Observe here, How busy and industrious our holy Lord was about his Father's work, both on the sea and on the land, both by night and by day; HIS MEAT WAS TO DO THE WILL OF HIM THAT SENT HIM, AND TO FINISH HIS WORK; some have enquired into the reason why Christ travelled by sea, as well as by land; a... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, What an exact knowledge Christ had, not only of all his followers, but of the motives and principles which did induce them to follow him; it was not the excellency of his person, nor the heavenliness of his doctrine, that drew the mutitude at this time after him, but the novelty of his... [ Continue Reading ]
This miracle of our Saviour's feeding five thousand persons with five barley loaves and two small fishes, is recorded by all the four Evangelists, and several particulars therein are very remarkable. Observe, 1. What. poor and slender provision the Lord of the whole earth hath for his family, for h... [ Continue Reading ]
Here we have observable, The wonderful effect of the foregoing miracle; the people seeing so many thousands fed with five loaves, were so transported, that they concluded that Jesus was certainly the promised Messias. Now the notion they had of the Messias was this, that he should be. temporal princ... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. The great danger the disciples were in, and the difficulties they encounter with, after they had enjoyed the sweet privileges of Christ's gracious presence with them. They were tossed upon. tempestuous sea. Learn thence, That it is not unusual, after sweet refreshment and manifesta... [ Continue Reading ]
Our blessed Saviour having wrought the foregoing miracle, feeding five thousand with five loaves, the people followed him in troops from place to place. Christ, who knew their hearts, tells them plainly, what was their end: they followed him indeed, but not for any spiritual excellencies they saw in... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the Jews, who were strict observers of the ceremonial law of Moses, and rested thereupon for salvation, inquire of our Saviour what they should do that they might please God? Christ directs them to the great duty of believing on himself to own and acknowledge him to be the true Messiah, and as... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the Jews tell our Saviour, that, before they will believe in him, they must see some sign from him, to confirm his doctrine, and prove him to be the Messias; they acknowledge Christ had wrought. great miracle in feeding five thousand persons with five barley loaves; but Moses fed their fathers... [ Continue Reading ]
Upon the Jews mentioning manna to our blessed Saviour, he takes occasion to make. comparison betwixt himself, the bread of life, and manna, the bread of Moses, and that in three particulars. 1. It was not Moses that gave the Israelites that manna, it was God at the prayer of Moses; but it was God t... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. How the carnal Jews hearing of the bread which Christ had commended so highly, and conceiving of it carnally, desire they may partake of it constantly; LORD, EVERMORE GIVE US THIS BREAD. The commendation of spiritual things may move the affections, and quicken the desires, of natura... [ Continue Reading ]
Our blessed Saviour having lamented the obstinate infidelity of the Jews in the foregoing verse, who, though they had seen him, would not believe on him; he doth in this verse comfort himself with the assured expectation, that there would be. number, which should certainly and infallibly come unto h... [ Continue Reading ]
In these words our Saviour gives us the confirmation of the foregoing promise, that he will in no wise cast out those that come unto him, by assuring us, that it was the great end for which he came into the world. His Father sent him to do his will, and not his own: that is, not to do his own will w... [ Continue Reading ]
Although Christ had in the foregoing verses plainly asserted himself to be the true bread that came down from heaven, for the benefit of the world; yet the Jews understanding his words carnally, are offended with him, for pretending to come down from heaven, when they knew him to be the son of Josep... [ Continue Reading ]
In which words we have something necessarily implied, and something positively expressed. The misery of man in his natural and unsanctified state is here implied; he is far distant from Christ, and unable of himself to come unto him. By nature we are strangers, yea, enemies, unto God; enemies to the... [ Continue Reading ]
In these words our blessed Saviour confirms his former assertion, concerning his Father's drawing, from the prophecies of the Old Testament, which, speaking of the days of the Messias, foretold, that persons should be taught of God to embrace the Messias; whence Christ inferreth, that every one who... [ Continue Reading ]
In these verses our blessed Saviour resumes his former doctrine, namely, that he is the object of saving faith, and the bread of life, which he compares with the manna, the bread of Israel. YOUR FATHERS DID EAT MANNA IN THE WILDERNESS, which manna was an illustrious type of Christ. Thus both came do... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, How the Jews, understanding Christ after. carnal manner, were offended at what he had said: for they thought it was inhuman to eat man's flesh, and could not understand how the body of Christ could in such. sense be food to all the world. Hence note, That carnal persons put. carnal se... [ Continue Reading ]
The foregoing doctrine of our Saviour concerning eating his flesh and drinking his blood, sounded so very harshly, that not only the common multitude, but some of them that had been his disciples, that is, who had given up their names to follow him, could not tell how to hear it. Our Saviour reprove... [ Continue Reading ]
To convince the Jews that our Saviour did not mean. carnal and fleshly eating of his body, he tells them, That such an eating would profit nothing; but it is. spiritual eating of him by faith, that bringeth that quickening life of which he had spoken. IT IS THE SPIRIT, or divine nature, THAT QUICKEN... [ Continue Reading ]
Our blessed Saviour having thus cleared his doctrine, that he was the bread of life which came down from heaven, and that he is not to be carnally, but spiritually, fed upon: he plainly tells the Jews, That the true cause of their stumbling at his doctrine, was their ignorance and unbelief; THERE AR... [ Continue Reading ]
Our Saviour finding many of his nominal disciples forsaking him, and departing from him, asks his apostles (the twelve) whether they would also go away? Intimating, that their departure would go nearer to him, than the departure of all the rest. The nearer they are from whom we receive unkindness, t... [ Continue Reading ]