A paraphrase with notes upon the sixth chapter of St. John with a discourse on humanity and charity / by W. Claget.

THE CONCLUSION.

AND now I heartily beseech All, into whose Hands these Papers may chance to come, not to think that this Chapter is to be done withal, when they are once satisfied what our Lords meaning was in those Expres∣sions of Eating him, and the like; but that they would please to attend to the Reason and End of these, and such kind of Sayings; which will convince them, I doubt not, that this excellent Chapter is fit to be thought of, and laid to heart every day they live.

Great pity it is, that this Portion of God's Word also, should come to be a Bone of Con∣tention; which was designed to beget and im∣prove in the Disciples of Jesus, a Spirit of true Wisdom and Piety, and to establish them in a Holy Life.

That which our Lord principally aimed at in all this Discourse, was, to make his Hear∣ers concerned in good earnest for their Eternal State, which will at first sight appear to any

Man that mindeth how often those Sayings return, of everlasting Life, and living for ever, and being raised up at the last day. Now this indeed seemed to be his great Design in almost all his Sermons and Applications to the Peo∣ple; from whence we may gather this profi∣table Instruction, that Men were more or less prepared to receive the Truth, as it is in Je∣sus, according as they were more or less af∣fected with the End of his coming into the World, which was to bring them to ever∣lasting Life.

But in this Chapter, and in some others, there is a peculiar Instruction tending to this purpose, which we ought all of us very fre∣quently to consider, not slighting it, because it is very plain, but making much of it, both because it is very useful, and strongly suggest∣ed by our Lord himself. And 'tis in short this, that the Care we are at, and the Pains we take for the Welfare of this short Life, should awaken in us a greater care and concern for our everlasting Welfare: And that we who are so thoughtful and diligent in pursuing our Temporal Interests, should be ashamed, and count our selves reproved by our worldly Cares, if we are not much more careful to work out our Salvation. This was the Method our Lord took to bring those People to Wis∣dom; and therefore he represented to them the Means and Conditions of everlasting Life, under the Names of those Things which

their Hearts had hitherto been most set upon, i.e. Bread, and Eating and Drinking. For these were the Men that had been fed by him the day before; and now they followed him for the Loaves, that is, in hope to reap such bodily Advantages as these from him every day. But to bring them to some sense of better things, and to lead them towards a due Esteem of that end for which he came into the World, he proceeds in his Admoniti∣ons, by calling the Spiritual Benefits which he had in store for them, Bread, and Food; and their receiving those Benefits, Eating and Drinking; ever and anon letting them know, that if they ate and drank of that Food, which he came to give them, they should live for ever. And what was the Instruction of this way of discoursing to them, but that if the bodily Food, for which they were so sol∣licitous, were a valuable Enjoyment, which yet would serve but for the prolonging of a mortal Life, how ought they to hunger and thirst for the Meat that would preserve them for ever? And therefore when he came, in the same way of speaking, to intimate to them those Benefits of his Passion, which they would better understand afterwards than they could at present; He told them, My Flesh is Meat indeed, and my Blood is Drink indeed; as if he had told them in plainer Words than he thought fit to use at that time; It is infi∣nitely more profitable to enjoy the Fruits of my

Sufferings and Death, by being reconciled to God, by forbearing to provoke his Justice, and by following my Example, than if I should take the same care of you as long as I live, which I did yesterday, when I fed your Bodies by a Mi∣racle.

And this indeed seemed to be our Saviour's great Design in preaching the Necessity of Faith and Repentance, and a Godly Life to the People, under so many Figurative Expressions as we find he used, viz. to lead them by Tem∣poral Things, to the Care of Things Eternal, and to raise their Minds from Earth to Hea∣ven, by a most familiar and convincing way of arguing with them, from Earthly Things themselves. Therefore if he found them va∣luing themselves upon their Liberty, or careful for Life, or labouring for Wealth, or sollici∣tous for Food: He called himself sometimes, and sometimes his Doctrine, and their receiv∣ing of it, Liberty, Life, and Treasure, and Meat, and Drink, as occasion required; and this to let them understand, that there was a more real Good to be found in Faith and Pie∣ty, than in these, or any other kind of world∣ly Advantages; and that whatever reason they had to be concerned for these transitory Enjoyments, they had much more to be care∣ful in receiving as they ought, those Spiritual good Things which he came to confer upon them.

If therefore we will suffer our selves to be instructed by such Passages as these are; most of us, I fear, may learn, from our Concern about the things of this World, to be asha∣med of our remisness in providing for a bet∣ter: And all of us should learn to reflect ve∣ry often upon matters of greater Concern∣ment, when we are engaged even in the ho∣nest Designs of this Life, and pursuing the lawful Business thereof; and so we should in some measure preach to our selves, as Christ once did to his Hearers when he was upon Earth.

And we should not think that the Jews on∣ly had need of this kind of Instruction, who I confess had been Educated under a Law, that promised little else besides Temporal Advan∣tages to those that observed it: but that we our selves, who know the great Blessings pro∣mised in the Gospel to be Spiritual and Eter∣nal, stand in need also of such Admonitions as these are: For the Cares of this World, and the Love of its Riches, and Pleasures, and Ho∣nours, are as apt to take hold of us, as they were of the Jews, if we do not take pains to affect our selves deeply with that Truth con∣cerning another Life, which our Lord Jesus hath revealed; and to the belief of which we have been educated in his Church. And if we have less prejudice against these Doctrines than the Jews had, and yet are swallowed up with this World as much as they were, we are

but the more inexcusable. So that undoubt∣edly the advantage we have over them, should make us the more concerned to lay these things to heart; because we are so much the more to blame, if knowing these things al∣most from our Infancy, we do not practise accordingly.

