John 4

WHen the Lord therefore knew Our Saviour knew as God, from that Omnisciency which is inseparable from the Divine Nature, or as man by the relation of others how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John that the Pharisees (who had the greatest stroke in the Sanhedrim) and the Government of the Church of the Jews, had received an Information concerning him, That he had by his Doctrine which he preached, and confirmed by miraculous operations, made, and by his Disciples, baptized more Disciples than Iohn, thereby initiating them into a new Church..

(Though Jesus himself baptized not For he himself did not personally baptize any, but left it to his Disciples, himself attending to the greater work of Preaching the Gospel, by which men and women were made fit for the Ordinance of Baptism., but his disciples:)

He left Judea He left the Province of Iudea, which was near to Hierusalem, where the Pharisees had their chiefest Residence and greatest Power., and departed again into Galilee And went the second time into Galilee, whither he went once before, ch. 1.43. where he found Philip and Nathanael. Galilee was a Province under the Jurisdiction of Herod, Luke 3.1. This motion of our Saviours into Galilee, is reported by Matthew, ch. 4.12. and also by Mark, ch. 1.14. and Luke, ch. 4.14. The two former give another Reason of his motion, viz. his hearing that Iohn was cast into Prison; of which, and the cause of it, see Matth. 14.3, 4, 5, 6. So as after that, he publickly preached no more, which might possibly augment the number of Christs Disciples; Iohns Disciples following him: Both these causes probably concurred, to cause this motion. Iohn, who by preaching and baptizing, had laid the foundation of a Gospel Church in Galilee, was imprisoned; and our Saviour knew, that the number of his Disciples increasing upon Iohns confinement, an Information had been carried against him to the Pharisees; this made him, knowing that his time was not yet come, withdraw himself out of the Province of Iudea into that of Galilee, as well to supply the want there (Iohn being in Prison) as to provide for his own security..

And he must needs go through Samaria Iosephus tells, us that Samaria is seated between Iudea and Galilee, and beginneth at a Town called Ginea, Luke 17.11. and 9.51, 52. There were two passages from Iudea into Galilee, the one was through the midst of Samaria, Luke 9.51. The other through the Eastern-parts, by the Royal Valley, by Iordan, in which it is said that Sichem was. By Samaria, must not be understood, the City of Samaria built by Omri, but the whole Country so called, and possessed by the Assyrians, with a mixture of Iews amongst them. Some think that the Evangelist addeth this, to excuse our Saviour for going amongst the Gentiles..

Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar The most valuable Interpreters agree, that this Sychar, is the City called Sechem; it was originally a parcel of a Field, bought by Iacob of Hamor, the Father of Shechem, Gen. 33.19. Ieroboam built the City there, called Shechem, 1 Kings 12.25. it was in the Lot of mount Ephraim; Iosephs bones were there buried, Ios. 24.32., near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph Iacob gave it to his Son Ioseph, as a parcel above his Brethren, Gen. 48.22. A parcel of ground, near unto which was this City called Sychar, anciently Sechem..

Now Jacobs well was there It was called Iacobs, either because he digged it, (as we read of Abrahams digging a well, Gen. 21.30 and Isaac, Gen. 26.15.) or because he and his Family used it, as Verse 12.. Jesus therefore being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well Our Lord used no Horse, or Chariot ordinarily in his Travels, but went on foot; we never read of him in a Coach or Chariot, but once upon the back of a beast, (that was when he rode into Hierusalem upon an Ass) he ordinarily travelled on foot; and the Evangelist taketh notice of his weariness, to let us know that he was truly Man, and subjected to weariness, and other humane infirmities; and he rested himself upon the sides of the Well: and it was about the sixth hour and it was about Noon-time: For that was according to their computation, the sixth hour. The 8th Verse tells us, His Disciples were gone to the City to buy Meat, so as he was alone..

There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water It is uncertain, whether this woman was a Citizen of Samaria, which City is said to be at two miles distance from this place, or one of that Country, which went by that Name, (for Samaria was the Name of that Region, as well as of a City); she came not out of any design to meet with Christ there, but came to draw water; they having not Pumps and Wells so common as we have, were forced to travel for Water for their necessary uses. Thus it often happeneth, that we meet with Divine Mercy when we think not of it. God is found of those who seek him not, nor inquire after him, Isaiah 65.1. which lets us see how all our motions and actions are at the Divine disposal and government. Rachel went not to the Well, to meet with the Tidings of an Husband, but to water her Fathers flock; but yet there she met with Iacob, Gen. 29.9. as it had happened to Rebecca before, Gen. 24.15. This Woman (as appeareth by what followeth) was no better than an Harlot; to her Christ (fleeing from the Pharisees, the great Doctors of the Iews) bringeth the glad tidings of the Gospel, and she receives them. So admirab e are the Dispensations of Divine Providence: Jesus says unto her, Give me to drink He prevents this woman, saying unto her, Give me to drink..

