"field white for the harvest;" and then f^ aid to His dis- ciples, " He that reapeth, receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal."
Work for the souls of men, is undoubtedly attended by- great discouragements. The heart of natural man is very hard and unbelieving. The blindness of most men to their own lost condition and peril of ruin, is something past description. " The carnal mind is enmity against GoJ." (Rom. viii. 7.) No one can have any just idea of the desperate hardness of men and women, until he has tried to do good. No one can have any conception of the small number of those who repent and believe, until he has per- sonally endeavoured to " save some." (1 Cor. ix. 22.) To suppose that everybody will become a true Christian, who is told about Christ, and entreated to believe, is mere childish ignorance. " Few there be that find the narrow way !" The labourer for Christ will find the vast majority of those among whom he labours, unbelieving and impeni- tent, in spite of all that he can do. "The many" will not turn to Christ. These are discouraging facts. But they are facts, and facts that ought to be known.
The true antidote against despondency in God's work, is an abiding recollection of such promises as that before us. There are " wages " laid up for faithful reapers. They shall receive a reward at the last day, far exceeding anything they have done for Christ, — a reward propor- tioned not to their success, but to the quantity of their work. — They are gathering "fruit," which shall endure w^hen this world has passed away, — fruit, in some souls saved, if many will not believe, and fruit in evidences of their own faithfulness, to be brought out before assem- bled worlds. Do our hands ever hang down, and our knees w^ax faint ? Do we feel disposed to say, " my labour is in \ain and my words without profit." Let us lean back at such seasons on this glorious promise. There are
2tl:0 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
" wages " yet to be paid. There is " fruit " yet to be exhibited. " We are a sweet savour of Christ, both in thorn that are saved and in them that perish." (2 Cor. ii. 15.) Let us work on. "He that goeth forth and weep- eth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." (Psa. cxxvi. 6.) One single soul saved, shall outlive and outweigh all the kingdoms of the world.
We have, lastly, in these verses, a most teaching instance of the variety of ways by which men are led to believe Christ. We read that " many of the Samaritans believed on Christ for the saying of the woman." But this is not all. We read again, "Many more believed because of Christ's own word." In short, some were converted through the means of the woman's testimony, and some were converted by hearing Christ Himself.
The words of St. Paul should never be forgotten, " There are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all." (1 Cor. xii. 6.) The way in which the Spirit leads all God's people is ahvays one and the same. But the paths by which they are severally brought into that road are often widely different. There are some in whom the work of conversion is sudden and instantaneous. There are others in whom it goes on slowly, quietly, and by imperceptible degrees. Some have their hearts gently opened, like Lydia. Others are aroused by violent alarm, like the jailor at Philippi. All are finally brought to repen- tance toward God, faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, and holiness of conversation. But all do not begin with the same experience. The weapon which carries convic- tion, to one believer's soul, is not the one which first pierces another. The arrows of the Holy Ghost are all drawn from the same quiver. But He uses sometimes one and sometimes another, according to His own sovereign will.
Are we converted ourselves ? This is the one point to