Jesus Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him." It is God that must beat down all your proud imaginations. It is he that must reveal your guilt and nakedness. He must make you feel the emptiness and sin of all your self-righteousness. He must reveal the beauty of Christ unto you, his comeliness, his desirableness. He must convince you that it is sweetest to have no praise, and to let Jesus have the whole. Oh! seek the teaching of God. The teaching of man is a mere dream, if you have not the teaching of God. Cry night and day for the inward teaching of the Spirit. "Every man, therefore, that hath heard and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me;" and, "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out."

III. The sinfulness of not coming to Jesus Christ.

The words of Jesus are full of pathos-enough to break the proudest heart: "Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."

1. The greatness of the Saviour shows the sinfulness of not coming to him. He is the eternal Son of God whom sinners are despising. John bore witness of him; his miracles bore witness to him; his Father bore witness of him; the Scriptures, on every page, testify of him; yet ye will not come to him that ye might have life. It is the Son of God that hath undertaken the doing and dying of all in the stead of sinners; and yet you, a trembling sinner, will not honor him so much as to trust your soul upon his finished work. Ah! how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation?

2. The loveliness of the Saviour shows the sin of not coming to him. Methinks there is a touch of heaven's melody in these words: "Ye will not come to me." I know not whether they more express the high indignation of an insulted Saviour, or the tender compassion of him that wept upon the Mount of Olives, over Jerusalem. It is as if he said; I have left the bosom of the Father, to suffer, and bleed, and die, for sinners, even the chief; yet, O sinner! ye will not come unto me. I have sought the lost sheep over mountain and hill; I have stretched out my hands all the day to the gainsaying and disobedient; I have cried after sinners, and wept over sinners; and yet ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. Ah! dear brethren, if sin against love be the blackest sin under the blue vault of heaven, this is your sin, because ye trample under foot the blood of the Son of God, and do despite unto the gentle Spirit of grace.

3. The very anxiety of some sinners increases their sin. Some sinners are very anxious about their souls, yet will not come to Jesus Christ. They are in search of a saviour, but they will not have Jesus Christ. Are there not some of you who would do anything else to be saved: "Will the Lord be pleased with

thousands of rams, or with tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" If we would bid you pray and weep, you would do that; if we would bid you fast and use the shirt of hair, you would do that; if we would bid you afflict your soul and body, and make pilgrimage to the Holy Land, you would do that; if we would bid you live as monks and nuns, you would do that, as thousands are doing this day; but when we say, Come to Christ, ah! you will not do that. Ah! proud, sinful, self-ruining heart, you would choose any balm but the Balm of Gilead, any Saviour but the Son of God.

Oh! that these words of the sweet Saviour, whom you thus despise, would pierce to the very bottom of your soul; "Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."

St. Peter's, July 30, 1837.

SERMON LXIX.

IF ANY MAN THIRST.

"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."--John vii., 37.

I. LESSON. Christ's gracious importunity: "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried."

The feast here spoken of was the great feast of tabernacles, being one of the three yearly festivals, when all the males came up from the country to Jerusalem. They used to build tents, or tabernacles, of the branches of palm trees, olive, myrtle, and willows, on the flat roofs of their houses, in their courts, or in the open streets and gardens. In these they lived for seven days. The priests and Levites used to teach and preach to the people, and it was a time of great joy before the Lord. The eighth, or last day, was a holy convocation, when all the people met in the house of God before going away to their homes. On that day it was that Jesus stood and cried.

1. Observe, it was when the whole people of the land were met together that Jesus stood and cried: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." Jesus never thought his words thrown away, even if there were but a single soul to hear. Never did he use words of more divine power than when he spoke with Nicodemus alone by night, and with the woman of Samaria by the well; but still, when thousands came together, Jesus would not miss the happy opportunity: "Jesus stood and cried." O my

friends! Jesus still stands in the crowded assembly. May you hear his voice this day!

2. Observe, the people were going home. This was the last day of the feast. To-day the courts of the temple are thronged with Jews from all parts of the country; to-morrow they will be on their way home. No time must be lost; speak now or never; "Jesus stood and cried." I doubt not there was many a Jew there that day who never heard the voice of the Saviour again; and therefore I can see what was in the mind of Christ when he lifted up his voice so loud: "Jesus stood and cried." There may be some here to-day who never will hear the word of Christ again. This may be the last day of the feast to some of you. Oh! then, that we might stand and cry, lift up the voice like a trumpet, and say, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink;" and O that you would hear as for eternity!

3. Observe, Christ had often preached to them before, yet he "stood and cried." From verse 14 we learn that it was about the middle of the feast (the middle of the week) that Jesus began to teach in the temple; and no doubt he continued preaching and teaching till the last day of the feast. Some marvelled, some murmured, some sought to lay hands on him. And was his patience not wearied out? Ah! no; who knows the long-suffering of the Son of God? How justly he might have gone away for ever, and said, "If ye will not have me for a Saviour, then I will not be a Saviour unto you, I will go my way to Him that sent me." But no: the more careless the Jews became, the more anxious he became. On the last day he stood and cried, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink."

Jesus is the same still. Many of you have heard his words for a thousand Sabbath-days. He has stretched out his hands all the day; he has sent all his messengers, rising up early and sending them. You have been always unmoved-living in sin-worse than you were. Does Jesus give you up? No; he stands and cries on the last day; he follows you to your dying day.