For his disciples were gone away into the city to buy meat This is added, lest any should say, How came our Saviour in this discourse with the woman of Samaria? They were travelling upon the Road, and came near to Sichem: Our Lords Disciples were gone to the city to buy some Food for them; in the mean time, our Saviour coming to the Well, called Iacobs Well, sets him down, and this Samaritan-woman cometh to that Well, to draw Water. Our Saviour being thirsty, asks of her some Water to drink; this giveth occasion to the following Discourse..

Then says the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it, that thou being a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a woman of Samaria There was a great estrangement of the Iews from the Samaritans, the Samaritans having a peculiar Temple built upon mount Gerazim, in opposition to that at Hierusalem q.? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans It is said that the Iews did buy of, and sell to the Samaritans, but were restrained by an Order of the Sanhedrim, from using any familiarity with them, or borrowing or receiving any thing as a Gift from them, which was the cause of this Reply of the woman of Samaria, knowing our Saviour either by his Habit, or by his Dialect, to be a Iew; this is thought to be the sense of in this Text, though it has a larger significancy, extending to all kind of Commerce..

Jesus answered, and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God Many by the gift of God here understand Christ, whom God gave to the World, Chap. 3.16. And who is the greatest Gift that God ever gave to the World; so as the latter words, and who it is, &c. expound the former, and who it is that says unto thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water Thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee either a true knowledge of the Doctrine, or the Grace tendered in the Gospel, or the holy Spirit, called water, because it washeth and cleanseth the Soul; and living water, because it is always running and flowing..

The woman says unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water What our Saviour spake metaphorically, comparing his Grace, or his Spirit, or the Doctrine of his Gospel to Living Water, this poor woman understandeth literally; and knowing that the Well was very deep, (some say forty cubits) and seeing him as a Traveller, not provided with any thing to draw with, or into; she asks him, Whence he had that Living water? a Question much like that of Nicodemus, ch. 3. v. 4. So ignorant are persons of spiritual things, till they be enlightened by the holy Spirit of God.?

Art thou greater then our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattel She asks him, if he judged himself wiser than Iacob, whom she calleth their Father? It is often observed, that the Samaritans would ordinarily claim Kindred with the Iews, when the Iews were in prosperity; but in their adversity, constantly disowned any relation to them. There were some Iews (Ephraimites especially) mixt with a far greater number of Assyrians, which made up this Body of People called the Samaritans. Now says the Woman, Iacob who was the Father of Ioseph, from whom we claim, was a wise Man, and he could find no better Water hereabouts for himself and family, than that of this Well; art thou wiser than he??

Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water, shall thirst again Our Saviour in his Reply justifieth the excellency of that living water, which he had before declared to be in his power to give, and his readiness to have given to this woman, if she had asked it of him, from the perishing virtue of the Water of this Well; and the continuing virtue of his Grace, which he compared to this Living Water: No man so asswaged his Thirst by drinking of the Water of Iacobs Well, but he was subject to thirst again..

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst But he who receiveth the holy Spirit, and the Grace thereof, though he will be daily saying, Give, give, and be continually desiring further supplies of Grace, yet he shall never wholly want, never want any good thing that shall be necessary for him, the eed of God shall abide in him: but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life and this Water shall be in him a spring of Water, supplying him until he come to Heaven. But this Text was excellently expounded by our Saviour, ch. 7.38, 39. He that believeth on me (as the Scripture has said) out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water, v. 39. But this speaketh he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him, should receive. From which it is plain, that our Saviour here by the living water he speaketh of, understood the holy Spirit..

The woman says unto him, Sir, give me this water, that thirst not, neither come hither to draw I am not of their mind, who think that this woman understood our Saviour, speaking about spiritual water, only had a mind to talk; and indeed, it is hard to conceive, how a woman of her education, and way of life, should understand any such thing; but it is plain, that she did not understand him in what he was discoursing about, but does as it were, deride him, believing that he had no such thing to bestow: She taketh no notice of the Water which our Saviour had spoken of, springing up to eternal life, but regarding only the present life, and her ease in that, and desires favour of Christ only to supply her wants in this life, and that she might live at more ease; so true is that of the Apostle, Rom. 8.5. Thus, they that are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh..

Jesus says unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither Not that Christ did not know what she afterward confest, that she lived in Whoredom, and had no Legitimate Husband: But he said this probably, to check her petulancy, and mocking, at what he spake about the living water, and to bring her to a sense of her sin, that she might be more fit to receive the glad tidings of a Saviour, which he was about to publish to her; and this seems rather to be our Saviours design, in bidding her go call her Husband, than (as some of the Ancients thought) that he might better instruct her, or avoid any scandal to himself, by a longer private discourse with a woman alone, who was of no better Reputation..

