They tell an old story about the rejoicings at the coronation of some
great king, when there was set up in the market-place a triple
fountain, from each of whose three lips flowed a different kind of rare
liquor which any man who chose to bring a pitcher might fill it with,
at his choice. Notice my text, 'come ye to the _waters_' ... 'buy
_wine_ and _milk_.' The great fountain is set up in the market-place of
the world, and every man may come; and whichever of this glorious triad
of effluents he needs most, there his lip may glue itself and there it
may drink, be it 'water' that refreshes, or 'wine' that gladdens, or
'milk' that nourishes. They are all contained in this one great gift
that flows out from the deep heart of God to the thirsty lips of
parched humanity.
And what is that gift? Well, we may say, salvation; or we may use many
other words to define the nature of the gifts. I venture to take a
shorter one, and say, it means Christ. He, and not merely some truth
about Him and His work; He Himself, in the fulness of His being, in the
all-sufficiency of His love, in the reality of His presence, in the
power of His sacrifice, in the daily derivation, into the heart that
waits upon Him, of His life and His spirit, He is the all-sufficient
supply of every thirst of every human soul. Do we want happiness?
Christ gives us His joy, abiding and full, and not as the world gives.
Do we want love? He gathers us to His heart, in which 'there is no
variableness, neither shadow cast by turning,' and binds us to Himself
by bonds that death, the separator, vainly attempts to untie, and which
no unworthiness, ingratitude or coldness of ours will ever be able to
unloose. Do we want wisdom? He will dwell with us as our light. Do our
hearts yearn for companionship? With Him we shall never be solitary. Do
we long for a bright hope which shall light up the dark future, and
spread a rainbow span over the great gorge and gulf of death? Jesus
Christ spans the void, and gives us unfailing and undeceiving hope. For
everything that you and I need here or yonder, in heart, in will, in
practical life, Jesus Christ Himself is the all-sufficient supply.
'My life in death, my all in all.' What is offered in Him may be
described by all the glorious and blessed names which men have invented
to designate the various aspects of the Good. These are the goodly
pearls that men seek, but there is one of great price which is worth
them all, and gathers into itself all their clouded and fragmentary
splendours. Christ is all, and the soul that has Him shall never thirst.
'Thou of life the fountain art,
Freely let me take of Thee.'