Well the Lord helping me this
morning the scripture that I would bring to your attention is found
in Isaiah chapter 12 and the third verse Isaiah chapter 12
verse 3 therefore with joy shall you draw water out of the wells
of salvation therefore with joy Shall ye draw water out of the
wells of salvation? You know, the prophet Isaiah
is often referred to as the evangelical prophet because there is so much
of the gospel in the book of the prophecy that bears his name.
You know, the word evangelical simply means relating to the
gospel. It comes from the Greek word
for gospel, euangelion or evangelion. That's the true meaning of the
word, evangelical, it relates to the gospel. And here in the
12th chapter of Isaiah, we have an evangelical song of praise. And in that day thou shalt say,
O Lord, I will praise thee. And in that day shall he say,
Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among
the people, make mention that his name is exhorted, sing unto
the Lord, for he hath done excellent things. This is known in all
the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant
of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of
thee. It is a song of praise and it
is an evangelical song of praise because it refers to the gospel
day and in that day. It is that day spoken of in the
preceding chapter. where we read of the coming of
the Messiah and the setting up of his kingdom. And there shall
come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall
grow out of his roots, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest
upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit
of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear
of the Lord, and shall make him of quick understanding in the
fear of the Lord. And he shall not judge after
the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of
his ears, but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and
reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. And he shall smite
the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of
his lips shall he slay the wicked. and righteousness shall be the
girdle of his loins and faithfulness the girdle of his reins a prophecy
of Christ and then in verse 10 of that chapter we read and in
that day and in that day there shall be a root of Jesse which
shall stand for an ensign of the people to it shall the Gentiles
seek and his rest shall be glorious And there, in that 10th verse,
we see the calling of the Gentiles, of course. And in verse 16, the
last verse of the chapter, there is a reference to the remnant,
according to the election of grace, and how they are gathered
to the Messiah. And there shall be an highway
for the remnant of his people, which shall be left from Assyria,
like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the
land of Egypt. Now you note that they are said
to be brought from Assyria, where Assyria was the land of banishment
from the sight of God. We read of how Israel was cast
out of God's sight and banished, as it were, to the land of Assyria,
back in 2 Kings, chapter 17. 2 Kings 17, verse 20. And the LORD rejected all the
seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into
the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight. For he rent Israel from the house
of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam
drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin, a great
sin. For the children of Israel walked
in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did. They departed not from
them until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said
by all his servants the prophets, so was Israel carried away out
of their own land to Assyria unto this day. Assyria, then,
is the land or the place of banishment from the sight of God. Ah, but
God devises means to bring His banished ones back to Him, as
the woman of Tekoa said to King David. In the second book of
Samuel, chapter 14 and verse 14, She says, for we must needs die. And as water spilt on the ground,
which cannot be gathered up again, neither does God respect any
person, yet does he devise means that he's banished, be not expelled
from him. For the means that God has devised,
that he's banished, be not eternally expelled from his presence, is
the gospel. It's the gospel. Isn't that what Paul says in
Ephesians? Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles
in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which
is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that
at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world. But now, in Christ
Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ. This is the means that God has
devised to bring his banished back to him. It's the gospel. Well, this then is the cause
of the evangelical song of praise that we have here in Isaiah chapter
12. And in that day thou shalt say,
O Lord, I will praise thee. Though thou wast angry with me,
thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Though thou
wast angry with me under the law, for I was a transgressor
of the law and a child of wrath even as others yet thine anger
is turned away from me for it has fallen upon my surety it
has fallen upon the divine substitute the gospel says deliver him from
going down to the pit I have found a ransom whereas it is rendered in the
margin there in Job 33 24 I have found an atonement. I have found an atonement. What
