(d.) Le: UF! note that true believers sliall never be altogether cast off and forsaken of God. The man that comes to Christ shall " never hunger nor thirst." The text is one among many proofs of the perseverance of the saints.
(e.) Let us note, finally, liow simple are the terms of the Go.-^pel. It is but coming and believing that Christ asks at oui hands. The most ignorant, the most sinful, the most hardened, need not despair. They have but to " come and believe."
Luther, quoted by Besser, remarks on this verse: — "These are indeed dear and precious words, which it is not enough for us merely to know. We must turn them to account, and say, Upon these words I will go to sleep at night and get up in the morning ; leaning upon them will I sleep and wake, and work and trav\?l. For though everything were to go to ruin, and though father and mother, emperor and pope, princes and lords, all forsook nie, though even Moses could not help me, and I had only Christ to look to, yet He will help me. For His words are sure, and He says ' Hold fast by me : come thou to me, and thou shalt live.' The meaning of these words is, that whoever can believe on that one Man who is called Jesus Christ, shall be satisfied, and cannot suffer either hunger or thirst."
3G. — [But I said.. ..ye also have seen Me and leJieve not] It is not quite clear to what our Lord refers in this verse, when He says, — " I said." Some think that He is referring specially to His own words in the 26th verse, — " Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles," etc. Others think that He refers generally to the testimony He had frequently borne against the unbe'ief of the Jewish people, in almost every [)lace where He preached.
It seems to me most natural to connect the verse with the saying of the Jews, in the 30th verse. They had there said, — " What sign showest thou then, that we may see and believe thoe?" Why should we not suppose our Lord in this verse to take up that saying and reply, — " You talk of seeing and believ- ing ; I tell you again, and have long told you, that ye have seen me, and yet do not beheve " ?
The connecting link with the preceding verse, appears to be something of this kind: — "I am quite aware that I speak in vain to many of you of the bread of life and of believing. For I have said often, and now say it again, that many of yon have both seen me and my miracles, and yet do not believe. Never- theless, I am not discouraged. I know, in spite of your unbe- lief, that some will be saved."
The unbelief of human nature is painfully exhibited in thia verse. Some could even see and hear Christ liimself, while Ho was on earth, and yet remain unbelieving I Surely we have no