Yet, blessed as it is, it falls infinitely short of what it will be II. Their future state Very little is known respecting this [We can form no idea of spiritual and glorified bodiesWe cannot imagine how extensive will be the capacities of the soul We have very faint conceptions of perfect holiness and perfect happiness Even one who had seen Christ transfigured, says, not appear," &c.~] Yet there are some things revealed to us "It doth [We shall see Christ, not merely by faith, but with our bodily eyesi Not veiled as formerly, but in all his glory We shall resemble him in all his imitable perfections- Even " our bodies shall be fashioned like unto his glorious body" This shall be fully accomplished at the great day of his appearing-] These things we may be said to "know" [We have already experienced the earnest of them in our hearts When we believe in him we have views of him, which we had not before These transform the soul into his image Our Lord has given us the fullest assurance of these things1 St. Paul also leaves us no room to doubt"—] INFER 1. How wonderfully different the lot of believers and unbelievers! [Believers are the children of God Unbelievers are the children of the wicked one" Believers can form no adequate conception of the happiness that awaits them Unbelievers have no idea of the misery to which they are hastening How different will be the appearance of each in that day !— How different their sentiments on seeing Christ upon his judgment-seat! i Job xix. 25-27. 1 Cor. xv. 49. Col. iii. 4. * 2 Cor. iii. 18. 1 John xvii. 24. John viii. 38. 44. For what different ends will their capacities of soul and body be enlarged! What a different state will they experience to all eternity!— Let none defer calling upon God for mercy Let all seek his regenerating grace, and an admission into his family If we will believe in Christ these blessings shall be ours°-] 2. How bright the prospects of the true Christian! [The Christian's warfare will soon be over Then will come a blessedness which he cannot now conceive Another day may bring him to the full possession of it— Let these prospects animate every pious soul Let none suffer their minds to be drawn away by the things of time Let every one stand ready to take his flight • John i. 12. P 2 Pet. iii. 12. q Rev. xxii. 20. XXIX. THE IMPORTANCE OF LIVING BY FAITH ON CHRIST. John vi. 53-55. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day: for my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. THE natural man neither does nor can understand spiritual truths— This inspired declaration has been verified in all agesThe Samaritan woman shewed how unapt we are to receive spiritual instruction— Even Nicodemus formed the most absurd conceptions of our Lord's meaning Such also was the blindness of the Jews to whom our Lord addressed this discoursed_ He however, in compassion to them, proceeded to confirm his gracious declarations a 1 Cor. ii. 14. c John iii. 3, 4. b John iv. 14, 15. d Ver. 41, 52. May we experience the illuminating and constraining influences of divine grace (ver. 44, 45.) while we consider I. What is meant by eating the flesh of Christ, and drinking his blood Great caution is necessary in explaining the figurative expressions of Scripture We shall endeavour to exhibit the full scope of the metaphor, without pressing it too far It is sufficiently obvious that the text is not to be understood in a literal sense Nor does it relate to the sacrament, that being not yet. instituted Nor does it signify the giving a mere assent to our Lord's doctrines [The doctrines of the gospel are sometimes represented as bread and wine And our Lord may be considered as speaking of his doctrines when he speaks of himself as the bread of life But he could not intend a mere assent to those doctrines by the metaphor of eating If this were all that he meant, Judas and Simon Magus were truly possessed of eternal life-] Our Lord explains the eating of him as synonymous with believing on him— But, to speak more particularly, the metaphor of eating the flesh of Christ, &c. implies 1. An union with his person [The doctrine of our union with Christ is set forth by a great variety of images in Scripture It naturally arises from the metaphor in the text It is particularly mentioned by our Lord in the two verses followingh-] 2. A trust in his sacrifice [Our Lord speaks of his flesh expressly in reference to his sacrifice e Acts viii. 23. Mark xiv. 21. Eph. iii. 17. Col. i. 27. f Ver. 35. From hence it appears, that as our bodily life is upheld by the invisible operation of our food within us, and as the spiritual life of Jesus was maintained by the indwelling of the Deity within him; so the eating of him is, in fact, an union with him, and shall ever be accompanied by the invisible supports of his Spirit and grace. i Ver. 51. The words which he used at the institution of his last supper confirm this idea The eating of his flesh therefore can mean no less than a trust in that sacrifice-] 3. A dependence on his grace [What animal food is to the body, that the grace of Christ is to the soul Unless we have recourse to Christ continually, we must fall and perish*-] According to this view of the metaphor, it is worthy of the deepest attention II. The importance of the doctrine This is abundantly manifest, from the words before us There is nothing so important as a life of faith on Christ: nothing 1. So necessary [The greatest of all concerns is the salvation of the soulBut that cannot be effected by any other means The person who does not live on Christ, has no spiritual life He may have wealth, and honour, learning, and even morality (in some sense,) but he has no life' He may even "have a name to live, but he is really dead" And his spiritual death will issue in death eternal"— What then can be so necessary as to believe in Christ?-] 2. So beneficial [The possession of the whole world is not to be compared with eternal life Yet life eternal is secured by eating the flesh of ChristAs for past sins, they shall be no bar to our obtaining of this blessing Indeed the believer "has already eternal life" in his soulHe has a title to it, confirmed by the promise and oath of Jehovah He has also the earnest of it, since this communion with Christ is heaven begun on earth And the Saviour in whom he trusts, "will raise him up at the last day" to the complete and everlasting enjoyment of it-] John xv. 5. n Rev. xxi. 8. Eph. i. 14. VOL. I. 1 1 John v. 11, 12. m Rev. iii. 1. P Heb. vi. 17, 18. U u 3. So excellent [They may be said to "feed on ashes," who have no higher gratifications than those which are derived from carnal indulgences But the body and blood of Christ are meat indeed, and drink indeed" -- Nothing affords such unspeakable delight as the exercise of faith on Christ Nor has any thing such a transforming efficacy on the souls Surely if the manna was "angels' food," much more is the body and blood of Christ—] ADDRESS 1. Those who are disregarding this heavenly banquet [Would to God that you would consider Who it is that utters the declaration in the text! And that you would mark the energetic manner in which he utters them! Think you that his words are false, or that they shall ever be reversed? Ah! cast away the husks on which you are feeding; and live, as the Apostle did, by faith on the Son of God"] Those who doubt whether they may partake of it [The whole of our Lord's discourse to the Jews shews that all were, not only at liberty, but bound, to feed on him— And we are commanded to invite, yea, to compel, you to come to this glorious feast* - Indeed, to whom else will ye go? and on what else will ye feed? Come then, and "eat and drink abundantly, O beloved" And rest assured, that they who come hungry, shall never be sent empty away-] Pet. i. 8. t Ps. lxxviii. 25. * Isa. xxv. 6. with Luke xiv. 23. $ 2 Cor. iii. 18. Gal. ii. 20. y Cant. v. 1. XXX. GOD'S TREATMENT OF US AS BRANCHES OF John xv. 1, 2. I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. |