"Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said"--
"If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink."--John vii. 37.
The Unlimited Offer.
One of the most gracious "words" that ever "proceeded out of the mouth
of God!" The time it was uttered was an impressive one; it was on "the
last, the great day" of the Feast of Tabernacles, when a denser
multitude than on any of the seven preceding ones were assembled
together. The golden bowl, according to custom, had probably just been
filled with the waters of Siloam, and was being carried up to the Temple
amid the acclamations of the crowd, when the Saviour of the world seized
the opportunity of speaking to them some truths of momentous import.
Many, doubtless, were the "words of Jesus" uttered on the previous days,
but the most important is reserved for the last. What, then, is the
great closing theme on which He rivets the attention of this vast
auditory, and which He would have them carry away to their distant
homes? It is, _The freeness of His own great salvation_--"If any man
thirst, let him come unto me and drink."
Reader, do you discredit the reality of this gracious offer? Are your
legion sins standing as a barrier between you and a Saviour's proffered
mercy? Do you feel as if you cannot come "just as you are;" that some
partial cleansing, some preparatory reformation must take place before
you can venture to the living fountain? Nay, "_if any man_." What is
freer than water?--The poorest beggar may drink "without money" the
wayside pool. _That_ is your Lord's own picture of His own glorious
salvation; you are invited to come, "without one plea," in all your
poverty and want, your weakness and unworthiness. Remember the
Redeemer's saying to the woman of Samaria. She was the chief of
sinners--profligate--hardened--degraded; but He made no condition, no
qualification; _simple believing_ was all that was required,--"If thou
knewest the gift of God," thou wouldst have asked, and He would have
given thee "living water."
But is there not, after all, _one_ condition mentioned in this "word of
Jesus?"--"_If_ any man _thirst_." You may have the depressing
consciousness that you experience no such ardent longings after
holiness,--no feeling of your affecting need of the Saviour. But is not
this very conviction of your want an indication of a feeble longing
after Christ? If you are saying, "I have nothing to draw with, and the
well is deep," He who makes offer of the salvation-stream will Himself
fill your empty vessel,--"He satisfieth the _longing_ soul with
goodness."
"Jesus _stood_ and _cried_." It is the solitary instance recorded of Him
of whom it is said, "He shall _not_ strive nor cry," lifting up "His
voice in the streets." But it was truth of surpassing interest and
magnitude He had to proclaim. It was a declaration, moreover, specially
dear to him. As it formed the theme of this ever-memorable _sermon_
during His public ministry, so when He was sealing up the inspired
record--the last utterances of His voice on earth, till that voice shall
be heard again on the throne, contained the same life-giving
invitation,--"Let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him
take of the water of life freely." Oh! as the echoes of that gracious
saying--this blast of the silver trumpet--are still sounding to the ends
of the world, may this be the recorded result,
"AS HE SPAKE _THESE WORDS_, MANY BELIEVED ON HIM."