The Indwelling of the Spirit,
the common Privilege of all Believers.
JOHN vii. 37, 38, 39.
_In the last day, that great day of the feast, JESUS stood and
cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and
drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said,
out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this
spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should
receive._
NOTHING has rendered the cross of CHRIST of less effect; nothing has
been a greater stumbling-block and rock of offence to weak minds, than
a supposition, now current among us, that most of what is contained
in the gospel of JESUS CHRIST, was designed only for our LORD’s first
and immediate followers, and consequently calculated but for one or
two hundred years. Accordingly, many now read the life, sufferings,
death, and resurrection of JESUS CHRIST, in the same manner as _Cæsar’s
Commentaries_, or the _Conquests of Alexander_ are read: as things
rather intended to afford matter for speculation, than to be acted over
again in and by us.
As this is true of the doctrines of the gospel in general, so it
is of the operation of GOD’s Spirit upon the hearts of believers in
particular; for we no sooner mention the necessity of our receiving the
Holy Ghost in these last days, as well as formerly, but we are looked
upon by some, as enthusiasts and madmen; and by others, represented
as wilfully deceiving the people, and undermining the established
constitution of the church.
Judge ye then, whether it is not high time for the true ministers of
JESUS CHRIST, who have been made partakers of this heavenly gift, to
lift up their voices like a trumpet; and if they would not have those
souls perish, for which the LORD JESUS has shed his precious blood,
to declare, with all boldness, that the Holy Spirit is the common
privilege and portion of all believers in all ages; and that we as well
as the first christians, must receive the Holy Ghost, before we can be
truly called the children of GOD.
For this reason, (and also that I might answer the design of our church
in appointing the present festival¹) I have chosen the words of the
text.
¹ Whitsuntide.
They were spoken by JESUS CHRIST, when he was at the feast of
tabernacles. Our LORD attended on the temple-service in general, and
the festivals of the _Jewish_ church in particular. The festival at
which he was now present, was that of the feast of tabernacles, which
the _Jews_ observed according to GOD’s appointment in commemoration of
their living in tents. At the last day of this feast, it was customary
for many pious people to fetch water from a certain place, and bring
it on their heads, singing this anthem out of _Isaiah_, “And with
joy shall they draw water out of the wells of salvation.” Our LORD
observing this, and it being his constant practice to spiritualize
every thing he met with, cries out, “If any man thirst, let him come
unto me, (rather than unto that well) and drink. He that believeth
on me, as the scripture hath spoken, (where it is said, GOD will make
water to spring out of a dry rock, and such-like) out of his belly
shall flow rivers of living water.” And that we might know what our
Saviour meant by this living water, the Evangelist immediately adds,
“But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should
receive.”