2. Attend then and be it your delight with me to take a view of the husbandry of God
and the two harvests in it, the one already past, the other yet to come; the one already past
among the people of the Jews, the one yet to come among the peoples of the Gentiles. Let
us prove this; and whereby, but by the Scripture of God, the Lord of the harvest? See we
have it said there in this present lesson, “The harvest is great, but the labourers are few. Pray
ye the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth labourers into His harvest.”3268 But
because in that harvest there were to be gainsaying and persecuting Jews, He says, “Behold,
I send you forth as lambs among wolves.”3269 Let us show something clearer still touching
this harvest in the Gospel according to John, where the Lord sat as He was wearied at the
well, great mysteries3270 indeed were transacted, but the time is too short to treat of them
all. But give ye ear to that which relates to the present subject. For we have undertaken to
show a harvest among the people, among whom the Prophets preached; for therefore were
they sowers, that the Apostles might be reapers. A woman of Samaria talks with the Lord
Jesus, and when the Lord among other things had told her how God ought to be worshipped,
she says, “We know that Messias cometh who is called Christ, and He will teach us all things.
And the Lord saith to her, I that speak with thee am He.”3271 Believe what thou hearest;
why dost thou make search for what thou seest? “I that speak with thee am He.” But as to
what she had said, “We know that the Messias will come,” whom Moses and the Prophets
have announced, “who is called Christ.” The harvest was already in the ear. When it had
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yet to grow it had received the Prophets as sowers, now that it was come to ripeness it waited
for the Apostles as reapers. Presently as she heard this she believed and left her water-pot,
and ran in haste, and began to announce the Lord. The disciples at that time had gone to
buy bread; who on their return found the Lord talking with the woman, and they marvelled.
Yet did they not dare to say to Him, “What or why talkest Thou with her?”3272 They had
astonishment in themselves, they repressed their boldness in their heart. To this Samaritan
woman then the Name of Christ was nothing new, she was already waiting for His coming,
already did she believe that He would come. Whence had she believed it, if Moses had not
sown? But hear this more expressly noted. The Lord then said to His disciples, “Ye say that
the summer is yet far distant, lift up your eyes, and see the fields white already to harvest”
3273 And then He adds, “Others have laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.”3274
3268 Luke x. 2.
3269 Luke x. 3.
3270 Sacramenta.
3271 John iv. 25, 26.
3272 John iv. 27.
3273 John iv. 35.
3274 John iv. 38.
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On the words of the Gospel, Luke x. 2, ‘The harvest truly is plenteous,’…