God must be worshipped in spirit and in truth. 20 Our fathers wor tain; and ye say, that 165 xxix. that IV. 20 It is well known from the Mosaic writings SECT. shipped in this moun- that our fathers worshipped on this mountain, in Jerusalem is the which we think a circumstance of considerable John place where men ought weight in our favour; whereas you Jews say to worship. the temple at Jerusalem is the great place where we should all present our sacrifices unto God, and ought to attend upon the duties of his worship, and whither all the tribes are to resort three times a year. I would beg therefore to be informed by thee in this important case, which of the two I should believe, and which is really the place most acceptable unto God. 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, The honr cometh, In answer to this case of conscience, Jesus says 21 to her, Woman, believe me, and attend to what when ye shall neither I say, The hour is now coming, when this controin this mountain, nor versy shall be entirely over, and neither on this yet at Jerusalem, wor- mountain, nor at Jerusalem, shall ye worship the ship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what we ship; for salvation is know what we wor of the Jews. Father in the same manner as you now do; for God is going now to introduce such a pure and spiritual dispensation as will remove all manner of distinctions as to the place in which he would be worshipped, and supersede the ceremonies practised here or there. But as to this dispute 22 which has so long been carried on between the Jews and you, it is apparent, on the principles of the Mosaic religion, that you Samaritans are in a gross mistake; and with respect not only to the place, but in a great measure to the object also, and the manner of your services, you worship you know not what: whereas we Jews are much better instructed in these things, and know whom, and on what authority, we worship; for truly the salvation God has promised to his people is to arise from the Jews, and the way of obtaining it is with the greatest advantage to be learnt among 23 But the hour them. Nevertheless, as I said before, I assure 23 cometh, and now is, when the true wor you again, the hour approaches, and now is just shippers shall worship arrived, when the true and acceptable worshippers the Father in spirit shall worship the great Father of all, not with and these external rites on which you lay so much 166 xxix. Jesus expressly tells her, he is the Messiah. 24 God is a Spirit; SECT. stress, hut in spirit and in truth P, or in a more and in truth: for the devotional and rational manner, to which these Father seeketh such to worship him. John corporeal and typical ordinances must soon give IV. 23. way; for the Father seeketh such to worship him, as that kind of homage is most suited to his own nature, as well as peculiarly delightful and use24 ful to the pious mind. For God is himself a pure Spirit; and therefore they that worship him, and they that worship him, must worship him ought to worship him in spirit and in truth: and in spirit and in truth. as some degree of spirituality and sincerity is necessary under every dispensation, you need not wonder, if at length he set aside those external rites, which were never principally regarded by him. 25 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto to thee, am he, The woman saith unto him, I know that the Messiah, who is called Christ, is coming, and will soon appear; [and] when he is actually come, he is called Christ: when will undoubtedly teach us all these sublime truths at which you have been hinting, and whatever other things it is necessary for us to know 9. Upon her mentioning this, as Jesus was not apprehensive of those inconveniencies here which her, I that speak unmight have attended such an open acknowledgment among the Jews', he plainly and directly tells her in so many words, I that am now speaking to thee, am he: a declaration which, no doubt, she heard with great amazement; but before she could answer him, the disciples appeared, which for the present put an end to the conference. P Worship the Father in spirit and in truth.] Truth is elsewhere opposed to types and ceremonies, John i. 14, 17. Heb. viii. 2. ix. 24. This important sentiment, as likewise what is said in ver. 24, is well illustrated by many fine quotations from ancient writers by Grotius in loc. And all that know any thing of that learned commentator, know that he has a thousand rich collections of this kind which do a great honour to scripture by illustrating its superior beauties; but it would be quite foreign to the design of this work either to transcribe such collections, or to attempt any supplement to them. 9 Teach us all things it is necessary for us to know.] This (as well as ver. 29, 42) plainly proves both that the Samaritans expected the Messiah, and that they concluded he would be a prophet. r Not