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THE KING’S BUSINESS
will “ thirst a g a i n l e t one drink as deeply as he may even of the best of all human fountains, the fountain of hu man love and friendship, he will “ thirst again.” Not only is this true of some or many, but “ every one drinking of this water shall thirst again.” Over every fountain of earthly satisfaction and joy these words might well be in scribed, “Drink and thirst again.” V. 14. “ But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst (rather, shall not thirst forever) ; but the water that I shall give him shall be (rather, become) in him a well (rather, spring or foun tain) of zvater springing up (rather, leaping up) into everlasting life.” _ Here our Lord draws a very vivid and emphatic contrast between the wa ter that Jacob had given and the water that He gave. The first “ I” in verse 14 is very emphatic, and emphasizes the contrast which the woman herself had drawn between Jacob and Christ. It is a very definite answer to her question, “ Art thou greater than our father Jacob?” “ Indeed, I am,” our Lord says in effect, “ he gave you a water that may satisfy for a few hours; I give you water that satisfies forever.” If Jesus were not God manifest in the flesh, then there was blasphemous presumption in His words, but if He fulfills this claim and does give, to whoever drinks the water that He gives, satisfaction for ever, then beyond a peradventure He is God. That He does so give mil lions can testify, and in this claim and its fulfilment there is as clear proof of His Deity as if He had said in so many words, “ I am God.” We have here a twentieth century proof of the Deity of our Lord, a proof that we may all know experimentally today. The phrase translated “ Shall never thirst” is a very remarkable one: a
V. 13. “ Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh (rather, every one drinking) of this water shall thirst again.” Again Jesus does not give a direct answer to the woman’s question, yet He does answer it, showing that He was far greater than Jacob, because Jacob only gave a well of which one might drink and be satisfied for a short time but soon thirst again, while He gave a water to drink, of which the one who drank would never thirst again but be fully and forever satis fied, and furthermore would have a spring within to take with him wher ever he went. The water which Jacob had drank and had given to others to drink satisfied the want for the mo ment ; the living water which the Lord Jesus would give satisfied a far deeper want forever, and satisfied it in such a way that it became an ever-living source of satisfaction, fully meeting and satisfying every recurring need of refreshment. The line of thought suggests that in John 6: 35, 49-51. What our Lord says of Jacob’s well is true of every earthly fountain of satisfaction and joy, whosoever drink eth is satisfied but for a short time, he “ thirsts again.” There is no foun tain in this world that will perma nently satisfy the deepest longings of the human spirit. One may drink as deeply as he may of any earthly foun tain, he will surely “ thirst again.” Let one drink of the fountain of earth ly wealth, no matter how deeply he may drink, he will “ thirst again.” Let one drink of the fountain of worldly pleasure as deeply as he may, he will soon “ thirst again.” Let one drink of the fountain of fame and power, he will “ thirst a g a i n l e t one drink of the fountain of science and philosophy as deeply as he may, he will “ thirst a g a i n l e t one drink of the fountain of music and art never so deeply, he
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