Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-01-21

part OF lith verse: "a we'll OF water
| spfinpiug up into everlasting life. "
Mr. BALDWIN spoke Of the iuportan CO
OF wells in the ERat, where the country
Is so dry, and related soms incidents
thai had occurred at wells in olden
times He declared that the greatest
evsnt that ever took place at well
was whsn the Samaritan woman met
Christ at jacobs vol, which lies
within sight Of Mounts Eba and
| Gsrizin.
1t was ut Jacobs wall that Jesus,
the Saviour Of the world, the Son of
Man, and the Son OF God, rested, foot
sore and weary at the noon hour His
| disciples had gone to the village to buy
meat, and while thus alone by the well,
woman with a water jar approaches.
As she comes very near the we'll,
suddenly she stops. She is aware that
somebody, a man, il sitting on the rim
OF stone. man. jew. He has a
tired look, and somehow she feels a
! pity for him. There is something
about that face that interests her. He
| does not seem Ia have the cold, stolid
look OF jew. His face is kindly, and
| in the midst of her musing the man
| speaks: GIVE Me to drink" She is
astonished that Jew should ask for
drink from Samaritan. 1t was con.
trary to all custom, and to the prelu-
dices OF the people, the Jews and the
Samaritans.
From a jewish standpoint it was
| strange that Jesus would talk with,
not only Samaritan, but a woman,
not only woman, but one under re-.
| proach.
The Samaritan woman doubtless
came to draw from Jacobs we'll, not
only because the water was cool and
refreshing on account of the great
depth OF the we'll, but because she had
hope that water from that sacred source
would do something to make her peace
with Jacobs God, and somehow allay
the thirst of her immortal souh And
what an amazing thoughts suggested
to our minds as we think of the Infinite
One, having infinite blessing to give,
asking of poor sinful woman, as if He,
Himself, were most in need
No wonder the woman replied to His
request for water, "tlow IL it that
thou, being a jew asketh drink OF me,
which am a woman of Samaria2"
Jesus answering said unto her "lf
thou knewest the gift of God, and who
II is that saith to thee, give me to
drink, thou wouldest have asked of
Him, and He would have given thee
living water.
The woman replied. 'Sir, thou hast
nothing TO draw with, and the well is
deep; from whence then hast thou that
living water? Art thou greater than
our father Jacob, which gave us the
well and drank thereof himself, and his
children and his cattle?''
whatsoever drinketh of this water
shall thirst again., said the Blessed
Master, but whatsoever drinketh of the
water that shall give him shall never
thirst; but the water that | shall give
him shall be in him we'll of water
springing up into everlasting life. y
And the woman said, "Sir, give me
this water, that ] thirst not, neither
come hither to draw" And then, you
remember how kindly and adroitly
Jesus led her on, revealing her sinful
condition to herself, and broadening
her view of the Eternal God, telling
her that God is a spirit, and
they that worship Him must wor-
ship in spirit and in truth. And
to this very woman Jesus first
revealed Himself as the Messiah, say
ing, Il that speak unto thee am He. "
The question is naturally asked,
What is the water given by Jesus?"
i reply that this water was to her
spiritual nature, what the water from
jacobs well was to her physical nature.
AS tho ordinary water strengthens, re-
freshes, invigofates and revives our
dropping, thirsty bodies. 80 the living
water OF life, given by Christ, allays
the thirst of our immortal natures, re-.
freshes and fills us with hope, and
brings satisfaction to our souls
which is bettor felt than told, an
which we sometimee call the peace OF
God that passeth understandings. -
Christ offered that poor woman every.
thing when He rendered her that living
water. And the salvation, the we'll OF
living water, which He offered her,
He lovingly offers to you and to me.
This salvation consists OF right rea-
tions to God, and with God, by virtue
of which His grace is manifest toward
us. This living water is the one thing
needful. and i abuudantly satisfies, for
it is nothing less than Christ Himself
in His own temple, the human heart.
A well of water springing up into ever
lasting life''
Wherever the sense of need is deep
and strong, wherever life seems an
aimless struggle, weary search for
treasure never found, there Christ
comes to awaken the nobiest effort, to
satisfy the deepest thirst, and to crown
LIES struggle with infinite reward
Man seeks to 1uench his immortal
thirst in many ways. In pleasurable
worldly pursuits, in the possession of
houses and lands, in travel from placs
to place. and from country to country,
but his desires are never fully satisfied,
his thirsty soul is never quenchod,
until help comes from the Divine Pill
grim who sat weary by Jacobs well.
Blessed be God, there ia balm in
Gilead, there is consolation there.
Allow me to ask in conclusion, have
you tasted of this water of everlasting
life? Oh, if you have not, may God
help you to drink and be satisfied to
day. just trust in Jesus, and lean
hard upon Him, and ask Him to give
you this water which quenchea the
thirst of the soul, and satisfies every
desire of the heart. 1t is for all. The
rich and the poor, the suffering and
the outuast, all the world may come and
find Jesus, the same Jesus who sat
weary by Jacobs well. full of love and
sympathy. Oh, brother, wont you
come? He will help you, il you only
try. just say in the most simple way:
Thou of life the fountain art,
Freely let me take of Thee
Spring Thou up within my heart,
Rise 10 all eternity