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CHAPTER IV.

THE INDIVIDUALITY OF GOD'S DEALINGS WITH SAVED SOULS.

SECTION I.

How Christ Himself dealt with a saved soul-The conversion of the woman of Samaria-an Exposition of John iv. 1-42.

HITHERTO We have chiefly dealt in generals; we now come to particulars: for howsoever many souls may be converted together, as on the day of Pentecost; yet they are all individually dealt with by God Himself. And in taking a survey of the history of the Church of Christ, it will clear the way to our more perfect understanding of the subject, if we first of all unfold from the Scriptures the nature and character of the work of the Holy Ghost in the heart of a saved sinner; as well as give an illustration or two of His working in particular souls: more especially as we see, that this is God's own method of imparting such instruction to us in the Divine Word itself. I shall, therefore, in this Chapter, consider the individuality of God's dealings with saved souls; by shewing how Christ Jesus Himself dealt with such, both before, as well as after, His ascension into heaven; and then open out the nature and character of the Spirit's work in a saved soul generally.

We have seen, that when our Lord first commissioned His disciples to preach the Gospel, He forbad them to "go into any city of the Samaritans:" but after it had been clearly revealed that Israel, as a nation, was about to reject Him, we find Him preaching the Gospel to a Samaritan woman Himself. And this, He did, to intimate, not only that the Samaritans were shortly to participate in the bless

ings of the Gospel, as well as the Jews; but also as a preintimation of the calling of the Gentiles themselves. And so, after His ascension, after commanding His disciples, when they preached the Gospel to "begin at Jerusalem," He farther instructed them to bear "witness" for Him "in all Judæa," and then "in Samaria;" and from thence to extend their labours "unto the uttermost part of the earth."

In our Lord's dealings with this Samaritan woman, we shall see, that He first of all removes the vail of prejudice from her heart; and then drawing back the vail of ignorance, He lets in the light upon her understanding: while He, at the same time, sows the seeds of Divine Truth in her soul. Then, deeply convincing her of sin; and quickening her, through the power of the Holy Ghost; He removes from her heart the vail of Death and while she is thus deeply wounded in spirit, and is longing for peace and rest, He once more removes from her heart the vail of unbelief; and at length reveals Himself to her as her own precious Saviour-the Messiah that "was for to come."

Passing by the occasion, then, which induced Jesus to "leave Judæa and depart again into Galilee;" I come at once to the 4th verse of our Chapter, which tells us, that "He must needs go through Samaria"-not alone surely because this was the direct road from Judæa to Galilee: but chiefly because there were some souls now in Samaria to be saved; and this was "the set time of favour," when the Lord's gracious purpose towards them had to be carried out.

"Then cometh He to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there."

Why this particularity in the narrative? Was it not to bring out a marvellous contrast; and thus more fully to set forth the glory of Jehovah Jesus? For this Sychar was the ancient Sichem, so called after "Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country," who "defiled" Dinah, Jacob's daughter; and of whose father, Jacob bought "the

parcel of ground" here referred to: which he, afterwards, on his death-bed, " gave to his son Joseph."1

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"But how came Jacob to buy land in Canaan, the land of promise for his burying place had been already secured for him therein by the purchase of his grandfather Abraham.2 His history shews us that at that particular time, he had forgotten that he was a pilgrim and a stranger'; and began to settle down in the land as one of the inhabitants thereof, and built him an house'; and instead of separating himself and his family from the people of the land, he entered into such friendly intercourse with them; that he allowed his daughter Dinah to go out to see the daughters of the land': a course of action which they at once interpreted into a desire on his part to make marriages with them'; to dwell with them,' and to 'trade in the land; and to get possessions therein.'s We know the sequel of that sad story, in the humbling of Dinah; and the destruction of the Shechemites by her two brothers Simeon and Levi; and the deliverance of Jacob by Jehovah Himself out of the snare which the Evil One had laid for him: plainly shewn by the command of Jacob immediately afterwards 'unto his household, and to all that were with him; Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments; and let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God'-almost as if he had forgotten that He was Jehovah, his own faithful covenant-keeping God-Who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.1

