fervable, that though he fpeaks nothing of the ceremony ufed by Chrift of breaking bread with his difciples, neither in his evangelical account of Chrift's life and fufferings, nor in his epiftles; yet he is more large in this account of the participation of the body, flesh and blood of Chrift, than any of them all. For Chrift, in this chapter, perceiving that the Jews did follow him for love of the loaves, defires them (ver. 27.) to labour not for the meat which perifbeth, but for that meat which endureth for ever: but forafmuch as they, being carnal in their apprehenfions, and not underftanding the fpiritual language and doctrine of Chrift, did judge the manna, which Mofes gave their fathers, to be the most excellent bread, as coming from heaven; Chrift, to rectify that miftake, and better inform them, affirmeth, First, That it is not Mofes, but his Father, that giveth the true bread from heaven, ver. 32 and 48. Secondly, This bread he calls himself, ver. 35. I am the bread of life: and ver. 51. I am the living bread, which came down from heaven. Thirdly, He declares that this bread is his flesh, ver. 51. The bread that I will The origin, give, is my flesh; and ver. 55. For my flesh is meat effects of indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. Fourthly, The the body, neceffity of partaking thereof, ver. 53. Except ye blood of eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, Chrift. ye have no life in you. And Laftly, The bleffed fruits and neceffary effects of this communion of the body and blood of Chrift. Ver. 33. This bread giveth life to the world. Ver. 50. He that eateth thereof, dieth not. Ver. 58. He that eateth of this bread, shall live for ever. Ver. 54. Whofo eateth this flesh, and drinketh this blood, fhall live for ever. Ver. 56. And he dwelleth in Chrift, and Christ in bim. Ver. 57. And fall live by Chrift. From this large defcription of the origin, nature, and effects of this body, flesh, and blood of Chrift, it is apparent that it is fpiritual, and to be understood

of

nature and

fleth and

Solid rea

is his fpiri

tual body Chrift

of a fpiritual body, and not of that body, or temple of Jefus Chrift, which was born of the virgin Mary, and in which he walked, lived, and fuffered in the land of Judea; because it is faid, that it came down from heaven, yea, that it is he that came down from heaven. Now all Chriftians at prefent generally acknowledge, that the outward body of Chrift came not down from heaven; neither was it that part of Chrift which came down from heaven. And to put the matter out of doubt, when the carnal Jews would have been fo understanding it, he tells them plainly, ver. 63. It is the Spirit that quickeneth, but the flesh profiteth nothing. This is alfo founded upon most fons that it found and folid reafon; because it is the foul, not the body, that is to be nourished by this flesh and blood. Now outward flesh cannot nourish nor feed the foul; there is no proportion nor analogy betwixt them; neither is the communion of the faints with God by a conjunction and mutual participation of flesh, but of the Spirit: He Cor. 6. 17. that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit, not one flesh. For the flesh (I mean outward flefh, even fuch as was that wherein Chrift lived and walked when upon earth; and not flesh, when transformed by a metaphor, to be understood fpiritually) can only partake of flesh, as fpirit of fpirit: as the body cannot feed upon fpirit, neither can the spirit feed upon flesh. And that the flesh here fpoken of is fpiritually to be understood, appears further, inafmuch as that which feedeth upon it fhall never die: but the bodies of all men once die; yea, it was neceffary that the body of Chrift himself fhould die. That this body, and fpiritual flesh and blood of Chrift, is to be understood of that divine and heavenly feed, before spoken of by us, appears both by the nature and fruits of it. First, it is said, It is that which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world: now this anfwers to that light and feed,

I

tual light

the hungry

foul.