The woman answered, and said, I have no husband That is, none who is my lawful Husband; she denieth not that she had one, whom she used, and lived with as an Husband, but that she had any legal Husband, to whom the clave, and to no other; still she goeth on, thinking to deceive Christ, and to put tricks upon him. Jesus answered, and said, Thou hast well said, I have no husband Christ tells her, she in this did speak truth; he knew she had no legal Husband.:

For thou hast had five husbands, and he whom thou now hast, is not thy husband He tells her, that she had five Husbands, whether successively, the former being dead, and she marrying another: or five from whom she had been divorced for Adultery, is not agreed; the best modern Interpreters judg, that she had had five m n, to whom she had been in Marriage, but so behaved her self toward them, that either for her Adultery, or some other froward behaviour towards them, they had given her a Bill of Divorce: in that saidst thou truly and tho she now used, and lived with one as her Husband, yet in this she said truly, because her former Husbands yet living, he was not her Husband: This seemeth more properly the sense, than that after five legal Husbands death, she lived in whoredom with a sixth person. By this discovery, our Saviour both bringeth her to the sense of her sin, and also to an acknowledgment of him as the Messiah..

The woman says unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet Whose Office is to reveal the will of God, and to whom God revealeth secret things. One to whom the Lord maketh known himself in a Vision, and speaketh in a Dream, Num. 12.6. The womans Reply seemeth to signifie both: Her acknowledgment of Christ as a Prophe, upon his telling her secret things, justifieth her looking upon him, as one to whom God revealed things not known ordinarily to men; and that this report of her meaning appeareth by what she said, vers. 9. to her Fellow-Citizens, Come see a man which has told me all things that ever I did: but the following Verse, in which she entreth into a discouese with our Saviour, about the Controversie betwixt the Iews and the Samaritans about Worship, lets us know, that she looked upon him as a Prophet in the more ordinary sense, as Prophet signifies one influenced by God, to reveal his mind and will unto Men; and indeed, there was no Prophet in the former sense, but was also in the latter; tho there were many Prophets in the latter sense, sent of God, and enabled to reveal the will of God unto Men, who were not influenced so far, as to foretel things to come. The difference betwixt an Hypocrite, and one truly brought to a sense of Sin, is very conspicuous in the example of this Woman; she does not deny her sin, as Cain, Gehazi, and Ananias and Saphira; neither does she discover any anger upon the discovery of it, as the Scribes and Pharisees, the wicked Princes of Israel and Iudah, and Herod did: Neither does she go about to excuse or mitigate her sin, but she applieth her self to Christ as a Prophet, to teach her what to do. The example also of this Woman, informs us what use we ought to make of Prophets to guide us into the right way, and faithfully to acquaint us with the will of God..

Our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain The Mount Gerezim, which was an exceeding high Mountain, and near unto Sichem. Iacob made an Altar thereabouts, which he called El-Elohe-Israel, Gen. 33.20. Some say, that it was upon that Mountain that Abraham should have Offered up Isaac, Gen. 22. but that had another name. Certain it is, that from that Mountain Moses pronounced the Blessings, Deut. 27.12. But it is very probable that the Woman had respect to none of these, but to the common usage of the Samaritans, to Worship in a Temple built, upon this Mountain, in opposition to that at Hierusalem: The story of which will be very proper here to relate, for the full understanding of this Text. Sanballat was Governour of Samaria, Constituted by Darius; of this Sanballat we read in Nehemiah, who tells us that One of the Sons of Eliashib the High Priest was Son-in-law to this Sanballat the Horonite, wherefore I chased him from me, Neh. 13.28. This Son-in-law's Name (as Iosephus tells us) was Manasses. He was driven out of Hierusalem upon the account of the Covenant made, Ezra 10.3. That those who had Married strange Wives would turn them away. The Sacred story here leaving us, we must supply it out of Iosephus, who, Antiq. l. 11. cap. 8. tells us, that he being thus driven from the Sacrifice, applyed himself to Sanballat, and would have put his Wife away, which was Sanballat's Daughter; but Sanballat promised him, that if he would keep his Daughter as his Wife, he would not only continue him in the Priesthood, but make him an High-Priest, and build him a Temple like that at Hierusalem, upon Mount Gerezim, with the leave of Darius; upon this, Manasses staid with Sanballat, and there also resorted many to him whom Nehemiah had turned out of the Priesthood at Hierusalem for Marrying strange Wives. Sanballat was very near losing his Opportunity through the favour of Darius, by the Conquest of Darius by Alexander the Great. But it was regain'd by his Brother Iaddus his stubbornness, who was High Priest in Ierusalem, and refused to own the new Conqueror, which advantage Sanballat took, and offered Alexander the surrender of all places in his Trust to him; and being by that means ingratiated with Alexander the Great, he thereby obtained leave of him to build a Temple in Mount Gerezim, where his Son-in-law Manasses should be the High Priest, promising Alexander, that by this means the force of the Iews would be broken, so as there would be no danger of their Conspiring. Accordingly he presently built this Temple, and soon after dyed, leaving his Son-in-law Manasses, Brother to Iaddus the High Priest, in Hierusalem, High Priest in this new Temple, which afterwards proved an Asylum or Sanctuary for any who were Accused amongst the Iews at Hierusalem. Thus these two Temples stood for about 220 Years; then Hircanus an High Priest of the Iews at Hierusalem, destroyed it; but still they looked upon the Ground as Holy, and came thither to perform their Devotions. With reference to this Superstitious practice, the Woman of Samaria says, Our Fathers Worshipped (that is, have used time out of mind to Worship) in this Mountain. And, and ye say that in Hierusalem is the place where men ought to worship the Iews hold that none might Worship God by Sacrifice any where but at Hierusalem, according to the Law, Deut. 12.14, 26..

