trembling hearers. He was engaged in the work, predicted by our Lord, "He will convince the world of sin, because they believe not on me."

But again, he will also convince the world "of righteousness, and upon this ground will he cause his convictions to rest, "Because," says the Saviour, "I go unto my Father, and ye see me no more." Now this, doubtless, refers to the justifying righteousness of Christ, of the perfection, excellence, and suitableness of which the Holy Spirit convinces the awakened sinner-grounded on the fact, that He who "fulfilled all righteousness" on earth, has been "received up into glory."

The Lord Jesus Christ voluntarily undertook the performance of a certain work. In the fulness of time he was manifested according to the counsel of the Father to accomplish this work. Upon the cross he himself declared of this work, "It is finished," and this work was the "bringing in everlasting righteousness." After he had solemnly announced the completion of this work, he left the world, and ascended up where he was before; his disciples saw him go into heaven, and thus his being received there, not as the eternal Son of the Father, for in this respect the throne of heaven was his own by right, but as "the Finisher" of the work of righteousness he engaged to perform, was as it were the seal of the Father set on the perfection of his work. The man Christ Jesus, after completing his sacrifice for sin, going into heaven and being received there, affords a sure mark and token, that he "hath done all things well," and that the robe of righteousness with which he offers to cover the sinner, is "woven from the top throughout," not a single rent in any part, perfect from first to last. It is indeed an interesting reflection, that the very fact of Jesus not

being personally present with us, as with the first teachers of Christianity; but sitting at the right hand of God, is the most convincing proof we could have, of his perfect work of righteousness. And thus our Lord himself predicted, He will convince the world of righteousness, "because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more."

And once more, He will convince the world of judgment, "Because," adds the Saviour, "the Prince of this world is judged." Who the Prince of this world is, we have on a former occasion explained. His hour of darkness and apparent triumph was now fast approaching, when he should bruise the heel of the woman's seed. And this apparent triumph would pervert the views of many. The death of the cross would be, in the estimation of many, the judgment of God on a blasphemer and an impostor: "If he be the king of Israel, let him come down from the cross and we will believe." Now an especial work of the Holy Spirit is to rectify this perverted view of the sufferings and death of Christ, and to shew that in that very moment of apparent weakness was the judgment of God manifested most powerfully and awfully against the "Prince of this world; " and that he who hung upon the cross, groaning in spirit, and travailing in soul, was even then bruising the serpent's head, putting down his dominion and power, breaking his sceptre, and casting him out of his usurped kingdom; that at the very moment, when Calvary shook with convulsive throes at the death of the Lamb of God, the utmost limits of the universe were shaken with the voice of the eternal judgment pronounced against Satan and his angels, "I will overturn, overturn, overturn." Thus our Lord foretold, that the Holy Spirit would convince the world of God's judgment against sin, because the Prince of this

world was judged, and cast out by his own sufferings and death.

And is not the experience of every believer in exact accordance with this declaration of our Lord respecting the Spirit's work. What falls more heavily, or pierces more sharply, than the conviction in the awakened soul of the sinner, that he has hitherto been an unbeliever. That although Christ has spoken to him, he has made light of it. What comes with more cheering and comforting power over his bleeding and contrite heart than the conviction wrought by the same Spirit, that one is made "righteousness unto him," who is now at the right hand of God. And what tends to confirm and seal all other convictions more, than that which is farther pressed on him by the same Spirit; when he convinces him of judgment, by the prostration of the power of darkness in his own soul, before the cross of Christ.

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But observe, this declaration of our Lord, that the Holy Spirit should convince the world of sin, and righteousness, and judgment, was not limited to a certain time for its fulfilment. It was not meant that, immediately on the sending of the Holy Spirit, the whole world should be so convinced but simply that this result should sooner or later be realized. We have seen the commencement of this work of conviction in the apostolic age. We now behold it in progress around us, while we detect it in our own hearts, if we are children of God. And we shall yet see its completion. The time is approaching, when literally the whole world shall be convinced of sin, and righteousness, and judgment;-when all the ransomed people of God shall enjoy, without a cloud to darken or obscure their views, the presence of Him who is their Saviour, their righteousness, their judge, and yet their friend; and

when those who have rejected and despised his gospel, and turned a deaf ear to his promises and his warnings, shall be miserably convinced of their sin, in not believing on him-of the righteousness, which they received not, when it was offered them-and of the judgment of God, which cannot be set aside; but which must for ever be manifested against them, by "a worm that dieth not, and a fire that shall not be quenched."

After having thus emphatically described the great and leading features of the Spirit's work, in the dispensation of the gospel, our Lord proceeds, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." Perhaps one of these things specially alluded to may have been the great doctrine of the atonement, which they could not yet comprehend, but which required the farther light of circumstances, and the aid of the Spirit to enable them to understand; or it may be reference is made to the abrogation of the Jewish ritual, and the call of the Gentiles, both of which things we know were received with great difficulty, even by the apostles themselves. "Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will shew you things to come." How tenderly Jesus deals with his disciples. Ye cannot bear them now, therefore I forbear to press them. But you shall not be left in ignorance. When the Spirit of Truth is come, he shall guide you into all truth, and this was to be a particular mark of the Spirit's work, "He shall not speak of himself." He shall not bring in another gospel, but that only which he shall hear from the Father and the Son, shall he make known.

Let us here mark, by the way, that the verses we have

been considering afford us a most convincing proof of a very important doctrine; namely, the personality and divinity of the Holy Ghost. This is indeed an essential doctrine of the gospel, and how much depends on it! We are told that the Holy Spirit is sent to be with every member of Christ's church, to support, to strengthen, to enlighten, to instruct, to counsel and to comfort; that he is to draw us unto Christ, that he is to give us the spirit of prayer, and to make intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered; that he is to sanctify and purify us from every "spot and filthiness of the flesh and spirit." And who but an infinitely wise, powerful, and loving being can perform all this? What comfort should we have, if we felt only the aid and support of the highest created being? Of what avail would Gabriel be to us, though he stands in the presence of God, in all our inward conflicts with sin and Satan, and our outward warfare with the world? None! our only hope and stay, and comfort, is, in the presence, the power, and the love of God, the Holy Spirit. Nothing then can well be of greater importance to us, than the scriptural tokens of this doctrine.

And first, then, as to the personality of the Holy Spirit: you will remark how manifestly this appears in the passage before us. He is said to be sent, to come, to hear, to speak, to convince, to guide, to glorify, to shew-all of which prove incontrovertibly his personality. It is indeed vain and impious to assert the contrary, to speak of him for example, as an emanation from God. What force, nay what meaning, could be attached to these words, with such a view? Every thing that can be predicated of a person, or subsistence, is in scripture predicated of the Holy Spirit. And it is only the wayward folly of man which leads him to reject a doctrine so manifestly revealed; because,