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Manna, which your Fathers did eat of in the wilderness, was such, as could not preserve them from dying; But such virtue shall ye find in me, who was prefigured by that Manna, as that whosoever feeds on me shall never die.

VI. 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. Your Manna, as it had no life in itself, so it could give none: I am that True Life-giving Bread, which came down from heaven: if any man feed on this Living Bread, he shall live for ever: neither shall ye need to go seek far for this Bread; for the bread, that I will give, is this very flesh of mine, which I will offer, upon the Cross, for man's redemption: this is it, which your souls shall feed on, while, by the means of this humanity of mine, is conveyed unto you all my Righteousness, and the full efficacy of my Deity, for the quickening of them to life everlasting.

VI. 52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

The Jews therefore, mistaking the words of Christ, as literally spoken, of a carnal and bodily manducation, argued with themselves; How can this be made good, which he speaketh? How is it possible, that this man should give us his flesh to eat; or how should that flesh be bread?

VI. 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.

Then Jesus, knowing their secret murmurings, said unto them, Never think it so strange, that I have told you concerning the eating of my flesh; for I tell you yet again, except ye do so, by a true and lively faith, communicate of my flesh and my blood, as that you are incorporated thereinto, ye can have no spiritual life in you.

VI. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life.

Whosoever thus partaketh of my flesh and my blood, as that he hath this spiritual communion with me, that man hath already a true right to eternal life.

VI. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

For my flesh is indeed a true spiritual meat, and my blood is a true spiritual drink, whereby the soul of the true believer is really

nourished to eternal life.

VI. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

He, that thus partaketh of my flesh and blood, becometh one with me, and I with him; neither is there any other way or means of his happy communion with me.

VI. 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.

Do not fix your eyes too much upon this visible humanity of mine;

but know, that this power of giving life is derived to me from that my Living Father in heaven, which hath sent me, and hath given me this life of the Son of God manifested in the flesh: by virtue whereof it is, that, as he gives life unto me, so I do also give a spiritual life to whosoever shall thus partake of me.

VI. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: &c. See verses 48, 49, 50.

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

Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard these words, taking them in a carnal and literal sense, said, This is a hard and harsh doctrine: who can tell what to make of it, or how to take it?

VI. 61, 62 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before?

The disciples made no open complaint of this their exception and scandal; but when Jesus, the Searcher of Hearts, knew in himself, that his disciples murmured at his doctrine, he said unto them; Do ye stumble at this saying of mine? I do well know, that the ground of your offence, is the mean estimation of this Humanity of mine; the power whereof ye measure by your outward senses, making no difference betwixt me and other men: what will ye say then, if, ere long, your eyes shall be witnesses of another manner of condition of mine, than you think of? if you shall behold me, the Son of Man, ascending up, by the power of my Deity, into heaven, to take a repossession of that glory, which I eternally enjoyed there?

VI. 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.

Ye are ready to mistake my words, of a fleshly kind of eating my body; wherein ye do grossly err: for it is not my flesh, consider ed simply of itself, without respect to the Spirit, that can avail you to this happy nourishment; but it is the Spirit of the Almighty and Eternal Godhead, whereto this body is inseparably united, which gives this sovereign virtue unto it. And even so is it also in my Doctrine: it is not the outward sound of my words, whereye are to rest, and to seek comfort; but it is the inward and spíritual sense of them: thus taken, they shall be found to have sweetness and life in them.

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

From that time forth, many of those his fashionable disciples, taking this unjust offence at his holy Doctrine, went away from him, and followed his train no more.

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

While the rest are gone, ye twelve stick close unto me; and indeed I have singled you out to the honour of a more near atten

dance upon me: yet even this small number of yours must be abated; for, howsoever ye all make fair professions, yet one of you is a very devil in his heart, and will ere long manifest his wicked

ness in act.

VII. 3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

His kinsmen therefore said unto him, What doest thou here, in this obscure corner of Galilee? Go thy ways up to the famous and frequent city of Jerusalem, where all the confluence is of the Tribes of Israel, and Proselytes from all parts; that thou mayest win and confirm thy disciples with thy miracles.

VII. 6, 7 My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

It is not yet a seasonable time for me to go up to Jerusalem: ye may go when ye please; all times are alike to you: the world is your friend, and favours you in your designs; but me it hateth, because I reprove the wickedness of it.

VII. 13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.

No man spake openly in his approbation and defence, for fear of the censure of the Jewish Rulers; which had decreed to excommunicate any man, that should profess respect unto him.