mighty sum paid all my debt when I a bondman stood and has my
soul at freedom set. It is Jesus' precious blood. Jesus' precious blood. And if the Son shall make you
free, ye shall be free indeed. Yes, though thou wast angry with
me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me, thou
comfortest me. Thou dost send the Spirit of thy Son into my
heart, who is the blessed Comforter, and by whom I am enabled to cry,
Abba, Father. Because the love of God is shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Oh, that is comfort indeed, and now comforts me. Therefore with
joy shall he draw water out of the wells of salvation. Well,
as the Lord grants his gracious help this morning, I would state
firstly what the wells of salvation are. And secondly, I would state
what the water is. And then thirdly, I would state
how the water is drawn out. And then by way of conclusion,
we shall notice that it is done with joy. Therefore with joy
shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. Well, firstly
then, let us consider the wells of salvation. What are they? Well, the wells of salvation
are God himself. This is stated in the previous
verse, in verse 2. Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid,
for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song. He also is become
my salvation. Therefore with joy shall he draw
water out of the wells of salvation. God is the well of salvation. Or rather the three persons of
the eternal Godhead are the wells of salvation. The word here translated
wells is more often translated fountains in our authorised version. Therefore with joy shall he draw
water out of the fountains of salvation. This text might be
rendered. God is the fountain. The spring,
the source of salvation. Salvation is of the Lord. He is the God of all grace. The Father is the fountain or
well of salvation. You know, the beginning of salvation
is the Father's electing love. The Father's electing love. Election
is the very origin of salvation. We might say that election is
the very foundation of the Church. If there were no election, there
would be no church. It's as simple as that. The Lord's people are called
and chosen and faithful. We read in the Revelation many
times throughout the Scriptures that the church is called the
elect. For false Christs and false prophets
shall rise and shall show signs and wonders to seduce, if it
were possible, even the elect. And shall not God avenge His
own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear
long with them? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? We read of the faith of God's
elect, and so on. The Father chose his people in
Christ Jesus before the world began. This is the clear teaching
of Holy Scripture. And yet there are many, including
professed Calvinists, who tell us that these things ought not
to be taught from the pulpit. These things ought not to be
preached. And it is to be feared that there are many places where
this doctrine of election is never mentioned at all. Or if
it is, it's watered down. There was a church in Portsmouth.
It's closed now. But the minister there would
speak at Banner of Truth ministers' conferences. But I have on good
authority, because I know some that went there, he never preached
election, never mentioned it in his own church. And yet he
would speak at the Banner of Truth conferences. Well, let
us quote Calvin on this very subject. These people profess
to be Calvinists. Let us quote their beloved Calvin
on this very subject. He says this, "...for Scripture
is the school of the Holy Spirit, in which as nothing useful and
necessary to be known has been omitted, so nothing is taught
but what is of importance to know." everything therefore delivered
in Scripture on the subject of predestination, we must beware
of keeping from the faithful, lest we seem either maliciously
to deprive them of the blessing of God, or to accuse and scoff
at the Spirit, as having divulged what ought on any account to
be suppressed." In other words, the Holy Spirit does not suppress
this doctrine, neither should ministers of the Word suppress
this doctrine. It should be taught from the
pulpit, because it's revealed here in Holy Scripture. And we
are to preach the whole counsel of God. In the eternal covenant
the elect were given to the Son by the Father. Many times the
Lord Jesus referred to this covenant as in John chapter 6, verse 37, All that the Father
giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out, for I came down from heaven, not to do mine
own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the
Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath
given me, note the word, that of all which he hath given me,
I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last
day. And again in John chapter 10,
verse 27, My sheep hear My voice, and I
know them, and they follow Me, and I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of My hand. My Father which gave them Me
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
My Father's hand. In prayer, the Lord Jesus Christ
addressed the Father concerning himself and he said, As thou
hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal
life to as many as thou hast given him. Again, in that same
prayer, John 17, he prays, Father, I will that they also whom thou
hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my
glory which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the