Jesus says unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh Woman! thou ownest me as a Prophet, whose Office it is to reveal the will of God unto Men; it is therefore thy Duty to give Credit to what I shall reveal to thee about the true and right way of Worshipping God. The time is coming, yea, at hand, when you shall when you shall neither in this Mountain neither in this Mount Gerezim, (where your Fathers have so long Worshipped God Superstitiously without any direction from him), nor yet at Hierusalem worship the Father nor yet at Hierusalem, which is the place which the Lord made choice of for his Worship, Worship my Father, or your Father. God is putting an end to both these places, and to all that Worship which I shall not Institute under the Gospel..

Ye worship ye know not what You have no certain Rule for your Worship, but only do things which your Fathers did without any Revelation of the Divine will; by which you may be assured, that what you do is acceptable to God, we know what we worship We know that God has revealed his will, that his People should Worship him at Hierusalem by such Rites and Performances as he himself has Instituted in his Word, so as we are certain that what we do is acceptable to God: for Salvation is of the Jews For unto the Iews (of old) were committed the Oracles of God, the ordinary means of Salvation, Out of Zion went forth the Law, and the word of the Lord from Hierusalem, Isaiah 2.3..

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit, and in truth Under the Gospel, and the Kingdom of the Messiah, which is yet further coming, and is already began in the World, the true Worshippers of God shall not Worship him, as you Samaritans who Worship you know not what, without any Rule or Prescript of the Word; nor yet as the Hypocritical Iews, who rest upon their Sacrifices and Ritual performances, as if they should purge away their sins, Psal. 50.8. Isa. 1.11. and 66.3. Micah 6.7. no, nor yet as the more sincere Iews, who indeed do truly and with their Hearts Worship God; but while the first Tabernacle was yet standing, which was a Figure for the present time, by Sacrifices that could not make him that did the Service perfect as pertaining to the Conscience—by meats, and drinks, and divers Ordinances, imposed on them until the time of Reformation, Heb. 9.10. That time of Reformation is now come, when the true Worshippers of God shall offer up to him a more Spiritual Worship; not that Carnal Worship; and a more true, and real, and solid Worship: for the Father seeketh such to worship him for God my Father seeketh such to Worship him, as shall not Worship him with a mere bodily labour and Homage, but with their Hearts and Spirits; nor with those Ceremonial performances now in use by Gods Prescript at Hierusalem; but without them, I being come, whom all those Services did but pre-figure, and point unto..

God is a Spirit God is not a Corporeal Being, made up of Blood, and Flesh, and Bones, having Senses as Bodies have, to be pleased with sensible things; but he is a Spiritual Being, the Father of Spirits, and requireth a Spiritual Service proportioned to his Being, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit, and in truth and therefore those that pay a Religious Homage to him, must do it with their Spirits, and according to the Rule that he has prescribed in truth and reality. This is now the will of God; and tho' he required of his People under the Law a more Ritual Figurative Service, yet that is now to cease; and therefore the Woman of Samaria need not trouble her self which was the truest Worship, that at Mount Gerazim, or Mount Sion, for both of them were very suddenly to determine, and a new and more substantial Spiritual Worship was to succeed, to the learning of the way and method of which she was more to attend, and not to spend her thoughts about these things, which were of no significancy, and tended only to Minister Questions of no use..

