Paternoster-row, London. BY THE LATE W. MASON, ESQ. 1. A SPIRITUAL TREASURY, for the Children of God; consisting of Meditations for each Morning and Evening throughout the Year, upon select Texts of Scripture; humbly intended to establish the Faith, promote the Comfort, and influence the Practice of the Followers of the Lamb. By the late W. MASON; now first revised and corrected by his Son the late Rev. Henry Cox Mason, A. M. Lecturer of St. Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey, and Chaplain to the Right Honourable the Earl of Onslow. To which are prefixed, Memoirs of the Life of the Author, Embellished with two highly-finished Por traits of the Rev. H. C. Mason and the Author, from original Pictures. Handsomely printed in Two Volumes, 8vo. in an elegant Type, and on fine wove Paper. Price 18s. Boards. 2. CHRISTIAN'S COMPANION FOR THE SABBATH, suited for the Family or Closet, consisting of Meditations, Doctrinal, Experimental, and Practical, for each Lord's Day throughout the Year. Intended as a suitable Companion or Third Volume of "SPIRITUAL TREASURY." 3. THE BELIEVER'S POCKET COMPANION; or, One Thing Needful to make Poor Sinners Rich, and Miserable Sinners Happy, 1s. 6d. Bound. 4. CRUMBS FROM THE MASTER'S TABLE; or, Select Sentences of Divinity, 1s. 6d. Bound. 1 5. THE PARLOUR PREACHER; a Pack of Cards, for all who are determined to win Christ, 18. 6. THE CHRISTIAN'S COMMUNICANT; or, a suitable Companion to the Lord's Supper; containing Meditations on every Part of the Liturgy, used by the Church of England at the Celebration of that Divine Ordinance, 3s. 6d. Round. 7. THE HISTORY OF JESUS; drawn up for the Instruċtion of Children. The Fifth Edition. Train up a Child in the way he should go. 18. Boards. Prov. xxii. 61. 8. SCRIPTURAL PRAYERS FOR EVERY MORNING AND EVENING THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, for the Use of Families; with a Preface, enforcing the much-neglected Duty of Family Prayer. Price 1s. Bound. Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain DISCOURSE XXI. THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. JOHN iv. 10. Jesus said, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. THIS HIS verse is taken out of the notable conversation of our Saviour with a woman of Samaria. He was sitting by the side of a well when she came to draw water; and as it was his office in the world, and the intent and design of his becoming man, to seek and to save such as were lost, he began to open to this woman his mind, and first asked her for a little water: The woman, seeing that he was á Jew, wondered at such condescension; for we are told the Jews dealt not with the Samaritans," and asked him, how it came to pass that one of his religion could stoop to ask water of a Samaritan? And this gave our Saviour the opportunity to tell her; "If thou knewest who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." Had the woman had ears to hear, this would have been the best news that ever she had heard; and indeed I look upon this place as one of the most encouraging VOL. 11. B parts parts of all the word of God to a sinner, and worthy to be attended to with the utmost seriousness and with all our hearts. I design to make some observations on the whole history of this conversation of our Saviour with the woman, and speak of the words which I have singled out for the text in its place. We are told, that when our Saviour was disposed to leave Judea, and return to Galilee," he must needs go through Samaria," not because there was no other way, or because he could not have conveyed himself into Galilee by means of his divinity or otherwise, but love and mercy obliged him to go that way. He knew there was a poor wicked woman living in Sychar, who was a slave to her whoredoms and her lusts, and in the high road to perish, and therefore he would go that way, that he might call her to the faith, as well as many of her fellowcitizens and neighbours, and be their Saviour. Thus the Shepherd seeks out his wandering flock, and saves and brings back such as are lost. When our Saviour had sent away his disciples to provide meat for their journey, and had reached Jacob's well, he sat down weary there, about the middle of the day, having yet, perhaps, tasted nothing. How particular is the scripture! it says, "he was wearied with his journey," when he sat down; to teach us, that he has experienced our weakness: And now every poor wayfaring man on the road, every peasant, every workman, may think when they are fatigued and tired with their journey or work, that our Saviour has been tired this way. He knows how to pity me, since he has felt weariness, and knows what fasting and hunger is. It should comfort the traveller and tradesman, the farmer and labourer, to remember, once Jesus sat weary down on the well, and put them upon think |