The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-05-17

,ions-in His teachings, in the agonies oi
Gethsemsne, using angelic instrumentsllty
and in the dreadful "hour and power of dark
ness" the tragedy of the cross. In analogy
with the service Of the High Priest on fbe
great day of expiatiOn, who entered the Holy
of Holes, with the "blood" of the sacrifice,
We understand that our Lord, performing the
corresponding part of His Office, (but as both
Priest and victim) "through the eternal
Spirit" as soon as his death had occurred,
'offsred himself without spot to God and by
His own blood, entered once into the Holy
place. having obtained eternal redemption,
for His people.
Thus, by this summary Of the teaching of
Scripture, in both parts, we have full con-
frmstion of the proposition of our Lord, re
spectiDg the relation of the holy Spirit, as
an agent for dispensing blessing to man, and
of the kind of blessing, which our Lord con-
templated in the promised bestowal of the
Spirit, on those who ash.
III. We now propose IN the exposition and
enforcement of the second passage before US,
John xvi: 8-11, to set forth the ordinary
and perpetual work of the Spirit under the
new, fuller and clearer dispensation of which
God Z" has, in these last days, spoken unto
us, by Son." The dignity of the Teacher,
as of Divine and human nature in his one
Person, the wider scope of the Revelation,
and the authentic disclosure of complete
and final scheme of salvation, by more sure
word of prophecy, calls for corresponding
accession to the work of the Spirit as the
perpetual guide into all truth. Not only is
there more truth revealed, but it has for its
auditors, not one small nation, but the whole
world. It is declared nOtin types and shad-
oWs of good things to come, or rites and car
nal ordinances of meats and drinks, of holy
days and new moons, or Offering of gifts and
sacrifices, and sprinkling of the blood of bulls
and goats and the ashes of the beifer but
in clear, definite propositions of divine inspi-
ration, uttered by the living voice and writ
ten statements of living men, addressed TO
the reason and understanding, for inculcst-
ing the great principles of ''what man is to be,
ieve concerning God and what duty God re-
quires of man." In view of His speedy de-
psrture and his necessary presence at the
right hand of the throne of the majesty in
the heavens, to complete His royal and
Priestly functions, our Lord promises His
disciples to send another Comforter, to abide
with His church forever-the Spirit of truth,
the Holy Spirit, to teach all things and to
bring to remembrance what he had said to
his followers and to guide into all truth. Of
this promise of the Spirit and His work, the
passage before Us is succinct aud pregnant
summary. A few words of explcation will
introduce the discussion of the Office of the
Spirit here set forth. The marginal reading,
in our Bibles, substitutes convince for
'reprove' in verse s. As in Cor. xiv:
"a Titus i: 9; James ii {: 9, convince better
suits the context in this place. There was
no need of Divine Agent to rsbrove men Of
sin. Even unholy men, unrighteous gov
ernments, atheisticsI philosophy from the
Grove and the Porch, Christ-denying reli-
gion, fansticsl Mshommedanism, gross, SEN
sual, debased Psganism have reproved sin
in severe and elamorous terms, by cruel, In
exorable sanctions. From Enoch, who fore
told the final judgments of God on men, and
His reproof of their ungodly deeds, and Noah,
who for one hundred and twenty years, re-
buked and warned wicked world, and Lot,
who "fsithful among the faithless found,
" yexed with the filthy conversation of the
wicked" vainly warned even his own family;
through the long line of Prophets, Apostles,
Pastors, EVangeliSts, and other ministers of
the Word, every preacher has gone among
men, reproVing them of Sin, for nearly sixty
centuries. Yet the sad result has, in cyclical
repetitons, proved the hardening power of
mere reproof. Farther, even granting that
to reprove of sin might give the proper sense
to this first part of the threefOld work of the
Spirit, the term reprOvs being allowed the
sense of convict, its use, in defining the other
parts, would scarcely be congruouS with the
subjects "righteousnesS" and "judgment,"
which might thus appear the grounds or pro-
Voeations to reproof On the other hand,
" convince" adequately expresses the work of
the Spirit as to each subject, sin, righteous
ness and judgment. For to cORvince means
to subdue opposition to what is alleged, and
compel the mind, on adequate evidence, to
Weld sincere assent to the propositions pre-
sented, in their full meaning and integrity, q
sense in which the Greek term, of which it Is
translation, and also the Hebrew, are fre
uuently employed. The word "because"
preceding the statement of the sin, of which
the Spirit would convince the world, viz /:
g they believed not on me" though pertinent
in the reception of that statement as the lin
itation of the sin, to want of faith on Christ,
is not exhaustive of the term used in the
Greek, nor is it congruous in this limited
sense, in the passages following. In each
case, the word rendered because, would be
better rendered that, inasmuch as our Lord
thus explains what he meant, by sin, right.
eousness and judgment. "0f sin that they
believed not on me, of righteousness, that l
90 to the Father and ye see me no more; Of
Judgment, that the Prince of this world is
judged"
To this exposition of the passage before US,
| it is pertinent to add an explanation of two
portions of Scripture, which to some, present
a difficulty almost of the force of contra
diction. In John vii: 80, the Evangelist,
commenting on our Lords words in Y. 80,
He that belieVeth on me . out OF his
belly shall flow rivers of living water, adds,
"This spake He of the Spirit which they
that believe on Hin should receive, for the
Holy Ghost was not yet given. This
seems to deny the existence of che Holy Spirit
or to suspend that existence on the reason
assigned, "because that Jesus was not YET
glori6ed." Our trsnsators, as others, have
supplied the word given. But this is unne
cessary. In Matt. ii: 18, we read of Sra
chel mourning for her children and woult
not be comforted because they are not; )" snt
Gen. xiii: SO, that Jacob mourned saying
"Joseph is not and Simeon is not. In boil
| Il . 49,; A;ro ,.o,h 40 10 ,oad IN fh,