The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 449

that ceremonial provided the opportunity for great sufficiency of this p1nticulnr illustra• the great utt<•mnce which follows. Chrysos- tion of the rock in tho wihlernoss I\S justify- tom snys. on the eighth day," when they were ing the reference to the phro.so, "o.s the returning home, he giveth them supplies." Scriptnre hath &'tic!," and points ospeciully J'esus stood and oried--a<lopting an unusn11,l to Exod. xvii. G, " Behold, I will stcmd before attiludc of oommand, and unnccust-0rued thee there . . . in lloreb; and thou she.It energy of voice (eh. i. 35 and ver. 28, notc)- smite tho rook, and out of it (rn;ii;i) wo.tcr If any man thirst, let him come to me, and shall oome, thnt the people may drink" (cf. drink. Christ thus identifies himself with Numb. n:. 11; Deut. viii. 15; Ps. oxiv. 8; Uie deepest mea.niug of the Old Testament pass,tges rea<l during the fenst). He tilinks and the Hebrew ritual. The Mbbath and tlrn Ko,71.las aho~ corresponds with" from out the temple found the highest expression of of it" of Exodus. Hengsteubcrg lnid long thdr meaning in his life and work. Godet nud fan tastio em pha.sis ou the Canticles, where thinks thut the underlying reference here thcK0171.la of the bride of Jehovnh is described. was to that of which the ceremonial was a It is oertain the.t the numerous passages memorial, and pointed to the smiting of in the Old Testament, in which the gift of the rock in the wilderness, from whose hid- refreshing water is made the symbol of den depths the rushing waters flowed. The national mercies e.nd spiritual blessings, do, cry, "If any mo.n thirst," might certainly for the most po.rt, fo.11 short of this reme.rk- recall the terrible dronght in the wilder- e.ble expression. Still, Isa. xliv. 3; lv. 1 ; ness, though there does not seem to me any lviii. II ; Joel iii. l 8 ; Zech. xiv. 8, e.11 more definite reference to it in who.t follows. or less approo.oil the thought; but Ezek. The libation of wo.ter we.s certainly not xlvii. 1-12, where from the altar the living, offered to tlie multitudes to drink, but the health-giving, mighty river flows for the rituo.l use of water treats it ae an element bee.ling of the nations, is so akin to the absoluteh· essential kl our human life. The saying of the Lord, o.s soon e.s we recognize people gave thanks that they he.d reached the foot that he is greater than the temple, a land where fell the early e.nd latter ro.in, e.nd the.t his Church is God's temple, and e.nd foUI1ta.ins e.nd wells e.nd springs of ee.ch body of man o. temple of the Holy living water ran. Christ offered more tho.n Ghost, thut e.ll real difficulty vanishes. The a.II-the utter final quenching of e.ll tor- whole history of the Church is one continu- turing thirst. The people sang Isa. xii. 3, ous comment and illustration of tile exho.ust- "Willi joy she.II ye draw water ont of the less fulness of his Word. Just e.s e. soul of wells of salvation." He said, "Come to man oomes o.nd drinks of the we.ter of life, me," e.ud your joy shall be inll. To the he becomes himself o. perennial source of life woman e.t the well Le he.d said that the to othera. He supplies not cisterns of sto.g- water he would give should be in the soul .ae.nt we.tcr, but rivers of living water (Rom. as e. well of water springing up into eterno.l viii. 9-11 ; I Cor. iii. 16). Chrysostom life. But in this connection he promised 11, e.dds, "One may perceive what is meant, much more preciollll gift. if he will consider th.e wisdom of Stephen, Ver. 38.-He that believeth on me. The the tongue of Peter, the vehemence of Pnul; 6 -r,rrrrtJ,,w in the nominative absolute, fol- how nothing withstood them-not tile anger lowed by another coustrnction, gives gTeat of multitudes, nor the uprising of tyro.uts, foroe to the mighty words. This is not the nor plots of devils, nor do.ily deaths-but, ns first time that Christ bas represented be- rive1·s borne along with loud rushing sound, lieving nuder the form of both "coming" they went on their way." e.nd "ci.rinki.ug." TLe one term seems to Ver. 39.-This sps.ke he, so.id tbe ev[\nge- cover that pa.rt of fa.ith in Christ which list, concerning the Spirit, whioh they tho.t unites the soul to him, which sides with believe I on him were to receive : for the him, which utterly abandons self to t1UCe (Holy) Spirit I we.a not yet (given 1), beoo.use bis word o.s true e.nd bis power e.s sufficient; the other term., when applied to participa- 1 T.R., with Tischendorf (8th edit.) and tion in his blood, implies receiving into the Alford, on the o.uthority of I(, D, X, r, A, o.nd soul the full sole.ce of his imparted life. IIe other uncials, almost e.11 cursives, the Vul- that l,elieveth on me, e.s the Scripture hath go.te, o.nd numerous quot11tions, etc., 1·eEu]s se.id, out of his belly shall rush torrents of 1rur,,-evoll'Tu ; tho R.'f., with Trcgellos, living water. From his newly giv~n, di- Lachme.nu, Westcott o.nd Hort, on the vinely imparted life shall proceed, e.s from authority of D, L, T, nud somo miuor the innermost depths of his consciousness, authorities, rends 1run,v,ravns, Again, T.R. illimitable supplies of refreslunent and fer- bas nveiiµa li:ywv BeBoµlvov. Lachmann tility for others e.s well Ee.eh soul will be added the Be5oJJ,<vov with the Itnlio Versions; e. ruck smitten in the thirsty land, from but this, with other additions nm! variuuts, wbeh crystal rivers of life-gi\ing gre.ce is found in sundry versions, thrnwing douLt ehall 6.ow. Godet uri;es, against Meyer, the upon tilem all, 1111 tc, K, r, H, 42, 91, Odgen oe. vu. \-53] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 319