SERMON VI. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATERS. JOHN iv. 13, 14. Jesus answered and said unto her, "whosoever drinketh of this water, shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that Į shall give him, shall never thirst.” AS our Saviour, in journeying to Jerusa lem, had sate down to rest, by the side of Jacob's well,-a woman of Samaria coming to draw water there,-Jesus requested of her some water to drink; the woman, seeing him in the habit of a Jew, was surprised at the request-because the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans: Religion, which should make all men friends, had made them enemies; and they continued to worship in different ways and in different places, and to hate one another for doing so, while the temple of Mount Gerizim and that of Jerusalem continued to exist.-Then said Jesus to the woman, "hadst thou known who it is that said unto thee, give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." The woman's attention being now awakened, Jesus proceeds, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again-but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst;" these were words of authority, and the woman, struck with reverence, however imperfectly she understood his meaning, earnestly replies"Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw." Who would not prefer a happiness, rising independently within himself, to that which is derived from precarious external sources?— Who values not a happiness flowing without interruption more than one only to be enjoyed by intervals? Who would not chuse a happiness that endureth for ever, before the hap piness of a moment? "Whosoever drinketh of this water, saith Christ, shall thirst again:" that is, whoever would quench his natural thirst of happiness at the fountains of this world, can obtain only a temporary respite of his cravings. Here is no permanent object of desire-they are but sudden showers of refreshment, absorbed as they fall-in the sands of the wilderness-and when the springs of earthly comfort are thus exhausted, we thirst again; and thirst often, without remedy. "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him"-saith our Saviour, shall never complain, that his soul is devoid of consolation-" it shall be in him, a well of water, springing up into everlasting life." "It shall be in him"a fountain of selfsatisfaction, unlike those uncertain supplies of external good, which men so eagerly contend for; which are frequently productive of more vexation than delight; and rather irritate than quench the thirst of nature; "the water that I shall give him" shall not only allay the fever of inordinate desire, but infuse into the soul an immortal vigour: and thus, after inspiring the true taste of rational and virtuous enjoyment, shall extend and perpetuate the blessedness to Eternity-it shall be a well of peace and joy, "springing up into everlasting life." Strange infatuation, that men should be more solicitous about this transitory life, than about that life, which endureth for ever! Yet how anxiously do they strive, not only for life itself, but for the mere superficial appendages and ornaments of life! What ardent passions beat, in mortal bosoms, for transitory objects! But he who strives, at these broken cisterns, to quench the thirsty soul, shall soon thirst again-shall thirst with the solicitude of unsatisfied desire, till he applies to that fountain |