive my mistake.' I do,' subjoined the old man; but remember, Martha is as necessary a Christian as Mary.""-Claude's Essay, vol. ii, 146, N.

Ibid. Him hath God the Father sealed-That is, ratified his mission by the power of working miracles. Ver 32. Moses gave you not that bread from heaven.-Camp., "not the bread of heaven." He observes- Here, though the difference in expression is but small, the difference in meaning is considerable." The expression, "bread from heaven," seems to "point only to the place from which the manna came. The pronoun that, which is quite unwarranted, conduces much to this appearance."

Ver. 33. He which cometh down from heaven.Doddr. and Camp. "That which descendeth from heaven." The latter says, "Let it be observed, that (ho artos) to which this participle (descendeth) refers, is of the masculine gender, and, by consequence, susceptible of the interpretation I have given it..... The request in the next verse shows that he was not yet understood, as speaking of a person.”

1

Christ the true]

CHAP. VI.

[bread of life.

34 Then said they unto him, Lord, not to do mine own will, but the will evermore give us this bread. of him that sent me.

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35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.

37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

38 For I came down from heaven,

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.

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. (R)

EXPOSITION.

(R) Ver. 22-40. Many of the people follow Jesus to Capernaum, who reproves them for their improper motive, and recommends himself to them as the bread of life.-Among the multitudes which followed our Lord, it must be expected that they were influenced by different motives, as are doubtless most numerous congregations in the present day. Those who had formed a plan of aggrandizement, and who thought of being made ministers of state, by making him a king, were probably so much disappointed, that they followed him no farther. Those, how ever, who were gratified by being feasted with the loaves and fishes, at free cost, followed him to Capernaum, probably expecting to be fed again in like mauner. To these our Lord now addresses himself, exhorting them to labour and strive, not for the food that perishes, but for that which endureth unto eternal life, and which the Sou of man alone could give them. They now enquire, and our Lord explains, what that work or labour is, which he recommends; and what that food is, which endures unto eternal life.

The work of God is faith. By " the work of God," it is evident that the Jews meant, the work, or duty, which God required of them; and, by our Lord's answer, this is stated to be faith in him, and a cordial reception of him, as the Messiah. This faith is explained as receiving him, and living upon him spiritually, as we do upon bread and animal food, naturally. The mention of bread naturally enough reminded the Jews of the manna which their fathers ate

in the desert-as it is written, "He gave them bread from heaven." (Ps. lxxviii. 24.) That is, manna was rained upon them from the clouds; but this true "bread of heaven" was from a higher source. "Our Lord's declaration, as I imagine (says Dr. Campbell), imports, that it is in a subordinate sense only, that what dropped from the clouds, and was sent for the nourishment of the body, still mortal, could be called the bread of heaven; being but a type of that which descended from the heaven of heavens, for nourishing the immortal soul unto eternal life, and which is therefore, in the most sublime sense, the bread of heaven."

But some of the Jews, for we must not suppose they were all of the same class, demand a miracle to support their faith. Perhaps these had not been at the miraculous feast on the preceding day, but had subsequently joined the party. If they had heen, it confirms our Lord's assertion, that they followed him "for the loaves and fishes," and therefore wished for another miracle of the same nature; which is the more likely, if, as we may reasonably suppose, the miraculous bread and fishes of which they had partaken, were of the same superior flavour as the miraculous wine of Cana. (Chap. ii. 10.)

But to return to our Lord's discourse. He tells them, that the true "bread of heaven" had not only the power of maintaining, but also of giving life" The bread of God is he (or rather that) which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life

NOTES.

Ver. 37. Shall come to me.-Doddr. renders it, "will come," because (adds he) "I would not lead any, in mere dependance on a translation, to build a weak argument on the word shall, which it is well krown has sometimes been done."—I will in no wise-Doddr." By no means." The original is very emphatical.

