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Our blessed Saviour having wrought the foregoing miracle, feeding five thousand with five loaves, the people followed him in troops from place to place. Christ, who knew their hearts, tells them plainly, what was their end: they followed him indeed, but not for any spiritual excellencies they saw in him, or soul advantages they expected from him, but for bread: only to have their bellies fed with the loaves, not their souls satisfied with the bread of life.
Oh! how seldom is Christ sought for his own sake, viz. Jesus quaritur propter Jesum, Aug. How natural is it for men to seek Christ for sinister ends and bye-respects! But to seek him only for outward advantages, is the basest abhors. Labour not for the meat which perisheth.
This prohibition must not be understood absolutely, but comparatively; not as if Christ intended to take them of from their lawful labours, and the business of their callings; but his meaning is, Labour not in the first and chief place for earthly things, which are all perishing; but for bread for your souls to live eternally by; even for the food of my heavenly doctrine, which will make them that feed upon it immortal: and this the Son of man stands ready to give unto you: For him hath God the Father sealed. that is, by a special commission and authority, hath impowered him to dispense all spiritual blessings to them that want and crave them.
Learn hence, 1. That all the things of this life are perishing and fading. The best of outward comforts and enjoyments are meat that perisheth.
2. That it is the greatest of follies to labour intensely and inordinately for, and to set ouraselves with all our might and strength to pursue and follow after, perishing things.
3. That Jesus Christ's holy doctrine, his heavenly grace, is food that never perisheth, nor diminisheth, how many soever partake of it, but makes all that partake thereof, to be partakers of eternal life therewith.
4. That Jesus Christ is authorized, sealed, and commissioned, by his Father, to give eternal life to such as industriously labour after him, and will not be satisfied without him. Him hath God the Father sealed; that is, Jesus Christ was sealed to the office of Mediator by God the Father; Christ was sealed at his baptism; sealed by his doctrine; sealed by his miracles; sealed by his resurrection; sealed by his unction or supereminent and unparalleled sanctification.
Lord! where will the rejecters of Christ then appear at the great day, who have despised the authority of him, whom the Father commissioned to give eternal life to whomsoever he pleaseth.