Bons in tLe passage for ministers and teachers, which they would do well to ponder.
We should mark, firstly, the mingled tact and condescen* sion of Christ in dealing icith a careless sinner.
Our Lord was sitting by Jacob's well when a woman of Samaria came thither to draw water. At once He Bays to her, " Give me to drink." He does not wait for her to speak to Him. He does not begin by reproving her sins, though He doubtless knew them. He opens communication by asking a favour. He approaches the woman's mind by the subject of " water," which was naturally uppermost in her thoughts. Simple as this re- quest may seem, it opened a door to spiritual conversation. It threw a bridge across the gulf which lay between her and Him. It led to the conversion of her soul.
Our Lord's conduct in this place should be carefully remembered by all who want to do good to the thought- less and spiritually ignorant. It is vain to expect that such persons will voluntarily come to us, and begin to seek knowledge. We must begin with them, and go down to them in the spirit of courteous and friendly aggression. It is vain to expect that such persons will be prepared for our instruction, and will at once see and acknowledge the wisdom of all we are doing. We must go to work wisely. We must study the best avenues to their hearts, and the most likely way of arresting their attention. There is a handle to every mind, and our chief aim must be to get hold of it. Above all, we must be kind in manner, and beware of showing that we feel conscious of our own superiority. If we let ignorant people fancy that we think we are doing them a great favour in talking to them about religion, there is little hope of doing good to their souls.
We should mark, secondly, Christ^s readiness to give mercies to careless sinners. He tells the Samaritan woman