The Woman says unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ The Woman by this reply, tho a Woman of Samaria, shows her self to be a Iew, for she was one of them who lived in an expectation of one whom the Iews called the Messiah, Prophecied of by Daniel under this Notion, Dan. 9.25, 26. and by the Psalmist, Psal. 2.2. which term Messiah, signifieth Christ (that is, Anointed) in the Greek;, when he is come he will tell us all things she had a further Notion, That this Messiah should be a great Prophet, Deut. 18.15. yea, she appears to have had a further Notion of the Messiah, viz. that when he came he should reveal to them the whole will of God as to the Salvation of Man, and the Worship of God; this lets us know, that she was none of the Assyrian part of the Inhabitants of Samaria. If any ask, how she, being a Samaritan, should know any thing of the Messiah, the Samaritans receiving only the five Books of Moses? It is easily answered, That even the five Books of Moses make mention of the Messias, under the Notion of the S ed of the Woman, Gen. 3.15. the Seed of Abraham, Gen. 12.3. Shiloh, Gen. 49.10. The Prophet like to Moses, Deut. 18.15. And for the name Messiah, she might easily learn it from other Iews, that the Person called Shiloh, and the Prophet, was called by Daniel the Messiah..

Jesus says unto her, I that speak unto thee am he That same Messiah, of whom thou declarest thy self to have some expectation, and from whom thou expectest to hear all things necessary to Salvation. Some here enquire, why our Saviour maketh to this Woman such a plain Discovery of himself, when as we find him in the Gospel so cautious, and so often charging his Disciples not to make him known. Some think our Saviour thus gratified the Honesty and Simplicity which he discerned in this Woman, not coming to catch him, but to be Instructed from him; but possibly if we wistly consider those Texts wherein he charged his Disciples not to make him known, we shall find that the thing which he cautioned them against, was their publishing of him as the Son of God, which our Saviour desired should be concealed, till he should be so declared with power by his Resurrection from the Dead, Rom. 1.4. that his Enemies by a charge of Blasphemy against him, might not cut him off before his hour was come. Now, we shall observe that the Iews, tho' they expected a Messiah, yet had no such Notion of him..

And upon this, came his Disciples They, as we heard before, were gone into the City Sichem to buy Food, and were kept there by the Providence of God till our Saviour had finished this Discourse with the Woman of Samaria, but came after the Discourse was done;, and marvelled that he talked with the woman they marvelled possibly at his talking with a Woman in the Road (a thing forbidden by their Traditions) especially a Woman of Samaria, with whom the Iews had no Commerce, yet no man said, what seekest thou? or why talkest thou with her But yet they had so much Reverence and Respect for their Master, that they enquired not curiously into the matter or reason of his Discourse.?

The Woman then left her water pot, and went her way into the City She had no sooner tasted of the Living water spoken of by Christ, but she left her Water-pot: Thus Peter tells our Saviour, that they had left all and followed him. She goeth into the City Sichem (no doubt) or Sychar, mentioned ver. 5., and says unto the men and does not her self enter into a long Discourse with the Citizens, only inviteth the Citizens to come and see Christ, that they might judge from the hearing of their own Ears, and the sight of their own Eyes.,

Come see a man, which told me all things that ever I did She invites them to him under the Notion of a Man, who had told her all things that she ever did. Christ doubtless had told her, and spoken to her, much more than Iohn has left us upon Sacred Record; yet not all things she ever did, but all things (as often) signifies many things, and those such things as she might know that he who could tell those things, could have told her all things if they had been so proper for him to have repeated to her, as those things which he did tell her., is not this the Christ This induced her to believe, that he was the Messiah, she offereth it to their Opinion and Judgment.?

Then they went out of the City, and came unto him Sitting still at the Well, they (many of them at least) did not contemn the News as the Relation of a Woman, but went (possibly but out of Curiosity) to see, and to hear this Man..

In the mean while his Disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat Whiles the Woman was fetching her Citizens to come and see, and hear Christ, his Disciples knowing that he must be weary and hungry with his Journey, and having brought him some Food out of the City, where they had been to fetch it, they put him upon refreshing himself with the Food they had brought..

But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of But our Blessed Lord was more intent upon Gospellizing the Samaritans, than satisfying his Hunger; what this Meat was, he opens himself, v. 34..

Therefore said the Disciples one to another, Has any man brought him ought to eat His Disciples being yet Carnal, did not understand him, but thought that he had spoken of Bodily Nourishment. See the like Instances, Mat. 16.7. and Ch. 11.11. they were wondring how he came by meat, and who should bring it him: So hard are we to conceive of Spiritual things, till God openeth our Eyes.?

