November 14

"And who that knows the worth of prayer But wishes to be often there."

NOVEMBER 14.—"Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you."—John 6:53.

THIS language gave great offence when our Lord delivered it. Many of his disciples said, "It is an hard saying, who can hear it?" We need not wonder therefore if it should be disrelished by some now. It certainly requires some explanation, for it has given rise to several abuses or mistakes. We may remark two of these. The first take it in a sense too gross. It is the doctrine of transubstantiation, which has rolled down from age to age in blood. According to this, it is believed that the words, "This is my body; and this is my blood," do not mean emblems of them, but the things themselves; and that as soon as the bread and the wine have been consecrated by the priest, they are changed into the very body and blood of Christ, and that he is thus eaten, and may be eaten by thousands at the same time! In the same way they may as easily prove that he consists of boards and nails, for he says, "I am the door." What a strong delusion to believe a lie is here! Be it observed, our Lord has here no reference at all to the Sacrament, for this was not instituted till long after. Besides, the participation of his flesh and blood, of which he speaks, is inseparable from salvation—"Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." But are all saved who partake of the Lord's supper? And do all perish who never received it? The second takes it in a manner too refined, and is derived from the enemies of evangelical truth, who have always shown a peculiar aversion to the death of Christ under any other notion than that of an example or witness. They tell us the diction is very strong, and must be much qualified. Our Lord, say they, is here speaking of himself as a teacher, and refers to the design of his doctrine; for knowledge has always been considered as the food of the mind. This is readily allowed. Yet what teacher ever said to his pupils, You must eat not my instructions, but myself; not my lessons, but my flesh and blood! The language is certainly very metaphorical; but it is founded in truth, and designed to convey an important reality. The thing is, we live not by the life of things, but their death. It is so with vegetables, and birds, and fishes, and beasts; they serve to nourish us by their death. We live spiritually by the dying of the Lord Jesus; and the allusion refers to his mediatorial offering for our sins; and teaches us, that faith is necessary to our deriving benefit from his sacrifice—"Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you."

For this eating and drinking represent our believing on Christ. The resemblance between these and the exercise of faith appears in four things. There is in each of them appetite. Our Saviour speaks of hungering and thirsting after righteousness. Hunger and thirst are natural, powerful, returning appetites. Such are the desires which all believers feel towards the Lord Jesus. There is in each of them application. A man may hear of food, see it, hold