_When therefore the Lord knew_ THE FIRST VISIT TO SAMARIA I. THE STORY ITSELF. 1. The memorable halt (John 4:1). 2. The surprising request (John 4:7). 3. The opened vista (John 4:10). 4. The proud reminiscence (John 4:11). 5. The perennial fountain (John 4:13). 6. The weary request (John 4:1... [ Continue Reading ]
_How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me?_ --It is remarkable that while the Samaritan woman here is taunting the Lord with being a Jew, the Jews, in a somewhat similar passage, charge Him with being a Samaritan (John 8:48). (_G. J. Brown, M. A._) ASKEST AND SAITH There is a singular... [ Continue Reading ]
_If thou knewest the gift of God _ WAYSIDE OPPORTUNITIES I. THE SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPORTANCE OF WAYSIDE OPPORTUNITIES. Speaking after the ordinary manner this transaction was accidental; apparently unpremeditated on the part of Christ, unexpected on the part of the woman. 1. We go into transaction... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the Well is deep_ THE WOMAN’S FIRST REJOINDER I. It is the property of natural men to take up spiritual things in a carnal way, and they are not able to discern grace till they have it; for, so doth this woman understand Christ, as if He were speaking of elemen... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not._ THE THIRST OF LIFE AND ITS SATISFACTION IN CHRIST I. The poor sinful heart--astray and deceived--UNSATISFIED. II. The soul led aright and brought to itself by repentance--BEGINNING TO BE SATISFIED. III. The soul transformed into purity and blessed li... [ Continue Reading ]
_Go, call thy husband, and come hither._ Whence learn 1. As grace is little known or esteemed of so long as we know not our misery, so, where the offer of mercy doth not persuade, Christ will discover their misery to make them either come quickly to Him, or else resolve on hell; for, therefore, af... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet_ PERSONAL PREACHING General discourses are like the beams of the sun dispersed in the air; they may warm us a little, but that is all. Conviction is like a burning glass, that gathers all the beams into one point or centre, and fastens them upon the soul, a... [ Continue Reading ]
_Our fathers worshipped in this mountain_ THE ADVENT OF CHRIST IN RELATION TO THE HEATHEN This is the first mission to the heathen. I. Our Lord’s MISSIONARY METHOD. He tries to excite in the woman a longing for something higher than the life she was living. In order to do this He touches her cons... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye worship ye know not what_ THE TRUE WORSHIP I. THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE SAMARITANS AND THE JEWS. 1. Samaritan worship was offered in ignorance. They were little better qualified than the Athenians. Rejecting the prophets, their faith rested on tradition, and was given up to superstition. As... [ Continue Reading ]
_The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers_ WORSHIP I. ITS GROUNDS OR REASONS. 1. The perfection of the Divine character. “God is a Spirit.” These words are (1) A mystery, because spirit, like matter, is unknown to us in its essence. We are acquainted with some of the sensible prope... [ Continue Reading ]
_God is a Spirit, and they that worship Hill must worship Him in spirit and in truth_ GOD IS A SPIRIT There are two ways of knowing and describing God--Affirmatively, which ascribes to Him whatever is excellent; Negatively, which separates from Him whatever is imperfect. The first is like a paint... [ Continue Reading ]
_I know that Messias cometh … I… am He_ SECOND EVASION AND REPLY The stricken deer tries once more to wrench the arrow from the wound; the wanderer thus caught amid the entangling thorns makes yet one other effort to escape the pursuing shepherd; the bold transgressor, unable to discuss these high... [ Continue Reading ]
_And upon this_ SOWING AND REAPING I. WITH A SOLITARY PUPIL. 1. Face-to-face work (John 4:27, John 1:42, John 21:16; Acts 3:4; Acts 9:5). 2. The convert’s message (John 4:29; Matthew 9:31; Mark 5:20, Mark 7:36;... [ Continue Reading ]
_The woman left her waterpot, and went her way into the city_ A WOMAN’S ZEAL I. THE ENGROSSING NATURE OF CONVERSION. 1. To meet Christ causes ordinary events to shrink into insignificance. Paul for three days did “neither eat nor drink.” Bunyan “ran about the streets distracted.” Fuller was “so m... [ Continue Reading ]
_Come see a Man which told me all things whatever I did: __IS NOT THIS THE CHRIST?_ Christ and modern scepticism This judgment on the claims of Christ is the verdict of common sense in contrast to that of Nicodemus, which was the verdict of scholarship. It is for learned men to study for us the qu... [ Continue Reading ]
_Say not ye there are yet four months and then cometh harvest_ THE SPIRITUAL CULTURE OF THE WORLD Not unfrequently does the Bible represent the great work of the moral reformation of the world by that of husbandry. I. THE SERVANTS OF GOD SHOULD EARNESTLY SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY FOR THE SPIRITUAL... [ Continue Reading ]
_Many more believed, because of His word, and said … This is indeed the Christ._ CHRISTIANITY ADAPTED TO MAN’S MORAL CONSTITUTION The counterpart of this narrative at a missionary station may easily be imagined. The Missionary says, “Come, learn the missionary doctrine which has made me happy. I k... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now we believe not because of thy saying:__ WE HAVE HEARD HIM OUR__selves_ THE SAMARITAN’S CONFESSION OF FAITH I. THE PERSONS FROM WHOM IT CAME. Samaritans out of the covenant, with imperfect notions of God and the Spirit of His worship, yet they were so captivated by Christ’s teachings that they... [ Continue Reading ]
_And after two days He departed thence, and went into Galilee_ MORAL USEFULNESS I. MAN MAY DO MUCH GOOD WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD. TWO days Jesus spent in Samaria, and what did He accomplish? 1. He broke up religious monotony. 2. Set minds thinking. 3. Won many to His cause. 4. Sowed truth that ha... [ Continue Reading ]
_There was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum_ THE SECOND MIRACLE AT CANA Who shall persuade us that we have not here a true story? I. Notice SOME OF ITS LESS OBVIOUS POINTS. 1. Mark the word “for” in verse 44. He went into His own country because there was no honour for Him ther... [ Continue Reading ]