IV. Tuts lBVITA'l'IOlf IS TBllOWN nm> VARIBD PollltS. These are four. 1. Tht, Spirit saith, "OUIM." In three ways. (1) In the visions of glory which are deaigned to attract. (2) In the clear 11tatements of those for whom the glory ia designed. (3) fo the tact of his inspiring the apo8tle to pen these Vf11NS, the Holy Ghost has ree, ,n\c,\ for all time an imperishable invitation to the thirsty - - to come to th.i wat.•rs or life. l:!. The bridtJ taith, " Come." The bride is the Oburc\. (1) The Church on ,arth, in all her services, her ordinances, her teaching, is saying, "0-..• llabe 'indulge! in terrorism rather than in invitation, she mistakea b.er mission. (1) 'Ilia Church of the redeemed above-the great cloud of witness-beckons to us to come. 3, Every one who heareth ill to ,ay," (Jome." Not one voice is to be mute. From the earliest to the latest, all who have responded to the call are to hand it on to oth8fll ; •• Come I come I come I" 'l'he student of the original will see an untranslated force in the •erb "say "-even-" The Spirit and the bride 41"e saying." The air is ringing with their voice, and every one who heara the sound is to add bis voice to theirs. Then ; 4. Jesus is t1ie lMJder of t1ie mighty choir. This is 8een when vers. 16, 17 are put together. " I J esns have sent mine angel," etc. Yea, it is as if a grandly perfect peal of bells were hung aloft, and aB if our Saviour would have their chimes ever filling the air with the music, •• Oome I oome I come I " V. THE INVITATION 18 SPEOIFlO 111 ITS FORM, "Let him that is athirst oome" (of. Isa. lv. 1). 'l'hirsting spirits may be divided into two clasaes. 1. There ardhosa who :IAirst, but know not for what. This was long the experience of Augustine. . So it is of many now. 2. Some thirst, and do know for what. Even as David (P1. xlii. 1). (1) Some are just coninced of sin, and are thirsting for pardon and purity. (2) Some who have tasted of the river of the water of life thirst for more of it. We never want more than Christ; we often want more of Christ. (3) Some are aged Christians; they find that the older they get, the more they want of God and of b.iB love, And truly blessed is it for them, though their ears may be getting dull for earthly sounds, to hear the cheery chimes ringing in the Father's house, "Come I come I come 1" Thny will not bare to listen from afar much longer. They will 100n be by the banks of the river, rejoicing in the fulness of joy. 'fhey have gloried in the invitation for, perhaps, fifty years ; and blessed are these old disciples, for they shall hear Uie chime,. bells of heaven more distinctly till they are rung in to the better land. VL THE nrvrrATION IS AS WIDE As IT 18 BPEOJFJO. •• Whosoever will." These words should put the vast breadth of the invitation beyond all cavil or dispute. "WhoaOttM"/" However great may have been his former thirst after sinful pleasures, if now he is thirsting for Jesus, let him come! The great tempter tries to frighten men away. He tells some, " You are too old;" others, " You are too young ; » others, " You are too bad;" others, " You are too late." But surely here is a sword which, if it be vigorously plied, will make the evil one retire in defeat and shame: "Who8081ler @ill/" Coming one, Satan is fond of hurling his fiery darts at thee. Hurl this at him: .. WAo.oever will/" He will soon tire of his attacks, if thou wilt renew thine. Why, brother, have you not more faith in this one cheery word of thy Saviour's, pealing out from millions or voices, than in the chill, the dark, Uie deadly suggestions of unbelief? Beaven : " WhOBOever will I" The water of life ; ., W7wBoewr wal, I" None are shut out but those that keep out. And whosoever misses the fountains of the water of life will do so only becau&e he refused to accept the largest invitation that ever cam.i to mortal ears I VIL 'l'm:. INVITATION 18 011 TERMS OJ!' GoD-LIKB l'll.DNB88. "Freely." The only terms· on which we can buy the gifts of God are these-" without money and without price." • Nothing in my hands I bring," are words which are 1Uited (or us. For we live on free gifts from a bounteous God. We have nothing but what is from above. It must be so, it is so, in ~iritual blessings. 1. Theflral drop of~ living water for which the thirsty soul applies is given freely (John iv. 10). 2, Et,e,ry day the belie"er bas to come afresh, to receive new life, freely; new strength, freely; more of God, freely. How great is the blessedness oft' ,1s living on •• the water of life" day by day, getting it fresh every hour from One whose fulriess no giving can diminish, whose giving no receiving can tira. 3. Thus living on fr• Mm:r while OR tJMfh, the like living on fru mercy above will be heaven. The ne:d OB. :urt.1-21.] THE REVELATION OJ!' BT. JORN 'l'HE DIVINE. 551
state will be the continuity of this. Ah t we might live with music-the mule of heaven-in our ears, if we were not so dulled with the sounds of earth. ETery morning when we w11,ke there is the Father ready to give us new bl888ing, f'reel7. Every d11.y, for the demands which new toil will make upon us, we may have new atrength, freely • .And so on till the last. And then-heaven, freely I Having lived on free grace below, we shall be well.content and pleased, living on freo grace, to take our place in heaven. In conclusion? who would not respond at once to an invitation so rich, so large. and so divinely free? Would that, in our urging this; we could ar!equately reprea011t the tendern8118 and love of our God! Let not our oolrlness repel thee, 0 thinity one I Come now, and taste for yourself the sweetness of the living stream I ·What will your response be? We have given the invitation in Heaven's Name; and to him in whose Name we have spoken, you must reply.