Ver. 29.-The power of a personal revelation. The narrative makes it evident that this Samaritan woman was a person of very decided character. The sympathetic spirit in which she received Christ's teaching, her adroitness in changing the inconvenient course of the conversation, her vigorous action in directing the attention of the people of the city to the Divine Visitor, all indicate the woman's intelligence and independence. It is most of all remarkable that what weighed chiefly with her, in arriving at a just convicLion regarding the claim of Jesus, was his insight into her own life and character-his ability to reveal her to himself. A great ipiritual principle is here exemplified. J. PERSONAL REVELATION TIIE CHIEF AGENCY IN PRODUCING CONVICTION. 1. It is noticeable that our Lord chose to utter to this woman of Samaria some of his sublimest revelations of religious truth. To her he declared himself to be the "living water" which alone can assuage the thirst of humanity. To her he communicated the glorious and ever-memorable truth, "God is a Spirit." To her he revealed the necessity of spiritual worship. All these revelations made, it is clear, an impressio11 on the woman's mind. She was an interested and thoughtful listener. Declarations such as these could not but fill her mind with amazement, could not but raise her thoughts heaven- wards. 2. Yet the text makes it plain that what chiefly produced conviction of Jesus' Messiahehip was his penetration into her heart, his peru~al of her history, his revelation to her of her own character, her own conduct, in the light of the Divine Law, and doubtless also in the light of his own pity and loving-kindness. It is not to bo imagined Uiat the power of this revelation lay simply in its correspondence with the actual facts of the woman's life. Christ detected the moral significance of all she had done, and made all apparent to her in the light of a very tender, but a very faithful criticism. This made her feel towards him as she had felt towards none other. That be should enter into, and interest himself in, what she had been, what sort of life she had led and was leading,-thie was wonderful. But that he should deal with her conscience o.nd heart as he did-though we are left to conjecture how-that he should open up to her sinful nature the glory and the grace of the Eternal Father,-this was convincing, this was effective in bringing about her bold acknowledgment, for such virtually was the inquiry, "Is not this the Christ?" The same principle holds good to-day. The witness that chiefly issues in the enlightenment and conversion of sinful men is the witness which the S11,viour bears to their sinfulness and need, and to his own Divine sufficiency to meet their case and bring them back to God. II. PERSONAL REVELATION THE CHIEF AGENCY PROMPTING TO EVANGELlZATION'. \Ve should have expected that when the woman returned to the city, and conversed with the townspeople, her chief endeavour would have been to give them some idea of the transcendent wisdom of the Lord Jesus---aome evidence of hie Messiahship. But such does not seem to have been the case. She acted upon the principle, " We believe, therefore we speak." Like the apostles, she testified of what she had seen and heard and handled, etc. Enlightened and impressed, benefited and purified, this woman became a mission&ry to her countrymen. The same principle is applicable to our own time. We need not expect men to become bearers of glad tidings to their fellow-men merely because impressed with the grandeur of Divine truth, 'l'he impulse that le1M.li JOUN. 0 194 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING 'l'O S'l'. JOHN, [on. 1v. 1-CH-.
to such testimony mu~t come fron~ & personal experience of the power of tho gospol, aud from a rersonal fa.1th and affection towards the Dil'ine Rcdeemer.-T.