I do accept Jesus sayings as true. But the natural mind does not receive the things of the spirit. You cannot understand because you have a natural carnal mind. The things he speaks of are spiritual.
I see somewhat of the spiritual aspect of eating and drinking of Christ as this writer spoke of
"Quest. If it be asked then what that body, what that flesh and blood is?
Answ. I answer, it is that heavenly Seed, that divine, spiritual, celestial Substance, of which we spake before, in the Fifth and Sixth Propositions. This is that vehiculum Dei,1 spiritual body of Christ, whereby and where through he communicateth life to man, and salvation "to as many as believe in him," and "receive him," and whereby also man comes to have fellowship and communion with God. This is proved from the 6th of John, from verse 32 to the end, where Christ speaks more at large of this matter, than in any other place: and indeed this evangelist and beloved disciple, who lay in the bosom of our Lord, gives us a more full account of the spiritual sayings and doctrine of Christ; and it's observable that though he speaks nothing of the ceremony, used by Christ, of breaking bread with his disciples, neither in his evangelical account of Christ's life and sufferings, nor in his epistles, yet he is more large in this account of the participation of the body, flesh and blood of Christ, than any of them all. For Christ, in this chapter, perceiving that the Jews did follow him for love of the loaves, desires them (verse 27) to "labour, not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth for ever"; but forasmuch as they, being carnal in their apprehensions, and not understanding the spiritual language and doctrine of Christ, did judge the manna, which Moses gave their fathers, to be the most excellent bread, as coming from heaven. Christ, to rectify that mistake, and better inform them, affirmeth, first, that it is not Moses, but his Father, that giveth the "true bread from heaven" (vv. 32 and 48). Secondly, this bread he calls himself (verse 35), "I am the bread of life." And (verse 51) "I am the living bread which came down from heaven." Thirdly, he declares that this bread is his flesh (verse 51), "The bread that I will give is my flesh." And (verse 55) "For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed." Fourthly, the necessity of partaking thereof (verse 53), "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." And lastly (verse 33), the blessed fruits and necessary effects of this communion of the body and blood of Christ: "This bread giveth life to the world" (verse 50), "He that eateth thereof dieth not" (verse 58), "he that eateth of this bread, shall live for ever" (verse 51), "whoso eateth this flesh, and drinketh this blood, shall live forever" (verse 54), "and he dwelleth in Christ, and Christ in him" (verse 56), "and shall live by Christ" (verse 57). From this large description of the origin, nature, and effects of this body, flesh, and blood of Christ, it is apparent that it is spiritual, and to be understood of a spiritual body, and not of that body, or temple of Jesus Christ, which was born of the virgin Mary, and in which he walked, lived, and suffered in the land of Judea; because that it is said both, that it came down from heaven, yea that it is he, that came down from heaven [though I would say here, that the free gift given to men of Christ spiritual seed , word Light came only upon all through the work of Jesus Christ in time on the cross and by his literal dying for sin and resurrection according to the flesh]. Now all Christians at present generally acknowledge that the outward body of Christ came not down from heaven, neither was it that part of Christ, which came down from heaven. And to put the matter out of doubt, when the carnal Jews would have been so understanding it, he tells them plainly (verse 63), "It is the Spirit that quickeneth, but the flesh profiteth nothing." This is also founded upon most sound and solid reason, because it is the soul, not the body, that is to be nourished by this flesh and blood. Now outward flesh cannot nourish nor feed the soul, there is no proportion, nor analogy betwixt them, neither is the communion of the saints with God by a conjunction and mutual participation of flesh, but of the Spirit: "He that is joined to the Lord, is one Spirit not by flesh (I mean outward flesh, even such as was that, wherein Christ lived and walked when upon earth, and not flesh, when transposed by a metaphor, to be understood spiritually) can only partake of flesh, as Spirit of Spirit, as the body cannot feed upon Spirit, neither can the Spirit feed upon flesh: and that the flesh here spoken of is spiritually understood, appears further, in that that which feedeth upon it shall never die: but the bodies of all men once die, yea it behoved the body of Christ himself to die, that this body and spiritual flesh and blood of Christ is to be understood of that divine and heavenly Seed, before spoken of by us, appears both by the nature and fruits of it: first, it's said, "it is that, which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world": now, this answers to that Light and Seed, which is testified of (John 1) to be the "Light of the world," and the "Life of men." For that spiritual Light and Seed, as it receives place in men's hearts, and room to spring up there, is as bread to the hungry and fainting soul, that is, as it were, buried and dead in the lusts of the world,receives life again, and revives, as it tasteth and partaketh of this heavenly bread;and they that partake of it are said to come to Christ; neither can any have it but by coming to him, and believing in the appearance of his Light in their hearts, by receiving which, and believing in it, the participation of this body and bread is known. And that Christ understands the same thing here by his body, flesh, and blood, which is understood (John 1) by the "Light enlightening every man," and the Life, &c.,appears, for the Light and Life, spoken of (John 1), is said to be Christ, he is the true Light; and the bread and flesh, &c., spoken of in John 6, is called Christ; "I am the bread of life," saith he. Again, "They, that received that light and life" (John 1:12), "obtained power to become the sons of God, by believing in his name": so also here (John 6:35), "he that cometh unto this bread of life shall not hunger, and he that believes in him, who is this bread, shall never thirst." So then, as there was the outward visible body and temple of Jesus Christ, which took its origin from the virgin Mary, so there is also the Spiritual body of Christ, by and through which he, that was the "Word in the beginning with God," and was, and is, God, did reveal himself to the sons of men in all ages, and whereby men in all ages come to be made partakers of eternal life, and to have communion and fellowship with God and Christ. Of which body of Christ, and flesh and blood, if both Adam, and Seth, and