Volume 2

Jesus Declares Himse(f the Messiah 187
verted: ""Samaria! 1 came to Jacob's Well athirst for thee,
thou water of this well. And when thou didst give Me to
drink, 1 promised thee living water that would never let
thee thirst again. And thou didst, hoping and believing,
make known to Me thy longing for this water. Behold, 1
reward thee, for thou hast allayed My thirst after thee by
thy desire after Me! Samaria, 1 am the Fountain of living
water. I who now speak to thee, am the Messiah."
As Jesus pronounced the words: "'I am the Messiah,"
Dina, trembling with holy joy, gazed at Him in amazetnent.
But suddenly recovering herself, she turned and,
leaving her water bottle standing and the well open, she
fled down the hill to Sichar, to tell her husband and all
whom she met what had happened to her. It was strictly
forbidden to leave the Well of Jacob open, but what
cared Dina now for the Well of Jacob! What cared she
for her bucket of earthly water! She had received the living
water, and her loving, joyous heart was longing to
pour its refreshing streams over all her neighbors. But as
she was hurrying out of the springhouse, she ran past the
three disciples who had come with the food and had
aiready been standing for some time at a little distance
fronl the door, wondering what their Master could have
to say for so long with a Samaritan woman. But through
reverence for Hirn, they forebore to question. Dina ran
do\vn to Sichar and with great eagerness said to her husband
and others whom she met on the street: ""CoBle up
to Jacob's Well! l"here you will see a man that has told
nle all the secret actions of rny life. Come, He is certainly
the Christ !'"
Meanwhile the three disciples approached Jesus, \vho
was still by the well, and offered Him some rolls and
honey out of their basket, saying: "'Master, eat!" Jesus
arose and left the well with the words: ""I have meat to
eat which you kno\\' noL" The disciples said to one
another: ""Hath any man brought Him to eat?" and they