VII. 16 Jesus answered them, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

I do not deliver the doctrine which I teach, as my own,
Heavenly Father's, which hath sent me.

but as my

VII. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

If any man shall, with a simple and honest heart, yield himself over to do the will of my Father, according to the measure of that he knows, God shall encourage and bless that man with further light; so as he shall fully know whether my doctrine be of God, or of myself.

VII. 21 I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

I have done one charitable and miraculous work on the Sabbath day, namely the cure of a palsied man; and ye are all wondering, and vet mutinying at it.

VII. 22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

Under the law of Moses, ye were enjoined circumcision; not that Moses was the first institutor thereof, but God to our father Abraham; and ye do, without scruple, practise it accordingly, even upon the Sabbath day.

VII. 24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

ST. JOHN.

Look seriously into the true state and ground of things; and do not judge according to fancy or outward appearances, but esteem of things as they really are.

VII. 26, 27 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? Howbeit, we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

Is it out of guiltiness, that our Rulers are thus silent? Do they know indeed, that this is the very Christ? If they do so, sure we think they mis-know him; for we have learnt, that when the Messiah comes, no man shall know or declare his generation; but for this man, we know his kindred and pedigree.

VII. 28, 29 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

Ye mutter secretly, that ye know me and the place of my birth and my parentage, but ye are utterly mistaken; for I have a Father in Heaven, whom ye know not: I came not of myself, but my Father is he that sent me, who is the God of Truth; of whom ye, after all your pretences of knowledge, are utterly ignorant: But I do perfectly know him, as I have good reason; for both I am from him by eternal generation, and by him sent into the world to do this great work of redemption.

VII. 33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.

Ye seek to lay hands on me; but know, that my time is set: it shall not be long, ere I put an end to this your contempt and persecution; and, departing from you, shall return to my Father that

sent me.

VII. 34 Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.

Then ye, my persecutors, shall seek me in vain; for ye shall not find me: I shall be quite out of your reach; and where I am, thither can ye not come.

VII. 37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.

In the last day of the feast, which day they called the Great Ho sannah, Jesus stood, and took occasion, by their solemn fetching up of water from the Well of Siloa, at the foot of Mount Sion, for their sacrifices and libations, to speak of better waters; and cried, saying, If any man thirst spiritually, let him come to me and drink.

VII. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

He, that believeth in me, shall, according to the frequent promises, every where in the Scriptures, be abundantly blessed; and shall not only have much comfort in himself, but shall have such

store of grace and heavenly consolation in his heart, that he shall be able to vield forth abundance of it unto others.

VII. 39 The Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.

The miraculous and sanctifying gifts of the Holy Ghost were not as yet so fully given, as they were afterwards, when Jesus was received up into glory.

VII. 48, 49 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. Were this man such as you pretend, do ye think that the Rulers and the Pharisees, men of better judgment than yourselves, would not have discerned and acknowledged him? They know the Law, and, according to that, judge infallibly; but this ignorant multitude, that hath no insight into the Law of God, lies open to miserable seduction and error, and is therein accursed.

VIII. 7 He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

Since you plead the law against this offender, I gainsay not; but am ready to second Moses herein: in the mean time, do not ye prosecute that in her, whereof yourselves are guilty: she hath well deserved to be stoned; but who shall be her executioners? If any of you be innocent, let his hand be first upon her.

VIII. 11 And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: Go, and sin no more.

Howsoever thou hast deserved, it is not mine office, to pass sentence of condemnation upon thee: since therefore thine accusers are sent away by their own guiltiness, it is not for me to prosecute thee; go thy ways, repent thee of this great wickedness, and take heed thou be not miscarried into this sin any more.

VIII. 14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I

go.

Howsoever, in the ordinary course of human proceedings, it is true, that no man's testimony is to be taken concerning himself; yet, in this case of mine, who am a Divine Person, exempted from all possibility of error, God in the Flesh, it is far otherwise, Being such a one, though I do bear record of myself, yet the record cannot but be true: for I, and I only, know whence I came, even from the bosom of mine Eternal Father; and whither I am returning, even to the repossession of that glory: but ye, judging only according to the outward appearance, know neither of these.

VIII. 15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

Ye presume to judge according to your carnal affections, and follow your outward senses in the judgments ye pass on me; and, in the mean time, will not endure me, who do not challenge or execute that power, which I might, in judging you.

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