John

[0:00] As the Lord is pleased to help, I wish to direct you this evening and base my remarks upon these well-known words found in the fourth chapter of John's Gospel, verses 13 and 14, where we read, Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water 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.

[0:54] Now I would, dear friends, that all of us might have clearly said before us one thing, there is nothing to compare with the Gospel.

[1:09] Satan has tried to mimic it, to counterfeit it, but thank God, the revelation which God makes in the Gospel to faith causes faith to cry out, there is nothing like the Gospel.

[1:30] How many are the truths which testify to this end? Higher as the heaven is above the earth, so my thoughts above your thoughts.

[1:45] From the east to the west, oh, the magnitude of this which God has revealed in the Gospel.

[1:57] Do you know that what God has revealed belongs to us? And the old Puritans, who were far more lively in the faith than many of us, they used to say, that all the secret things that are in God, and think for a moment, of God who fills all immensity, that all the secret things that are in Him will not outweigh or overcome that which He has revealed.

[2:44] And how has God revealed the Gospel? Well, the law came by Moses, but grace and truth by Jesus Christ.

[2:58] I would then, that we might see, and cleave unto it, and I felt a little of the confidence of it in prayer, it's a spiritual reality, that God will ever distinguish the Gospel.

[3:14] Herein is His greater glory. And what have we, in this lovely conversation, betwixt Christ and the woman at the well, but the Gospel?

[3:29] It is worth our while pondering a moment to consider, how in the previous chapter you have Nicodemus, a Pharisee, a man full of religion, full of natural religion, coming to Christ, and here you have a woman, I don't believe she had one thought about religion at all, like people who just do not want religion, do not want chapel, just content to go backwards and forwards to many a natural well.

[4:08] How many do this? Oh, I would ask you, friend, and ask myself at the same time, what I really know about the living water.

[4:21] Is there that in your religion which is God-given that makes all the difference in the world? I said in our own pulpit at home the other night, and I mean it, I would not be a religious man for two minutes more if I did not know, and I say it in great humility, if I did not know a little of this blessed secret of life in the Gospel that binds us, or whereby we are bound to God himself.

[4:57] God is a spirit. God is a spirit. There's reality here. God is a spirit. Flesh and blood does not enter into the kingdom.

[5:08] God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. And what did the Lord do to Nicodemus?

[5:22] Briefly, he pointed out to him that he knew nothing. Here comes this master of Israel, and yet hast thou not heard? Knowest thou none of these things?

[5:33] These things that really matter? These things that have to do with the kingdom of heaven? That are enduring, everlasting, and Nicodemus, poor man, he knew nothing about those things.

[5:50] So Jesus brought to him that blessed truth. Ye must, not maybe, be born again. Ye must be born again.

[6:06] And though he was most intelligent in all other things, yet he says, how can these things be? Here is a new and living way which was not taught at the feet of Gamaliel, which was not taught amongst this strict sect of the Pharisee.

[6:26] And dear friend, let me show you the importance of this new and living way. When Saul of Tarsus saw it, when by faith he believed it, when by the love of God he was enabled to walk in it, to feel the satisfaction of his God and the rejoicing of his God in it, what does he say?

[6:48] He says, I count all things else but dung and dross. To me, it has always seemed as though he searched about all through his vocabulary to find those words that conveyed the utter futility, the utter rubbish of all other things apart from the excellency of the knowledge of God.

[7:17] And it was to this end that Christ must needs go through Samaria. I am informed that there were other ways to Galilee, but this was the way that the traveler normally took, the way which led past this well which dated right back to the parcel of land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

[7:43] and of course we all know, don't we, that in the eternal covenant, in that which really matters, Christ must needs go this way through Samaria.

[8:06] And what really matters, you'll find it all recorded in the first chapter of the first epistle to the Ephesians. It's briefly this, the good pleasure of his will.

[8:23] I ought to pause there. You know, Satan is so devious, he so tries us, doesn't he? Tries to put our minds upon ulterior things.

[8:37] And yet, ultimately, when we trace by the truth of God everything, and all events, up to the one fountain, there you have it, the good pleasure of his will.

[8:58] Friend, the way of peace is the way of submission. Submission. We have much need of God-given prayer for that one blessed grace, grace to submit.

[9:14] The poet who wrote those words, grace to lie passive in his hands and know no will but his, he knew a thing or two. Why, bless you, friend, he did know a thing or two.

