which juſtifieth, v7. a Christ crucified, for that is 6 Smed by wuC
55 For my tie! is meat indeed, and my blood is diinkindeed 7.
{ I as a Chrift crucified, not meerty conſidered as to my Divine Nature, but as ro both Natores united in one Perſon, and variety larly with reſpect ro my Death and Suffering am indeed the Foo. ci Souls ; not a Typical Food, as Manna was, but a true and real Food, which nouriſheth them to etcraal Lite ; and rhe moſt excelient Food tor them. In which Senſe Chri't is called, The true Light, Ch, 1.9 and The true Vine, Ch. 15. I.
56 He that eateth my fleſh,anddrinketh my blood ws, [| dwellech in me and I in him ». .
m He that acknowledpeth and receiverh ms, tho' he ſeeth me 23 a Man, conliiting of Fleth and Blood, and thar perticilarly- applieth #**'* himſelf ro me as dying for the Sins of the World ; and commitreth is his Soul in all its concerns for Life and Salvation ro me, » is unied tro ime, and I ro hin: He1s united ro me by Faith and Love, Eph. 3-17+1 Fohn 3, 23,24. and 4.16. And I am united to him by a murual Love, Cy. 14. 23-and by my Holy Spirit. As our Bread and Mear, which we are Nourtthed by, doth nor dwell in us, and nou- riſh unleſs we eat it: Soneither doth Chrift do good to any- Sol, unleſs ſuch a Soul as by Faith receiveth him, and believeth in him. Whar 1s ſaid in this Verſe makerhir evident, thar thefe Verſes cannour be underitood of any Sacramemal earing, for it is not rrue, that Chriit dwellerth in every Soul, or that every Soul dwelleth and abi-
6 +
f Or, 275
deth in Chritt, who doth Sacramencally eat the Fleſh, and drink che Blood of Chriitt. All Unions are either Nacural or P6:t:ical Unions. The ſtricteſt Natural Union, 1s that of the Head and M.mbers; the Vine and the Branches. The {tricteit Pelztical Union, is thar of the Huiband and Wife, Gen. 2.24 The Union betwixt Chritt and a be- lieving Soul 1s ſer out by all theſe, Chap. 15.1. Epheſ. 5. 30, 31.
Col. 1.18. For the Nature of this Union, fee Divines, who have
wrote on this Argument.
57 As theliving Father » hath ſent me, and I || live | Or, fr by the Father p; fo he that cateth me, even he {hal co#aners live by met{g.
o God is often in Holy Writ called the L7vz7g God, not only becauſe he hath Life in himſelf, bur becauſe he is the Fountain of Life to all his Creatures. Chriit here declareth his Father to be the Lzving Fi- ther upon the latter account, as he is the Author and Fountain or all Life; f and T lzve by the Father, (ſaith he} Some rranilate ir fer the Father, as indeed the Prepoſition H2 joyned with an Accufartive Caſe {as it is here} doth mo{t ordinarily fgnifie ; bur not always et- ther in prophane Authors, or in the Dialect of Scripture, as Mark 2.4. and 12. 24s Chap. 4.41, 42. It ſeemeth here ( as in thoſe Texts ) to denote not ſo much rhe final as the eficienmCaufe ; and fo berter Tranſlated by than for the Father : For Chriit in this Texr ſeems to be giving his Hearers an account how he came to be /:v:»2 vread.and to be ina capacity of giving Life to the World. Saith he, I /zze by the Father, who by an eternal Generation hath communicated ro me all rhar Life which is in him ; and hath alſo communicated re me a quickning Power, asI am Mediator, and fent by the Father into the World, to give Life unto the World: Now look as I bave Life in my felf from him who is the Fountain of Lite, q fo according to the Fa- thers Ordinatton, he that eaterh me ( thar is ) by a true Faith re- ceiveth and cloſeth with me as Mediator, he fhall by me live both Spiritually and Eternally. |
58 Thisis that bread which came down irom not as your fathers did eat Manna, ani a! He that eateth of this bread, ſhall live ior e- 7 There is no more ſaid in this Verſe, rhan {. 49, 59, 51. See tne Notes on thoſe Verſes. From this whole Diſcourſe 1t 1s 25 evident as the Light, Thar the Juſtification of a Soul depentera upon believ- ing ; and the Spiritual Life of the Soul, tlowerh not from Love or Obedience to the Works of the Law, bur from Faithin Jetus Chit : Tho' it be true,rhat true Faith cannot be withour Works;and no man withour Obedience in fincerity, (tho' not in perfection ) ro the Will of God, ſhall ever obtain etern2] Life and Salvation; but thisMoecience is not Faith, nor doth nor enter into the Jufitacztien oi the Soul, buL is the certain and neceſfary product of that Faith which juttuhets, which cannor be ju{tified: as irue and ſaving, withour Oveutence. In all this Diſcourſe there is no mention of Love or Obedience, ro whici the Promiſes of Lite everla.iing, and a joyiu! Refurrection are 10 of ren made ; bur only of eating Chritt, Earzzig bis Flejio, and avrimReng hi Blood : Eating him as the bread which cam? down jrom Hoa: 77,090 which arePhraſcs no way expre._iive of Obediciice to the works of tie Law, but of believing.v. 47, 43,49. The orace Texts of Scrtprure make it plain enough, that there can be no believing witnout OMCy- ing, nor any eternal Lite and Salvation obtataed without bot.
59 Theſe things laid he in the Synigogue, as bs caught in Capernaum {. :
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