used, as Comforter. For instance, when in John xiv. 17, the personification is dropped at the words " Spirit of truth," the neuter pronoun is immediately resumed. Our Common Version has "whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, for he dwelleth in you," etc.; but the proper translation is "the spirit of truth, which (o) the world cannot receive because it seeth it (avrò) not, neither knoweth it (avτò), but ye know it (avrò)." Where a verb is used without an expressed pronoun, the pronoun understood naturally agrees in gender with the noun which it represents; accordingly, Jowett translates Rom. viii. 27, " And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, that it maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." And 1 Cor. xii. 11, would be correctly rendered "All these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as it will." Mr. Bickersteth has given an instance, Eph. i. 14, in which the masculine pronoun os occurs, but ôs cannot agree with πveûpa, for the simple reason that one is masculine and the other neuter. Greek syntax allows us no alternative but either to understand Christ by ds, or to read ô (which) according to the Alexandrine and some other uncial manuscripts, or to follow the suggestion of Alford, who says "os not for a moment to be referred to Christ, nor to be insisted on as agreeing with the understood gender of the personal πveûμa, but is a relative, agreeing in gender with the subject of the relative clause" (earnest). Nor can I assent to the criticism on John xvi. 13, "when he, the Spirit (ékeîvos тO IIveûμa) of truth, is come he will guide you, and so continually in this context, where it might be rendered this person the Spirit." The phrase in the original is ἐκεῖνος, το πνεῦμα τῆς åλneias (this, the spirit of truth). If any word be substituted after the word this, it must be Comforter, with which it obviously agrees. But the common translation is perfectly correct, for, though exЄîvos literally means this, it is also used for an emphatic He. But the reader must not infer that keîvos is used continually in the context where he is found in the translation. Supposing the word this to be preferred, and Comforter understood, the passage will be as follows:-(ver. 7) If I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart I will send him unto you; (ver. 8) And when this (Comforter) is come he will reprove the world, etc.; (ver. 13) Howbeit, when this (Comforter), the Spirit of truth, is come, (he) will guide you into all truth, for (he) will not speak of himself, but whatsoever (he) shall hear that shall (he) speak, and (he) will shew you things to come; (ver. 14) This (Comforter) will glorify me. The doctrine of the personality of the Holy Spirit rests in reality on the fact that sometimes it is personified; it is said to strive, to will, to be grieved to bear witness, to intercede, to cry, to speak, to comfort. I say sometimes, and in this word lies, as it seems to me, a very powerful argument, for it is much more probable that an influence or gift should be personified than that a person should be spoken of as a thing. "We must also consider that it was the frequent custom among the Jewish writers and the H oriental nations, not only in their oratorical or poetical works, but even in their common phraseology, to speak of powers and qualities under personal characters." The mountains are said to see, to tremble, to skip like rams, and to sing; the sea to behold, to speak, to fly, and to lift up its hands; the earth to listen, to fear, to be silent; trees to clap their hands and break forth into singing; the stone to cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber to answer it. I remark, further, that if the Holy Spirit be God Himself in communication with the soul, there is in the present case peculiar propriety in the language of personification. Who can regard the life-giving spirit as a mere thing, or separate it from the living Father, from whom it proceeds? It speaks because He speaks through it; it wills because by it He wills in us both to will and to do; it grieves because He is grieved at our rejection of it; it is loving and lovely because it is the most blessed gift of His love; it intercedes, "For He, the Spirit gives by which we pray, Our unassisted heart is barren clay." It may be urged, however, that by our Lord himself "Can * Watts's Works, quarto edition, vol. vi., p. 478. † I need not say there is no force in such questions as, you speak of the mind of an effusion" (Rock of Ages, p. 100), which mix up figurative and non-figurative language in a manner that would render all personification absurd. One might as well ask, "Can we speak of the ears of a stone, or the hands of the sea?" The meaning of the passage referred to in Rom. viii. 27, is, I cannot doubt, that when God gives us a spirit of devotion which can express itself only in groans and sighs, He understands its purport, and will answer the unuttered intercession for the saints. the personification of the Spirit as the Comforter is carried out with especial fulness. So also is the personification of Charity by St. Paul, and of Wisdom by Solomon. She is declared to have builded her house, furnished her table, mingled her wine, sent forth her maidens to invite her guests; and from the high places, from the gates, the entrance of the city, to utter her voice, proclaim her warnings, offer her instructions, and pronounce her benedictions on those who will hear, and her reproofs against those who reject her offers and despise her counsels.* Still, it must be admitted that here is the main strength of the Trinitarian argument on our present subject. At the end of that most wonderful parting address, in which the spirit is especially personified, and which now for so many centuries has been the chief strength and solace of the troubled heart, our Lord says, "These things I have spoken in proverbs" (or parables), i. e., in figurative language, John xvi. 25. He was going away; the disciples were overwhelmed with sorrow; but they were to receive from on high a presence and a power, which would be even more to them than to have him still with them in the body. What name should he give to that, which was to be instead of himself and more? As they wept at the thought of his departure, what could he say but that which he did say, "I will send you another Comforter ?" Again, it is to be borne in mind that the Comforter was to be sent, was not to speak of or from himself, but whatsoever he should hear, and it is said of him, * Ware. "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter." Elsewhere we read, "whom the Father will send in my name," and "whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father." And now let us turn to the fulfilment of the promise. Our Lord has been crucified and has risen. from the dead. Does he make reference to the advent of the Spirit? Yes, but not in the same terms as when his followers were bowed down in grief and despair. His words are, "Tarry ye here in the city of Jerusalem "-not until God the Holy Ghost comes upon you-but, "until ye be endued with power from on high." from on high." The epithet comforter is used no more, the figure is entirely laid aside, and another is employed, viz., that of baptism. The risen Saviour "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 Spirit not many days hence," Acts i. 4, 5. A little more waiting, and the day of Pentecost arrives, and this is the evangelist's own description of what took place, "And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance," Acts ii. 2, 3, 4. Such is the fulfilment of the promise of the Comforter. Is there anything |