John 6:15

A third effect and consequent of the miracle, is, that the people, out of blind and furious zeale, would have set him up to be their King, if he foreseeing it, had not departed againe into the mountaine (where he and the disciples had been, ver. 3.) and that alone, having commanded his disciples to go to Sea, as the other Evangelists do record: And so this is a transition to the following miracle. Doctrine. 1. There is no point of divine truth received by natural men, but their hearts are ready to detain the same in unrighteousnesse, and to leaven it with their own corrupt principles; for, they who acknowledge him to be the Prophet, according to the Scripture, and who had warrant also to receive the Messiah as a King, do yet pervert all this, with their corrupt conceptions of his Kingdom. 2. Christ is ordinarily much mistaken, even by those who acknowledge him: And particularly, his Kingdom is oft-times conceived of amisse; for, so do they here; Though they knew him to be the promised Messiah, yet they leave that, and take themselves only to his Kingly office, not to submit themselves to his Spiritual yoke and government, but expecting carnal liberty, and a prosperous condition, under their promised King. And for begetting of these conceptions; there concurred. 1. Their mistake and carnal conceptions of Scriptures pointing at Christs Kingdome, wherein they were fostered by the corrupt glosses of their Teachers, who pointed out the Messiah as a worldly Monarch, coming to subdue all nations under his and their feet. 2. Their own carnal disposition, which minded no other want, but that of their belly, and therefore could conceive of no other remedy and advantage by him, but that they should live at ease, and with much liberty, under him, and he give them their meat without toile, as he had done in the late miracle. 3. They were more sensible of the yoke of oppression, wreathed about their necks by the Romans, and of their slavery that way, then they were of sinne and soul slavery, and therefore they could not take up Christ rightly, nor make right use of him, but dreamed only of deliverance from their outward slavery by him. All these evils would be guarded against by them who would conceive a right of Christ; and in a word, men would beware dreaming of great things under the Sun, in Christs company, and when they engage themselves in the waies of godlinesse. Doctrine. 3. Men may have fits of zeale, pretending more to honour Christ, and be more furious and violent in the expressions thereof, then those who have spiritual and pure zeale; and yet all of it be but fleshly and sinful; for, such is their blind zeale here, all they pretend to in it, is to honour Christ, and exalt him as a King, and they will do it violently, and by force, never minding the danger wherein they involved themselves thereby, and yet there was nothing but flesh in it. Carnal zeale, what ever it pretend, yet it sailes both with winde and tide, and therefore such impetuous furious motions are to be suspected. 4. Rash and carnal blind zeale for Christ and his Kingdome, is one of Satans great engines, whereby he labours to bring real prejudice to Christ and his Kingdome; for, by this attempt of theirs, not only were all thoughts of his spiritual Kingdome banished, and swallowed up in the thoughts of a carnal Monarchy, but this was the ready way to raise a scandal on him, as guilty of treason, and to draw the Romans on him, and them, and all his followers, to cut them off. 5. Christ is omniscient, and knoweth what is rolling in every mans minde; and he will not be surprized nor overreached by any designe of men; for, Jesus therefore perceived that they would come, and take him by force, &c. 6 Christ will not approve of any honour offered to him, which he hath not prescribed and enjoined, were it cloaked with never so much of apparent zeal; for, he refuseth and declineth all this honour, as not required by himselfe. 7. Albeit Christ be a true King over his Church, and do exercise a spiritual Kingdome in it, and have also a spiritual government established, for keeping his subjects in order; Yet he came not into the world to be a worldly King, nor to administrate a Kingdome which is of this world: Nor is his Kingdome prejudicial to the thrones and civil government of men, but the best pillar they have, if they will suffer him to rule among them; Therefore doth Christ refuse all this offer, as not competent to him. And this teacheth his followers, to beware of usurping Lordly dominion under pretext of administring the things of his Kingdome. 8. As Christs followers should shun popular applause and worldly pomp, (as their Masters example here doth teach;) So true zeal against these should be very fervent and real, and not for the fashion only; Therefore Christ not only prevents their motion before it break forth, but withdraws himselfe alone, having sent his disciples away, that they may not finde him. And this he did; not only to avoid all occasion of suspicion, or prudently to break their fit of zeal, which could not have been diverted by his staying and reasoning with them: But also to testifie how really he abhorred their course, and so gave a patterne to all his followers, not to put away applause so, as they would have it follow them, but really to detest it. 9. Such as do not make right use of Christ and his company, but do only expect carnal things of him, are justly punished with the want of his company; As here he deals with this people. 10 That Christ when he withdrew, went to prayer, (as is remarked, Matth. 14.22, 23. Mark 6.46.) it may teach. 1. Christ hath sanctified to his people the exercise of prayer in all their needs, and he is the great Intercessour for them, under all their miseries and distresses; So much doth his practice teach. For, albeit he was true God, and so needed not pray, yet as he was a man under the Law, he would pay this homage and fulfill all righteousnesse, and by making use thereof in his need, Heb. 5.7, Matth. 26.39. he hath sanctified this exercise to all his needy people. And by this practice he teacheth, that as Mediatour, his intercession is alwaies ready in a strait, and he delights in that exercise; as here he had this peoples folly to pray about, and his disciples following trial to hold up to the Father. 2. Prayer is a special mean of entertaining communion with God, and a mean of converse with him, wherein they who are most holy, will be most frequent, as Christs practice doth teach, who at all occasions did converse with his Father in the practice of this duty. 3. Private prayer doth require as much privacy and retirednesse as may conveniently be had, that mens spirits may settle and be composed for the dutie; So much also doth this practice of Christ teach (in going alone to the mountaine to pray) as it is a patterne to us, though he himselfe was not pestered with any sinful distractions 4. When men get much applause in the world, it is their duty not only to shun it, but then to be much in converse with God; partly, to guard their hearts from being blowen over at unawares; and partly, to make sure that all is right betwixt God and them; So much also may Christs practice of prayer at this time, as it is a patterne to us, teach.