Jesus says unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me Our Lord, without any reproof of them for their dulness in understanding, and having compassion on their Infirmity and Ignorance, tells them what he meant by his former words; telling them, that the doing of his Fathers Will, and the finishing of his Work, was that which he more hungred after, and took more delight in, than in eating and drinking; this is what he sought, Iohn 5.30. that which he came down from Heaven for, Iohn 6.38. As the Law of God was sweeter to David, than the Hony, or the Hony-comb, so the publishing of the Gospel was to Jesus Christ,, and to finish his work the calling Sinners to Repentance, and publishing the glad tidings of the Messiah; that was his work, which he tells his Father he had finished, Iohn 17.4. Hereby teaching Ministers and People also, to prefer Spiritual things before Temporal, and the Ministers of the Gospel especially to prefer the publishing of the Gospel (which is their work) to any other employment whatsoever..

Say not ye, There are yet four Months and then cometh Harvest There was in those Countreys but four Months space betwixt Seed-time and Harvest: Yet they fed themselves (as soon as they had sown) with the expectation of it: Behold I say unto you, lift up your Eyes, and look on the Fields My Harvest, says our Saviour, is the gaining of Souls for my Father; look yonder what a Troop of the Citizens of Sichem are coming to me, upon my Revelation of my self to the Woman of Samaria: I have but just sown my Seed, for they are white already to Harvest and the Fields are white to this Spiritual Harvest, Mat. 9.37. In the judgment of the best Interpreters, our Saviour in this Verse useth a comparison, and passeth from his Similitude used in the former part of the Verse, fetched from a Worldly Harvest, to discourse of that Spiritual Harvest, which he by and by Reaped of the Citizens of Sichem coming to him; it is of that he says, that the Fields were already white, by which (as will appear from the following Verses) he quickneth his Disciples to put in their Sickles. Some Critical Authors, understanding both the former and latter part of the Text of a Worldly Harvest, have used their Wits to determine how the Fields should be white to Harvest four Months before it came; but the most and best Interpreters Interpret the latter part, of a Spiritual Harvest, and that will be also justified by what followeth..

And he that reapeth receiveth wages You that are the Lords Instruments, to reap what the Prophets of old, and Iohn Baptist lately have sown, shall not lose your labour, you shall receive wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal and your wages shall not be small, it shall be no less than Eternal life, Dan. 12.3. They that turn many to Righteousness, shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever, that both he that soweth, and he that reapeth, may rejoyce together Thus the Prophets and Iohn the Baptist, who sowed the Seed of the Gospel, and you that succeed them, and reap the fruit of what they did sow, shall have the same reward in Glory, and reioyce together. The Plow-man shall overtake the Reaper, and the treader of Grapes him that soweth Seed (as Amos speaks) Amos 9.13. This Text is of great use to those Godly Ministers which faithfully sow the Seed of the Word, but do not in their Life-time see any great effects of it; it may be it comes up when they are in their Graves; the Reward of a faithful Preacher does not depend upon his success in his Labours, but upon his faithful discharge of his Work; tho' one soweth and another reapeth, yet both he that soweth, and he that reapeth shall reioyce together..

And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth It was a Proverbial expression, most commonly used with reference to those who unjustly invaded the Rights and Possessions of other men; but as applicable unto those who by the disposing Providence of God, rightly Inherit the Fruit of other mens Labours, as the Iews Inherited the Land of Canaan, Iosh. 24.13. A land for which ye did not labour, and Cities which ye built not. This saying (says our Saviour) is fulfilled in you..

I sent you to reap that whereon you bestowed no labour I have sent you to reap that which you did not first labour for; other men laboured, and ye are entred into their labours the Prophets, and Iohn the Baptist, and my self, have sown the Seed, and by their Doctrine prepared for the Lord a People; you enter upon their Labours, gathering them into a Gospel Church..

And many of the Samaritans of that City believed on him, for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did That City was Sichem, or Sychar, but it was within the Province of Samaria, from whence it is that they had the name of Samaritans as well as Sichemites: Many of them upon the Testimony of the Woman, That he had told her such secret passages of her Life, as he could not have told her, if he had not been able, if he had pleased, as well to have told her all things, believed on him: That is, they owned him as a Prophet, and agreed to what the Woman said in that particular, and were by it excited to come to see, and further discourse with Christ. This justifieth what our Saviour said, That there was there a People prepared for the Lord, the Fields were white unto the Harvest; that they were thus far wrought upon by the Discourse of a Woman, and she one not of the higest Reputation, and only telling them, That he had told her all things she had done. Small means have great effects, when Gods time of working is come..

