George Hutcheson
49 Your fathers did eat Manna in the wildernesse, and are dead.
50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
Thirdly, Christ illustrates this quickening vertue of this bread, by comparing it again with Manna, which was but weak, and could not preserve their fathers from death, ver. 49. whereas this bread, which came down from heaven, doth deliver and preserve them from death who eat of it, ver. 50. This that is said of Manna, that the fathers, who eat thereof, are dead, may be understood two wayes, and in both respects, the opposition will stand firme betwixt it and this bread. 1. That though Manna was excellent and pure food, yet it could not so much as save their fathers from bodily death, but this saves the soul from spiritual death, is a remedy against bodily death, and a preservative both of soul and body against everlasting death. 2. That though their fathers did eat Manna, as it was spiritual meat, 1 Cor. 10.3. and a Sacrament pointing out Christ, yet many of them perished eternally; but the partaker of this bread, is sure of everlasting life. Doctrine 1. A special way to finde out the excellency of Christ, is, to compare him with what seems to have any excellency in it, and then see how far he out-shines it; for, to this end is he again compared with Manna. See Phil. 3.7. 2. Whatever it be that would came in competition with Christ, in the matter of worth, is not only infinitely inferiour to him, but should be closed as a thing of naught; Therefore, albeit Manna in it selfe was an excellent gift of God, yet when they doated so much upon it, Christ findes it necessary to vilifie it thus. 3. It may lessen our estimation of any outward thing, when we consider that it cannot so much as perpetuate it selfe with us, or us with it, and far more, that it cannot prove a remedy against perdition; for, thus doth he abase Manna, your fathers did eat Manna in the wildernesse, and are dead. 4. Unbeleevers do partake only of the outward part of the Sacraments, and that is so far from saving them, that their abuse thereof, tends to their perdition; for, thus also did they eat Manna, as it was a Sacrament, and are dead. 5. It doth set forth the excellency of our true spiritual food, that it cometh down from heaven, far above the clouds whence Manna came; and so is divine food, proclaiming Gods love and condescendence to lost man; for, This is the bread which cometh down from heaven. 6. Christs coming down from heaven, and offering himselfe in the Gospel, is a sufficient invitation, and ground for hungry sinners, to come and feed upon him; for, it cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof. 7. Christ is such spiritual food, as will prove a remedy and preservative against death, both spiritual and eternal, and so swalloweth up any bitternesse that is in bodily death, for, this bread cometh from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
