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CHRIST A FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATER
OUR blessed Saviour, though “Lord of all,” was a man like unto us in all things, sin only excepted: he hungered, he thirsted, he was weary. He put forth his Almighty power to heal the maladies of others; but would not exercise it for the exempting of himself from human infirmities. In journeying from Jud æ a to Galilee, he was overcome with weariness; and was necessitated to ask, from a woman of Samaria, who was come to the well by which he was sitting, a draught of water to quench his thirst. I conceive that, from the beginning, his object in addressing her was more to impart good to her, than to obtain relief to himself: for, instead of noticing, as he might well have done, her backwardness to comply with his request, he lost not a moment in revealing himself to her, as the Messiah, the Saviour of the world.
From his address to her, we shall take occasion to consider,
I. The characters under which our Lord here presents himself to our view:
1. He first speaks of himself as “the great Gift of God” to mankind—
[Such indeed he was. In comparison of Him, all other gifts are as nothing; nothing, in respect of internal worth; and nothing, in respect of the benefits accruing from them. He is no other than “Jehovah’s Fellow.” Yet to such a degree did God love the world, that he gave Him, even his only-begotten Son, to become a man for us. Nor was it to instruct us only that God sent his Son, but to save us; to save us by bearing our iniquities in his own body on the cross; and by working out a righteousness, whereby we might be justified, and find acceptance with him. No other gift that God was able to bestow was of equal value with this, or could have effected this great end. Well, therefore, may all other gifts vanish from our sight before him, as the stars are eclipsed by the noon-day sun: and well may He, by way of eminence, be called “The gift of God.”]
2. The Fountain of all good—
[Little did this woman think who it was that thus addressed her. He appeared to be a mere man, needing a little water to quench his thirst: but he was indeed “the fountain of living waters [Note: Jer_1:13.],” the one only source of good to a ruined world. By “living water” we understand all the blessings of salvation; “all fulness” of which is treasured up in him at this moment: and “out of his fulness may every sinner in the universe receive.”]
Our Saviour’s address to her yet further shews us,
II. The benefits which will accrue to us from the knowledge of him—
If once we get a just view of his character,
1. We shall surely apply to him for his benefits—
[If temporal blessings, however great in value, were spread before us, we might conceive of their being beheld with indifference: a conviction of their emptiness might well raise our minds above them, so that we would not condescend even to ask for a participation of them. But can all the blessings of grace and glory be contemplated with indifference? Can we behold an inexhaustible treasure of them laid up expressly for us, and not desire them? No: it would be impossible.; especially if we knew that they were all to be obtained by asking. To every creature under heaven may our Lord justly say, “If thou knewest what I have to bestow, thou wouldest ask of me.” We may as well suppose hell to be opened to our view, without calling forth a desire to escape it; and heaven, without creating a desire to obtain it; as imagine a view of Christ, under the foregoing characters, to be disclosed to the soul, and no desire to be excited there for the enjoyment of his blessings.]
2. We shall infallibly be made partakers of them—
[Not even the Samaritan woman, stranger as she was, and profligate, should have solicited his favour without obtaining it: much less shall any person now be suffered to seek his face in vain. He says to all, “Ask, and ye shall have; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Nor would he have us straitened in our requests: his promise to the trembling suppliant is, “Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” Nothing would be too great for him to give, if only we sought him in humility and faith. Pardon, peace, holiness, and glory, should all be poured into our souls in rich abundance; yea, “his Spirit, which he would give us, should be within us a well of water, springing up unto everlasting life.”]
Know then, all of you,
1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is here present with you—
[We see him not corporeally, as the Samaritan woman did: nevertheless, he is spiritually present with us, as he has said, “Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world;” and, if you will seek communion with him, you shall not be disappointed of your hope. He is, in reality, the same as ever he was. Still is he the great gift of God to man. Still is he the fountain of all spiritual good. Still does he complain of our forgetfulness of him, and declare he will impart out of his fulness to every inquiring soul. He put the Samaritan woman upon asking of him; saying, in fact, “Ask of me.” So says he now to every one of us, “Ask of me, and I will give you living water.”]
2. That you, no less than the poor Samaritan, need the blessings which he offers—
[Which of you needs them not? Which of you can find any other fountain from whence to quench your thirst? Which of you will not one day bitterly lament that you lost the present opportunity? I pray you, then, avail yourselves of your Lord’s present condescension and grace; and let your souls take of him, and live for ever.]