Ver. 39. This is the Father's will which hath sent me-Camp. remarks the word patros (father) is wanting in several MS. versions and fathers, and

is omitted by Mills, and other critics. He therefore reads, "This is the will of him that sent me;" as in the next verse- -Lose nothing-Doddr. and Camp. "Lose none," referring to persons.

Ver. 40. Every one which seeth the Son.-Camp. "recognizeth." Doddr. "who views the Son with an attentive eye." But both are foreign to the Scrip ture style: we should rather render it," who looketh to the Son," alluding perhaps to the brazen serpent. See ch. iii. 14, 15.

The Jews murmur and]

S. JOHN.

41 ¶ The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

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?

43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.

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.

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.

[dispute among themselves.

46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

48 I am that bread of life.

49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

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.

52 The Jews therefore strove among

EXPOSITION-Chap. VI. Continued.

unto the world." Then said they unto him, "Lord, evermore give us this bread!" By this answer, it is evident that they did not understand our Lord as speaking of a person, but their minds probably adverted to the miraculous feast which they had enjoyed the day before, and of which they wanted a repetition.

Jesus now more fully explains himself: "I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." Here coming to Christ is explained by believing on him; and the expression," never hunger," as well as "never thirst," must be taken in the same sense as in his conversation with the woman of Samaria (ch.iv. 14), namely, that the spiritual appetite shall be perpetually supplied and satisfied.

Some commentators understand this of our Lord's doctrine, and it is certain that doctrine is food to the mind; but, from the subsequent part of the discourse, we shall find that our Lord had here a reference to his death and atonement, as well as to his doctrine. Our Lord now continues his discourse more plainly, and reproves their unbelief. "I said unto you" before, namely, in ver. 26, "Ye have even seen me, and believe not;" or, as Dr. Campbell renders it more clearly, "Though ye have seen me, ye do not believe."

The next verse has been the subject of much controversy among persons of equal piety and learning, and upon all such points

it becomes us to speak with modesty and tenderness. The words are, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me." The first question is, In what sense are these persons given to Christ? Calvinistic Expositors uniformly say, by election; and we do not question God's having a chosen and peculiar people, though in this place we are inclined, by ver. 44, to consider the actual gift of these persons as referring to their conversion by the drawings of the Father's grace. This corresponds also with the promise made to Messiah, in the 2d Psalm, "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance;" and in the 110th Psalm, "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." No one can truly "come to Christ, except the Father draw him." "All that the Father draweth will come" and "him that cometh to the Son, he will by no means cast out;" he will lose none, but raise up" every such person to life and glory in the last day. Here, then, is the greatest possible encouragement to humble minds. He who has invited all the miserable and distressed" Come unto me all ye that labour and are heaven laden" (Matt. xi. 28) -will by no means reject any who come and look unto him by faith, for life and salvation.

"Jesus, we come at thy command,

With faith and hope, and humble zeal;
Resign our spirits to thy hand,

To mould and guide us by thy will."
Watts.

NOTES-Chap. VI. Con.

Ver. 42. Whose father and mother we know—i. e. we know his meaŭ extraction and education. See Matt. xiii, 54-57.

Ver. 45.-It is written in the prophets,-See Isa. liv. 13.

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(S) Ver. 41-58. The Jews murmur, and our Lord explains.-The more carnal part of the Jews probably now finding they were not likely to be entertained with any more loaves and fishes, began to murmur: 'Who is this man, that talks of having come down from heaven? Is not this the son of Joseph and Mary?' and thus they depreciate the message from the humble appearance of the messenger, notwithstanding the extraordinary miracle they had so lately witnessed. But Jesus meekly replies, I know that "no man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him;" as it is written in the prophets, "They shall be all taught of God." However humbling, and even mortifying, to proud minds it may be, this is the doctrine of both the Old Testament and the New, that "Salvation is of God;" and that to his grace we are indebted for its first beginning, and final completion.

