Exposition of John, Chapter 6 · Verse 30 – Verse 33
Ver. 46. Not that any man hath ſeen the Father, ſave he which is of God, he hath ſeen the Father.
In this ver. Chriſt clears the former teſtimony, and inference from it, by ſhewing that Gods teaching doth not import that men muſt firſt ſee God, and be taught of the Father apart, and without him; For not only is the Father inviſible to the eye of our body (which is alſo true of the Sonne and Spirit, ſave in ſo far as the Sonne of God was incarnate, and made manifeſt in the fleſh) but there is alſo no immediate ſight of the minde, or knowledge of the Father, in his eſſence, will, or wayes about ſaving of ſinners, but what Chriſt the Sonne hath; And therefore all others muſt be taught, not immediately by the Father, but mediately in and by him. And Chriſts ſcope in this, is, not only to cleare the miſtake that might ariſe, but to make way for returning to his former doctrine; by leading them to himſelfe, in whom, and by whom alone, they could expect any thing the Father promiſeth. Doctrine 1. Men in hearing and ſtudying ſublime and divine truths, have need of much caution and warineſſe, that their carnal and ſhallow conceptions and imaginations do not beget miſtakes and errours about them, and withdraw them from the ſimplicity of what is revealed; Therefore doth Chriſt finde it needful to prevent miſtakes about this myſtery. 2. Gods condeſcending to ſtoop to ſinners ſhould be entertained with due reverence, and ſhould not hide from us that diſtance that is betwixt his Majeſty and our baſeneſſe, nor hinder us to keep at due diſtance with him; Therefore, having ſpoken of his condeſcending to teach us, he guards that, by exalting the Father, and ſhewing that there is no immediate ſeeing or knowing of him. Hence it is that even that ſweet name, the Lord they God, is declared to be a glorious and fearful Name, Deut. 28.58. 3. Not only is the Father inviſible, but he doth not reveal himſelfe, or his will concerning the ſalvation of ſinners, immediately unto men; or, as Chriſt ſeeth and knoweth him and it; but is an incomprehenſible God, a light which no man can approach unto, 1 Tim. 6 16. for, ſaith he, not that any man hath ſeen the Father, to wit, immediately, or without Chriſt, and as Chriſt ſeeth him, as is after cleared. For albeit he did familiarly converſe with, and reveale himſelfe more immediately to ſome in reſpect of others, and particularly to Moſes, Exod. 33.11. Numb. 12.8. Yet any bodily ſight he got, was but of his back parts, Exod. 33.23. and but the ſimilitude of the Lord, Numb. 12.8. or ſome external ſigne of his glorious preſence with him, and not a ſight of his eſſence, which only Chriſt doth immediately ſee and comprehend. And what he got revealed of God, by his ſpeaking with him mouth to mouth, and face to face, it was only through and by Chriſt, (who is the revealer of the Father,) and far ſhort of that knowledge and ſight, and of the way of it, which Chriſt hath. See on Joh. 1.18. 4. Chriſt is of the Father another way then either Angels, or men, or Saints; to wit, neither by creation, nor regeneration or adoption, but by unſpeakable generation proper to himſelfe; Therefore it is aſcribed to him in a ſingular way, that he is of God. 5. This way of being of the Father, makes it Chriſts priviledge to be ſingularly and immediately acquainted with him, and to be the teacher and revealer of the Father, to all that know him; for, he which is of God, he hath ſeen the Father, and this cleares that it is by him men are taught of God, ver. 45. See Matth. 11.27.
Verſe 47. Verily, verily, I ſay unto you, He that beleeveth on me, hath everlaſting life.
Chriſt having digreſſed this far (being interrupted with their murmuring) to ſhew the cauſe of their diſtemper; He returnes now to inculcate and preſſe the former doctrine, taking occaſion from the former ver. wherein he hath ſpoken of his immediate knowledge and ſeeing of the Father. And firſt, he gravely aſſerts and ſeals the truth of that doctrine which points out ſalvation to beleevers in him. Whence learn. 1. Chriſts immediate acquaintance with the Father, is forth-coming for beleevers good; Therefore, unto that doctrine, ver. 46. is this ſubjoyned, for their comfort. 2. Such as do know and take up Chriſt rightly, will ſee great cauſe of truſting him, and cloſing with him; So much alſo doth the dependance of this on the former ver. import, that they who take him up to be one who immediately ſeeth the Father, will finde ground to credite this doctrine, whatever they thought of it before. 3. This repetition, and preſſing this doctrine doth hold out how neceſſary theſe truths are. 1. That men be taken up with their own ſalvation, and the way of attaining it, as being the mean to drive away many idle and needleſſe janglings; Therefore doth he wave the anſwer to their ſophiſtry, and direct them how they may attaine everlaſting life. 2. It is neceſſary that men ſtudy much that eternal life is to be had only in and by Chriſt, and will certainly be attained ſo: This he again repeats here. 3. It is neceſſary, that all falſe wayes to heaven be cryed down, and that men look on faith as the only and ſure way of taking hold of Chriſt, and of getting life in him; for, to ſuch is the promiſe againe repeated. 4. Men ſhould alſo ſtudy that this offer of life, is indefinite, and it will be undoubtedly granted to all who ſhall or will beleeve: for, it is indefinite, he that beleeveth, be what he will, or be they never ſo many. 5. It is alſo to be ſeriouſly ſtudied, that beleevers have eternal life in ſome reſpects, even here, to wit, in Chriſt, and by faith, in the earneſt penny and firſt fruits; for, he that beleeveth, hath everlaſting life. Doctrine 4. The confirmation of this doctrine, by a double aſſeveration, teacheth. 1. Men are by nature ſo addicted to the covenant of works, and ſo loath to be ſtripped of their own worth and righteouſneſſe, that they are hardly perſwaded that faith in Chriſt is the way to life, and very unwilling to embrace and reſt in it; for, this aſſeveration imports, that there is a controverſie in this matter, 2. Corrupt reaſon will never end this controverſie, but we muſt take us to Chriſts word alone, to ſatisfie us; Therefore he uſeth no diſpute, but aſſerteth it on his truth and word. 3. This truth (however controverted) is moſt certain, and without all controverſie; for, it is verily, verily, true. 4. It is moſt needful, and profitable, that ſinners beleeve and cloſe with this truth, and make uſe of it; Therefore doth he inculcate and aſſert it. 5. Chriſt alloweth ſuch as beleeve in him, to be very confident and perſwaded of his accepting of them, and of their eternal happineſſe; Therefore doth he ſtrongly aſſert that verily, verily, they have everlaſting life.
