Proverbs 25:25 [As] cold waters to a thirsty soul, so [is] good news from a far country.
Ver. 25. As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news.] This and many more of these proverbs Solomon might well utter out of his own experience, for he sent out into far countries for gold, horses, and other commodities, 1Ki 9:26 besides embassies of state, and inquiries into the natures and qualities of foreign parts and peoples. Of the conversion of other countries to the faith, he could not then hear, as we now may, and lately have good news from New England. Neither had he the happiness to hear that which we have not only heard, but "seen and handled of the word of life." 1Jn 1:1 He had επαγγελιαν, the promise; but we have ευαγγελιαν, the joyful tidings, the sum of all the good news in the world, as the angels, those first messengers, proclaimed it. Luk 2:10 "Jesus" is a short gospel, and the good news of him should drown all discontents - yea, make our very hearts dance levaltoes within us, as Abraham's did, though he heard of him only by the hearing of the ear, or saw him afar off. Heaven is called a "far country"; Mat 25:14 good news from thence brought in by the hand of the Holy Ghost, "witnessing with our spirits that we are the sons of God, and if sons, then heirs" of that far country, of that fair city "whose maker and builder is God," how welcome should that be to us, and how inexpressibly comfortable! See 1 Peter 1:8 .