Enoch, and Noah, and Abraham, and Moses, and David, and all the prophets and holy men of God had not eaten, they had not had life in them, nor could their inward man have been nourished. Now, as the outward body and temple was called Christ, so was also this spiritual body, no less properly, and that long before that outward body was in being. Hence the apostle saith (1 Cor. 10:3-4), that the "fathers did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink (for they drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.)" This cannot be understood otherwise than of this spiritual body of Christ: which spiritual body of Christ, though it was the saving food of the righteous, both before the Law, and under the Law, yet under the Law it was veiled and shadowed, and covered under divers types, ceremonies, and observations; yea and not only so, but it wasveiled and hid, in some respect, under the outward temple and body of Christ, or during the continuance of it: so that the Jews could not understand Christ's preaching about it, while on earth. And, not the Jews only, but many of his disciples, judging it a "hard saying, murmured at it, and many from that time went back from him, and walked no more with him" I doubt not but that there are many also at this day professing to be the disciples of Christ, that do as little understand this matter, as those did, and are as apt to be offended and stumble at it, while they are gazing and following after the outward body, and look not to that by which the saints are daily fed and nourished. For as Jesus Christ, in obedience to the will of the Father, did by the eternal Spirit offer up that body for a propitiation for the remission of sins, and finished his testimony upon earth thereby, in a most perfect example of patience, resignation and holiness, that all might be made partakers of the fruit of that sacrifice, so hath he likewise poured forth into the hearts of all men a measure of that divine Light and Seed, wherewith he is clothed, that thereby, reaching unto the consciences of all, he may raise them up out of death and darkness, by his Life and Light, and thereby may be made partakers of his body, and therethrough come to have fellowship with the Father and with the Son."
§III. Quest. If it be asked, how, and after what manner man comes to partake of it, and to be fed by it?
Answ. I answer in the plain and express words of Christ, "I am the bread of life" (saith he) "he that cometh to me shall never hunger; he that believeth in me shall never thirst": and again, "for my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink e So whosoever thou art that askest this question, or readest these lines, whether thou accountest thyself a believer, or really feelest, by a certain and sad experience, that thou art yet in the unbelief, and findest that the outward body and flesh of Christ is so far from thee, that thou canst not reach it, nor feed upon it: yea, though thou hast often swallowed down and taken in that which the Papists have persuaded thee to be the real flesh and blood of Christ, and hast believed it to be so, though all thy senses told thee the contrary; or (being a Lutheran) hast taken that bread, in, and with, and under which, the Lutherans have assured thee that the flesh and blood of Christ is: or (being a Calvinist) hast partaken of that which the Calvinists say (though a figure only of the body) gives them that take it a real participation of the body, flesh, and blood of Christ, though they never knew how, norwhat way. I say, if, for all this, thou findest thy soul yet barren, yea hungry, and ready to starve for want of something thou longest for; know, that Light, that discovers thy iniquity to thee, that shows thee thy barrenness, thy nakedness, thy emptiness, is that body that thou must partake of, and feed upon; but that till, by forsaking iniquity, thou turnest to it, comest unto it, receivest it, though thou mayest hunger after it, thou canst not be satisfied with it; for it "hath no communion with f nor canst thou "drink of the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils," and be "partaker of the Lord's table and the table of devils" (1 Cor. 10:21). But as thou sufferest that small Seed of righteousness to arise in thee, and to be formed into a birth, that new substantial birth, that is brought forth in the soul, naturally feeds upon, and is nourished by this spiritual body: yea, as this outward birth lives not but as it sucks in breath by the outward elementary air, so this new birth lives not in the soul, but as it draws in and breathes by that spiritual air or vehicle: and as the outward birth cannot subsist without some outward body to feed upon, some outward flesh, and some outward drink, so neither can this inward birth, without it be fed by this inward body, by this inward flesh and blood of Christ, which answers to it after the same manner, by way of analogy. And this is most agreeable to the doctrine of Christ concerning this matter, or, as without outward food the natural body hath not life, so also saith Christ, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you" And as the outward body, eating outward food, lives thereby, so Christ saith, that he that eateth him shall live by him" So it is this inward participation of this inward man, of inward and spiritual body by which man is united to God and has fellowship and communion with him ""He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood" (saith Christ) "dwelleth in me, and I in him." This cannot be understood of our outward eating of outward bread; and as by this the soul must have fellowship with God, so also insofar as all the saints are partakers of this one body, and one blood, they come also to have a joint communion. Hence the Apostle (1 Cor. 10:17), in this respect saith, that they "being many are one bread, and one body": and to the wise among the Corinthians he saith "The bread which we break, is the communion of the body of Christ." and to the wise among the Corinthians he saith "The bread which we break, is the communion of the body of Christ" This is the true and spiritual supper of the Lord, which men come to partake of by hearing the voice of Christ, and opening the door of their hearts, and so letting him in, in the manner above said, according to the plain words of the scripture (Rev. 3:20), "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
So that the supper of the Lord, and the supping with the Lord, and partaking of his flesh and blood is no ways limited to the ceremony of breaking bread, and drinking wine at particular times; but is truly and really enjoyed, as often as the soul retires into the Light of the Lord, and feels and partakes of that heavenly Life, by which the inward man is nourished, which may be, and is often witnessed by the faithful at all times, though more particularly, when they are assembled together to wait upon the Lord.
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