a glass darkly, and all know only in part, and prophesy only in part.89 But there was no difference between the teaching of Christ and that of the Spirit, except that the latter made known to the disciples what they were unprepared to hear from the lips of Christ Himself.

come.

It is said further, He will show you things to This might mean that the Holy Ghost would endow them with the power of foretelling future events. This kind of knowledge was given to the Apostles, as it appears from the various prophecies which are to be found in their writings. But it may also mean that He would show them the glories of the invisible world; the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him, which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man.90 To these things the hopes of Christians are continually directed in the Apostolical writings. So much so, that it is said, If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable," or most to be pitied, on account of our folly in renouncing the things which are seen and temporal for those which are not seen and eternal. But the hopes of the Christian are directed to good things to come hereafter, which will fully compensate for all the sufferings of this present time.

89 1 Cor. xiii. 9, 12. 901 Cor. ii. 9. 911 Cor. xv. 19. 922 Cor. iv. 18.

Our Saviour adds still further, He shall glorify Me. It is the object of the Spirit's ministration to promote the glory of Christ. This glory was veiled by Him in the days of His flesh. He appeared in the likeness of sinful flesh, so that even His disciples discerned very little of His glory. But after He had left them, they could say, We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father.93 A glimpse of it was given to three of them, when He was transfigured before them, and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.94 But until the Holy Spirit descended upon them, they had very confused ideas respecting it. The way in which He was to glorify Christ, was, as Jesus said, He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you. This He did to the Apostles pre-eminently. He made known to them, on the day of Pentecost and afterwards, the true character of their Lord and Master, His glorious Person, and His glorious work. He gave them a right understanding respecting the object of the coming of Christ into the world, and the end which was accomplished by it. He explained to them the mystery of redeeming love, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it was then revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.95 He showed them

99 John i. 14. 94 Matthew xvii. 2. 95 Ephesians iii. 5.

96

that it behoved Christ to suffer, and to enter into His glory, as the High Priest and Intercessor, and as the King and Head of His church. The Spirit of God fulfils this promise of Christ in like manner to His believing people, when He applies to their hearts the word of the truth of the gospel.

Our blessed Lord proceeds to point out, in conclusion, the nature of the blessings which they were to expect from Him in consequence of the teaching of the Spirit on this subject. All things that the Father hath are Mine, therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine, and shall show it unto you. Whatever the God

of heaven in His character of the Father of mercies had promised to give to His children, Christ as the beloved Son of God in human nature had merited on their behalf; and the administration of these Divine blessings was confided to the Head for the benefit of the members of His mystical body. The Spirit of God was to reveal to them the treasures of Divine love and grace, which are laid up in Christ, that out of His fulness they might receive those continual supplies of grace which they needed for their direction and consolation. These things are recorded for our instruction also, that we may led to seek the blessings which the God of all grace has promised to give to them that call upon His

be

96 Luke xxiv. 46, 26.

97 Colossians i. 5.

name. Let us then pray earnestly for the teaching of the Holy Spirit, that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God, that we may understand aright the things of Christ and of His great salvation. Whatever the Father of mercies has promised to bestow upon the children of men is to be obtained through Christ. Let us enter more into the subjects which are presented to us in the discourse of the Lord Jesus that we have been considering. Let us meditate on the glory of Christ, that we may receive from it the consolation which it sets before us. Let us implore the teaching and guidance of the Holy Spirit, that we may rightly apprehend the truth as it is in Jesus, and may look forward beyond this mortal scene to the things to come, which shall be displayed to the wondering sight of believers in Christ, when they have done with all things here below; which He hath prepared for them that wait for Him. The more we enter into the consideration of these things, the more happy shall we be. The hope of eternal life will bear our spirits up against every discouragement and trial which we may meet with in this world. For He who is gone into heaven, and hath all power in heaven and earth, will come again to receive His people unto Himself, that where He is, there they may be also.

END OF VOLUME I.