Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-09-14

rizcd Jer. H. 49, she might now have
thought of the words of the Lord, They
have forsakon me, the fountain of living
waters.
II. AS in the case of Nicodemus, He is
talking with a natural person who cannot
understand spiritual things. She can only
think of this deep well and this water by
which they now are. But she who won
dered that jew should ask anything of
her is now asking something of Him for
already He has interested her in water
she knows not of.
10 She knows something of Jacob and
the story of this well and begins to speak
IF what she knows. She calls him our
father Jacob and acknowledges him as a
great man, the givcr of this well from
which he and his had drunk, but she does
not know the God of jacob
10. Jesus does not take up the question
of the comparative greatness of Himself
and Jacob but keeps to His subject and
the woman's real need, which is living
water The woman knew that while this
was good well and good water she had to
come again and again, because of her
and others need, but perhaps she had
sometimes thought of and felt deeper
thirst than that of the body.
II. Here is surely something strange
water that will keep one from ever
thirsting because it will be well in them,
ever springing up, and twice in single
sentence He speaks of it as the water
which he viii give" He had asked her
for water, but He has water to give that
she knows not Of Paul tells us that the
rock from which Israel drank in the will
dcrncss was Christ Il Cor. Y, -, and the
Same spirit says that if Israel had only
hcarkencd to God He would have satisfied
them with honey from the rock Cps. Xxi,
H. 16).
10 She is not interested enough to ask
Him for this water, but only in order to
save her making journeys to this well
for her daily need She thinks of moth
ing yet beyond the natural water for the
need of the body for she is still carnal,
and tho natural man is wholly occupied
with. " How shall | obtain somewhat to
eat and drink and wearY' Jesus said
elsewhere how to make sure of these with
out any anxious care (Math. vi, 3l-33)
Is. In order to make her see her need
of the living water which He longs to
give her, He will now show her herself,
and therefore this request There is no
sending for the physician till we know
that we are sick; there is no sense of a
till we see that our own is filthy rags
Therefore the Spirits first work is to con.
vince of sin (John xvi, 5, %.
IL Her conscience is aroused; she has
her attention called to her manner Of life
What we are is manifested in what we do.
Yet she would hide from Him if she could,
for it is the garden Of Eden story DER and
DER again. Tho guilty are afraid and
seek to hide from God. BY her answer
which was true, She would cover up if she
could the real truth But covering sin
will not prosper. 1t is only by confession
and forsGking that we obtain mercy prov
xviii l3)
Is The eyes of fire now search her
through and through, for all things are
naked and open to the eyes Of Him with
4 whom we have to do (Hcb. iv, ID; Rev. ii,
/ IS, 23) There is nothing hid which shall
not be manifested Mark iY, 22). Be sure
your sin will find you out (Num. xxi,
! 23) o Lord, Thou hast searched me and
( known me and art acquainted with all
my ways ops. cXXXiX, 40.
10. Having seen herself in all her sin
fulness, she now looks upon Him with a
new light, for the light from Him had
shono upon her Like Isaiah, she has seen
her uncleanness, because she has looked
upon the King lisa. vi, 81. job had heard
of Him, but when he looked upon Him
then he abhorred himself Dob xiii, o, 81.
20. Yet she would cyade the main issue
by a question of place, like those who when
shown their sinfulness would turn it OFF
by saying, l do not belong to your church,
or, Which church do you think is the right
one? or by a controversy as to what va
rious people believe.
He 1iecnrfls all question pf f1locp am
holds her face to face with God. 1t is not
aquestion of what the fathers did or taught
or believed, but only question Of what
the Father commands There are creeds
many and churches many, so called, but
only one God, the Father of ALL who is
above all and through all and in all (Eph
Nv, 81.
%. This saying Salvation is of tn,
Jews" along with, Salvation is of the
Lord" (Jonah ii, %, includes the whole
story Of whom to worship for God has
chosen Israel as the people who are to fl
the earth with fruit, and Jerusalem as Hi.
throne, and Jesus Of the tribe Of JUDAH
to sit on that throne lisa xvii, 6; Jer
iii, II; Luke i, 30, 33, Heb. vii, l4)
%. God, the Father, has revealed Him
self in Christ, for God was in Christ (Il
Cor Y, 19), and Jesus said, "He that hail
) seen me hath seen the Father" John xiv
o. 1t is not the fathers we are to wor
ship, nor saints nor angels, but only thu
Father revealed in Christ He is tn,
way and has said, No man cometh unit,
the Father but by me "
"a. No outward form Of worship can b.
acceptable to God. 1t must be from tn,
heart in the power of the Spirit. Even tn
t IacIificcs commanded in the law becam
= vain oblatons when they became a mer
, form lisa i, 11-1D. \ worship that il
/ taught by the precept of men or is merel.
! a lip worship, while the heart goeth afte
| coyetousness is abomination to God lisa
E xxx, -, IA; Eek. xxXiii 81, 32).
%. Once more she tries to evade the is
, sue by saying "When Christ comes, ii
. will tell us"
[ 60 BY this word of Christ the contro
: vorsy is ended. There stands before thi
woman the Il Am" of the law and tn
r prophets, and the one question now is
? viii she accept Him or reject Him3 Sh
= accepted Him as the Christ Verse 800, an,
r through her testimony many more believ
cd in Him as tho Christ, the Saviour o
the world (verses 39-42(