A Sermon Preached in Union Church on Sunday Evening, February 28, 1926 by Rev. E. F. Horst-Smith "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirer again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall over: thi But the water that I shall give him shall be in him, a well of water,. springing up unto everlasting life." John IV: 13 and 14, Jesus wished to go from the, south of Palestine to the north, Now the southern and northern Provinees, both of which were Jewish, were separated by the Province of Samaria which was! more or less Gentile, This involved the thoroughbred Jews in 'a difficulty. If they desired quick communication, they would have to pass through the territory of tha despised Samaritans. If they! wished to retain their national pride they must make a detour, crossing the Jordan twice, once to the south of Samaria and once again to the north. There are often very good reasons for taking a roundabout route to a destination, as you thereby sce different! sights, but the Jewish reason was not the positive one of seeing! more places but the negative one of avoiding uncongenial people. Needless to say, Jesus had no sympathy with these narrow prejudices and 80 He took the must needs go through Samaria," pi The expression suggests some kind, of compulsion; but ay we have! seen, it was not the compulsion of geography, or Ho could have reached His ' destination in th game way as the other Jews did, it was rather that inner _compulsion which always urged Him in the direction of men's deepest needs.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.