Transformative Encounters: The Samaritan Woman's Story

Behold our Lord and Master with divinely skillful art seeking after a single soul we must have large congregations or we are disinclined for soul winning the habit of the age is to do nothing but what is ostentatious every work must be with be beat of drum or sound of tambourine I pray that the Lord may work in us the steadfast desire to do good on the quiet by stealth when no one looks on when not a single disciple is near oh that we may have such an estimate of the value of a single soul that we count whole days well spent to bring one Fallen woman or one drunkard to the savior's feet blessed is he who works on though he is never heard of and looks for his reward from his master. [00:40:00]

In the Heat of the day the Lord Jesus found rest and refreshment in speaking to one who many would scarce look upon except with eyes of scorn blessed savior we do not Marvel as the disciples did that thou did speak with the woman but we do Wonder with a higher kind of astonishment that ever thou did speak to the like of us who have so sadly fallen and done thee dishonor and grieved thy heart we are amazed that he who is the glory of Heaven light of light very God of very God should trout himself in the likeness of sinful flesh and being found in fashion as a man should seek after us unworthy ones oh The Compassion of the redeemer's heart. [00:43:04]

Men are K cattle and can only be managed by a wise hand many an Earnest fool has driven a soul to hell in his Endeavor to drag it to Heaven by force for human Wills yield not to such rough Force but Rebel the more souls have to be brought to Salvation by a gentleness and wisdom such as the Savior used when he fascinated the Samaritan woman into eternal life and enticed her to the truth so only can I describe that wondrous power which he exercised over her in the few short but blessed sentences with which he addressed her. [00:56:22]

They did not as yet understand his mission to rescue the perishing and save the lost this poor woman also had The Misfortune to be a Samaritan and above all things Jews hated Samaritans as aliens and Heretics who dared to call Jacob their father and to believe themselves Orthodox Jews and Samaritans were much alike and you know the sects that approach nearest to each other usually Reserve their bitterest hatred for their next of kin they will tolerate those who are far removed from them because they are altogether in the darkness of error and as so are somewhat excusable but those who have so much light they detest for not seeing eye to eye with themselves. [00:07:22]

Our divine Lord has more tenderness for Sinners and the whole of us put together there is more love in his soul towards lost one ones than there is in all these thousands of Believers here present though I hope that many of your hearts beat high with a loving desire that the guilty may be delivered from the wroth to come but look at the disciples see Yonder is John that sweet so John and yet he Marvels and there is Peter good but faulty and he Marvels and there is Thomas the thoughtful and he Marvels they are all good men and yet they are marveling that Jesus is gracious to a poor woman. [00:11:52]

Although the conference was thus broken up the consequence thereof was the Lord's Glory even as often out of evil he worketh good since the woman cannot sit and gaze upon the Divine face of her Lord Lord nor hear the Strange Music which flowed from his blessed lips she will give herself to Holy activity she goes her way to the city and she speaks to the men this is well there is little to deplore when men's hearts are so right that you cannot take them off from glorifying Christ do what you may when if you disturb their private communion they are ready at once for public service driven away from sitting like Mary at the Master's feet let us rise to play the Martha by preparing a table for the lord. [00:14:47]

Notice that the woman leaves her water pot the spirit of God thought well to record this circumstance and therefore I think there must be a measure of teaching in it she left her water pot first for Speed perhaps you have got it into to your head that it was an ordinary English water pot such as you water the garden with possibly you so picture it Rose and all nothing of the sort it was a big jar or large picture of Earth and wear she had to carry on her head or her shoulder quite a load for her and so she left it that she might run the more quickly she was a wise woman to leave her water pot when she wanted to move rapidly. [00:19:12]

She said to the men come see a man that told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ observe first when she did go back to the men she had but one aim that was to bring them to Jesus she cries come see she did not tell them anything about their sin at the time time nor try to reform their habits she called them at once to him who could set them right she knew that if she could bring them to Christ all things would come right inevitably it is good for you to shoot only at one target Choose Your Design and aim at it and not at two objects drive away at The Souls of men in the name of God to get them to Christ and nothing short of him labor for this be willing to live for this and to die for this that men may be saved by Emmanuel's love and blood and spirit. [00:22:34]

I may preach the gospel to you but I cannot go to Christ in your stead it is mine to intreat and persuade and to use every kind of means by which I may get you to the Savior but it is a personal matter with each of you oh that the Holy Spirit would lead you to come yourselves to Jesus for it must be your own act and deed through his blessed working upon your nature you must come you must repent you must believe you must must lay hold on eternal life for yourselves nothing but personal religion can possibly save you the woman's call was a good exaltation in that respect. [00:31:38]

I wish I knew how to say something that would make you unconverted ones hurry to Christ but if anything ought to do so it is this suppose you never do come to Christ in this life and die die without him God grant you may not die without having listened to him and received him but if you do you will be wakened up at the last day from your grave with the blast of a terrible trumpet and with the Cry of come to judgment come to judgment come away whether you will or not you will have to come and see a man sitting upon the great white Throne judging the Nations and you know what he will do with you then he will tell you all things that ever you did and as the scenes pass before your mind's eye and as your own words go ringing again through your ear you will be sore distressed. [00:45:52]

I tell you it will be your hell for Jesus to tell you all things that ever you did and you then will see the argument is not this the Christ but alas he will be no savior to you for you refused him he will then tell you I called but you refused I stretched out my hands but no man regarded still shall preed that awful t of all things that ever you did concluding with this you refused Mercy you rejected Jesus you turned away from salvation you would not have this man to save you and therefore have you come to have your past made the fuel for your Everlasting burning God grant that no one here may ever come to that. [00:46:02]

I cannot see one that I dare to pitch upon not one not one not even the worst man or woman here I would not if I could oh god of thy mercy suffer no one here to know the terror of being driven away forever from thy presence and the glory of thy power for jesus' sake amen. [00:48:04]