foundation of the world. Indeed throughout that prayer
in John 17 the Lord speaks to the Father and he speaks of the
men which thou gavest me and of those whom thou hast given
me and so we could go on. The elect were given to Christ
by the Father in the eternal covenant. And that eternal covenant,
that eternal covenant of grace, was to David a well from which
he drew much comfort on his deathbed. Yet he hath made with me an everlasting
covenant, ordered in all things and sure, for this is all my
salvation, and all my desire. For Paul it was a cause of thanksgiving
and praise. But we are bound to give thanks
always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth. The Father then is the
well of salvation, according as He has chosen us in Him, that
is in Christ, before the foundation of the world. The Holy Spirit
is the fountain, or the well of salvation, for it is the Holy
Spirit who convinces the blessed elect of their need of salvation. And this He does in the new birth,
in regeneration, of which He is the sole author. You did not give yourself birth,
did you? No. Well, as it is true in the
natural, so it is true in the spiritual. No man can give himself
a new birth. It is of God. It is the new birth
which is from above. You know, as soon as a baby is
born, the first thing he or she does is to cry out and to look
for his mother's breast, that he might draw out milk to satiate
his hunger and thirst. Well, so it is with the new birth. As soon as a sinner is born again,
he's made to feel a hunger and a thirst in his soul, and he
cries out to God, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst
after righteousness, for they shall be filled. They shall be
filled. They are brought to realize that
the stagnant pool of their own works cannot satisfy such a thirst
as this. They must have living water.
Living souls need living water. Dead souls are satisfied with
dead form and formality. A living soul must have living
water. And so they are taught by the Blessed Spirit to come
to the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Spirit and the Bride
say, Come! And let him that heareth say,
Come! And let him that is athirst,
Come! And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son
of the living God, He is the fountain or the well of salvation. And it is, of course, Christ
who is principally intended in the words of our text. Therefore with joy shall he draw
water out of the wells of salvation. This was shown to the woman of
Samaria, you remember, in John chapter 4, when Jesus said to
her, 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. O Christ is the fountain,
He is the well of salvation, neither is there salvation in
any other, for there is none other name under heaven given
among men whereby we must be saved. We read in the Hebrews
that He became the author of eternal salvation unto them that
obey Him. Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ, he
is the author of eternal salvation. And he is described in the Song
of Solomon as a fountain of waters, sorry, a fountain of gardens,
a well of living waters and streams from Lebanon. That's Christ. That's Christ. A fountain of
gardens, a well of living waters and streams from Lebanon. You
know, our text itself might be rendered. Therefore with joy
shall he draw water out of the fountains of the Saviour. And that's exactly how John Calvin
translates this verse. Therefore with joy shall he draw
water out of the fountains of the Saviour. This is the well
that sovereign grace has dug for poor and needy sinners. this
well is so deep it has no bottom and so we read of the unsearchable
riches of Christ and this well is never empty it is full of
grace and truth oh there is a fullness of grace in the Lord Jesus Christ
and of his fullness have all we received and grace for grace
you know fountains always emptied themselves into low places. As we read in the Psalms, he
sendeth the springs into the valleys. The proud rocky mountains
cannot receive this water. Ah, but those who are humbled
on account of their sins, those whose hearts are softened by
divine grace, they will willingly receive this water and drink
from this fountain. For thus saith the High and Lofty
One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy. I dwell in
the High and Holy Place with Him also that is of a contrite
and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and
to revive the heart of the contrite ones. You see, God resisteth
the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble, or he sendeth the
springs into the valleys. And it is in the death of Christ
that we see the fountain opened. In that day, says Zechariah,
in that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David
and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. And that scripture is fulfilled
in John chapter 19 verse 34. But one of the soldiers with
a spear pierced his side and forthwith came there out blood
and water. Here is blood to atone and water
to cleanse blood shed for sin, water for uncleanness. Here in
the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ is everything
that a foul and filthy sinner needs. It's not for the righteous. It is not for the clean. It's
for the sinful and for the unclean. The gospel is for sinners. Which
brings us in the second place to the water. Therefore with
joy shall he draw water out of the wells of salvation. What is signified by the water?
