if he does his all it is the widow's mite in God's
eye. Every intelligent man can know with certainty whether he loves
God or loves him not. His readiness to keep his commandments is the
proof of this both ways. I tell you, friends, there is no getting
around this. Your obedience to our Lord is the unquestionable and
undeviating test of your love. "He that loveth me, keepeth my words.
He that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings." "A good man, out of
the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things: but an
evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, bringeth forth evil
things." Is not this plain?

It may now be asked, "How is an evil man to become good?" No question
of deeper interest can ever be asked. No answer of deeper importance
can ever be given. The Lord direct me in this. Relying on his Word, I
answer, that the very first step in the direction of this change is to
respond to the invitation given in my text: "_Whosoever will, let him
take of the water of life freely_." Jesus says to Nicodemus: "Except a
man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God." _To be born of water_ is to _drink_ of the water of
_life_--the TRUTH of God's Word--by _hearing it_, by _loving it_, by
_believing it_, by _obeying it_, until it makes a new man out of
him,--a new man in the image of Christ our Lord.

As a most impressive and appropriate emblem of this change water
baptism has been ordained by the Lord; and every convert to Jesus
Christ is commanded to submit, cheerfully in love, to this ordinance.
Baptism, say what you please, is one of the first fruits of this
change. To the church it is the external act of the internal birth. To
be _born of the Spirit_ is to live the life and enjoy the blessedness
of the kingdom of God, which is a life of righteousness, a life of
peace, a life of joy in the Holy Ghost.

All this is effected by taking the water of life freely, by drinking
in the TRUTH of God's Word because one loves it, because one desires
in the heart to be saved, because one desires in the heart to glorify
God and enjoy him forever.

"If any man thirst," says Jesus, "let him come unto me, and drink."
The water of this mineral spring here can do no one any good except he
drink it. But not one of us can go to that spring yonder and take a
drink of water from it without the power of God in us. "In him we
live, and move, and have our being." But he gives us the power so
freely