So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them The Sichemites being come to Christ, had some Discourse with him, as appeareth from v. 41, 42. What the subject-matter of their Discourse was, we are not told; we may know that it was Spiritual, and something proper to excite Faith in them; for believing was the effect of it; they desire that he would abide with them: thus their Faith wrought by Love. And he abode there two days Our Saviour, that he might not discourage the beginning of their Faith, did stay with them two days: For altho when he sent out his Disciples, he commanded them not to go into the way of the Samaritans, yet himself was not obliged by that Law, and did sometimes by Preaching to Heathens, and Converting of them, give an Earnest of the Calling of the Gentiles, whose fuller Calling was reserved to after times, yet probably, the reason why he would not stay longer with them than two days, was because the time was not yet come, for the fuller Calling of the Gentiles, and he was not willing by a longer abode with them to give offence to the Iews, betwixt whom and the Samaritans was a rooted Hatred upon the account of their differing Religion..

And many mo believed, because of his own word Believing seemeth here to be taken in a different sense from what it was taken in v. 39. from what followeth, v. 42. There it seemeth only to signifie a lower degree of assent, that he was a Prophet upon the womans saying, That he had told her all she had done; here it signifieth a giving Credit to him, as the Christ, the Saviour of the World, of which they were convinced by what they heard from himself. Thus that of the Apostle, Rom. 10.17. is justified, That faith cometh by hearing; and the Influence of Christ upon the Souls of Believers is also justified: We read of no Miracles our Saviour wrought here, they believed not because of any Signs they saw, but because of his word, wherein also they further showed themselves the first fruit of the Gentiles, the generality of which were afterward Converted to the Faith of the Gospel, after that Miracles were ceased, by hearing the Gospel Preached..

And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying Several things may be the occasion of Faith, which are neither the principal efficient causes, nor the proper instrumental cause of it: The principal efficient cause of the Faith of these Samaritans, was undoubtedly the finger of God upon their Souls, enlightning their minds with the saving knowledge of the Gospel, and bowing their wills to the Obedience of it. The proper instrumental cause was their hearing the words of Christ, but the Occasion of this was what the Woman had told them; so as, tho they in a sense believed because of what she had said, because that occasioned their coming out to see, and hear Christ; yet the proper instrumental cause was their hearing Christ, God upon their hearing him working in their hearts, an ability, and a willingness to receive and to close with Christ. Thus the Church gives us the first occasion of receiving the Scriptures, and believing them to be the Word of God, we having them put into our hands by the Church, read them, and find such impresses and stamps of Divinity in them, that we conclude from our Reason very probably, that they are more than Humane Writings, but never firmly and fixedly receive them as such, until persuaded of it by the Holy Spirit.: for we have heard him our selves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world These Samaritans do not only own Christ as a Prophet, nor do they only suspect that he must be the Messias, but they profess to know, that he was the Christ, the Saviour of the World..

Now after two days, he departed thence, and went into Galilee Christ (as we heard before, Ver. 3.) was upon his Journey into Galilee, only he stopt two days at Sichem to gratifie the desires of the Samaritans of that City, which two days being now spent, he keepeth on in his Journey: But here ariseth a Question, viz. Whether he first went to Nazareth, or to Cana; for the Opinion of those, who think he first went to Nazareth, is quoted Mat. 4.12. Besides it is said, that Nazareth was in his Road to Cana, and Luke 4.24. he is said to have uttered these words there. Chemnitius thinks he went first to Cana, according to what Iohn relateth in the following Verses. And Luke 4.16. he is said to have gone out of Galilee to Nazareth; and besides, the next mentioned Miracle is v. 5. said to have been Christs Second Miracle, which it could not have been, had he first gone to Nazareth; for Luke 4.23. those of Nazareth mention some Miracles which he had wrought at Capernaum..

For Jesus himself testified, that a Prophet has no honour in his own Countrey Christ spake those words more than once, Mat. 13.57. Mark 6.4. Luke 4.24. But the Question is, what force of Reason this has, why he went into Galilee, when as Nazareth, which was in Galilee, was his own Countrey; for tho he was Born in Bethlehem, yet he was Educated at Nazareth; upon which account, Luke 4.23. it is called his own Countrey? The best Resolution of this Difficulty is, That by Galilee here is to be understood, the Country-part of Galilee, exclusive to Nazareth; and this is not given as a Reason why our Saviour went into Galilee, but why he did not go to Nazareth, but into the Country-part of Galilee, because Nazareth was his own Countrey, and a Prophet is not without honour, except in his own Countrey..

Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Hierusalem at the feast When he came not to Nazareth, but to some parts of Galilee, the Galileans entertained him Hospitably, and this they did because of those Miracles they had seen wrought by him at the Passeover-feast, where Christ was, Ch. 2.; for they also went unto the feast For these Galileans, tho they lived at a great distance from Hierusalem, yet were observant of the Law which commanded all the Males of the Iews to be present at that Solemnity. The Samaritans saw no Miracle, but believed Christ upon his word: The Galileans also received Christ, but their seeing of his Miracles at the Feast, is given as the cause of their receiving him, their Faith was not so noble as that of the Samaritans. Blessed (says our Saviour) are they, who have not seen, and yet believed..

