FRIEND, let thine eyes rest a moment on this precious text that its glad tidings may sink deep into thy soul.
Its words are of the very highest import as being one of the last offers of God’s boundless love, closing the inspired volume of holy writ. When God was closing the Old Testament scriptures, His last pleading with Israel—His chosen yet rebellious people—was, “I have loved you, saith Jehovah.” They had rebelled, they had wandered, they had robbed God; and yet in view of all their departure from Him, and unfaithfulness, He pleads again at last, “I have loved you, saith Jehovah.”
How infinitely gracious still, after He has sent His only begotten Son into the world, and received Him back again to the heavenly glory—the rejected, crucified Son of man! Yet still He speaks in mercy. Yea, that same Jesus whom men crucified and hanged on a tree, raised by the glory of the Father, speaks from the Father’s right hand. “I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify these things.” The testimony was one of judgment, and soon His judgments will be in the earth, but He is waiting yet and His long-suffering is salvation, while the glad tidings of His grace are going out for whosoever will receive them.
Dear friend, will you receive Him? The salvation of God is free, and the good news of it given to us in the word of God is living water, free for souls thirsting, dying in their sins, and utterly helpless to save themselves.
“CHRIST HAS ONCE SUFFERED FOR SINS THE JUST FOR THE UNJUST TO BRING US TO GOD.” This is the water of life for you to drink and live. Oh! drink it now; drink freely, drink as deeply as ever you will; let go all works, all efforts of thine own and drink at mercy’s stream; so shall that free, full, boundless goodness of the Lord forever fill and satisfy thy thirsty, needy soul. Yet once again I plead with thee to take the living water Now. The time may come, or shall I rather say, Eternity will come when you may thirst in vain. In Luke 16 we read of one beyond the reach of grace, praying with all the earnestness of everlasting misery for but one drop of water—but in vain.
Think of it. “That he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.” The prayer of one once rich and increased with goods when here on earth, but now, too late, the gulf is fixed. God had called and he had refused. Clothed in his purple and fine linen, faring sumptuously every day, his heart was closed against the messages of Moses and the prophets. Often it may be on the sabbath day in the synagogue he had listened to God’s invitation by Isaiah the prophet, “Ho, every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat! Yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” And now he cries in vain for the very smallest portion of that priceless gift of God. He had passed away from earth where mercy calls. But you, my reader, are still here. Death has not yet overtaken you. Here, and here only, is mercy offered you—not, hereafter. In another world, or state, it will he too late. If refused here, your eternal doom is unalterably fixed. But “now,” says God’s word— “now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation.” For you the water still is free without money and without price. “AND WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY.” Will you take it?
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“Whosoever drinketh of this water (Jacob’s well) shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” These are the words of Jesus.