Ver. 6.-TMfree salvatwn. "I will give ••• freely." "What! free?" Mys1me, "When I have to watch and pray, to struggle and l'trive, if I am to obtain the crown of life.? Bow can it be free when I have thus to strain every energy in order to make it mine?" But: the veg, fact that you do thus strive shows that you have already dmnk of this water of life. It is the ener;zy of that grace working :n you. If you had never drunk at all you would not be thus "striving agaiust sin.'' It is from life, because of it, that you are thne aroused. If you were dead you would make no_ effort at all. So that the conflict you endure is no proof against the freeness of the water of life, but rather for it. And the conflict would not be BO severe if you obeyed the laws of the conflict. If you .OOID8 to it but partly equipped, no wonder you are at a disadvantage. Matthew Henry says, "If a beast have to draw a load, a yoke will help him." But if the yoke be only :half on, he will find the work much harder. And so with us. Christ says, 'Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me.' But if we will only half wear his yoke, if we are seeking to compromise with the world, no wonder that our Chwtian life is hard." Still, that -we struggle at all preves that Christ's grace has been gnen, and is not withdrawn. Now, our· text says that this grace which bringeth salvation, and which is here -called" the water of life," is freelg giVtm. Now note- I. MEN. ARE s1.ow TO BEI,IEVE THl8. Of course, those who are not " athirst" don't think anything at allaboai the matter. They don't care for salvation, and, therefore, the conditions of its bestowal are no concern to them. But there are those-many, thank God-who "thirst,'' but who are slow to believe in this "freeness" of the gift of the water of life. Now, why is this? Perhaps it is: 1. They cannot feel tha4 God iB good. 'l'hey know he has a right to be "hard" with them, and thi,y think he is so. Earthly fathers would be hard with children who have behaved as they have done, and so it is concluded the heavenly Father will be likewise. They are slow to forgive : will not he be P 2. Their pri,de. They would like to bring some- thing in return-character, cond ·1ct, gifts, prayers. 3. The laws of their common life tell against this lJelief. Nothing for nothing is the law of life. In the sweat of their brow they must eat bread. They must pay the price for whatsoe,·er they want. And they think BO is it with this bleseing that they desire. 4. The ffla8I of mankinrl , everyv,h«-e and always Jaa.w dil!IOeliiwed. Certainly there is no religion; and never has· been anywhere, whose terms are like those in the text. And the mBSll of those who profesll this one explain these terms away. The opinion of mankind is, and ever baa been, agaimt this freeness. Such are some of the reasons why many who " thirst " a.re yet slow to believe. . ' IL. Btrx YET TDEU IB GREAT BEASON WBY THEY SHOULD BELIEVE, All God's· beet and ·gi,eate.gt .gifts are free. 1. Life. itailf. We certainly paid nothing for that, but ie it -not ·pNlcio1111 to us? How we struggle to presene, adorn, and prolong it I ~. sdnd ell (he .esmdial, of life. The air we breathe, the water we·drink, the light and warm.ill of the IIWl, the land w.hich produces our food,-these were all freely giftD, ce. xu. J-2'1.} THE REVELATION OF ST, JOHN THE DIVINE. 62G
.bough, indeed.; man, in bis ~lfo,hness, has hindered ~ freeness,so far as he,can, and, doubtless, would fa.r more were it but in his power. 3. And all that make, Jife bluw. 'l'he mind, with all its povren; the. affections, .which are the sol¥e and sweeteners of life; t.he l!eJlSe antl love of the beautiful, in art, in· nature; i:ou.eie~ the guide of life;-all these are gil'en freely, and thef are God's best earthly gifts, and are free. 'l'herefore this gift~the "water of life,' which ls more precioui tbai;i. ail-may well be free likewise. Furthermore: 4. It ia the Lem who giveth, Shall lie deSGtllld 1;o bargain with man, to lei man tran11act with him his sa.lvagon 1 For him ~here can be but one relationship in which he. stands to us iq this matter.. U. must, because he is what he is, freely give. 6. And the gift itaelf, how c ~ ii .h. pw-chased, If it were but of slender worth man might, perhaps, find a price; bat. being what it is, what can purcha.~e- it? 6. And we being wh(Jt we are, altogether without righteousness, merit, or claim, whence have we that which we could bring as compensation for this gift? 'f4erefore, if there be that which may make. ~ question the freeness of this gift, there is far more t-0 make us believe therein. III. AND H-OW BLEB:!ED TR& BELIEF I For: 1. T'h.er6 are ,i,one to. whom fJ1e may ,i.ot _go with the gnspel message. Were there limitations, terms, and conditions, w& coo.Id, n9t invite a.11. 2. It kill,.,. U.s p<noer of sin. To grieve One who ha.s shown such meroy. and grace is felt to be impossible. What he hates we must hate, and what he loves we must love. 3. It inspires us with holy purpose. It is a continual spur to all.Christian endeavour. It is ever prompting the question," Lord,. what wilt thou have me to do ? " 4, It imparta, a bless«l satiefaction, " He ~hat drioketh of the water that I shall give him," said our Lord, "shall never thirst." He will thirst for more of t4at water, but never for aught beside. 6. It foster, humility, and frowns upon·a.nd,forbids all pride. •• Where is boasting? It is exclud~" So said St. Paul, and rell,.On and experience prove his sa_viug true. . _ IV•. BUT 'l'Hll QUESTION t~Do WE BELIEVE? Believing, according t.q a good theological, if not ety~ologiclo1, definition, is what a man "lives by." Therefore a mere mental assect is not believing. But if we believe, if we live by this faith, then v.re shall be joyful, 4oly, strong, beneficent. These will, be the natural outcome of a life sustained by. this belief. What shall a man say if at the last he be fou11d unsaved when he might have freely pa.rt.aken of this living water bad he cho&en so to do? Let us go at once and take thereof. If never before. then now ;, jf \le(~, ~again and.yeta,,"Bin.-8. 0.,