“And say, Brethren, did not this poor woman take the cup from the Lord’s hand and drink of the Water of Life?  I think she did, for she turned missionary right away, and if you will read the thirty-ninth verse you will see something of her success, for ’many of the Samaritans ... believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.’

“I will now quote one more text to show that this living water, or life-giving water, also represents the Holy Ghost in his enlightening power and love.  ’He that believeth on me as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.  But this spake he of the spirit, which they that believe on him should receive.’  Here, it does seem to me, the believer in Christ is compared to a spring of pure water.  What makes a spring flow, and keep on flowing even in dry weather?  It must be that deep down in the veins of the rocks, away out of sight, it is being constantly fed by an influx of pure water.  What a lesson we have here!  Brethren, the Spirit, or what is the same thing again, the truth of God’s holy Word, must not lie dormant in us.  We must, as the passage quoted puts it, we must give out rivers of living water.  These rivers flow out of our hearts into everything of our lives in a way to make others know that we are full of the water of life.

“I very lately read about the Dead Sea.  And how did it get its name?  I will tell you.  It got the name ‘Dead Sea’ from its resemblance to a human being who is constantly taking in God’s gifts, and giving nothing out in any visible way.  If you will look at a map of Palestine you will there see that the river Jordan is constantly pouring its flood of fresh water into this sea; but with all this influx of fresh water this sea is so full of all manner of impurities that even fish cannot live in it, and no waterfowls, I am told, are ever seen on its shores.  Truly it deserves to be called ‘Dead Sea.’  It has no outlet; no refreshing stream ever flows from its bosom.

“But, Brethren, if we are truly alive in the Lord we will be like the garden of Eden that sent out a river to water the garden, whence it was parted and became four heads, and each head was a river.  Does not all this throw some light on what our Lord meant in what he said to the woman, ’It shalt be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life;’ and this:  ’Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water?’ There is nothing like a dead sea here.  All, all is life from the Lord.  But water is beautiful.  Who does not admire a clear, flowing spring or river!  In this respect water is an emblem of the Lord’s Word.  Can any one read the Scriptures, and not be struck with their beauty?  Take, for an example, the story of creation.  Even children see its beauty and love it.  Take the last two chapters of Revelation.  Who can read them without perceiving in them a beauty that is all divine?  The Bible opens in beauty and closes in beauty.