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mistaken notions of what had | law for righteousness to every one happened to their fathers in the who believes. Others take up a wilderness-and labours to raise profession of his name from a their grovelling minds from things licentious principle; they consider carnal to things spiritual-from the Christ as having purchased a disearthly to the heavenly manna-pensation for them to sin with imfrom a temporal to a spiritual de-punity-use his blood as an opiate liverance. "I am the bread of to still the just clamours of their life," says he: "Your fathers did consciences, and consider his imeat manna in the wilderness and puted righteousness as some how are dead. This is the bread which superseding the necessity of percometh down from heaven, that a sonal holiness. Such are continuman may eat thereof and not die. ally declaiming against every ap I am the living bread which came pearance of strictness as self-righdown from heaven: if a man eat teous, while they conform to the of this bread he shall live for ever: world in self-indulgence as part of and the bread that I will give is that liberty wherewith Christ hath my flesh, which I will give for the made them free. Let the reader life of the world." John vi. 48-51. therefore examine himself, as to As whatsoever was written afore- his motive in professing the name time was intended for our admo- of Christ; and the rather as we nition, let us for a moment forget see from this passage, the ancient Jews and see what important instruction, we of modern times may deduce from this memorable piece of scripture history. And with a view to that, let it be remarked, that,

1. From the 26th verse of this chapter we see what unworthy ends men may propose to themselves in following Christ. Here is a vast multitude following him for loaves and fishes, who had no relish for his spiritual doctrine. This is not a thing peculiar to those carnal Jews. Since nominal Christianity has become the religion of the nations, there are thousands for one who follow him from no higher principles. Many make a trade of the Christian religion, whilst the chief ground of their attachment is, that by this profession they have their bread. Many take up the profession to gain a name among men, to establish their credit, and so to advance their worldly honour and interest-Some follow him from a principle of self. righteousness, as giving them the best directions how to obtain eternal life by working the works of God, ver. 28. while they have no Rotion of him as the end of the

2. That Jesus knows all the thoughts, motives and intents of our hearts. None of this multitude openly professed to follow him for the loaves and fishes; but he saw into the inmost recesses of their souls, and discovered their motives. Many went still farther than these did, and professed to believe on him when they saw the miracles which he did; but Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man, ch. ii. 23–25. Hence speaking to the churches he "All says, the churches shall know, that I am he who searcheth the reins and hearts." Rev. ii. 23. Let the hypocrite in Zion therefore consider this, and be afraid; for he will bring every secret thought to judgment.

3. From this chapter we may also see the unreasonableness and inexcusableness of unbelief. This great multitude saw his miracles which he did on them which were diseased, ver. 2. Five thousand of them had also been fed by him with five loaves and two small fishes, ver. 9–14.

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leads us to the true source of infidelity, which lies not so much in the want of evidence as in the disaffection of the carnal heart. True indeed, the natural man cannot know the things of the Spirit of God, because they are spiritually discerned. But simple ignorance is not the only reason of his unbelief. Our Lord assigns

43. "Why do ye not understand my speech? even (says he) because ye cannot hear my word," i. e. do not relish it. In this chapter they declare their disgust at Christ's words, saying, "This is a hard saying, who can hear it?" ver. 60. and many of his professed disci ples being offended at his doctrine, went back and walked no more with him, ver. 66. Thus the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; why? because they are foolishness unto himand this is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, 1 Cor. ii. 14. John iii. 19. This shews us how faith is a matter of exhortation, and how all who hear the gospel are without excuse in rejecting it, because they do it through disaffection and not for want of evidence.

acts of divine power which none but the Creator of the world could perform; and they were not performed merely to raise their wonder without informing their judgments; but as confirmations of the truth of the doctrine which he taught them, chap. v. 36. His doctrine and miracles were such incontestible proofs of his divine mission as left them entirely inex-a cause for this ignorance, ch. viii. cusable in rejecting him, ch. xv. 22-25. This appears farther from their partial convictions; for when they had seen the miracle which Jesus did, they were constrained to confess, "This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world." ch. vi. 14. Why then did they not subject themselves to his teaching, and hear him in all things whatsoever he said unto them? Why, because they saw nothing in his appearance or doctrine that suited their carnal inclinationsnothing that answered their worldly preconceived notions of the Messiah and his kingdom. The miracle of feeding the multitude struck them with a temporary conviction, not of his true character and kingdom, but that he was the person whom they fondly expected should restore the kingdom to Israel; and in this view they were for taking him by force and making him an earthly king, ver. 15. But no sooner does he begin to preach to them about spiritual things, and particularly of his giving eternal life to all that believe on him, than they immediately demand a sign that they might believe him, as if he had given them none hitherto! Had he been of the world and spoken of the world they would have heard him, and believed him without any farther sign ch. v. 43. because such doctrines would be suited to their carnal inclinations, and consequently would go easily down; but as to the spiritual doc-surrounds the earth; hence he says trines of the gospel, they always wanted farther evidence, and could never be satisfied with signs. This

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4. We may observe here that our Lord sets himself forth as the true bread in allusion to and as the antitype and truth of the manna wherewith Israel were miraculously fed in the wilderness. The Jews in seeking a sign of him remind him of the manna wherewith their fathers were fed in the desert, ver. 31. from which he takes occasion to show them that He was the true bread pointed out by that manna, and infinitely excelling it in every respect. For first; the manna came only from the lower heavens, the atmosphere which

