The whole verse is a strong proof that however carnal and wicked men may be, we should never hesitate to offer to them freely and fully the salvation of the Gospel. Bad as the motives of these Jews were, we see our Lord, in the same breath, first exposing their sin, and then showing them their remedy.
The figure of speech used by our Lord, which supplies the key-note to the whole subsequent di^^course, is a beautiful in- stance of that divine wisdom with which He suited His language to the mental condition of those He spoke to. He saw the crowd coming to Him for food. He seizes the idea, and bids them labour not for bodily but spiritual food. Just so when He saw the rich young man come to Him, He bade him " sell all and give to the poor." — Just so when the Samaritan woman met Him at the well, as she came to draw water. He told her of living water. — Just so when Nicodemus came to Him, proud of hia Jewish birth, He tells him of a new birth which he needed.
When our Lord said, " labour not for the meat that perisheth," we must not for a moment suppose that He meant to encourage idleness, and the neglect of all lawful means in order to get our living. It is a kind of expression which is not uncommon in the Bible, when two things are put in comparison. Thus, when our Lord says " If any man come after me, and hate not his father and mother and wife and children, etc., he cannot be my disciple," we see at a glance that these words cannot be taken literally. They only mean " if any man does not love me more than fxther," etc. (Luke xiv. 26.) So here the simple meaning is that we ought to take far more pains about the supply of the wants of our souls than of our bodies. See also 1 Cor. vii. 29 ; 2 Cor. iv, 18 ; 1 Sam. viii. 7 ; John xii. 44.
When our Lord says, " labour for the meat that eodureth," etc., I think He teaches very plainly that it is the duty of every one to use every means, and endeavour in every way to promote the welfiire of his soul. In the use of prayer, the Bible, and the public preaching of God's Word we are specially to labour. Our responsibility and accountableness, the duty of effort and exertion, appear to me to stand out unmistakeably in the expression. It is like the commands " Strive, Repent, Believe, Be converted, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Awake, Arise, Come, Pray." It is nothing less than wicked to stand still, splitting hairs, raising difficulties, and pretending inability, in the face of such expressions as these. What God commands man must always try to obey. Whatever language Christ uses, ministers and teachers must never shrink from using likewise.
The " meat that endureth to everlasting life," must doubtless mean that satisfaction of the cravings of soul and consciencoj