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The sermon distinguishes the law, which exposes sin and commands obedience, from the gospel, which draws sinners to Christ with the invitation “Come.” Spurgeon teaches that the water of life is grounded in God’s grace and secured through Christ’s cross, not purchased through human merit, religious practice, or good works. The invitation is extended to every sinner, including those who feel especially unworthy or spiritually unresponsive. Genuine response involves coming to Christ, trusting Him for salvation, forsaking sin, and responding without delay, since refusing mercy brings judgment.
Theological center: Salvation is offered universally and freely by sovereign grace through the atoning work of Jesus Christ, and sinners are urgently summoned to receive it by faith.
Applications: Come to Christ freely · Trust Christ for salvation · Respond today · Consider the gospel’s invitation
Primary texts: Revelation 22:17 · John 7:37 · John 4:14
“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.” Revelation 22:17 THE cry of the Christian religion is the simple word, “Come.” The Jewish law said, “Go, and take heed unto thy steps as to the path in which thou shalt walk. Go, and break the commandments, and thou shalt perish; GO, and keep them, and thou shalt live.” The law was a dispensation of the whip, which drove men before it, the Gospel is just of the opposite kind. It is the Shepherd’s dispensation. He goes before His sheep, and He bids them follow Him, saying unto them, “Come.” The law repels, the Gospel attracts. The law shows the distance between God and man, the Gospel bridges that distance, and brings the sinner across that great fixed gulf which Moses could never bridge. The fact is, as you will all have to learn, if you know anything of gracious experience, that from the first moment of your spiritual life until you are ushered into glory, the cry of Christ to you will be, “Come, come unto me.” He will always be ahead of you, bidding you follow Him as the soldier follows his leader. He will always go before you to pave your way, and to prepare your path, and He will bid you come after Him all through life, and in the solemn hour of death, when you shall lie panting upon your bed, His sweet word with which He shall usher you into the heavenly world shall be—“Come, come unto me. Stretch thy wings and fly straight to this world of joy where I am dwelling. Come and be with Me where I am.” Nay, further than this, this is not only Christ’s cry to you, but if you be a believer, this is your cry to Christ—“Come! Come!” You will be longing for His second advent, you will be saying, “Come quickly, even so come, Lord Jesus.” And you will be always panting for nearer and closer communion with Him. As His voice to you is, “Come,” even so will be your prayer to Him, “Come, Lord, and abide in my house. Come and consecrate me more fully to Thy service, come, and without a rival reign, come, occupy alone the throne of my heart.” “Come,” then, is the very motto-word of the Gospel. I hope to expand that word, this morning, to beat out the golden grain into gold-leaf, and may God the Holy Spirit speak this day with His minister, and may some who have never come to Jesus before, now come to Him for the first time. Let us go at once to our text—“Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Now, there are four things very plain from our text, namely, that first, there is a “water…