Good News for Thirsty Souls

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Revelation 21:5-8

And he that sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said to me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.…

I. EXPLANATION.

1. All souls by nature are in great and dire want. Our Lord here speaks of those who are "athirst," and thirst is the index of one of our most pressing necessities. It this thirst be not quenched you are in a desperate plight indeed.

2. Some persons begin to be conscious of their soul's great need, and these are they of whom the Saviour speaks as "athirst": they have a dreadful want, and they know it. I would have you know that frequently those are the most thirsty who thirst to thirst.

3. Thirst is a desire arising out of a need. Now, so long as you have that desire, you need not stop to question your right to take Christ. A man is thirsty, even if he cannot explain what thirst is and how it comes.

4. The text promiseth water from the fountain of life to the man that is athirst; but thirst cannot quench thirst. Some seekers act as if they thought it would. "Oh," say they, "I am not thirsty enough; I wish I felt my need more": but your thirst will not be quenched by being increased. "I should have some hope," says one, "if I were more sensible of my danger." Yet that is not a gospel hope. Why should a man's despairing because of his danger operate to deliver him from danger? As long as you stop where you are you may get more and more sensible of danger until you reach the sensitiveness of morbid despondency; but you will be no nearer salvation. It is not your sense of need, it is Christ's power to bless you, and your yielding yourself up to Christ, that will bring you salvation.

II. ENCOURAGEMENT.

1. Our Lord Jesus Christ keeps open house for all thirsty ones. "Let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

2. Now, as if it were not enough to keep open house, our Lord Jesus goes further; for He issues many invitations of the freest kind (Isaiah 55:1).

3. Does any one say, "Well, I know that the ever-blessed Saviour keeps open house, and that He invites men freely; but still I am afraid to come"? Peradventure, we may overcome your diffidence if we remind you that our Lord makes a proclamation, which has the weight of His personal dignity about it, and comes as from a king (John 7:87).

4. Peradventure a trembler replies, "Ay! here is a proclamation; but I should be more comforted if I could read promises." Our text is one of the freest promises possible, "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." Come and test the promise now, and see if it be not true. But if you require another, turn to Isaiah 12:17.

5. Our gracious Lord, still further to encourage souls to come to Him, has been pleased to give many gracious explanations of what He meant. You will find one in the fourth chapter of John. How sweetly He explained to the woman at the well what living water is, and what drinking of it is.

6. Furthermore, our Lord, in order to make this very plain, has set before us lively emblems. Rock in wilderness. Also see Psalm 107:5.

7. Our Lord has given us, besides, many encouraging instances of men who have thirsted for grace (Psalm 42; Psalm 62.).

8. Our Lord has been pleased to give His own special blessing to the thirsty ones; for, when He opened His mouth upon the mountain and gave out the benedictions which commence His memorable sermon, He said, "Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst," etc.

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