When our Lord conversed on the eating of his body, and when he thence beheld many scandalised, he forthwith added: _Doth this offend you_? _What if ye shall behold the Son of man ascending where he was before_? _It is the spirit that quickeneth_: _the flesh profiteth nothing_. _The words_, _which I speak unto you_, _are spirit and life_. Both these matters, THE FLESH and THE SPIRIT, he said respecting himself. And he distinguished the spirit from the flesh: IN ORDER THAT, BELIEVING BOTH THE VISIBLE AND THE INVISIBLE, THEY MIGHT UNDERSTAND HIS SAYINGS TO BE NOT CARNAL BUT SPIRITUAL. For TO HOW MANY PERSONS COULD HIS BODY HAVE SUFFICED FOR FOOD: SO THAT IT MIGHT BECOME THE ALIMENT OF THE WHOLE WORLD? But, that he might divert their minds from carnal cogitations, and that they might learn the flesh which he would give them to be supercelestial and spiritual food: he, on this account, mentioned the ascent of the Son of man to heaven. _The words_, said he, _which I speak unto you_, _are spirit and life_. As if he had intimated: My body shall be exhibited and given as food for the world; so THAT THAT FOOD SHALL BE GIVEN TO EACH ONE SPIRITUALLY, and shall to all be a preservative to the resurrection unto life eternal. {16a} 4. Eusebius of Cesarea lived in the fourth century. (1.) Christ himself gave the SYMBOLS of the divine economy to his own disciples; commanding, that the IMAGE of his own body should be made. {16b} (2.) He delivered to us, that we should use the bread as the SYMBOL of his own body. {16c} 5. Ambrose lived in the fourth century. In the Law, was the shadow: in the Gospel, is the IMAGE: in heaven, is the REALITY. Formerly, a lamb was offered, a calf was offered: now, Christ is offered—Here, he is in an IMAGE: there, he is in REALITY. {16d} 6. Macarius the Egyptian lived in the fourth century. In the Church are offered bread and wine, the ANTITYPE of Christ’s flesh and blood: and they, who partake of the visible bread, eat the flesh of the Lord SPIRITUALLY. {16e} 7. Gregory of Nyssa lived in the fourth century.