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perished. Renew, my worthy friend, the ardor of your prayers, that the God of the Spirits of all flesh may every where excite a multitude of enlightened and animated witnesses, to these vital truths of his everlasting gospel; and that his blessing may attend every effort for the advancement of this sacred cause. and particularly, that it may, notwithstanding all its imperfections, attend this humble attempt, from the hand of,

Reverend and dear Sir,

Your affectionate brother

in the work of the christian ministry,

and ever faithful friend and servant,

P. DODDRIDGE.

Northampton, Sept. 18, 1748.

CHRIST'S

INVITATION TO THIRSTY SOULS.

John vii. 37.-In the last Day, that great Day of the Feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any Man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.

ALL the words of our blessed Redeemer deserve our

very serious regard; for, his enemies themselves being judges, Never man spake as he did *. But there is something in the words now before us, which may justly challenge a peculiar attention; as they were not spoken in ordinary converse, or to a little circle of domestic friends, but delivered in the temple, with a loud voice, on a solemn day, and in the midst of a very numerous assembly. In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, or made proclamation, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

It is plain from the second verse, that the feast here spoken of is the feast of tabernacles; which was instituted in commemoration of God's giving the law to Israel, and conducting them through the wilderness, where they dwelt in tents +. The feast lasted eight days: Most of the former of them were spent in tabernacles or arbours made up of branches of the most shady trees, and adorned with the finest flowers and fruits which that delightful country afforded in the month of September. It is not improbable but on all these days the pious worshippers would sometimes quit these pleasant retreats, to attend the services of the temple: But it was the express command of God that The whole eighth day should be spent there, that being a holy convocation, on which, besides other institutions then to be attended, the whole law was to be read over in the audience of all the people, from the original copy which was laid up in the holy of holies §. This was the last day, that great day of the feast, which the evangelist mentions in the words before us.

* Ver. 46.

Lev. xxiii. 42, 43.

Lev. xxiii. 36. § Deut. xxxi. 10-30.

The Jewish writers assure us*, that towards the latter end of their commonwealth, they had a peculiar ceremony on this day, to which our Lord may probably here refer. After they had surrounded the altar seven times, with palm branches in their hands, and hosanna's of praise, some of the Levites used to pour out, in the court of the temple, a considerable quantity of water, drawn from the fountain of Siloam; the people in the mean time singing those words of Isaiah, With joy shall they draw water out of the wells of salvation †. It is very probable they did this, as a token of their expectation and desire of the Messiah's appearance; who was to Sprinkle many nations, to Pour water on him that was thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground §.

It was probably during the time of this ceremony, or immediately after it, that our Lord stood up, perhaps on some eminence, (as the priest, who made this libation did ||,) and cried, or proclaimed, with a loud and distinct voice, these gracious and important words, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink, q. d. "You all believe the promises of the Messiah, and you have invented this rite as a token that you expect his coming, and long for the effusion of the Spirit, which is then to be bestowed. Behold in me the person whom you profess so eagerly to expect. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath in effect said in many places ¶, (or he who has that faith in me which the scripture requires) out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water, i. e. he shall receive the communications of the Spirit, in such abundant degrees, as shall not only be refreshing to himself, but shall render him capable of administering, in the freest and most plentiful manner, to the comfort and edification of others. So richly shall he be furnished with its gifts and graces, that spiritual instructions and consolations shall flow from him **, like water from a fountain, which branches itself out into mighty rivers." Thus the evangelist himself teaches us to expound these words, when he says, ver. 39. This he spake of the Spirit, which they who believed on him should receive.

*Talm. Tract. Chill. ap Trem. in Loc.

+ Isa. xii. 3. Isa. lii. 15. § Isa. xliii. 3. || Reland. Antiq. Heb. iv. C. 6. ¶For I do not apprehend with Mr. Whiston that our Lord refers to some passage that is lost.

