Exposition of John, Chapter 7 · Verse 21
Verſe 37. In the laſt day, that great day of the Feaſt, Jeſus stood, and cried, ſaying, If any man thirſt, let him come unto me, and drink.
From this unto the end of the chapter, John recordeth Chriſts ſweet Sermon upon the laſt day of the feaſt, verſe 37, 38, 39, with ſome effects of it among the people, verſe 40,—44. and the confuſions that ariſe in the Councel of the Phariſees about him, verſe 45,—53.
In this verſe it is recorded, that this being the laſt and great day of the feaſt, wherein the people were again ſolemnly conveened to publike worſhip, being to depart on the morrow; Chriſt takes hold of this opportunity, with fervency and boldneſſe, to make offer of his refreſhing grace to all theſe, who, being thirſty, do come to him. It is not needful to determine that on this day they had a cuſtome of drawing water out of the pool of Siloam, with an eye to that Scripture, Iſa. 12.3. But it is certain, that in this, Chriſt doth repeat that proclamation of the free mercate of his grace, which we have, Iſa. 55.1. And albeit by thirſting, we are chiefly to underſtand a ſpiritual langour and deſire after ſpiritual things; Yet it doth not ſeclude, but ſuch as thirſt, even after other things, ſhould come to him, who alone is able to anſwer their expectation, as Iſa. 55.2, Doctrine 1. While as Chriſt returns no anſwer to their malicious carping, verſe 35, 36. but makes this large offer, to all of them, or, at leaſt, to ſuch as would be convinced and come; It teacheth, partly, that meek Chriſt will follow, even deſpiſers, with his gracious offers, and will digeſt all their effronted debordings, if at laſt they will embrace him. And partly, That he is ſo earneſt, and ſo buſie, when there is an opportunity to offer and do good to any, that he will not care to give his enemies the laſt word of him, and will ſay to them as Jacob ſaid in another caſe to the man, 2 Sam. 18.14. I may not tarry thus with thee? 2. Opportunity may ſeeme ſtrangely to ſlip away and be loſt, as to getting any good done, even when not onelyonly faithful men, but Chriſt himſelf is about the managing of the work of the Goſpel; for, now it is come to the laſt day, the great day of the feast, (as both the firſt and laſt were holy convocations, Levit. 23.34, 35, 36) and the people, after eight dayes attendance, are ready to go away, before they cloſe with his offer. 3. Opportunities ſhould be the more carefully managed, that they are ſhortly like to paſſe over; Therefore doth Chriſt beſtir himſelf on this laſt day. 4. When people are ready to retire themſelves from ſolemne exerciſes and Aſſemblies, to their ordinary employments and vocations, they have need to have their hearts ſeaſoned and guarded with uſeful inſtructions; Therefore doth Chriſt publiſh this needful doctrine on that day, that it might beat them company home. 5. Albeit Chriſt be alwayes rich and good unto his people; yet it is his ordinary way, to bleſſe eminent and ſolemne times of his peoples worſhip, with much of him; Therefore alſo doth he make that great day of the feaſt, yet greater, by his ſweet Sermon and offer of himſelf upon it. 6. The truth of God, and riches of Chriſt ought to be proclaimed with ſuch courage, fervency, and zeal, as becomes ſuch a meſſage, and as may invite hearers to take notice of it; Therefore Jeſus flood (whereas the uſe then was to ſit and teach) and cried, not onelyonly that he might be ſeen and heard in that great croud, but to teſtifie his courage when they ſent to kill him, and his fervent zeal to have this doctrine beleeved and embraced. 7. Man is a barren and all-needy creature, burnt up with wants and neceſſities, and not able to ſupply them of himſelf; for, ſo much doth their thirſting import, that they are burnt up, and muſt have ſomewhat without them, to coole and refreſh them. 8. There is no ſatisfaction for empty man in any courſe he takes, till he come to Chriſt, and embrace and cloſe with him. Neither will the world and things therein ſatisfie their expectation, who luſt after theſe things; Nor will external performances ſatisfie them who have any true thirſt: for, this is the onelyonly remedy, Let him come unto me. See Matth. 11.28. Iſa. 55.2. 9. As men are bound to have ſpiritual thirſt after Chriſt, that they may be ſatisfied; and as Chriſt will ſatisfie and refreſh ſuch: So he doth allow and invite all theſe who have eſſayed many courſes, but in vain, to come to him, and finde what they want; for, both are comprehended here, if any man thirſt, let him come to me and drink. For clearing and enlarging whereof, Conſider, 1. Chriſt is ſo condeſcending, that he will not refuſe, even theſe who have wandred far, ſeeking contentment, before they would come to him; but will take up a man, after he hath been refuſed at all other doores, and him who hath ſpent his ſtrength for that which is no bread, and drunk many a puddle dry, and yet is not ſatisfied. Hoſ. 2.6, 7. 2. It is no matter what a man hath been before, ſo now he be driven to Chriſt, having eſſayed the vanity of all things beſide; If any man thirſt, let him come; And albeit the thirſt of many after other things hath been ſinful and diſhonourable to Chriſt, yet he will accept of them, if they come: Yea, albeit they want many things that are required in ſuch as come; yet he will make them welcome, if they come to get theſe things. 3. Albeit ſpiritual thirſt and indigencie, when it is diſcovered, be a very humbling condition; Yet it ſhould be looked on as Chriſts forerunner, and as an invitation, call, and warrant, put in the thirſties hand, that he may come; for, if any man thirſt, it ſaith from Chriſt, let him come to me. 4. Albeit thirſt be nothing elſe but a diſcovery, and a making of us ſenſible of our neceſſity; Yet it is Chriſts way, to take no other advantage of his peoples neceſſity, then to let out of his fulneſſe to them, and let them ſee that it is indeed their fulneſſe, and (in ſome reſpect) matter of their encouragement, to dwell in the ſenſe of emptineſſe; for, he giveth thirſt, that he may give drink; And therefore his keeping of his people at under ought not to be ſtumbled at. 5. The propounding of this condition, if any man thirſt, is not to be underſtood, as if we muſt firſt beget ſenſe of need in our ſelves, and then come to Chriſt; Nor doth it warrant any ſouls who would be at Chriſt, to ſeclude themſelves, becauſe they think they are not thirſty: for, albeit it do point out what is our duty; Yet it is his work to beget it, who ſends his work before him, that he may bring his reward with him, Iſa. 40.10. and who by offering of grace, as a mean, doth oft-times beget it. But the ſcope is rather to invite men to come, upon this ground, that if they come indeed, they do, by their coming, prove they have thirſt, whatever they think of themſelves; and that any who are come this length, that they would come if they had thirſt, they may come with what they have, and get more thirſt by coming to him. Therefore are all theſe conditional offers ſummed up in this, whoſoever will, let him take of the water of life freely, Rev. 22.17. 6. It is Chriſts will, that thirſty ſouls ſhould not onelyonly come to him by humble dependance, but that they ſhould enlarge themſelves and partake of their priviledges and his refreſhments; that ſo they may be ſatisfied and acquieſce in him; may confirme themſelves in their choice of him, and forſaking other delights; and, may refute their own tentations and unbelief, by taſting how good he is; for, it is his duplicate page duplicate page will they come to him and drink, or partake largely of his refreſhments, See Cant. 5.1. Pſal. 81.10.