Having gathered the wretchedness of human life from considerations of daily experience, and at the same time dismayed by the divine prophecies, we have long been displaying in the previous discourses, though it be a piece of rashness, the little measure of our puny skill; and although this much speaking of ours may perhaps seem excessive to some, yet on our own part we consider that the talk has taken a beginning that is timely for ourselves; for we are not trying to arouse others' inertia
Ioann. 7. 37
What you are to drink, take note. Let Isaiah tell you, let the Fountain Himself tell you, But they have forsaken Me the Fountain of living water, saith the Lord.’’Ierem. 2. 13
Thus the Lord Himself, our God Jesus Christ, is the Fountain of life, and so He calls us to Himself the Fountain, that we may drink of Him. He who loves drinks of Him, he drinks who is satisfied by the Word of God, who sufficiently adores, who longs sufficiently, he drinks who burns with the love of wisdom. Then let us Gentiles eagerly drink what the Jews have forsaken. For perhaps it was said of us with the Gentiles, He breaks off in amazement of mind, the heads of the mighty shall be moved, while they open riot their jaws, like a poor man eating in secret;’’cf. Habac. 3. 14
and as if it were said of us also with all the perfect, of whom this was written, let us open the jaws of our inner man, as in eating that Bread which came down from heaven, that we may eat greedily and in a manner swiftly, lest any see us, as if we ate in secret. Thus let us eat the same our Lord Jesus Christ as Bread, let us drink Him as the Fountain, Who calls Himself the living Bread, Who gives life to this world,’’Ioann. 6. 33
as it were to be taken by us, and Who likewise shows Himself as the Fountain when He says, Let him that is athirst come unto Me and drink,’’Ioann. 7. 37
of which Fountain the Prophet also says, Since with Thee is the Fountain of life.’’Ps. 35. 9
Observe whence that Fountain flows; for it flows from that place whence also the Bread came down; since He is the same Who is Bread, and Fountain, the only Son, our God Christ the Lord, for Whom we should ever hunger. For though we eat Him in loving, though we feast on Him in desiring, let us still as hungering desire Him. Likewise as the Fountain, let us ever drink of Him with overflow of love, let us ever drink of Him with fulness of longing, and let us be gladdened by some pleasure of His loveliness. For the Lord is lovely and pleasant; though we eat and drink of Him, yet let us ever hunger and thirst, since our food
Isa. 55. 1
for that is the Fountain of the thirsting, not of the surfeiting, and thus He calls to Himself the hungry and the thirsty, whom He blessed elsewhere, who have never enough of drinking, but the more they quaff, so much the more they thirst. Justly, my brethren, the Fountain of wisdom, the Word of God on high,’’Ecclus. 1. 5
is to be desired by us, sought after and ever loved, in Whom are hid, according to the Apostle's saying, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,’’Coloss. 2. 3
which He calls them that thirst to quaff. If you thirst, drink the Fountain of life; if you hunger, eat the Bread of life. Blessed are they who hunger for this Bread and thirst for this Fountain; for ever eating and drinking they still long to eat and drink. For that is lovely to excess which is ever eaten and drunk, and ever hungered and thirsted after, ever tasted and ever desired; wherefore the Prophet-King says, Taste and see how lovely, how pleasant is the Lord.’’Ps. 33. 8
Therefore, my brethren, let us follow this calling, with which we are called to the fountain of life by the Life Who is the Fountain, not only the Fountain of living water, but also of eternal life, the Fountain of light, yes, and the Fount of glory; for from Him come all these things, wisdom and life and light eternal. The Author of life is the Fountain of life, the Creator of light, the Fount of glory; and thus, spurning the things that are seen, making a passage through the world, in the loftier regions of the heavenlies let us seek the Fount of glory, the Fountain of life, the Fountain of living water, like intelligent and most wise fishes, that there we may drink the [living] water which springs up to eternal life.’’Ioann. 4. 14
Would that Thou wouldest deign to admit me thither to that Fountain, merciful God, righteous Lord, so that there I too with Thy thirsty ones might drink the living stream of the living Fount of living water, gladdened by Whose overflowing loveliness I might ever cleave to Him on high and say, How lovely is the Fountain of living water, Whose water fails not, springing up to life eternal.’’
Ioann. 4. 14
O Lord, Thou art Thyself that Fountain ever and again to be desired, though ever and again to be imbibed. Ever give [us], Lord [Christ,] this water,’’Ioann. 4. 15
that it may be in us too a Fountain of water that lives and springs up to eternal life.’’Ioann. 4. 14
I ask great gifts indeed, who knows it not? But Thou, the King of glory, knowest how to give greatly, and Thou hast promised great things; nothing is greater than Thyself and Thou hast given Thyself toCant. 1. 6
for by love am I wounded. I desire that those wounds may be in me, O Lord. Blessed is such a soul, which is thus wounded by love; such seeks the Fountain, such drinks, though it ever thirst in drinking, ever quaff in longing, and it ever drinks in thirsting; for thus in loving it ever seeks while it is healed in being wounded; and with this healing wound may our God and Lord Jesus Christ, that Physician of righteousness and health, deign to wound the inward parts of our soul, Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost is one unto ages of ages.