And it shall come to pass in the last days (saith God), I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy." That this is the manifestation of the Spirit to which our Lord referred in his conversation with his disciples, appears from the references which he made to it on other occasions. After his resurrection, and immediately before his ascension to glory, he said to the apostles, "Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." "And, being assembled together with them, he commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." And "ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me." (Luke xxiv. 49; Acts i. 4, 8.)

From these passages we learn that there was to be a remarkable effusion of the Spirit after our Lord's departure, and that it was purposely deferred, and reserved as a proof and token of his exaltation to the right hand of God. It is expressly said, "The Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified" (John vii. 39),—so that, for some reason or other, this manifestation was purposely deferred till Christ's humiliation should have closed, and his exaltation commenced. And I think it is very clearly intimated, that the gift of the Spirit was reserved as the crowning evidence-as the appropriate and pecu

liar proof of the completion of his work, of its acceptance on the part of God, of its efficacy on behalf of his people, of his having earned and obtained the reward which had been promised, and of his being invested with all power in heaven and on earth to carry into full effect his great design as the Redeemer of the world. Every other fact in his history, every other step in his progress, had its appropriate proof. His incarnation was celebrated by angels-his baptism was accompanied with a voice from heaven-his miracles were witnessed by thousands his death, his burial, his resurrection, were attested by eye-witnesses. When he arose and appeared among his disciples, they saw and spake with him. And after a season he led them forth to Bethany. "And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them." They beheld him. while he was taken up; but "a cloud received him out of their sight." No human eye could penetrate that cloud-they could not follow him, as he entered heaven, and took his seat at God's right hand. But before he ascended he had mentioned the gift of the Spirit as the appointed sign and proof of his exaltation—a token of his power when he should appear in heaven. And, oh! surely it was fitting that some such peculiar evidence should be furnished of a fact which no human witness could attest, but on which depends the certainty of our salvation! For Christ's exaltation is the proof of the completeness of his work, of the acceptance of it by his Father, and of the hopes of all his people. And if his exaltation was to be evinced and certified by the gift of the Holy Ghost,

-if this was the appointed and presignified proof of that glorious truth, then it is to be regarded as the fruit and token of the Redeemer's triumph, and as a pledge that every other blessing which he died to purchase has been won, and will be given to all who believe in his name. When we consider the subject in this light, we may discern the divine wisdom of that arrangement to which our Lord referred, when he said, "If I go not away, the Spirit will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him unto you;" and see how, when the Spirit actually descended, according to his promise, the apostles must have regarded it as a proof that Christ was exalted; and if exalted, then his mission was divine, his redemption complete, his righteousness accepted, his reward bestowed, his mediatorial authority established;-so that, when Christ ascended, and the Spirit descended, they might exultingly exclaim, "Thou hast ascended up on high; thou hast led captivity captive; thou hast received gifts for men, even for the rebellious;" and, turning to the unbelieving Jews, they could say, "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."

In the conversation which he held with his disciples, our Lord gives a comprehensive account of the nature and design of the Spirit's work.

It is represented as being designed for two very distinct ends, and for two widely different classes of men. It is designed for the conviction of the world, and for the confirmation and comfort of the Church. The world is spoken of, and also a peculiar people, who have been separated from the world: "He will reprove or convict the world;" but he "will guide you into all truth." Unbelievers will be convicted by his coming, but believers will be confirmed and edified: "He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you." So that the gift of the Spirit is designed to have an important influence both on the WORLD and THE CHURCH.

In reference to both classes-CHRIST, in his person, and offices, and work, as the Redeemer, is the one great subject which the gift of the Spirit is designed to illustrate,-in other words, the Spirit is CHRIST'S WITNESS on earth, affording such evidence of his divine mission and mediatorial authority as is sufficient to convict, if it serve not to convince, unbelievers ; and glorifying Christ, by unfolding to his disciples, and enabling them to discern, such views of his glory as serve to confirm them in the faith, and to attach them more closely to his service and cause.

Let us briefly consider the work of the Spirit in reference to each of these two classes of men-believers and unbelievers, or the world and the Church.

Of the former it is said, "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father,

and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." (John xvi. 8–11.)

The word which is here translated reprove,* has no exact synonyme in our language, and it is difficult to find a term which, like that in the original, is equally applicable to each of the three subjects to which it is here applied. The word reprove applies well enough to sin, but not so well to righteousness and judgment; while the word convince, which is used in the margin, is ordinarily employed to denote more than is here ascribed to the work of the Spirit, as it implies an actual effect in the way of satisfying the judgment and securing the assent; whereas the original word does not necessarily import any such effect. There is no doubt, however, as to the meaning of the expression. It signifies to prove upon or against -to convict by proof; or, in other words, to present such evidence as will be sufficient to condemn, if it fail to convince. And that we may understand how the Spirit may be said to convict the world of or concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment, we should consider separately the subject, the doctrine, and the proof, as they are severally intimated in our Lord's words.

The subject on which the gift of the Spirit is designed and fitted to shed a clear and convincing light, is the character and offices of Christ: "He was despised and rejected of men;" and many among the Jews disbelieved his claims when he professed to be the Messiah that had been promised to their fathers, * ἐλέγξει.