It signifies all the blessings of grace and salvation. Let Israel hope in the Lord. For with the Lord there is mercy,
and with him is plenteous redemption. That's what's signified by the
water. Mercy and plenteous redemption. I don't know about you, but I
need a plenteous redemption because I'm a plenteous sinner. mercy and plenteous redemption. In the Lord Jesus Christ there
is a full and free pardon of every sin. In the Lord Jesus
Christ there is a perfect and unspotted righteousness, a righteousness
in which you will be able to stand before God on the day of
judgment. In the Lord Jesus Christ there
is a rest for the weary. There is bread for the hungry.
In the Lord Jesus Christ there is grace to heal all the foul-backed
slidings of his people. Here is a well that never runs
dry. Here is a well of water springing
up into everlasting life. And that's the promise of the
Gospel. Everlasting life. Ah, but this water must be drawn
out. Therefore with joy shall he draw water out of the wells
of salvation. Which brings us to our third
point. The water drawn out. Now this living water is beyond
the reach of the natural man. We have nothing to draw with.
And the well is deep. But the natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God, because they are foolishness
unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned. Living water must be drawn out
by a living faith. Faith is, as it were, the pail
that fetches the water out of the wells of salvation. And real
faith is the gift of God. Man's leaky bucket of duty-faith,
of decision, of commitment, of works, of accepting Jesus, will
not do. We must be brought to this, that
we contribute nothing to our salvation. People talk about Paul, but men
are responsible. Man's responsibility. What man
is responsible for his salvation? No! God is responsible for my salvation.
I'm accountable for my sins, but God is responsible for my
salvation. We contribute nothing to our
salvation. Only the watertight pail of the faith of the operation
of God. will do. That will draw the water. That faith which is wrought in
the heart of the sinner by the Spirit of God. True faith looks
to Christ. True faith comes to Christ. True
faith receives from Christ. And true faith rejoices in Christ. And you know, there is an exercise
in true faith. There is an exercise in true
faith. In a dead, notional, historical faith, there is no exercise.
True faith must draw the water. And so, in the Scriptures, we
read of laboring to enter into rest, of striving to enter in
at the straight gate, of pressing into the Kingdom of God, of laboring,
not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth
unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto
you. We read of the Kingdom of Heaven suffering violence, and
the violent take it by force. True faith draws the water. Now
these are all different analogies or metaphors, if you like, for
the same truth. True faith wrestles with God
for the blessing. It wrestles with the angel of
God for the blessing, like Jacob did. Calvin says, concerning
the true nature and operation of faith, it leads men not only
to give a cold and indifferent assent when God speaks, but to
cherish warm affections towards Him, and to rush forward, as
it were, with a violent struggle. Salvation is not of works, but
where this grace of faith is given, there will be a drawing
of this water of salvation. Oh, there will be a seeking of
God, a crying out to God. Now, there is a sense, of course,
in which we draw water out of the wells of salvation as we
attend upon the means of grace, in reading the Scriptures, in
prayer, in attending the ordinances of God's house. There is such
a thing as the prayer of faith. And all things whatsoever you
shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive. True faith
asks and receives. As Jesus said again to the woman
at the well, 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. you see what
Jesus says there thou wouldest have asked and he would have
given it's as simple as that it really is but how do I know that he will
give me that living water? well he says and he cannot lie
and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out or if you
would ask he would give for everyone that asketh receiveth." Mark
the words, everyone that asketh receiveth. That's what Jesus
said. Will you make him a liar? Away
then with your doubts and your fears. Believe him, believe his
word. Three times it is written in
the Word of God, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved. I call it the golden promise
of the Word of God. Whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved. There is such a thing as the
prayer of faith and there is such a thing as the hearing of
faith. This only would I learn of you. Receive ye the Spirit
by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith. Again, Paul says in Hebrews,
for unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them, but the
word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith
in them that heard it. Where there is the hearing of
faith, there will be a profiting from the word, a receiving of
the Spirit. That is a drawing of water out
of the wells of salvation. This is the reason why we insist
on the primacy and centrality of the preaching of the Word
of God. That's why we have the pulpit in the very center of
our chapels, not to one side as the established church does.
