The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-02-17
S. S. LESSON.
February 10, 1900. John ~. 6-aa,
Iesns AZ Ia6otJs Waii.

@rA-iA-s@t AZ ASVSs tSAA 49, -4t
Jesus At Jacobs Wen.
Jesus was transferring the scene Of
his ministry from Judea to Galilee; but
while In translt. be quietly plaeed the
leaven Of hia gospel IN the very heart
of popuious samnria. He had spent
eight months Of the first year Of his
public lie in and around Jerusalem;
but the approach OF winter, and that
worse winter Of Phsrisaical hoatility,
bade him tind more congehial locality.
He ignored the prejudice Of the Jews.
and gave his disciples an object-lesson
BY going through sam&rla-
After foaF days Journey. at mld-day.
Jesus. Reasled, sat thus upon the :sss!l,
Chrysostom says. Thus, not upon
throne, or chair, or cushion. hut as
wsyfarIng man would. upon the ground.
his side against the stone parapet or
the wen; hlg arm upon It's top, and hi9
head supported by hla hand. Zee IN.
this the reality of our savlourls human
naturel A woman approaches.
She comes. perhaps, 81 this unusual
hour because her character made II
impossible for her to come e the sea-
sons when the pure maids and matr0ns
OF Sychar visited the well. She lowers
her large eartheh vessel by the cord
which she has brought for the purpose,
hundred feet 10 the cool, crystal wa
ter lust a., she HTS the dripping taI
to hel' head the dusty traveller ASKS 9
drink. Jesus puts himself under Opll-
CATIONS TO her at the very start by MS
request. He took her good will for
granted. a complimsng was implied,
1--WE desplse not him whose service we
ask" SO What magic Is kiRdneG8l
This Obtuse and sinful woman used
only 70 eplthet and bl0w-g gentle polta-
ness transmutes her into a docite p0ptt.t
She recognizes the nationality OF the
stranger. CountenGnce. accent and
garb betray him. A Jew-but where -
the racial prejudice? She vaguely rec.
ognlSes the moral superiority Of the
person before her, and 70 prepared Tor
the next step Ia advance. 10 which J0.
sus leads her in his next remark.
Poetry 10, IN large moaGliFe, the aSeuct-!
alton OF superior ideas with common
subjects II that Is 50, Jesus was an
liealapott. He takes the comnoHe9t Of
objects, water, and the cOnnionest Of
experiences, the 0uenchlRg OF thirst
with this nhturpl mud. 70 portray the
most uncommon experience Of the shn-
man BOul The woman sets che eng I
ma. "shels SET a-WOnderinE, ana that
for her, was 2 great gain" for, ae Ben.
gel says. wonder pEOVokas progress
RiS While she btlll loosely holds 20
4he literal. and talks Of the depth OF
the well, and the lack Of ArawinG-ap
planes, she yet skiFtS the edge OF che
SaViOrB spiritual meaning, and kAoWs
in her heart that he who 4aiks with her
~ greater than the patriarch (whom
she claimed a. pTOg0nitor) who pc
showed UPON his descendants the great |
boon Of this excellent well. SJe9u9
lets In a new ray ofAiGht upon Hlnd
from Which the mtStD have 1lreQdy be-
gun TO Mt. WfIei1FhS coOtFaoGb nnenFgG
water with the living water. water
for only the brlefeat possible pefl9d
Stakes thirst. The path 20 the fountain
Is well trotden, but the gift Of God 10
the tf6nsplahting OF Q perennial toun-
tain into the very soul = q fountain
whose 1et penetrates even the immortal
life above. - The poor Samaritan
ileFetic and OutcaBt ID eIlamOred OF this
gift" 10 wOnroduAly described. She
asks for II, but In terms which reveal
the fact that the hu8ks OF liberalism
have not all ben stripped OF. The
heaviest duty for her Me 10 this FREE
queut two-mile journey from city to
well and back: the labOriouS drawings
with the crud6st possible appliances;
the carrying OF the heavy jar upon her
head. II the gifL Of God WI SET her
free from all this toll, and yet keep her
from thirst, Of course she wants 1t. AT
the same time she has 4 daNVnlng con-
sclousness that the gift means more
than this. se Like a sldlful surgeon
kind but firm. Jesus inserts the gieAm-
ing lancet Of his question. The hideous
incidents Of an adultero1B career are
laid bare In moment, The woman Is
in the presence OF OmnlsOience. The
exact and minute details Of her unsa-
worry life are noted. Yet such mercy
and Eentleness is Irresistible. The thing
Is done, NOT in such q manner rs "a
make her cry, Hast thou found me out
o mine enemyY' but rather, Sir, per-
coiys' thou art a prophet" 49, A
scared conscience 10 aoftened, COMES
sion II made and tears Of penitence
dow. She rises now easily 10 the high
spiritual plane OK the Savlor'g teach
ing. She knows that the water OF
which he SPOKE Is for the washing OF
reEenEratIon--tfe gift OF a new heart tG
which the Spirit bears witness
In the 10y OF her new life she propounds
a practical question 10 the Divine
Teacher, whom 1t was her happy ior-
tune 10 meet that day, Where shall
she worship the Inhnlte One whose. In
efabie glft she had just received? on
GerIzIm-to which she pointed az she
10 her hereditary In
struction; or in Jerusalem, from which
he had Just come? In answer to this
question Jesus unfOlds that basal prin-
ciple ar Christianity. that allathe earth
: holy, and no one spot more holy than
another; that the item OF topography
In religion is hencefOrth erased; ana
further, that henqeforth, TO Splrlt-
c;od splrit.saorlAces only shall be
made. (Heb, *, IL. Rom, xll., l.).' -
The woman, her Clouded mind now
Illuminated. looked up and
n dorInSly exclaimed: 'Your teaching
IN jtIst like that which we might expect
from tho Messiah himself" The Savior
accents her loving challenge; and In
despjEed Snmar1a, and to Il woman ttll
iate degraded, he made his first cate
gorlcal declaration Of Mssslahship
p natAoSa 10 /