apprehensive of those inconveniencies here which might have attended such an open acknowledgment among the Jews.] That Christ was very cautious of IMPROVE acknowledging himself to be the promised Messiah, in his conversing with the Jews, is very apparent (compare Mat. xvi. 20. Mark viii. 29, 30. Luke xxii. 67. and John x. 24.) and the reason was, that the Jews had such notions of the temporal kingdom of the Messiah, that they would have construed an open declaration of himself under that character as a claim to the throne of David; in consequence of which many would have taken up arms in the cause (John vi. 15), and others would have accused him to the Roman governor as a rebel against Cæsar (Luke xx. 20), as they afterwards did, Luke xxiii. 2.-This Mr. Locke has stated at large in his Reasonableness of Christianity, p. 59–77. Yet I think there was a nicety in Christ's conduct beyond what is there represented: for our Lord in effect declared the thing while he declined that particular title; and in a multitude of places represents himself as the Son of man, and the Son of God, which were both equivalent phrases, and generally understood His disciples return, and the woman goes to the city. 167 IMPROVEMENT. XXIX. CONDESCENDING and compassionate Redeemer! who would SECT. thus graciously converse with a Samaritan, with a woman of an infamous reputation too, from whom, on various accounts, a Ver. haughty Pharisee would have turned away in proud disdain! and 6, 9 could forget his thirst, pressing as that appetite is, that he might instruct and lead her to the waters of life! Gracious gift of God to the children of men! how noble and 10 how lasting a delight does it administer! Let it be our language, Lord, evermore give us this living water! Oh, pour out this en- 15 livening spirit on us, which alone can allay the thirst of our souls, and give us that lasting satisfaction which we in vain would seek 13 from these broken cisterns, from these precarious streams; till at length the fountain springs up in Paradise, and flows on to life 14 everlasting! May this good spirit anticipate those immortal delights to our souls by leading us into that spirituality of worship which the 23 nature of God demands, and which the gospel dispensation is so eminently calculated to promote! Let it be inscribed on our hearts that God is a Spirit; and let it teach us to worship him in 24 spirit and in truth. Such worshippers the Father seeks; such may he ever find in us! May all intemperate zeal for matters of doubtful disputation, all sentiments of bigotry and severity against our brethren, be hap- 20, 21 pily swallowed up in this infinitely greater concern! and while others contend about places and forms of worship, may we pour out our hearts before him, and feel the love of God and man shed abroad in them by his Spirit given unto us! (Rom. v. 5.) SECT. XXX. Christ's discourse with his disciples at Jacob's well: his visit to the JOHN IV. 27. AND upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talk JOHN IV. 27. SECT. THUS expressly did Jesus declare to the woman of Samaria that he was the Messiah; xxx. ed with the woman; and immediately upon this, his disciples (who, yet as was said before, were gone into the city to buy food) came to this well, where Jesus had appointed understood by the Jews, though à Roman would not so easily have entered into the force of them. Accordingly we find this interpretation was in fact given to them. T2 a With John IV.27 168 SECT. John Christ's discourse with his disciples at Jacob's well. pointed them to meet him; and they wondered yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why that he was thus talking in so friendly a mantalkest thou with her? ner with the woman, whom they knew to be IV. 27. one of that nation so peculiarly obnoxious to the Jews. But though it gave them some uneasiness, yet they had such a reverence for him, that none of them said, What dost thou seek from this Samaritan? or why dost thou talk with her? 28 28 The woman then went her way into the 29 Come, see a man which told me all Then the woman, seeing other company coming up to interrupt the discourse, immediately left her water-pot, and left her water-pot, or pail, behind her, as her city, and saith to the thoughts were taken up with matters of far men, greater importance; and went away in haste to the neighbouring city, and says to the men of her 29 acquaintance there, Come directly to Jacob's well, and you may there see a wonderful man, things that ever I did: who has told me in a manner all that ever I did, is not this the Christ? even some of the most secret circumstances of my past life: is not this the expected Messiah? I assure you it seems exceeding probable to me that he is; and he himself has told me so in so many words. 