No, we believe in the centrality of the preaching of the Word
of God. For so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the
Word of God. When and where true faith is
in exercise, there will be a diligent seeking of God and a diligent
use of the means that he has given but without faith it is
impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe
that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
him. In conclusion, we notice that
it is with joy that water is drawn out of the wells of salvation
or the fountains of the Saviour. Whom having not seen ye love,
in whom though now ye see him not yet believing, ye rejoice
with joy unspeakable and full of glory Therefore with joy shall
he draw water out of the wells of salvation. Oh, what joy there
is in the knowledge of sins forgiven through the Redeemer's blood!
What rejoicing there is in the hearts of those who, knowing
the poverty of their own works, put on by faith the spotless
robe of Christ's righteousness! What joy there is in the heart
of an empty sinner who receives of the fullness of Christ! And there is surely joy in God's
house when the saints drink in the pure water of God's Holy
Word, and when they pray in faith, drawing water from Him who is
the fount of every blessing. Oh, this joy, this joy, it is
a fruit of the Spirit, and it is something that the world knows
nothing of. solid joys and lasting treasure
none but Zion's children know says John Newton and this joy
is expressed isn't it in some of the hymns of praise that we
sing therefore with joy shall he draw water out of the wells
of salvation and in that day shall he say praise the Lord
praise the Lord hallelujah I don't know about you, but I want a
religion with a hallelujah in it. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! In Isaiah 56 we read, Even them
will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house
of prayer. We see it in the early church,
don't we, in Acts chapter 2. We read, and they, continuing
daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from
house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness
of heart, praising God. Praising God. Now let us ask the question,
do we have that joy? Do you have that joy? I have
that joy. The Puritan John Owen asks, why
do not we rejoice in the Lord with joy unspeakable and full
of glory? Is it not because Christ hath
not our whole hearts? Because we are not so entirely
with him and for him in our affections? Because the world hath too much
hold upon us? What a solemn and searching question
that is. Jeremiah says, for my people
have committed two evils. They have forsaken me, the fountain
of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns,
that can hold no water. Or could it be that we have grown
cold in our affections to Christ, too fond of the world, perhaps
too conformed to the world, What are the things of this world?
Are they not broken cisterns? What are all our works, all our
idols? Broken cisterns! And yet we are
so prone to turn aside to these things, prone to wonder, Lord,
I feel it! Prone to leave the God I love. There is such an honesty, isn't
there, in some of the hymns that we sing. And if we're honest,
I'm sure you would say would reflect the feelings of our hearts,
at least from time to time, prone to wonder, Lord I feel it, prone
to leave the God I love. Oh, but if we're blessed with
a living faith, a faith wrought in our hearts by the Spirit of
God, then surely we will soon become sick of all these earthly
things. We'll become sick of sin, sick
of self, sick of the things of this vain world. They can hold no water. These
things cannot satisfy a living soul. Of cistern waters art thou
sick and loath the mire they bring, then hither stretch thy
thirsty neck and taste a living spring. Let us return to the
wells of salvation by true repentance and drink of that living water
and then we shall know a return of true joy to our souls. The joy of sins forgiven, the
joy of backslidings healed. Ask and ye shall receive that
your joy may be full. This fountain and these wells
of salvation are for the quickening of dead sinners. Yes, but they
are also for the reviving of drooping saints. Here is water
that begins true spiritual life. And here is water that maintains
true spiritual life. Here is water that issues or
ends in eternal life. Here again what Christ says to
that woman of Samaria at Jacob's well. Jesus answered and said
unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water, that is of the
earthly well, shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the
water that I shall give him shall never thirst. but the water that
I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing
up into everlasting life. May the Lord bless his word to
each one of our souls. May each one of us know that
joy and peace in believing. Therefore with joy shall he draw
water out of the wells of salvation. Therefore with joy shall you
draw water out of the fountains of the Saviour. Amen.