[9:27] He knew that here was peace. He must needs go. Oh, for years, I've had to live upon a faithful and unchanging God.

[9:49] This foundation which God hath laid, God, because he could swear by none greater, swearing by himself.

[10:01] Think of it, friend. I wish I had words to convey to you the immensity of these things. It isn't a little gospel.

[10:14] You mustn't believe the devil when he tells you that God is a little God. Just think for a moment the Arminian theory because that's all it is. Christ timidly asking a sinner whether he wants to believe or not.

[10:33] Oh, if only we knew the depth of sin and wickedness. We only know a little even though your eyes may have been enlightened and your understanding too. If we saw the full extent of our depravity it would turn us mad.

[10:47] But if we only saw as he saw through those holy, sacred, and pure eyes the depths of depravity of the church we should know the immensity of the love of God that is recorded in those words he died for the ungodly.

[11:12] And hence we do not think it's strange knowing this that reconciliation must come. reconciliation as we have it here where he must needs go through Samaria to meet this woman an unsavory character in fact a harlot by profession.

[11:38] He must needs. Let's look at the theology of it. God does nothing outside of himself.

[11:50] Now this means one very important thing neither you nor I can be saved by proxy. No we can't.

[12:05] No doubt like me you have certain people laid on your mind on your heart don't you? Your children your wife your husband others others in the chapel others in the church had to wait on you.

[12:20] It is a mercy when we're helped at a throne of grace to bring them. And sometimes do pardon me sometimes there is a sweet forcefulness in prayer and it makes me think of those people who were so concerned to get that sick person into the presence of Christ they took all the tiles off the roof of the house I often say oh I do yearn for five minutes real prayer real prayer and five minutes real watching at a throne of grace grace and I will tell you come all ye that fear God and I will tell and you tell it humbly you'll tell it tenderly you'll tell it lovingly you may tell it weepingly what the

[13:39] Lord hath done for my son God never went out of himself in all the plan of salvation in all the satisfaction of justice he goes only through his own person here am I send me said the son lo in the volume of the book it is written of me I delight to do thy will oh God what a blessed faithful witness Christ was to the father I've been thinking today coming along of that ladder that reached from earth to heaven which Jacob saw in a vision sinner think of it for a moment when the dear lad awoke there was a ladder right from his feet right from his feet to heaven's topmost heights now that is the gospel that is the person and the work of

[14:52] Jesus and I love to preach the gospel not of works lest any man should boast is the truth but all of mercy rich free and sovereign grace has the Lord shown this to you you're a blessed person man or woman you in your filth you in your shame you in your sin and yet the ladder there at your feet and the voice of God above it I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and look at the fullness of what God promised Jacob there I will do this I will do that and I will never leave thee until I have brought all these things to pass and I believe friend that such was the absolute vastness of that promise that Jacob couldn't take it all in and neither do we when first we are raised up to a little hope in his mercy we cannot take in all that we've just sung regarding the gospel

[16:12] I have not seen ear hath not heard those things that are laid up in Christ for them that love him why do I say that about Jacob am I maligning the dear man no no no no but he says if if thou will do these things sometimes we have to remember that even after a time of blessing that impious if soon comes into the picture it came into the presence of Christ didn't it if thou be the son of God and Christ fell upon that which only can withstand it is written thou should not tempt the

[17:16] Lord thy God and Satan skulked half into the night you know somewhat of it if if Jacob didn't doubt there I say this he took lower ground than the ground that God took in blessing so how we need to be raised a little higher a little higher don't have hard thoughts of God don't have mean thoughts of God don't worship a God and I speak very reverently of putty some strict Baptists do I know they do and I'm not maligning them either listen to the conversation oh God isn't like that he's not as strict as that he's not as hard as that he could never do a thing like that you've heard people talk you may have spoken like that yourself and mourn for it too but when the Lord opens one's eyes as he opened the eyes of this poor woman there's only one answer give me this water grant me this this secret something which I haven't got the way the Lord dealt with me quite a young man

[18:55] I used to go to the chapel that I've been at now for many a long year they used to see the old saints going and you know you can spot them can't you you know exactly where they're going read of many a one up and down the country who've been trying to find a strict Baptist chapel and they've got somewhere in the vicinity and they've seen some poor folk trundling along and they've said to themselves we will follow them and sooner or later they found themselves in the strict Baptist chapel I like that little tale although pardon me I don't usually talk about anecdotes but I do like that little tale of Mr.