30 They therefore, struck with so great a name, in concurrence with so strange an event, went in great numbers out of the city, and came to him, who still continued where the woman left him. In the mean time the disciples intreated him to refresh himself, saying, Rabbi, eat of the prayed him, say.ng, 32 provisions we have brought thee. But he, Master, eat. referring to the conversation he had lately had 32 But he said unwith the woman, and to the preparation making to eat that ye know for the conversion of the Samaritans, said unto them with an air of great satisfaction, I have meat to eat that ye know not of, which gives me a much better entertainment than you can bring 33 me. The disciples therefore, not understanding 31 a With the woman, μsta yuvaix.] As the article is wanting, the Prussian Testament, and many others, render it with a woman; and Dr. Lightfoot, in his note on this place, has produced a great many unaccountable, and, some of them, very stupid passages from the Talmud and other Rabbinical writers, to prove that it was reekoned scandalous for a man of distinction to talk publicly with a woman; (see Lightfoot's Hor. Heb. in loc.) But the disciples surely knew that Jacob and Moses and others of their greatest and holiest prophets had done it; and some of them in circumstances remarkably resembling this, in which the woman came to draw water; his 30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. 31 In the mean while his disciples to them, I have meat not of. 33 Therefore said the compare Gen. xxix. 9-12. Exod. ii. 15 -17. (See also 1 Sam. ix. 11-14.) It is plain the wonder here was that he talked with a Samaritan.-As for the omission of the article, see note b on John i. 1. p. 24, and the end of note d in this section, on John iv. 6. b Eat of the provisions we have brought thee.] Their bringing back the provisions to him here makes it probable that he did not intend, had it not been on this occasion, to have gone into the town; and so (as was said in the paraphrase, ver. 27.) ordered his disciples to meet him at this place, which was undoubtedly well known to travellers. © There The joy and advantage of the spiritual harvest. another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to sent me, and to finish do the will of him that his work. 169 XXX. the disciples one to his words in that spiritual sense in which he SECT. intended them, said one to another with some surprise, considering where he was, Has any one John been with him in our absence, and brought him IV. 33. any [food to eat here? Jesus, who knew the 34 loss they were at to understand his meaning, says, to explain it to them, My most refreshing and delightful food is to do the will of him that sent me into the world, and to finish his work as fast as possible, in the conversion of souls and in the propagation of his kingdom; and I with pleasure can assure you, that it is now going on successfully. Do not you say, that there are yet 35 four months, and harvest cometh? Nay but behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes even now, and survey the fields round about you; for they are already laden with a plentiful crop, and appear white unto the harvest: alluding to the disposition of the people in general, and more particularly to the multitude of Samaritans, who, struck with the report of the woman, were coming to inquire after him as the Messiah and unto whom he pointed and directed them to look, as being then within their view. 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fie ids; for they are white' already to har vest. 36 And he that And he yet farther added, It is your happiness 36 reapeth receiveth wa- to be employed in such a work as this; for he ges, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that faithfully reaps the harvest of which I now that speak, receiveth far more valuable wages than men can give, and has the great additional satisfaction of thinking that he gathers in the fruit unto eternal life: so that, on this account, both he e There are yet four months, and harvest cometh.] Dr. Whitby and Grotius, and many others, understand this as if our Lord had said, "It is a proverbial expression, for the encouragement of husbandmen, that there are but four months between seed-time and harvest." And the author of the late English translation therefore renders it, (in his paraphrastic manner) You commonly say, Tother four months, and the harvest will come. But I cannot acquiesce in this interpretation: (1.) Because none of the learned writers mentioned above, nor Dr. Lightfoot, who is large on this text, could produce any such proverb. (2.) Because indeed there could be no foundation for it, since the distance between seed-time and harvest must differ according to the different kinds of grain in question. And (3.) Because if there had been such a proterb, it would have been improper to apply it here; since our Lord was not speaking of the period of time between the that prophets' sowing and the apostles' reaping (to d Gathers in the fruit unto eternal life.] |