which is teftified of, John i. to be the light of the
world, and the life of men. For that fpiritual light This fpiri-
and feed, as it receives place in men's hearts, and and feed is
room to fpring up there, is as bread to the hun- as bread to
gry and fainting foul, that is (as it were) buried th
and dead in the lufts of the world; which receives
life again, and revives, as it tafteth and partaketh
of this heavenly bread; and they that partake of
it are faid to come to Chrift; neither can any have
it, but by coming to him, and believing in the ap-
pearance of his light in their hearts; by receiving
which, and believing in it, the participation of
this body and bread is known. And that Christ
understands the fame thing here by his body, flesh
and blood, which is understood, John i. by the
light enlightening every man, and the life, &c. ap-
pears; for the light and life, fpoken of John i. is
faid to be Chrift; He is the true light: and the
bread and flesh, &c. fpoken of in John vi. is called
Chrift; I am the bread of life, faith he. Again,
They that receive that light and life, John i. 12.
obtained power to become the fons of God, by believing
in his name: fo alfo here, John vi. 35. He that com-
eth unto this bread of life shall not hunger; and he
that believes in him, who is this bread, shall never thirst.
So then, as there was the outward visible body and Chrift's
temple of Jefus Chrift, which took its origin from outward and
fpiritual
the virgin Mary; there is alfo the fpiritual body body diftin-
of Christ, by and through which he that was the guided.
Word in the beginning with God, and was and is
GOD, did reveal himself to the fons of men in
all ages, and whereby men in all ages come to
be made partakers of eternal life, and to have
communion and fellowship with God and Christ.
Of which body of Christ, and flesh and blood, if
both Adam, and Seth, and Enoch, and Noah, and The patri
Abraham, and Mofes, and David, and all the pro- eat of the
phets and holy men of God, had not eaten, they body of
had not had life in them; nor could their inward

man

archs did

Christ.

man have been nourished. Now as the outward body and temple was called Chrift, fo was alfo his fpiritual body, no lefs properly, and that long before that outward body was in being. Hence the apostle faith, 1 Cor. x. 3, 4. that the Fathers did all eat the fame fpiritual meat, and did all drink the fame fpiritual drink: (for they drank of that fpiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Chrift.) This cannot be understood otherwise than of this fpiritual body of Chrift; which spiritual body of Christ, tho' it was the faving food of the righteous both before the law and under the law; yet under the law it was veiled and fhadowed, and covered under divers types, ceremonies and obfervations; yea, and not only fo, but it was veiled and hid, in fome respect, under the outward temple and body of Chrift, or during the continuance of it; fo that the Jews could not understand Christ's preaching about it while on earth: and not the Jews only, but many of his difciples, judging it an hard faying, murmured at it; and many from that time went back from him, and walked no more with bim. I doubt not but that there are many also at this day, profeffing to be the difciples of Chrift, that do as little understand this matter as thofe did, and are as apt to be offended and stumble at it, while they are gazing and following after the outward body, and look not to that by which the faints are daily fed and nourished. For as Jefus Chrift, in obedience to the will of the Father, did by the eternal Spirit offer up that body for a The divine propitiation for the remiffion of fins, and finished his teftimony upon earth thereby, in a most perfect make the example of patience, refignation and holiness, that faints par- all might be made partakers of the fruit of that facrifice; fo hath he likewife poured forth into the hearts of all men a measure of that divine light and feed wherewith he is cloathed; that thereby, reaching unto the confciences of all, he may raise

John 6. 60, 66.

light of

Chrift doth

takers of his body.

them

them up out of death and darkness by his life and light, and they thereby may be made partakers of his body, and therethrough come to have fellowship with the Father and with the Son.

§. III. If it be asked, How and after what manner Quest. man comes to partake of it, and to be fed by it?

8 55°

I anfwer in the plain and exprefs words of Chrift, Answ. I am the bread of life, faith he; be that cometh John 6. 35. to me fhall never hunger; he that believeth in me fhall never thirst. And again, For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. So whofoever thou art that afkeft this question, or readest thefe lines, whether thou accounteft thyfelf a be liever, or really feeleft, by a certain and fad experience, that thou art yet in the unbelief, and findeft that the outward body and flesh of Christ is fo far from thee, that thou canst not reach it, nor feed upon it; yea, though thou haft often swallowed down and taken in that which the Papifts have perfuaded thee to be the real flesh and blood of Chrift, and haft believed it to be fo, tho' all thy fenfes told thee the contrary; or (being a Luthe- The Luthe ran) haft taken that bread, in and with and under rans and which the Lutherans have affured thee that the opinions of flesh and blood of Chrift is; or (being a Calvinist) haft partaken of that which the Calvinifts fay (tho' of Chrift in a figure only of the body) gives them who take the fupper it a real participation of the body, flesh, and blood of Chrift, though they never knew how nor what way; I fay, if for all this thou findeft thy foul yet barren, yea, hungry, and ready to ftarve, for want of fomething thou longeft for; know that that light that difcovers thy iniquity to thee, that fhews thee thy barrennefs, thy nakedness, thy emptinefs, is that body which thou must partake of, and feed upon but that till by forfaking iniquity thou turneft to it, comeft unto it, receiveft it, tho' thou mayeft hunger after it, thou canst not be satisfied with it; for it hath no communion with darkness, 1Cor. 6. 14°

G g

ΠΟΥ

Calvinists

and blood

fo called;