Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1549
Delivered on Lord’s-Day Morning, July 4, 1880
“I will give unto him that is thirsty of the fountain of the water of life freely.” Revelation 21:6.
SALVATION is no small thing. It filled the heart and hands of the Son of God and, therefore, it ought not to be neglected by us. The precious promise before us concerns the gift of eternal salvation and it is set forth as the personal Word of the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself. The Apostle is very careful to make this clear, for he inserts the words, “And He said unto me,” as if John knew that poor, troubled hearts might doubt so large a promise were they not assured that Jesus, Himself, had expressly given it. John is a faithful and true witness. In this, as in another case, he could have written, “He knows what He says is true.” He declares to us that He who is Alpha and Omega, Himself, gave to him this word of promise. So especially careful was our Lord that the Gospel of Grace should be published correctly and without fail, that He delivered it, Himself, to John and also said to him, “Write: for these words are true and faithful.”
Not content with committing the message in words to the Apostle, He charges him, then and there, to put it down in black and white that it might never be forgotten. Thus He proved that He assuredly meant what He said and meant that it should stand good through all ages—“I will give unto him that is thirsty of the fountain of the water of life freely.” It is to be noticed, too, that our Lord spoke these words as a King—“He that sat upon the Throne said, Behold, I make all things new,” and then He added, “I will give unto him that is thirsty of the fountain of the water of life freely.” Divine Sovereignty, therefore, is not opposed to the most generous promises of the Gospel! Jesus Christ may give or withhold as He pleases—but His will is to give.
He will have mercy on whom He will have mercy and He will have compassion on whom He will have compassion, but the stern truth of His infinite Sovereignty is coupled with the sweet declaration of boundless charity—“I will give unto him that is thirsty of the fountain of the water of life freely.” However much we preach the Doctrines of Election and Divine Sovereignty, we never intend to limit the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, but as freely as if we had not believed in Sovereignty to publish our Lord’s generous Gospel words, “Him that comes unto Me I will in no wise cast out.” Again, the doctrine that salvation in us as well as for us is entirely the work of God, is not opposed to the most open invitation to come to Christ, for the verse out of which we have culled our text begins thus—“I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End,” that is to say, “I am the Founder and Finisher of salvation. I am the A and the Z of all life in the
soul.”
This being accepted as the sure Truth of God, we may not, therefore, conclude that we are to be inactive till some miraculous work is worked upon us, for the promise is as true as the doctrine and it suggests immediate reception of Christ. “I will give to him that is thirsty of the fountain of the water of life freely,” is an invitation to drink and it will be wise on our parts to accept it at once and drink to the fullest! There is a splendid preface to this promise in the three words, “It is done.” This, indeed, is the reason why Grace can be so freely given! When our blessed Lord had completed His work on the Cross, He cried, “It is finished,” or, “It is done,” and then the living stream flowed freely for the sons of men! Then was the rock riven with rivers! Then was the stone rolled away from the well’s mouth! Then was the water of life made to gush from under the altar to refresh a barren world with its ever-deepening flood!
When this world’s history is over—when the entire program of Christ’s mediatorial work shall have been worked out and this dispensation shall have come to an end—then our Lord, from His Throne, shall say, “It is done,” and this shall be sung to His Glory, that He freely gave to thirsty souls of the fountain of the water of life! I am most happy to have such a text to preach from! I pray the Lord to bless every word that shall be spoken and that every one of you—from those in the uppermost gallery, to those who crowd the far corners of the area—may you ALL come, this morning, to
the celestial spring and drink and thirst no more! You have drank, some of you, many times—come again and take draughts large and deep, for the fountain is as full as ever!
Some of you, spiritually, may be like those described by Coleridge—“With throats unslaked, with black lips baked.” Your tongue cleaves to the roof of your mouth with faintness and anguish. You are burning with a strong desire and pressed with an urgent need. Come! Come and welcome! Hasten even before we enter into the sermon—drink from the life-giving fountain while we linger in the porch of these prefatory sentences! The words of the redeeming Lord invite you to partake of Grace at once! O Holy Spirit, apply them with power to every heart!