**Out of his belly, i. e. from within-here from the soul. Comp. Job xv. 35. Their belly, i. e. mind prepareth deceit. Job xx. 20. He shall not feel quietness in his belly, i. e. his conscience. Prov. xx. 27. The candle of the Lord searcheth the inward parts of the belly, i. e. mind. Ibid. ver. 30. Stripes cleanse the inward parts of the belly, i. e. Aflictions may be the means of purifying the soul.

Our Lord speaks of the Spirit here: But we must remember that it is not in an abstracted view, as separate from, but as in conjunction with the other blessings of his gospel, and as preparatory to a state of eternal happiness. And therefore these words in which the blesssed Jesus expresseth his ability and readiness to bestow the Spirit, do evidently imply that he is both able and willing to impart all the blessings of this gospel, to all those who do sincerely desire them; and this without any exception. A glorious truth! The epitome of the gospel, and the hope and life of our souls! Which in an humble dependance on divine influences I shall now endeavour to illustrate and confirm. I will

I. Shew you that the springs of the most valuable blessings are in Christ.

II. Prove that he is not as a fountain sealed, but diffuses these streams with a divine freedom, and in the richest abundance, for the relief of every thirsty soul.

III. I shall add some practical reflections.

I. I am to shew you, that the springs of the most valuable blessings are in Christ; so that he is abundantly able to refresh the thirsty soul.

My brethren, I may say in the name of my great Master, as was said to Israel of old, Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it *. Extend your desires to the utmost boundaries, that are consistent with reason, and piety, and from him you may receive the most copious supply; for he Is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think +.

I will not enlarge on the general proof of this fundamental truth, which so often occurs. I will not speak particularly of The fulness of Godhead which dwells in him bodily ; nor of that communicated Fulness which is treasured up in him as Man and Mediator, by the pleasure of the Father §, of which we have all received, even grace for grace, i. e. an abundance of grace. I aim, in my present discourse, not so much at enlightening the understanding in the evidence of a doctrine so universally allowed amongst all professing christians; as at affecting your heart, and my own, with a sense of what, even while we acknowledge, we are all so prone to forget.

*Psal. lxxxi. 10.
Col. i. 19.

+Eph. iii. 20.
John i. 16.

Col. ii. 9.

Let me entreat you then to reflect, on this occasion, what are those blessings which a rational soul would most eagerly desire, most ardently thirst after. You will immediately reply, if you know God and yourselves, "We are guilty creatures, and we need a pardon; so need it, as to be for ever undone without it. We are naturally indigent and dependant, and we need an interest in the constant paternal care of the great Author of our being. We are polluted, weak and disconsolate, and we need the energy of the divine Spirit, to purify, to strengthen, and to revive us. We are immortal creatures, on the borders of the grave, through which we are shortly to enter on the eternal world; and therefore we need, and cannot but earnestly desire an interest in that future and unchangeable happiness." My friends, if this be your judgment, it is according to truth; may these desires be continually growing in your souls! for, be the thirst ever so impatient, the streams which flow from this living fountain are abundantly sufficient to relieve it.

1. Do you thirst for the pardon of sin? From the Lord Jesus Christ you may receive a supply.

Inconsiderable as this may seem to the careless sinner, whose eyes are sleeping the sleep of death, to the enlightened soul it cannot but appear of infinite importance. When once convictions take hold of the heart, when the sacred law of the eternal God is thrown open in all its extent and all its purity; and conscience charges us with our violations of it; when that awful hand appears to write Tekel against us, Thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting, no wonder if trembling and astonishment seize us; no wonder if even our joints are loosed, and our knees smite one against another *; when angry Omnipotence appears, as it were, rising against us in all its terrors, and hell seems to open its mouth to devour us. Well may other cares and passions be lost in this, as the rustling of a leaf in the report of thunder. Accordingly the awakened sinner is represented as enquiring, not after a blessing out of the cornfloor and the wine-press, not saying, what shall I eat, and what shall I drink, and wherewithal shall I be cloathed? but as possessed by other thoughts, which now appear of infinitely greater moment, Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the most high God. He is represented as willing, if possible, to purchase a pardon, not only at the expence of the most costly offerings, With thousands of rams,

* Dan. v. 6, 27.

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