Nay, when the Profession of the True Faith does bring in Worldly Advantages, there seems to be as much (if not more) reason to reflect in this manner upon our selves, as when nothing was to be gotten by it in this World, but the loss of all things. We are then doubtless to remember, that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this World, and that the good things of this Life are not the Rewards which he hath promised; but that by setting our Hearts inordinately upon that worldly Ease and Profit which we enjoy by the Profession of true Christianity, we are in the way of losing that Fruit thereof which will last for ever, and the hope of which was all that our Lord used to invite Men to be∣come his Disciples.

If we follow Christ for the Loaves, we shall forsake him when we find our selves disap∣pointed, as the Jews at Capernaum did, and take Occasions and Pretences so to do as easi∣ly as they, and some of his own Disciples found them. For we are not to think, that that Saying, Except ye eat the Flesh, &c. was the true cause of their going off from him,

but only such a plausible Occasion as they had a good while waited for. The reason of their Offence, at the bottom, was, that they had long since perceived our Saviour was not like∣ly to satisfie their worldly Expectations, and they did not believe it worth their while to follow him for a Reward in another Life; which Prejudice against him had destroyed all their Faith, as he told them himself, There are some among you that believe not, Vers. 64. They were those that said, Vers. 60. This is an hard Saying, who can hear it? For it is not said that All, but only, Many of his Disciples when they had heard this, said, This is an hard, &c. viz. Those very Men of whom he said, But there are some among you that be∣lieve not, Vers. 64. i. e. who had followed him for worldly Advantages, as the Jews did from the Wilderness to Capernaum: Of whom our Lord said the same thing, viz. That they believed not, Vers. 36. For though but the day before they had acknowledged him to be the Pro∣phet that was to come into the World, yet find∣ing that he was likely to disappoint their worldly Hopes, they presently changed their Opinion of him. So that a sincere Aim at Everlasting Life is very necessary even to∣wards a constant Belief and Profession of the Faith.

And much more to a Practice answerable to it; which will, as I said before, be advan∣ced not a little, if we will use our selves to

consider what care we at for these mortal Bo∣dies, and this worldly Life; and what reason there is to be incomparably more concerned for a blessed Resurrection to Eternal Life; which I make not the least doubt, is the great Instruction we are to learn from these figu∣rative Discourses of our blessed Saviour. And if we constantly have it in our Eye, it will not not only render the meaning of this Chap∣ter very plain, but the reading of it, if we should read it every day we live, very useful to us.

And indeed, those parts of God's Word which are purposely designed to work in us a deep Concern for Everlasting Life, ought to be very present to our Minds, and to dwell richly in us, that we may be always well pro∣vided to resist the Temptations of the World. For which Reasons we should often think of those Lessons of our Saviour; Lay not up for your selves Treasure upon Earth, where Moth and Rust doth corrupt, and where Thieves break through and steal: But lay up for your selves Treasure in Heaven, where neither Moth, &c. And, Be not afraid of them that kill the Body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed, hath pow∣er to cast into Hell: yea, I say unto you, fear him. And that in this Chapter; Labour not for the Meat which perisheth, bat for that

which endureth to everlasting Life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you.

Which Rules seeming at first sight to dis∣charge us of all Care for our Life and Welfare in this World, St. Chrysostom thought it need∣ful to observe upon the last of them, that our Lord did not intend to countenance Laziness, who himself said, It is more Blessed to give than to receive: And that St. Paul admonish∣eth a Man to work with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. But since these Exhortations run, as if we were to be absolutely uncon∣cerned about this Life, no question but that care of Eternal Life is prescribed; in compa∣rison to which, our Cares for this World should seem nothing at all. Therefore when we desire our appointed Food, we should think how much more it is our Interest to hunger and thirst after Righteousness, and that Meat which endureth to everlasting Life. And when we most of all feel the hopes and fears of things that go no farther than this World, we cannot entertain a better Thought than this, that if we are so much concerned for this Life, how careful ought we to be not to miss of Eternal Salvation?

Which kind of Reflections are the more necessary for us, the more deeply we are en∣gaged in this World. For we do not only labour for the meat that perishes, that is, for just enough to serve the Necessities of Life;

but we would be at ease beside, and live in reasonable Plenty, and enjoy what is conve∣nient for the Pleasure, as well as the Suste∣nance of Life: and there are very few that know when to make an end of multiplying Riches, when once they are got into the way of Encrease. But are we thus concerned for an end of infinitely greater Moment? Or ra∣ther do not these very worldly Cares reprove our negligence about better and greater things, while perhaps we do no more towards our Salvation, than to avoid the grossest Sins of all, but take little thought how to grow in Grace, and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The whole Strain of our Saviour's Dis∣course in this Chapter, naturally leads to such Considerations as these: And if we mind them in good Earnest, they will, by the Grace of God, moderate our Affections and Cares about this World in the first place; and then leave all that Concern for present and transi∣tory good things, which we cannot be with∣out, as a perpetual Admonition, to be much more thoughtful for our everlasting Salvation, and to make it the greatest business of our Lives, by Prayers and good Works, to lay up for our selves Treasure in Heaven, and to lay the stress of our Comfort whilst we are here, in the joyful hope of being raised up at the last day to live for ever. Amen.