Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-02-10

This statement may have been made
by a woman, but probably they are a
parenthetic explanation given by John.
that those readers who were not eth
er Jews or Samaritans might under
stand the words of the woman, who
evidently intended to reproach the
Jews. With some Jews this was most
literally true-with those most intense
ly Pharisaic and bigoted and hateful.
Jesus answered and said unto her,
II thou knewest the gift Of Goo, The
gracious Lord would rescue this fallen
woman, and at once convert her from
being a prostitute to become a disciple
of His. What is meant by ''the gift
Of God" we can not be sure. But 1t
comes too far short to understand 1t
Of the merely material water which
Jesus had asked of her, which certain
ly Is the gift Of God for all, and there
fore should never be denied to any.
But Jesus has a meaning deeper than
that deep well in the ground and its
refreshing contents and contribution
am persuaded that He has Himself in
mind as Gods best gift to humanity
without racial distinction. She had
just shown that she recognized Him
as q Jew but He well knew that He
was more than q Jew, and therefore
could not be narrowed by Jewish pre1u-
dices. Was there not in His mind
what He had recently said to the mas
ter of Israel-"God so loved the
world-Samaritans as well as Jews
that he gave his only begotten Son p
~, all, rxtS% 80 Id
The following words add proof-and
who II is that saith to thee,--If thou
vert acquainted fully with the man
that is now conversing with thee. She
knew Him only as n Jew; she did not
really know him-Give mo to drink
The Gift who asks a gift. Wonderful
that such an One as this unspeak able
Gift should ask even a cup of water!
Yet that is the way with the Incarnate
Son Of God. He empties Himself
mixes Himself dependent upon COM
mon favors from those who can dc
nothing at all without Him. This Is
a part Of the wonderful condescension
of God-that He receives gifts from
men. Yes, He who came to satisfy
our longings Himself has longings
wouldst have asked Of him.-The will
ing ofttimes Is dependent upon the
knowing. IF thou knewest thou
wouldst." Yes, men do not know
what there Is in this One for them
and so they hesitate about meeting
His advances, because they imagine He
wants to take something away from
them and so leave them in a measure
destitute. 'If thou hadst known, even
thou, at least in this thy day, the
things which belong unto thy peace!
but now they are hid from thy eyes,
OLuke xix:42).
Jesus said unto her, WhosoeveI
drinketh Of this water shall thirst
again; There are always interrupted
seasons of earthly satisfaction, SO thai
they who resort only to earthly source.
of supply are constantly interrupted
and they have to come and come AGAR
continually. The soul without God II
like a traveller in a desert. There may
be times of rest and refreshing. neal
some oasis; but generally, daily, there
is unsatisfied longing. Health, wealth
honor, friendship may appease al
times. so that the soul may seem per-
fectly happy; but happiness is depend
ed on haps, and haps are generally
haphazards. There occurs constantly 8
feeling of dissatisfaction.
But whosoever drinketh Of the wateI
that shall give him shall never thirst
That is. never have an unsatisfied
desire, burning with pain. There viii
of course, be continual desire for more
and more Of God. but those who thirst
Immediately drink, so that they do not
have to go and draw. "A good man
Is satisfied from himself" The soul is
ever satisfied In droughts; It is like a
watered garden, and like springs OF
water, whose waters fail not. And this
Is the Lords explanation-for tho wa
ter that ! shall give him shall be in
him, we'll Of water, springing up in
to everlasting life. The one who re-
ceives from Christ the supply of His
Spirit has a perennial springing well
within him wherever he goes. THAT
water is near at hand; it is with the
man, and in himself; but the drawing
and the drinking must nevertheless
still continue.