John 4

John 4:4

And he must needs go through Samaria.

Samaria lay right in his way from Judea to Galilee.

John 4:10

If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink: thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

If thou knewest what a gift it is, that God hath bestowed upon the world, in giving his Son to and for it; and if thou couldest conceive that it is the same Son of God, that saith unto thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest rather have begged of me, and I would have given thee those spiritual waters of heavenly doctrine and divine grace, which arise from that Living Fountain, and spring forth to eternal life.

John 4:11

The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

The woman scoffingly replied unto him, Sir, you talk of living waters; where are they? These, that are here before you, for ought I see, are out of your reach: the well is deep, and you have nothing to take them up with; what do you therefore tell me of other living waters, better than these? whence should you have them?

John 4:12

Art thou greater than our father Jacob, &c?

Are you a greater and better man, than our father, the holy Patriarch Jacob, &c.

John 4:14

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life.

But, whosoever drinketh of this spiritual water, receiving into his soul my heavenly doctrine, and those holy graces of sanctification which I give to all mine, shall never have cause to complain of thirst any more; for that Spirit of mine, which I shall give him, shall not only refresh him for the present, but shall continue his unspeakable comforts, till he shall be possessed of eternal life.

John 4:15

The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

The woman, still scorning him, said, Sir, it were a good matter to light upon this sovereign water, that thou talkest of: where is it? or how should I come by it? I pray thee bestow some of it upon me, that I may save this labour of drawing, and trouble of thirsting any more.

John 4:18

For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

Thou hast had five husbands in succession, one after other; and now, thou livest in an adulterous manner, with one to whom thou wert never married; so as this man is but thy husband in pretence, not truly and lawfully. IV. 19, 20. The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Sir, I perceive, by this speech of thine, that thou art a Prophet; and canst tell strange, and absent, and future things: tell me then, what sayest thou to the main question, that is between us Samaritans and ye Jews, concerning the worship of God: we worship God in the temple built upon this mount Garizim, and we have by our fathers been taught so to do; ye contend, that Jerusalem is the place, where men ought to worship.

John 4:21

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, this circumstance of place shall not be long stood upon: believe me, ere long there shall be no strict limitations of place at all; so as, that God’s worship should be confined to mount Garizim, or to Jerusalem.

John 4:22

Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

Ye, Samaritans, having mingled your religion with manifold superstitions and foul errors, have no true ground for the worship of God; neither indeed do ye know what ye worship: we, Jews, worship God according to the prescript of his own Law, in regard of the main substance of religion. Herein therefore we go beyond you Samaritans; that, with the Jews, as his peculiar people, hath God made that his covenant of grace and salvation; and that of their flesh and blood is that Messiah, which bringeth salvation to the world.

John 4:23

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

But the time is now at hand, when men shall not be so straitly confined to places, and to outward rites and ceremonies; but the true worshippers of God shall lift up pure hands every where, and, without regard of these legal observations, shall worship God the Father, in spirit and truth inwardly and sincerely: for God takes pleasure in such suppliants; not regarding those that are altogether for outward formalities.

John 4:24

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

We, men, that are but flesh, it is no marvel if we be pleased with outward and carnal rites; but as for God, he is a Spirit, and therefore must needs like that service, which is most agreeable to his nature, spiritual: those then, that would worship him to purpose, must worship him, not formally but in truth, not outwardly but in spirit.

John 4:25

The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

I, that am a woman and a Samaritan, yet have been so far instructed in that part of religion, which is common to us with the Jews, as that I know the Messias is now upon coming, even he that is called the Christ; and that he, when he comes, will tell us all things.

John 4:35

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for &c.

It is meet and requisite, that I should take all opportunities of doing my Father’s will; even as when the corn is ripe, and the ears are white to the harvest, men neglect no time to reap it and gather it in.

John 4:36

And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

Wherein also, ye, my Disciples, ought to imitate my seasonable care and diligence, for your own comfort and happiness: for, as in the harvest, he, that reapeth and gathereth in the corn, receiveth wages accordingly; so ye, that labour in this spiritual harvest, shall be sure of the reward of eternal life:

John 4:37

And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

Many hands are employed in this great service, according to that usual saying, One soweth, and another reapeth.

John 4:38

I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

I sent others before you, both the ancient Prophets, and John Baptist, and my Seventy Disciples, to sow the seeds of Evangelical Doctrine in the hearts of men; and now ye are sent to perfect those good beginnings, which they have made: so as ye shall reap the fruit and comfort of that good counsel, and holy labours, which have been bestowed by others.