Verſe 48. I am the bread of life.
Next, Chriſt repeats his former doctrine, and confirmes the former aſſertion, by ſhewing that he is the bread of life. See ver. 35. Doctrine. 1. Men by nature are ſoul-ſtarved, pineing away under the want of ſouls food, and not only ſo, but they are ſo dead, that they know or feele it not; for, that he is the bread of life; imports not only this their pineing condition, but their being dead under it. Otherwiſe, if they truely felt it, it were a ſigne of a good condition, to be ſenſible of their worſt eſtate. 2. Chriſt is unto the needy ſoul all that it can need. He is, by way of excellency, the food of ſouls, which quickens them when they are dead, and refreſheth them, and preſerveth the life which he giveth; for, ſaith he I am that bread of life. 3. This excellent vertue in Chriſt, to give and preſerve life, is ground of confidence to a beleever, that by cloſing with him, he ſhall have everlaſting life; Therefore is this ſubjoyned as a confirmation of the former aſſertion, in ver. 47.
Verſe 49. Your fathers did eat Manna in the wilderneſſe, and are dead.
50. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
Thirdly, Chriſt illuſtrates this quickening vertue of this bread, by comparing it again with Manna, which was but weak, and could not preſerve their fathers from death, ver. 49. whereas this bread, which came down from heaven, doth deliver and preſerve them from death who eat of it, ver. 50. This that is ſaid of Manna, that the fathers, who eat thereof, are dead, may be underſtood two wayes, and in both reſpects, the oppoſition will ſtand firme betwixt it and this bread. 1. That though Manna was excellent and pure food, yet it could not ſo much as ſave their fathers from bodily death, but this ſaves the ſoul from ſpiritual death, is a remedy againſt bodily death, and a preſervative both of ſoul and body againſt everlaſting death. 2. That though their fathers did eat Manna, as it was ſpiritual meat, 1 Cor. 10.3. and a Sacrament pointing out Chriſt, yet many of them periſhed eternally; but the partaker of this bread, is ſure of everlaſting life. Doctrine 1. A ſpecial way to finde out the excellency of Chriſt, is, to compare him with what ſeems to have any excellency in it, and then … how far he out-ſhines …; for, to this end is he again compared with Manna. See Phil. 3.7. 2. Whatever it be that would came in compe… with Chriſt, in the matter of worth, is not only infinitely inferiour to him, but ſhould be …loſed as a thing of naught; Therefore, albeit Manna in it ſelfe was an excellent gift of God, yet when they do…ed ſo much upon it, Chriſt findes it neceſſary to vilifie i… thus. 3. It may leſſen our eſtimation of any outward thing, when we conſider that it cannot ſo much as perpetuate it ſelfe with us, or us with it, and far more, that it cannot prove a remedy againſt perdition; for, thus doth he abaſe Manna, your fathers did eat Manna in the wilderneſſe, and are dead. 4. Unbeleevers do partake only of the outward part of the Sacraments, and that is ſo far from ſaving them, that their abuſe thereof, tends to their perdition; for, thus alſo did they eat Manna, as it was a Sacrament, and are dead. 5. It doth ſet forth the excellency of our true ſpiritual food, that it cometh down from heaven, far above the clouds whence Manna came; and ſo is divine food, proclaiming Gods love and condeſcendence to loſt man; for, This is the bread which cometh down from heaven. 6. Chriſts coming down from heaven, and offering himſelfe in the Goſpel, is a ſufficient invitation, and ground for hungry ſinners, to come and feed upon him; for, it cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof. 7. Chriſt is ſuch ſpiritual food, as will prove a remedy and preſervative againſt death, both ſpiritual and eternal, and ſo ſwalloweth up any bitterneſſe that is in bodily death, for, this bread cometh from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.