[19:49] Gascoigne I think it was and he kept a shop I believe a station a shop and some woman came into his town and wanted to look in the public directory and he turned to her and said you'll find in this directory all the cinemas all the public halls all the buildings of note everything to do with the day to day life of this town but there's one thing you won't find in there and she said indeed what is that you won't find any mention of the truth of God that's preached at the Strig Baptist chapel in this town nor will you find that chapel she says why but that's just the place that I want to find sometimes it does well to speak out friend we can be a little too reserved about these things can't we I was very pleased in business some few months ago when a man came to see me a representative of another company an international company and I don't know how the conversation started I did my business with him and he with me and

[20:57] I mentioned something about the truth of God and he said to me what religion are you I belong to those folk that are everywhere spoken against and he said indeed and who are they I said they're strict and particular Baptists he said and indeed that's just what I am too I felt it good that day to be able as one businessman to another to speak a little of the things of God not the first time by any means not the first time oh I know it's we don't want to make our religion ludicrous as sometimes the Arminian does emotion and sentiment these are foreign to real faith which is not excitement but may the Lord betimes help you and make a preacher of you too as this woman was made a preacher and anybody can preach if they once tasted of the water of the well that Christ said shall not only be a well of water but it shall spring up what to life life some of you are growing older your lives are slipping away

[22:16] I'm growing older too what do we really know of life life isn't this life you know this life with it's temporary affections and temporary love oh sometimes when we speak of the love of God we do tend to confuse it with natural love friend naturally speaking I love my children because I see in them that which excites my love you follow but the love of God isn't that the love of God from all eternity past did not see in one blessed person in his mystical body anybody that excited his love all sinners but he loved like a

[23:23] God and love not withstanding all friend don't give up Satan may tell you you committed the unpardonable sin Satan's only object because he hates you he hates everyone does Satan his only object is to cast you lower and lower and lower and I say thank God for the springing up of the waters of life what I do love about this account is the gentleness of Christ with this woman I believe she had a law work but nevertheless in all that Christ said it makes me think of what Job said thy gentleness hath made me great it is the only way that I know a sinner can be made great is by the gentleness of God the poet says thou who canst dash whole worlds to death and yet he makes thee great dear hearer makes thee great how not by law and terrors not by

[24:56] Sinai with its darkness not by the righteous indignation of the trinity that he made this woman great by sitting on this well wearied revealing for all time and eternity that friend he knows what weariness is all about our flesh all about this nature here's the ladder look at him the deity of Christ at the top and the sacred humanity comes right down to where we are that's love that's love he sank on this well and the woman came no thought of religion no thought of anything right no thought of heaven but what transpired caused her to leave her water pot yea more what transpired made her to go as every other child of God has gone and she didn't say now go away but she said come come and see isn't it remarkable that everyone that has tasted that the

[26:31] Lord is gracious everyone that has tasted of the gospel they're different people they're different folk known some queer sticks in my time probably some folk think I'm one but I know if you once feel the love of Christ in your heart your testament will be come and be welcome come and see this man who told me all things whatsoever I did this is the spirit of Christ I have no time for that Pharisee spirit I have to pray against it it's in me it's in you too if you're right you will have to pray against it this holier than thou attitude but there will be a desire oh that others might know this blessed secret and he said give me to drink and she couldn't understand it because he was a Jew the Jews had no dealings with Samaritans it all went back years it was all to do with the religious feud you know they'd been feuding the

[27:49] Jews and Samaritans even though they traded and did business together yet they could not come together upon the grounds of religion hence she said how is it that thou being a Jew askest drink of me who I'm a woman of Samaria and yet little did she know that almighty wisdom directed all this unto the end that Christ said if thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee give me to drink thou wouldest have asked this is the key note thou wouldest have asked he will be inquired on to do these things and he would have given thee friend have you never sat in your room at night and as you've read words like these the scales of doubt and carnal fear have dropped from your eyes and you have as the psalmist says taken hold of his strength and said lord thou didst say thou wouldest give these things friend don't give up may thy confidence be in