"Now it would appear, that after he had acquired this 'parcel of land.' 'Jacob' dug a well on, or near unto it: and it was no doubt in allusion to this well, that Jacob, on his dying bed, there also called 'Israel," after having ‘given' to Joseph, as his firstborn,' in lieu of Reuben, the actual

1 See and compare Gen. xxxiii. 18, 19; xxxiv. 1, 2; xlviii. 21, 22; xxxiv. 25-31.

'Gen. xxiii. 3-20; 1. 7-13. 3 Gen. xxxiv. 9, 10. 4 Gen. xxxv. 2, 3. Gen. xlviii. 2. For the signification of these names, see First Series of "Outlines," pp. 215-218.

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firstborn, 'one portion above his brethren, which he took out of the hand of the Amorite with his sword, and his bow "--no doubt by Simeon and Levi, as an addition to the land already purchased-spoke of Joseph prophetically thus, 'Joseph is a fruitful bough'-no doubt of a vine,' which is one of the emblems of Israel, whether fruitful or unfruitful3 'even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over a wall.' And just as, in the record of faith's worthies in Heb. xi., Moses is described as one, who by faith could "see things that are invisible:" so Joseph is said by faith to have "remembered," èμvnμóvevoe, "the departing of the children of Israel" out of Egypt, (which did not take place until about 144 years afterwards;) and to have "given commandment concerning his bones; " in order that he might be buried in this particular "parcel of ground," which his father Jacob had given to him: an injunction which his descendants afterwards faithfully carried out.

The Holy Ghost, therefore, in thus bringing these circumstances before us, would point us to that Blessed One, Whom Joseph typified, Who was "the true Vine," and "the Fountain of living waters;" and Who, not only "pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage ;" and is "the Author and Finisher of our faith :" but Who is, therefore, the alone healer of the breaches, which sin has made; as is exemplified in the coming to this same well of another Dinah, if I may so say, but under very different circumstances-not to drink of its water, and to thirst again; but to drink of "the fountain of the water of life," and to live for ever!9

The Jews in derision gave this city the name of Sychar, which means drunken; and it is said, that the people who lived in it, were an abandoned race: but whether this was so or not, at all events this woman was not then living a

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3 Psalm 1xxx. 8-11; Isaiah v. 1-7; Jer. ii. 21; Hos. x. i.

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very reputable life. And if the city itself were a wicked city, it only furnished another proof of the exceeding grace of God in visiting such a city as a like city was afterwards visited by Paul: who, when he stood aghast at the wickedness and voluptuousness of Corinth, was addressed by the Lord Jesus in these words, "Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace; for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city."

Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour."

We have here a very plain proof of the perfect humanity of the Lord Jesus, and that His body, as our bodies are, was subject to weariness and fatigue. "For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." "The sixth hour," if reckoned according to Jewish reckoning, would be about 12 at noon; when the sun in that Eastern country would render the heat of the day most oppressive. And yet here is a paradox indeed! He Who "fainteth not, nor is weary," sitting wearied on a well! And what an example to us! Though wearied in body, and suffering also from thirst, He made His own wants a means for supplying the needs of others; as He said also to His disciples later on, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work."4

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"There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water."

The Samaritans were the remnants of those nations, which "the King of Assyria" placed "in the cities of Samaria, instead of the children of Israel," whom He "carried away out of their own land to Assyria:" "and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof." They afterwards opposed the rebuilding of the Temple at Jerusalem in the days of Nehemiah and Ezra; and subsequently built a temple for themselves on Mount Gerizim, in opposi

1 Acts xviii. 9, 10.
4 Ver. 34.

2 Heb. iv. 15.
52 Kings xvii. 23, 24.

3 Isaiah xl. 28.

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