Exposition of John, Chapter 6 · Verse 16
Verſe 26. Jeſus anſwered them, and ſaid; Verily, verily I ſay unto you, Ye ſeek me, not becauſe ye ſaw the miracles, but becauſe ye did eate of the loaves and were filled.
Followeth the ſermon it ſelf, preached in the Synagogue of Capernaum, verſe 59. wherein, Chriſt points out the true bread of life unto them, and the excellencie, and way of partaking thereof, with ſeveral other paſſages; upon which, ſeveral effects and conſequents do follow. This Doctrine is held out by way of conference, becauſe he is oft interrupted by their queſtions to him, or their grudgings and debates among themſelves, upon which more of the Doctrine is brought forth.
I ſhall take up the parts thereof in this order, 1. Chriſt diſcovers and reproves their corrupt ends, in the pains they took, verſe 26. and directs them to labour and take paines for better and more ſpirituall food, verſe 27. 2. They ſeek direct on how to labour, and he points out faith in himſelf, as the way for attaining this ſpiritual food, verſe 28, 29. 3. They require a ſigne, before they will beleeve in him as a new teacher, ſeeing Moſes (whoſe ſcholars they profeſſe to be) had given them Manna in a miraculous way; verſe 30, 31. and Chriſt, upon occaſion of this, ſets out the excellency of the bread offered by him, above Manna, verſe 32, 33. 4. They profeſſing a great deſire after this bread ſo commended, verſe 34. He deſcribes it more plainly to them, verſe 35. Diſcovers their hypocriſie in their deſires, verſe 36. And ſheweth that his Elect would not deal ſo with him, and ſhould, accordingly, be well entertained and cared for, verſe 37.—40. 5. They carp at his doctrine, and that he ſhould ſo commend himſelf; whoſe baſe original they ſuppoſe they knew, verſe 41, 42. And he cleareth whence their not beleeving in him did flow, verſe 43.—46. and commends himſelf to be the object of ſaving faith, and the bread of life, verſe 47.48. farre more excellent then Manna, verſe 49, 50, 51, — ſhewing alſo in what reſpect he is this bread, even in his fleſh, or by reaſon of his incarnation and ſuffering, verſe — 51. 6. They underſtanding the laſt part of his doctrine carnally, verſe 52. He doth more ſeriouſly inculcate the neceſſity, and advantage of eating his fleſh, or cloſing with him as God incarnate and crucified, commending yet again this food above Manna, ver. 53,—58. Unto which is ſubjoyned, a deſignation of the place where he preached theſe things unto them, verſe 59. 7. Some events and conſequents are recorded, which followed on this doctrine and conference; Namely, That many of his diſciples do yet carp at this doctrine, verſe 60. and he reprehends their ſtumbling, verſe 61. clears and vindicates his doctrine, verſe 62, 63. and points out the true cauſe of their miſtakes, verſe 64, 65. And, that many of them made apoſtaſie and defection from him, ver. 66. Upon occaſion whereof, he confirmes his twelve Apoſtles, verſe 67, 68, 69. and warns them of the unſoundneſſe of one among themſelves, verſe 70, 71.
In the firſt place, Chriſt (in this verſe) diſcovers them unto themſelves, ſhewing that notwithſtanding all their pains and inſinuations with him, yet they were not ſtreight in their ends; nor were they ſo much as affected with his glory ſhining in that miracle they had ſeene; but it was onelyonly the filling of their own bellies that made them ſo earneſt. Whence learn, 1. Chriſt is neither taken, not will be deceived with faireſt ſhewes of pains, and much reſpect to him; but will ſee and diſcover unſoundneſſe, when yet there is much outward appearance to the contrary: Therefore, notwithſtanding their pains in following him, and their inſinuations, verſe 24. he knoweth, and, without being affected with what they did, declareth what they were. And his verdict is to be ſubmitted unto. 2. Chriſt is ſo tender, even of hypocrites, that he will not abruptly put them away, but will deal with them: And as their caſe muſt be told them before they can know it, ſo he will diſcover them unto themſelves, and take pains upon them, ſo long as they will ſtay with him, and heat; Therefore he doth not abandon them, though carnal, but anſwered them: and in great compaſſion diſcovers their caſe, that they may not deceive themſelves. 3. Albeit it be a moſt needful thing, that men of double hearts be diſcovered to themſelves, that ſo way may be made for a cure: Yet it is a very hard task to convince hypocrites, and make them ſenſible of their condition; Conſidering that men are naturally blind; that their outward pains may make them appear ſomewhat in their own eyes; and, that moſt of ſuch go on, till they be judicially blinded and given up to conceit: Therefore, is this doctrine begun with a double aſſeveration, Verily, verily, I ſay unto you, as pointing out the neceſſity of this doctrine, and withal, how difficult it is for ſuch doctrine to have place. 4. Albeit painfulneſſe be commendable, yet the true difference betwixt time-ſervers and ſincere profeſſors is not alwayes to be taken from their outward diligence. But they may be exceeding diligent, who yet are not welcome to Chriſt, but have a falſe heart lurking under it: And there may be much unſoundneſſe under ſeeming forwardneſſe, as caſts it all down: for, here it is granted to them, ye ſeek me, and that with as much forwardneſſe once and again, as could be, and yet they are but naught. See Pſalme 78, 34, 35, 36, 37. Iſa. 58, 1, 2. 5. Albeit Chriſt be diſpleaſed with the faults of hypocrites ſeeking of him; Yet he is ſo tender, that he will approve even of their pains and endeavours, in ſo far as they are materially good in themſelves, though they go about them ſinfully: Therefore, he acknowledgeth, ye ſeek me, and doth not condemne, but yeelds to that, as good in it ſelfe, if they had done it rightly. 6. Chriſt, in trying of men, looks not only to their diligence, that for matter it be aggreeable to his will; but chiefly to the ends and principles of men, and their manner of doing that which is right; for, he trieth them thus here, by pointing out wherefore, and for what cauſe they ſeek him. 7. As it is a rare thing to ſee men, who a…e naturally filled with ſelfe-love, free of by ends in ſeeking Chriſt; So to ſeek him becauſe of outward advantages, which ſometimes accompany him and his way, is the baſeſt and loweſt of by ends, and a practice which he exceedingly abhorres; for, this is their byaſſe here, ye ſeek me, not becauſe ye ſaw the miracles, (of which; ver. 2. and 14) but becauſe ye did eat of the loaves and were filled. To follow him only becauſe of miracles, neglecting his doctrine, were bad enough; but this is yet worſe, when only their own belly drew them, and they did not take up his ſcope in this miracle, which was, to hold forth that he was the true food of ſouls. 8. Mens hearts are ſo decei… ful, that when they ſeem to be moſt taken up with Chriſts glory in his working, yet they may in reality be only affected with attaining or expecting their own ends; for, though they ſeemed to be much taken up with the miracle, v. 14, 15. yet Chriſt declares, that they ſought him, not becauſe they ſaw the miracles, but becauſe they did eat of the loaves. Albeit Chriſt condeſcended to conferre bodily benefits upon them by his miracles; yet it was their fault not to ſee the glory of his Godhead ſhining in them, nor to look on them as ſignes confirming his doctrine, that they might beleeve it, but that in the height of their applauſe, they ſhould only minde their own belly.