442. JER 2:13. GOD COMPARED TO A FOUNTAIN

Jer_2:13. God Compared To A Fountain

"The fountain of living waters."’97Jer_2:13.

Water is one of the essential things of life. As such it is often made the emblem of spiritual blessings. Jehovah is appealing in the text to the Jews who had given themselves up to idolatry, and he calls upon the heavens to be astonished at the twofold evil of which they were guilty. They had forsaken him, "the fountain of living waters;" and they had hewn out "cisterns, broken cisterns that could hold no water." A fountain is that which has a spring within itself, and thus supplies from its own source what may be taken from it. A cistern only holds that conveyed into it, may be drained, and has no source of supply in itself. A cistern broken is still more useless, and only tantalizes those who may approach it to obtain water. God is the great source of all the good man needs, or can possibly enjoy, in the present life, or in that which is to come.

I. God is the Fountain of all Existence.

All creatures have their being in him. He is the God of life. He gives life. Sustains and preserves life. In him, angels and men, with every animated creature, live, and move, and have their being All the gods of the heathen never gave existence to one creature. All the idols of the world never perpetuated for a moment the life of one devotee. God is the fountain of universal existence and being.

II. God is the Fountain of all Enjoyment.

All creatures are happy as they answer the end of their being. God designed that every order should have enjoyment in proportion to their instincts, capacities, and powers.

Thus the mere animal creatures enjoy life and the provision needful for their wants. Thus rational beings and celestial spirits enjoy existence, and are happy as they move in the spheres appointed them, and exercise to the glory of the Creator the powers they possess. But this enjoyment is from God. It proceeds from his goodness and benignity, and his wisdom is manifested in the medium of imparting i unto them which he has devised and appointed. But all enjoyment is from God All that is real, and solid, and valuable All that is suitable and abiding.

III. God is the Fountain of Salvation.

1. The author of salvation came forth from him.

He gave his Son, sent him forth, anointed him, delivered him up, accepted his sacrifice. Attested to his divinity and glory. "God so loved," &c. "Herein is love, not that we loved God," &c.

2. The gospel of salvation emanates from him.

It is the "glorious gospel of the blessed God." It publishes God’s love, and mercy, and grace, to a lost world. Message of God to man. The stream of gospel invitation takes its rise in the fountain of Jehovah’s compassion.

3. The spirit of salvation flows from him.

"If any man thirst," &c. This Jesus spake of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit proceedeth from the Father. He pours it out from on high. He gives his Holy Spirit to them who ask it.

4. The blessings of salvation are the streams issuing from the fountain.

Of these there are several, all precious, sweet, and essential to the well-being of man.

(1) There is the stream of remission of ins and justifying grace.

(2) There is the stream of adopting love.

(3) The stream of sanctifying influence.

(4) The stream of holy peace.

(5) The stream of heavenly joy.

(6) The stream of communion with God.

And all these streams flow to us in one great channel, "the unsearchable riches of his grace."

IV. God is the Fountain of Glory.

All the dignity and bliss of heaven flows from him. He is the sun of heaven. His throne is surrounded by "a pure river of life, clear as crystal," &c., Rev_22:1, &c.

In his presence is "fulness of joy," and at his right hand "pleasures for evermore." He gives immortality and eternal life to all he saved in glory.

Application

Learn,

1. How vain to seek bliss except in God. it cannot be,’97myriads have tried to obtain it, irrespective of God, but all of them have failed.

2. How sufficient God is for the perfect happiness of all his creatures.

In him is infinite good. Fulness of all benignity and love. Fulness which cannot be diminished.

3. How accessible is this fountain through Jesus Christ.

A way opened to it. All invited. All made welcome. And faith in Christ the only prerequisite. O come and drink of these living waters. Abide by this four tain, forsake it not, and live forever

Autor: JABEZ BURNS