"Moses gave you not that bread from heaven," i. e. the highest heavens; but Christ came down

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from the highest heavens where he | feast with God on the sacrifice of had glory with the Father before Christ. the world was, see ver. 32, 33. 6. We may observe from the Again, The manna satisfied their metaphor of eating Christ's flesh bodily appetite only for a little and drinking his blood, that faith time; they soon hungered again; in him is not a mere empty specu But Jesus says, "I am the bread of lation; but, that where it is genuine life, he that cometh to me shall it must ever be accompanied with never hunger; and he that be a real enjoyment-an enjoyment lieveth on me shall never thirst," answerable to eating and drinking, ver. 35. Thirdly, The manna was and infinitely superior to any cargranted only to their fathers, and nal gratification. How does a crîthat while in the desert; none of minal, who is under sentence of the gentile nations had any share death, feast in his mind upon a of it; but Christ the true bread of pardon? How does a lover feast God, giveth life unto the world, upon the charms and endearments ver. 33. for with respect to the of the beloved object? How does salvation by Christ, there is no dif the mind feast upon the certain ference of Jew and Gentile. Lastly, prospect of good things to come?" The manna only sustained their Such are the enjoyments of faith natural lives for a little while; in eating Christ's flesh and drinkthey soon died, and many of them ing his blood. This we find was as a punishment too of their sins the case with the first Christians; under the just displeasure of God. and it must also be so with us if "Your fathers did eat manna in we have like precious faith with the wilderness and are dead." ver. them. Faith, love, and hope, are 49. But Christ is the bread which indeed not the same; they are cometh down from heaven, that a three, but they are inseparable. man may eat thereof and not die— This eating implies our enjoyment but live for ever, ver. 50, 51. and of Christ as our own. For as it is be raised up to eternal life at the by means of the food we eat that last day, ver. 40, 54, 58. a life in our animal frame is supported, inGod's favour here by the consci-vigorated and maintained, so also ous sense of the remission of sins is the spiritual life nourished, and -a life of holiness and conformity promoted by realizing perceptions to Christ and an eternal life of of the excellent knowledge of glory and happiness from the dead. Christ Jesus the Lord. Hence 5. Christ intimates that he should the remarkable declaration of the become proper food for the souls apostle, "I am crucified with of men by being crucified, and by Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not shedding his blood for them. I, but Christ liveth in me: and the "The bread that I will give is life which I now live in the flesh, my flesh, which I will give for the I live by the faith of the Son of life of the world," ver. 51. and he God, who loved me, and gave himspeaks of his blood as drink in- self for me." Gal. ii. 20. Can we deed, ver. 53–55. Hereby they adopt the same language? have fellowship with God in feed- 7. Consider the hearty invita." ing upon his sacrifice wherein he tion, given to all that hear the gosfor ever rests well-pleased. This pel, to come to Christ. "Come is that which is signified in the unto me all ye that labour and are Lord's Supper by eating the bread heavy laden, and I will give you and drinking of the cup. When be-rest."- "Ho, every one that thirstlievers come together into one eth, come ye to the waters, and he place, they cannot truly eat the that hath no money; come ye, buy Lord's supper, but in so far as they and eat; yea come, buy wine and

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sions used, may be expounded in the same manner." And the famous Dr. Horsley, Bishop of Rochester, says, "There is not a passage of the book of Psalms, in which the pious reader will not find his Saviour, if he reads with a view of finding him: the misapplica- plication of the Psalms to the and literal David, has done more misto chief than the misapplication of any other parts of scripture among Christians." Yet some of the most teemed Expositors confine their vs to David so very much (exin those parts where they are n absolute necessity of reChrist;) that an undue o these may be the reason Psalms are so misunderstood by many preachers.

rsonal) O sin of his r; yet we should ne was "made sin" for Jehovah "caused to meet pon him the iniquities" of all his chosen people: so that he may say with propriety, as our surety and substitute; as in Ps. xl. 12. "Innumerable evils have encompassed me about, mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up: they are more than the hairs of my head; therefore my heart faileth me," &c. Strong as this language undoubt edly is, it is not too strong for the occasion; and it is only to turn our eyes to the garden, and think of the agony, and we shall see its complete accomplishment.

Indeed, as Bishop Horne observes on the Psalms; (preface p. 13.)" When we are taught to consider one verse of a Psalm as spoken by the Messiah, and there is no change of person through the Psalm; what can we conclude, but that he is the speaker through the whole; and if Christ be the speaker of one Psalm; what should hinder, but that another, where the same kind of sense is evidently described, and the same expres

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It is certainly true that some passages, as those for instance, that you have referred to in Ps. cxix. 67, 176. do not appear proper to apply to Christ; and we should not overstrain them to make them do so; but (if the above is correct) I rather think, that if we knew more of the mind of the Spirit, we should see more of Christ even in such passages, than at first sight we are aware, especially as there are parts of this beautiful Psalm, that evidently apply chiefly to him; and there does not appear to be any change of speaker through the whole; though I would rather confess ignorance, and pass them over, than torture the holy oracles, as some have done, to make them speak according to their mind; for "what we know not now, we shall know hereafter." John xiii. 7.

The truth appears to be, as a very worthy and highly esteemed Baptist minister in London, whom I well know, once observed, "To read the Psalms with understanding, we should always recollect, that David was a prophet, and an eminent type of our Lord Jesus Christ; and what he wrote, was partly in his own person;-partly

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