XXXI.

before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Let LECT. the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be alway acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer."

X

LECTURE XXXII.

CHRIST AT THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES.

LECT.

JOHN vii. 37-44.

THE festival of tabernacles, which had drawn XXXII. so great crowds to Jerusalem, is drawing to a

close. During its continuance our Lord, as we have seen, had taught in the temple, and conversed with the people in the temple's courts: on this its last day, He stands forth with especial prominence, in a conspicuous position, where He might be seen and heard of all men, and in the audience of all the people, in the ears of that vast assembly gathered from all parts of the holy land, among such as keep holy-day, He proclaims aloud, with earnestness and authority, His heavenly message.

"It cannot be in vain recorded of Him," says an excellent commentator, "that He stood and cried. There must have been something exceedingly solemn in that attitude, and that voice— He stood,' where all might see: He cried,' that all might hear."

Seven days this festival had lasted according to the manner. For seven days they had fetched water from the neighbouring pool of Siloam;

A Plain Commentary. This author refers us toj ch. i. 35; Is. lv. 1 ; and Prov. i. 20-23. " the words," he adds, " are almost a prophecy!"

XXXII.

and bringing it up in a golden vessel with joy LECT. and gladness to the temple, had there poured it out upon the altar while the proper psalms were being sung. On the last or eighth day, this part of the ceremonies was omitted; and this, the absence of the ordinary supply of water, lends special emphasis to the Saviour's invitation, any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink."

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This custom of drawing water from the sacred well, and bringing it in "jubilant processione" to the temple, and pouring it with the voice of joy and gladness on the altar, was introduced by their pious forefathers, in commemoration probably of the miraculous supply of water in the wilderness, even as their dwelling in tents or tabernacles represented their then nomad life: thus fulfilling a prediction of the prophet, "with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation". The thoughtful, however, failed not to refer it to the times of the Messiah, and saw in it anticipative allusion to the outpouring of the Spirit in those days. The custom, however, was not of divine origin; nevertheless we may note that our Lord did countenance it: teaching us thereby that the Church hath power to decree Rites or

bi. e. Psalms exiii. to cxviii.

Alford in loc. to whom the reader is referred for the reason why this ceremony was performed on each of the seven days and omitted on the eighth, instead of, as at first sight might appear, performed on the eighth day only.

d Some have regarded it as a prayer for rain and a fruitful season: but it is evidently rather a thanksgiving for the past than a prayer regarding the future; a commemoration of mercies already vouchsafed, rather than a petitioning for benefits to come.

e Is. xii. 3.

LECT. Ceremonies'," and that the pious and the peaceXXXII. able will submit with a glad mind and will to all her edifying customs.

So then our blessed Lord, in allusion to the pious ceremony they had witnessed day by day for the last seven days, now at length suspended, calls and invites almost in the words of their prophet, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters." It may remind us too of our Evangelist's record afterwards in his Revelation, "Let him that is athirst, come: and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." How free His offer! "If any man thirst." Jew or Gentile; notorious sinner or reputed saint; any surfeited with his evil courses or unsatisfied in his slight attainments; let him come unto me, no longer spending his "labour for that which satisfieth not," and I will give him that which shall ever satisfy: for "he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

Our Lord proceeds to expand His saying. As in the last chapter He spake to the people (whom He had miraculously fed) of "the bread of life,” after the earthly supply had come to an end, so here, in allusion to that which this day first ceased to be brought from the sacred pool of Siloam, He offers to them "living water." He

f Article xx.

h Rev. xxii. 17. See also xxi. 6.

* Is. lv. 1, 2.

i Is. lv. 1, 2.

j ch. vi. 35. "Non enim nos deserit fons si non deseramus fontem," is the beautiful remark of Augustine (in Jo. Tr. xxxii. 4.) Presently he adds, (7.) "Sed quantum vas fidei adtulerit ad fontem, tantum implet." In answer to an objection touching that which this water signified, "Quam nemo loquitur linguis omnium gentium ?" he adds, (ibid.) "Quid jam ipsa Ecclesia linguis omnium gentium loquitur.... Diffusa Ecclesia per gentes loquitur omnibus linguis." See Zech. iv. 16-19.

quotes the substance of several of their Scrip- LECT. tures, which His saying might now or hereafter XXXII. call to their remembrance, as to the blessed effects of believing in Him. Two seem especially intended; a remarkable passage in the prophecies of Ezekiel, (also referred to by our Evangelist in his Revelation',) and another from the prophecies of Zechariah", (read, we are informed, as a proper lesson at that same time,) in which running, spring, perennial water is said to issue from under the threshold of the temple in Jerusalem. And it is remarkable that to this day exists, as we are informed by a modern traveller ", a "spring in the heart of the Temple rock, from which flows the living water into the two pools of Siloam, whence [as at this time] the water was brought to the Temple service."

As out of the heart of that rock ever issued the river the streams whereof make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High; so from out of the heart of the believers in Christ should issue those fruits of the Spirit which in their nature, in their influences, in their effects, whether as regards themselves or those around or the world at large, may well be likened to "living water:" "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meek

k e. g. Prov. i. 23; Cant. iv. 15; Is. xli. 18, xliii. 19, xliv. 3, lviii. 11. Ezek. xlvii. 1-12; Joel ii. 28; Zech. xii. 10; xiv. 8.

1 Ezek. xlvii. 1-12; Rev. xxii. 1, 2.

m Zech. xiv. 8. "Maxime vero huc pertinet illud Zach. xiv. 8. etenim illud ipsum caput Zachariæ lectum fuerat publice, tanquam Haphtara primo die scenopegias, quod Jesus, cum venisset medio festi tempore, extremo die repetit Hierosolymis." Bengel.