The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-09-12
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
LESSON MI, THIRD QUARTER, IN
TERNATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. IG.
Text of the Lesson, John iv. o-20-
Memory Verses, 11-I4-GOlden Text.
John iv. I4-Commentary by the
Rev. ID. VI. Stearns.

9. Jesus, having left Judea to go into
Gali.ee, in passing through Samaria stops
to rest at Jacobs well. If the sixth hour
of verse 6 is the same as the sixth hour OF
chapter xix, Il. IL was 8 o'clock in the
morning when Jesus, resting on the we'll
meets the woman Of Samaria who had
come out to draw water and asks her TO
give Him to drink. This verse is the
woman's first response to His request.
10 His reply is that If she knew who
asked her, even the gift Of Cod she would
have asked Him for living water. If she
had ever read the scriptures and memo
rized Jer ii. Is, she might now have
thought of the words Of the Lord They
have forsaNen me, the fountain OF living
waters"
II. As in the case Of Nicodemus. He is
talking with a natural person who can
not understand spiritual things. She can
only think Of this deep well and this
water by which they now are. But she
who wondered that a Jew should ask
anything Of her is now asking something
Of Him for already He has interested her
in q water she knows not Of.
II. She knows something of Jacob and
the story Of this well and begins to
speak Of what she knows She calls him
Our father jacob and acknowledges
him as great man, the giver OF this
we'll from which he and his had drunk.
but she does not know the God OF
Jacob
Is. 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 a good well and good water she had
10 come again and again, because of l4er
and others need, but perhaps she had
sometimes thought of and felt a deeper
thirst than hat Of the body.
IA. Here is surely something strange
water that will keep one from ever
thlrSung beca Use ii viii be a well in
them, ever springing up, and twice i'm a
single sentence He speaks Of ii as 1.-The
water which He will 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 wilderness was Christ
q Cor. Y, -, and the same spirit
says that If Israel had only heark-
ened to God He would have satisfied
them with honey from the rock Ps.
lXNX 13, 16).
Is. She is not interested enough to ask
Him for this water, but only in order 20
save her making journeys 10 this wei
for her daily need. She thinks Of moth
ing yet beyond the natural water for the
need of the BODY for she is stiH carnal.
and the natural man is wholly occupied
with. How shall 1 obtain somewhat to
eat ana drink and Wear2' Jesus said
elsewhere how to make sure of these
without any anxious care CAIath. vi. 1888.
10. In order to make her see her need
Of the living water which He longs to
give her He Will now show her herself
nd #1,f
sending for the physicians till we know
that we are sick; there Is no sense of a
need of righteousness better than our
own tin we see that our own is filthy
rags. Therefore the Spirits first work
is to convince of sin John xvi. s, 81.
II. Her conscience DIS 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 1t is the garden of Eden
story Ger and Ger again. The guilty are
afraid and seek to hide from God BY
her answer, which was true. she would
cover up II she could the real truth. But
covering sin viii not prosper. 1t is only
by confession and forsakng that we OBJ
tain mercy prov. xviii. 49,.
IS. The eyes Of fire now search her
through and through, for all things are
naked and open to the eyes OF Him with
whom we have to do (Iieb. ~, l3; Rev. ii,
is, 23). There is nothing hid which shall
not be manifested Mark iv, 22). BE sure
your sim will find YOU out CNum. xx,sii
23). . Lord, Thou hast searched me and
known me and art acquainted with all
my ways (Ps. cXXxiX. IA.
10. Having seen herself in all her sim
fulness, she now looks upon Him with
new light. for the light from Him had
shone upon her. Like Isaiah, she has seen
her uncleanness, because she has looked
upon the King lisa. vi, -. Job had heard
l.
then ne abhorred himself dob XIII ., O..
90 Yet she would evade the main issue