The Spirit And Rivers And Speech

Εάν τις διψᾷ, ἐρχέσθω πρός με, καὶ πινέτω. Ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ , καθὼς εἶπεν ἡ Γραφή, ποταμοὶ ῥεύσουσιν ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ὕδατος ζῶντος Ποταμούς δὲ ῥεῦσαι ἔφη, καὶ οὐ ποταμὸν, ὕδατος ζῶντος, τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος ἄφθονον χάριν καν τὴν δαψίλειαν αἰνιττόμενος. Τοιοῦτον γάρ ἐστι τὸ Πνεῦμα, εἰς οἷαν ψυχὴν εἰσέλθοι , καὶ ἐν ᾧ ἂν ἱδρυνθείη, ποιοῦν αὐτὴν ἀναβλύζειν πάσης πηγῆς ἀφθονώτερον. Καὶ μάθο: ἄν τις, πῶς ποταμοὶ ῥεύσουσιν ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας τοῦ πιστεύοντος κατὰ τὰς Γραφὰς, εἴγε τὴν τοῦ Πέτρου γλώτταν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Παύλου ῥύμην, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Στεφάνου σοφίαν κατασκέψαιτο· οὓς οὐδὲν ὑφίστατο λέγοντας, ἀλλὰ πάντες παρεσύροντο ὡς τινων ποταμῶν ῥεύμασιν ἀνυποστάτοις τὴν φοράν. Θεοφύλακτος Αχρίδος, Ἑρμηνεία Εἰς Τὸ Κατὰ Ιὠαννὴν, Κεφαλὴ Z' Source: Migne PG 123.1152a

If someone thirsts, let him come to me, and drink. He who believes in me, as Scripture says, rivers of living water shall flow from his breast. 1 He speaks of flowing rivers of living waters, and not just a river, because He refers to the generous grace and largess of the Holy Spirit. So great is the Spirit that in whatever soul He enters, and in which He dwells, there He makes gush forth a bountiful fountain. And anyone may learn how these rivers flow forth from the breast of one who believes according to the Scriptures if he considers the speech of Peter, and the force of Paul, and the wisdom of Stephen, none of whom shrank from any speech, but drove on in everything, as if caught up in the racing flow of waters. Theophylact of Ochrid, Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint John, Chapter 7 1 Jn 7.37-38