Some of you are afraid that Jesus will not receive you now, for you have so long resisted his words. Ah! it would be quite just if he were to say: "I will not hear; I will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh." But no; be not afraid. On the last day of the feast he stands and cries. He speaks more loudly, more clearly, more freely than ever. Oh ! listen to his words: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink."

II. Lesson. Christ is the smitten rock.

The feast of tabernacles was intended to be a picture of the time when the fathers of the Jewish nation lived in tents in the wilderness. It was intended to remind them that they too were strangers and pilgrims in the wilderness, and that they were jour

neying to a better land. But there was one thing in the wilderness which they had no resemblance of in the feast of tabernacles-the smitten rock which gave out rivers of water. In order to make up for this deficieney, it is said that on the last day of the feast the Jews used to draw water in a golden pitcher from the Fountain of Siloam, and pour it out upon the morning sacrifice, as it lay upon the altar. They did this with great rejoicing, having palm branches in their hand, and singing the 12th chapter of Isaiah. Now it was on this very day-perhaps at this very time—that Jesus stood up in the midst of them, and-as if he wished to show them that he was the true smitten rock-cried: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink."

Now, Christ is the smitten rock, because his blood has been poured out for sin. (1.) The rock was smitten before it gave out the stream. So is it with Christ. He was smitten of God and afflicted. He bore the wrath of God; and therefore his blood gushed forth, and cleanses from all sin. Oh! you that fear to be smitten of God, wash in this blood; it flowed from a smitten rock. (2.) The water gushed forth abundantly when Moses smote the rock. It was no scanty stream; it was enough for all the thousands of Israel, and for their cattle; and so is it with the blood of the Saviour. It is no scanty stream. There are no sins it cannot wash out; there is no sinner beyond its reach; there is enough here for all the thousands of Israel. (3.) It was a constant supply: "They drank of the spiritual rock which followed them, and that rock was Christ." We are not expressly told in the Old Testament that the waters of the smitten rock did actually follow the camp of Israel, but some learned divines are of opinion that it was so that the water continued to flow wherever Israel went; so that it might be said the smitten rock followed them. So is it with Christ. He is a rock that follows us. He is like rivers of water in a dry place. You may wash, and wash again.

III. Lesson. All are invited to come to Christ and drink: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink."

1. Careless sinners are here invited to come to Christ and drink. Men in their natural condition are quite careless about their souls and about Jesus Christ. They thirst after pleasure, they thirst after money, and they thirst after the world; but they do not thirst after Christ or heavenly things. Yet Christ wishes us to cry aloud in the hearing of such: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." Let me speak to such. You have no anxiety of soul, no desires after Jesus Christ, no wish to receive his Holy Spirit. You are not thirsty for anything beyond the waters of this world; you are quite happy where you are, and as you are; yet the day may come when you shall be a weary, thirsty soul. O that it may come soon! Now Jesus says: "If ever you feel thirsty, remember,

come unto me, and drink." "How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and ye scorners delight in scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn ye at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you; I will make known my words unto you."

2. Anxious, thirsty souls, are especially invited to come unto Jesus: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." Souls awakened by God are thirsty in two ways. (1.) They thirst after the forgiveness of sins; they have been awakened to know their lost condition; the weight of God's anger has been revealed to them. They go from mountain to hill seeking a resting-place, and finding none. At last they sit down, weary and thirsty. They feel that all they do just signifies nothing-that they cannot bring themselves nearer to peace. They feel as if already in that place where they shall ask in vain for a drop of water to cool the tongue. Do any of you know what this condition is? Then you are here spoken to by Christ. (2.) They thirst after deliverance from sin. Awakened persons generally put away all outward sin. When a drunkard or swearer is awakened, he puts away his outward sin; but he is far from being able to change his heart. On the contrary, most wicked and hateful thoughts sometimes rise into the soul. The heart is filled with such vile desires that the soul is almost driven to distraction. He goes from mountain to hill seeking a new heart, but finding none. He sits down, at last, weary and thirsty. Do any of you feel this? It is to you Christ speaks: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”

O thirsty souls!-afflicted, tempest-tost, and not comfortedwhy will ye not come unto Jesus, the smitten rock, to drink? One says, I have sinned too much-I dare not come as I am. Ans. But are you not thirsty? Christ says: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." Another says, I have sinned against Christ-I have turned a deaf ear to his warning voiceI have mocked at his messengers-I have profaned his sacraments-eaten bread and wine when I was living in sin; and surely I dare not come. But are you not thirsty? Hear what Christ says: "If any man thirst." Another says: But I am unwilling to come to Christ-I have a proud, unbelieving heart-my heart rises against coming to Jesus Christ; surely I dare not look to Jesus. But are you not thirsty? Christ does not ask the willing or the believing, but the thirsty. He asks no more: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”

3. Thirsty believers are here bid to come to Jesus. Among the crowd on that great day of the feast, we are told that there were many who believed on Jesus (verse 31); and it was for their sakes also that he spake these blessed words: "If any man thirst." All true believers are a thirsty people. They are travelling in a wilderness, and therefore they need the rock to follow them. Oh! it is a bad sign of a soul when there is no thirst. True Christians