Thou haft in love to my foul delivered it from the DISCOURSE XXI. THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. JOHN iv. 10. Fefus faid, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that faith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldeft have afked of him, and he would have given thee living water. THIS HIS verfe is taken out of the notable converfation of our Saviour with a woman of Samaria. He was fitting by the fide of a well when she came to draw water; and as it was his office in the world, and the intent and defign of his becoming man, to feek and to fave fuch as were loft, he began. to open to this woman his mind, and firft afked her for a little water: The woman, feeing that he was a Jew, wondered at fuch condefcenfion; for we are told the Jews dealt not with the Samaritans," and afked him, how it came to pafs that one of his religion could ftoop to ask water of a Samaritan? And this gave our Saviour the opportunity to tell her: "If thou kneweft who it is that faith to thee, give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." Had the woman had ears to hear, this would have been the best news that ever she had heard; and indeed I look upon this place as one of the moft encouraging VOL. II. B parts 1 parts of all the word of God to a finner, and worthy to be attended to with the utmost seriousness and with all our hearts. I defign to make fome obfervations on the whole hiftory of this conversation of our Saviour with the woman, and speak of the words which I have singled out for the text in its place. We are told, that when our Saviour was difpofed to leave Judea, and return to Galilee, "he muft needs go through Samaria," not because there was no other way, or because he could not have conveyed himself into Galilee by means of his divinity or otherwife, but love and mercy obliged him to go that way. He knew there was a poor wicked woman living in Sychar, who was a flave to her whoredoms and her lufts, and in the high road to perish, and therefore he would go that way, that he might call her to the faith, as well as many of her fellowcitizens and neighbours, and be their Saviour. Thus the Shepherd feeks out his wandering flock, and faves and brings back fuch as are loft. When our Saviour had fent away his difciples to provide meat for their journey, and had reached Jacob's well, he fat down weary there, about the middle of the day, having yet, perhaps, tafted nothing. How particular is the fcripture! it fays, "he was wearied with his journey," when he fat down; to teach us, that he has experierced our weakness: And now every poor wayfaring man on the road, every peafant, every workman, may think when they are fatigued and tired with their journey or work, that our Saviour has been tired this way. He knows how to pity me, fince he has felt wearinefs, and knows what fafting and hunger is. It should comfort the traveller and tradefman, the farmer and labourer, to remember, once Jefus fat weary down on the well, and put them upon think ing, O thou dear Mafter of thy people, thou Lord of all, thou haft felt my weariness and weakness, have mercy upon me, and let it obtain a rest for my foul in the kingdom of God, when the days of the years of my pilgrimage are ended. O forget not, that once the good Shepherd of Ifrael walked about the world, and his limbs and feet were often tired and weary when he came down to feek and fave you, like fheep that he had loft. He travelled on foot and was fatigued, that you might be carried home in his bofom; he was a pilgrim in his own world, to purchase for us, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." While he was refting himself, the woman came with the water-pot to fetch water from the well; and now Jefus faid to her, "Give me to drink ;” the woman wondered at his requeft, because he was a Jew; but doubtlefs the angels of heaven wondered more, to fee the Creator ask a little water of a creature. This was indeed great humiliation, and should make us loath all pride and highness, all refentment and haughtinefs for ever. Here a poor fuffering man, a person who is reduced to want and penury, may also be comforted, fince God his Saviour once was poor in the world, and asked an enemy for a little water. Thus we read, he was at another time fo hungry, that he would have been glad of a few figs to stay his hunger, when he fought them at a fig-tree but found none. We cannot be poorer, meaner, more hungry and thirfly, or more reduced, than he ftooped to be, whofe poverty fhall make us rich in this world, and that which is to come. The Samaritans and Jews had no dealings together, because of their differences in religious matters, and that made the woman wonder moft, be B 2 caufe |