[29:17] God a man I used to know in Suffolk many years ago he was a farmer opportunity came for him to buy a certain plot of land and he was a man that feared God and he was so tossed about this sometimes you know the lord brings providence into these things he brought providence into this woman's experience she went to the well that was the providence and he walked up and down that plot of land and the lord dropped these words into his heart have faith in God and he couldn't get to the solicitors fast enough to sign it up he knew the lord had spoken and so do some of you I trust all when he speaks oh be gone and believe my savior is near and for my relief does most surely appear sir she said the one is deep thou hast nothing to draw with she was still looking at carnal things still looking at this well can you see the progress of a soul under the preached word can you see the way that ministers have to go it's not just running about the country preaching here preaching there if the lord gives you a soul it is through this pathway and as the light increases in the heart of that dear soul so becomes what we've just sung in that last lovely hymn saints raise your expectations high don't be like bunions mander the muckwreck always looking down whosoever drinketh of this water all the broken systems all the polluted streams well friend you're a fool if you think that the streams of this life are anything but polluted you are you know and I don't apologize and neither am I rude look look all the way around you in this nation today take just this nation of others and you know jolly well that all the promises that are being made by people in politics how many will be kept better if the

[32:20] Lord tarry twelve months hence all is polluted and I felt it as I said in prayer look at people's faces is there anything of the serenity the calmness that we used to know when they who feared God went backwards and forwards know I must have more more more is it bringing happiness no no beware of any system which looks like the gospel but isn't friend why is this chapel not well attended tonight because people don't want religion let's face it they don't want God there's no need to pray today to get money to get help you go to the social security office that's what it means doesn't it let's face the facts and some may say that's a good thing you've got to go much deeper than that anything that doesn't bring a man into the knowledge of the truth cannot ultimately be good some of you will say well you're a little old fashioned but I have to go back to what the Lord said to

[34:14] Adam in the garden when Adam fell he said by the sweat of his brow would he earn sweat of his brow would he earn Daniel tells you the earth shall become towards the end of the time full of knowledge and this world is full of knowledge and people flit to and fro as though the world was only a few miles across it but is that knowledge the knowledge of God no friend there's knowledge but not the knowledge of God and it makes me say you're a blessed man if any there is in your heart this prayer Lord give me this water give me this water going through the scriptures you'll find that often the water that is referred to refers to the whole work of

[35:22] God the Holy Ghost he sometimes is seen you'll notice I say he he is a person sometimes is seen under the representation of wind and often as water the wells of the water of salvation hear the springing up he who must come and friend he so sprung up in this woman's heart in the revelation of the work of Christ that the strung man armed must go and how when this unctuous light is found there she has to confess to Christ regarding her husband but did you notice Jesus had sent away the disciples there's something blessedly discreet in this it is only evil communications that corrupt good manners the things of

[36:35] God will never corrupt good manners it always pleases me when I see people who may by dint of circumstance and so on be what men call rather rough diamonds and yet when the Lord calls them by grace how they change there's a certain gentleness there I believe these people really are gentlemen and gentle women and the gentleness is not softness or effeminacy that gentleness has to do with being with Christ and learning of him it has to do with grace which the Lord says shall reign with grace that shall abound with grace that shall keep in other words this is the water don't you say that you have no purpose in life if you know this some soul may say but it seems years ago that

[37:49] I knew it he's still the same God he's still giving you grace you may not have the comfort of it but dear friend you won't know until the dawn of eternity just what assistance you've had through that grace he often gives us assisting grace when we do not feel the comfort of it she says I have no husband he says thou hast well said and how that dear soul must have felt as she stood in the very midst of he who is eternal light eternal wisdom and he searched her heart but there was a new heart given her and a new tongue too to preach there at that time come see this man see this man who hath told me all things that ever

[39:04] I did and friend she still lived like the prophet who said I've seen the Lord and still live how solemn and yet how sweet what did I say in opening there's nothing like the gospel and all my remarks regarding this present day and all that's going on are calculated to this end so that you nor I will ever say that ungodly men however learned in the arts and sciences of this world can bring anything in which is like the gospel the gospel is that which caused the angels in the heights of heaven to cry glory to God in the highest peace on earth and good will toward men examine every system and they all might have a semblance of these things but to the feet of

[40:22] Jesus we must come to learn these things in the only way the way that Mary did and if through grace thou choose that better part it shall never be taken from thee the Lord bless you amen