So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine Our Saviour, coming into Galilee, made choice of Cana, the place where being at a Marriage-feast, he turned Water into Wine Ch. 2, first to fix in; the reason is not expressed, and therefore vainly guessed at by Interpreters, there he worketh a Second Miracle, not upon the Person of any one of Cana, but upon the Son of one who was at Capernaum, which was a City in the Tribe of Naphtali upon the Shoar of the Famous River Iordan. And there was a certain Nobleman, whose Son was sick at Capernaum This Person is described to be one that was, a Nobleman, whether of the Blood of Herod, that was Tetrarch of Galilee, or some Courtier, or Principal Servant of his, it is not said..

When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee Christ had been in Ga ee before, and in this Town, and wrought a Miracle, and if this Courtier were a Disciple of Iohn (which some think, but it is hard to prove) it is probable he had been at the Passeover, and seen the Miracles he wrought there, or at least might have heard of them from some who were there, he went unto him and besought him that he would come down and heal his Son though it was a good way from Capernaum thither, yet his love to his Son carried him, and humbled him to beseech Christ, that he would come down and heal his Son, by which he showed a great weakness of Faith, as if he thought that Christ could not put forth his Healing Virtue at a distance, but his Personal Presence was necessary, as Naaman the Syrian thought that Elisha must come down and lay his hand upon him; for he was at the point of death his Son it seems was in Humane appearance dying..

Then said Jesus unto him, except ye see signs and wonders, you will not believe It may seem strange to such as do not well weigh all Circumstances, that our Saviour, who at other times went without asking, showed himself so hard to be intreated by this Courtier, and answereth him so roughly; but we must not take our selves to be able to give a certain Account of all Christs Actions, and different dealings with Persons, whose Hearts he well enough knew. Thus much is certain, that our Saviour always preferred that Faith which was given to his bare word, before that which waited for a Miracle confirmative of that word, Iohn 20.29. Our Saviour saw that this Courtier came to him purely upon a Natural account, for the Recovery of his dying Son, without a desire to be Instructed in his Heavenly Doctrine, therefore (as it may be presumed) he checks this Courtier, and not him alone, but the generality of the Iews, who were only struck with Admiration of his works, and drawn from Curiosity, or some Temporal benefit, to follow him, without a due regard of his Person, or the Heavenly saving Truths Preached by him..

The nobleman says unto him, Sir, Come down, ere my child dye The Courtier, tho probably of Spirit enough to have shown some discontent at our Saviours no kinder Answer to him before, yet was so intent upon his Sons life, that he takes no notice of it, but reneweth his Request, still discovering the weakness of his Faith, as thinking that Christs Personal Presence was necessary to the life of his Son..

Jesus says unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth Our Saviour would neither discourage the weak Faith of this Nobleman, nor yet incourage his weakness, he healeth his Son for the encouragement of his Faith, he does it by his word, without going down to him, that he might not gratifie his weakness, thinking his Personal Presence was necessary; he bids him go, for his Son was recovered (that is here meant by liveth;). And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way upon this his Faith groweth, and he who before only believed Christ to be a Prophet probably upon others hearsay, now believeth his word, that is, was persuaded that his Son was indeed Recovered..

And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth The servants that met him to bring the acceptable News of his Sons recovery, knew nothing of the passages that had been betwixt Christ and their Master, but merely came to tell their Master, what they knew would be acceptable to him..

Then enquired he the hour when he began to amend: and they said unto him, yesterday, at the seventh hour, the fever left him He enquireth the precise time, they tell him it was about the seventh hour. The Miracle appeared in the suddenness of the Recovery, and also that it was without the application of means, at least any that could have produced so sudden an effect..

So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus had said unto him, Thy son liveth The circumstance of the time when his Son recovered agreeing with the very hour, when Christ had said unto him, Thy son liveth, was a mighty confirmation to him, that he was beholden to Christ for his Cure, and consequently, that Christ was no ordinary man, more than a Prophet, even the Son of God;, and himself believed, and his whole house this works upon his Faith to an higher degree: He first believed the report of him, then he gave credit to the word that he spake, now he believeth savingly, and not he alone, but his whole Family became Christians. Such Instances we have concerning Lydia, Acts 16.14, 15. the Iaylour, v. 34. and Crispus, Acts 18.8..

This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judea into Galilee His turning Water into Wine, Ch. 2. was the first, this was the second, and so in order of time before any of those Miracles which he wrought in Galilee, of which we read, Matth. 4.23..