this be the Christ?" A similar form of interrosfative sentence is found in thirteen other places in the New Testament. In twelve of them the interrogative is used without " not," viz., Matt. vii. 16; xxvi. 22, 26] Mark iv. 21; xiv. 9; Luke vi. 39; John vii. 31 ; viii. 22; xviii. 35; Acts x. 47 ; 2 Cor. i. 17; James iiL 11. — In only one place is the interrogative used with " not," Matt. xii. 23. I am inchned, on the whole, to think that " not" would have been better omitted in the sentence before us. Euthymiua takes this view.
The value of questions, if we want to do good to souls, is well illustrated in this verse. A question often sets working a mind which would be utterly unmoved by an atfirmation. It drives the mind to exertion, and by a gentle compulsion arouses it to think. Men are far less able to go to sleep under religious teaching, when they are invited to answer a question. The number of questions in the New Testament is a striking and instructive fact. Had the woman said, " This is the Christ !" she might have excited prejudice and dislike. By asking, " la this the Christ ?" she got the men to inquire and judge for them- selves. 30. — [Then they went out of the city.'] This sentence is full of encouragement to aU who try to do good to souls. The words of one single woman were the means of arousing a whole city to go forth and inquire about Christ. We must never despise the smallest and meanest efforts. We never kn()W to wliat the least beginnings may grow. The grain of mustard seed at Sychar was the word of a feeble woman, "Come and see."
Specially we ought to observe the encouragement the verse affords to the efforts of women. A woman may be the means, undiT Gor], of founding a Church. Tlie first person baptized by Paul in Europe was not a man but a woman, Lydia, the seller of purple. — Let women never suppose that men only can do good. Women also, in their way, can evangehze as really and truly as men. Every believing woman who has a tongue can speak to others about Christ. — The Samaritan woman was far less learned than Nicodemus. But she was far bolder, and so did far more good.
\^And came unto him.] Perhaps the sentence would be more literally rendered, " were coming," or " began to come to Ilim." It was while they were coming that the conversation which immediately follows, between Christ and His disciples, took place, and perhaps it was the sight of the crowd coming which madd our Lord say some of the things that He did.
Calvin remarks on this part of the woman's history, that some may think her blameable, in that "while she is still ignoi-ant and imperfectly taught, she goes beyond the limits of her faith. I
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reply that she would have acted inconsiderately if she had assumed the offt)e of a teacher; but Avhen she desires nothing more than to excite her fellow-citizens to hear Christ speaking, we will not say that she forgot herself, or proceeded further than she had a right to do. She merely does the office of a trumpet or a bell, to invite others to come to Christ."
The concluding verse shows us most forcibly that ministera and teachers of religion ought never to be above taking pains and trouble with a single soul. A conversation with one person was the means of leading a whole city to come and hear Christ, and resulted in the salvation of many souls.
Cornelius ^ Lapide, at this point of his commentary, gi-avely informs us that the name ot the Samaritan woman was Pliotina, — that after her conversion she preached the Grospel at Cartljage, and that she suffered martyrdom there on the 20th of March, on which day the Romish Marty rology makes special mention of her name ! He also tells us that her head is kept as a relic at Rome, in the BasUica of St. Paul, and that it was actually shown to him there ! — It is well to know what ridiculous and lying legends the Church of Rome palms upon Roman Catholics as truths, while she withholds from them the Bible !