Our Lord now returns to his former allegory, and speaks still more explicitly:"The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." The blood is here mentioned in distinction from the flesh (says a learned foreign divine), to denote the suffering by a violent death. “My death is equally useful and necessary to the obtaining of eternal life, as food and drink are to the sustenance of the present."—" To eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ (says another), denotes to receive and appropriate the blessings resulting from his bloody death-pardon of sin, and peace of mind." Thus, under the

cover of figurative language, but easy to be understood by pious Jews, accustomed to read the Old Testament, our Lord not only predicts his death, but preaches the doctrine of his atonement, as necessary to "give life unto the world," or, in other words, for the salvation of mankind. (See Dr. J. P. Smith's Messiah, vol. ii. p. 124134.)

We are accustomed to appropriate this language to the Lord's Supper, and very properly, as that is founded on this doctrine of atonement; but it can only refer to it prophetically, as it was not yet instituted; nor could it be intended, at that time, so to be understood. The carnal Jews, it is plain, did not understand it at all; for they murmured among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" They had no idea of eating or drinking but in the grossest sense; and it is evident, in the sequel, that his own disciples knew not what to make of it.

But this living upon Christ by faith, implies something more than even trusting to his atonement; it implies a daily communion with him, and a constant depeudance on him, as on our daily food. It implies, that the Holy Spirit which animated Christ the head, animates also his believing members. "As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me."

NOTES.

Ver. 52. His flesh-Dr. Boothroyd, and others, think this refers to the Jewish custom of feasting on their sacrifices.

Ver. 53. Except ye eat the flesh.-The Rhemish annotators absurdly apply this passage to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper (or of the Mass, as they

"Tho' Christ was dead, he ever lives;
To sinners life divine he gives;
And saints, to keep each grace alive,
From him must constant power derive."
Simon BrowNE.

call it), though that was not instituted till just be fore his death.-Ye have no life.-Camp. "Not life;" i. e. spiritual life.

Ver. 57. As the living Father hath sent me.Camp. "As the Father liveth who sent me."

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59¶ These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Caper

naum.

60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?

62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

[and leave Christ.

unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

69 And we believe and are sure, that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the

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. 65 And he said, Therefore said I twelve. (T)

EXPOSITION-Chap. VI. Continued.

(T) Ver. 59-71. Many of the disciples of Jesus desert him; Peter's noble profession of attachment. The preceding discourse, we here learn, was delivered in the Synagogue of Capernaum, on which occasion many of our Lord's own disciples were offended, and murmured among themselves, saying, "This is an hard saying; who can hear (or understand) it." As to the dia logue, or altercation, that took place, we have several similar instances recorded by the Evangelists. (See Matt. xii. 10; Luke xiii. 14; Acts xiii. 45, &c.) For it seems to have been the custom to allow objectors, in certain cases, to reply to the speaker or preacher; or to ask questions, to which the speaker was expected to reply. Jesus did so in the present instance: "And what (said he) if you shall (or should) see the Son of man ascending up where he was before?" This passage has been considered by different persons as a key to the whole of our Lord's preceding discourse, and in that view we take the liberty to insert Dr. Pye Smith's judicious paraphrase :-" If your prejudices are so shocked by my as

surance that the Messiah must go through the lowest degradation, and an excruciating death, how will your disappointment be increased when you find that, on his reassuming his pristine diguity, and ascending to the throne of his glory, in the exer cise of all power in heaven and on earth, he will confer on his disciples no such happiness as you desire. He will give no provinces nor estates; no titles, riches, nor carnal gratifications. The blessings of his reign are not those of sense, but are of an intellectual and holy kind. The divine energy which accompanies the truth taught by me, is the only cause of the enjoyment of those immortal blessings: while every profession, observance, or privilege, that is merely external, can be of no avail to your real and eternal happiness; nor could even the actual feeding on my flesh and blood, if so horrid an attempt were made. My doctrine teaches, and, when sincerely believed, communicates that divine energy and that real happiness." Smith's Messiah, vol. ii. p. 134.

The following words (ver. 63) have, in

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