would do as He had said, and save them from deAnd this is what men want in

struction, had faith. looking unto Jesus. He can do for them exceeding abundantly above what they can either ask or think; and He is as willing as He is able; but He requires faith—faith in His power-faith in His good-will— faith in His gracious declarations. To such a faith all things are possible; for it lays hold upon the strength of Christ to such a degree that the believer may truly say, "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." Let us then pray for faith; for it cometh not of ourselves, but is the gift of God. Let us also be diligent in the use of those means whereby faith cometh and is strengthened, for the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

Men should look unto Jesus in deep humility; for vast is the disparity between the believer and Christ. In Christ is no sin; but the believer has cause to say, "Iniquities prevail against me;" "enter not into judgment with Thy servant, O Lord; for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified." In Christ is all perfection; but the believer in his best estate may say, "I count not myself to have attained, neither am I already perfect." When believers look unto Jesus with these humbling convictions, they will be more sensible of their inferiority-they will be stirred up to press on to the mark; for though they may come short of it at last, they shall not come short of the crown.

Lastly, men should look unto Jesus with lively hope. "He will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk up

rightly." Well, then, may those who look unto Him look with lively hope. Whatever be their trials in this life, He will never leave nor forsake them: He will be a shield and buckler unto them: He will convert even the valley of Achor into a door of hope. And when they look, not to the things which are seen, and which are temporal, but to the things which are not seen, and which are eternal-when they think upon the mansions which He has prepared for them, upon the glory which is in store for them, on the sight which they shall then enjoy of the King in His beauty, hope may well flourish. And this hope will not make them ashamed; for the Lord will do as He has said: yea, they shall find that hope will be exceeded; for "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."

173

THE HOLY GHOST AND HIS TESTIMONY CONCERNING CHRIST.

JOHN XV. 26.

"He shall testify of Me."

HE Lord Jesus suffered as a malefactor, for He was numbered with the transgressors; and no doubt the object of His enemies

was that His name should go down to

posterity covered with shame and infamy. Such, however, was not the purpose of God. He sometimes, indeed, permits the characters of holy men to suffer from the envy and malevolence of the wicked; but He knows how, in due season, to bring forth their righteousness as the light, and their judgment as the noonday. Such was His purpose with regard to the Redeemer. He did much to roll away the reproach and ignominy of the cross by the signs which followed His dissolution; when the earth quaked, the rocks rent asunder, the graves opened, the heavens wondering stood; so that even the watchful Roman centurion was constrained by what he beheld to say, "Truly this was the Son of God!" He did. more when He declared Him to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead,—when the stone was rolled away from the tomb, and the keepers did quake, and become as dead men, and the Son of man, red in His apparel, travelling in the

greatness of His strength, came forth, having loosed the bands of death, and spoiled the grave, and secured eternal redemption for us. But He had yet another and a more effectual means of vindicating His righteous servant, even the mission of the Spirit : for Christ was not only to be justified in and by the Spirit, but to be made glorious in the eyes of men through His witness: "He shall glorify Me;" yea, "He shall testify of Me."

Let me call your attention, first of all, to the Being referred to in the words, " He shall testify of Me."

To whom does the Saviour refer in these words? From the preceding parts of the verse it is evident that He refers to the Comforter, the Spirit of truth. But who is this Spirit? Some assert that by the Spirit we are to understand nothing more than God's power and influence: the Church of England, on the contrary, maintains in the fifth Article "that the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God." Hence, whilst some deny both the personality and divinity of the Spirit, the Church of England admits both and affirms both. Let us, then, see whether the opinion of the Church of England respecting the Holy Ghost be not strictly scriptural. Is it scriptural, for example, to speak of the Holy Ghost as a distinct Person ?

I may here observe that the word Person, when applied to the Spirit, has not precisely the same meaning as when applied to a mortal man ; it rather represents a subsistent in the undivided Godhead, having will, and understanding, and distinct operation. Taking

this, then, to be the proper meaning of the word Person, let us endeavour to show that these things are properly ascribed to the Spirit. Has He, for instance, understanding? The Scripture replies, "The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God: when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He shall guide you into all truth; even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." Since, then, the Spirit investigates the deep things of God, and can guide men into all truth, and knows all the things of God, He evidently has understanding. Has He, in like manner, will? The Scripture replies, when speaking of the gifts communicated to the Christian Church at the ascension of Christ, "All these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will;" thus expressly ascribing will to the Spirit. The same thing is implied in the Saviour's illustration of His operation: "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit:" for if the Spirit operateth where He listeth-and the illustration implies as much-He must have a will. Once more, has He distinct operation? The Scripture certainly ascribes this to Him. Does it not represent Him as descending in a bodily shape like a dove upon Jesus of Nazareth at His baptism, and in the similitude of cloven tongues like as of fire on His disciples? Does it not describe Him also as coming unto men, and as giving express directions unto men ?—" If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go away, I will send Him unto you ;" and again,