THE GREAT REPROVER.

JOHN xvi. 8.

And when he is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment."

HE Master was about to leave His disciples. His arthly work was nearly finished, and He was going do His heavenly work. They would be badly off, hen He was gone. They would be like orphans. hat would they do? How would they manage? had thought all about it. Oh, yes; 'tis true always. their back; but our best

e knew, He knew. He e had provided for them. iends may die, or turn riend, if indeed, we make Him our best friend; ever eth, ever careth for us; so that we may boldly say, the Lord is our helper, we will not fear what man can

> unto us."

"Sorrow hath filled your heart," said the feeling aster; gentle and loving. "Nevertheless, I tell you e truth; it is expedient for you that I go away;

for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you." "The Comforter, Master! Thou art our Comforter ; abide with us; set up Thy kingdom." But they spake rashly, they wist not what to say; they were ignorant. Oh! it would not do for the eternal Word to tabernacle in the flesh for ever, and keep a lowly court among the sons of men. He must away, away, to the palace of the heavenly King; to the home of His Father; there was His court; there was His retinue.

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I will send you another Comforter, He said; even the Spirit of Truth. I will go and send Him unto you. He meant the Holy Ghost, who, through the ages all along, from the Pentecost, next after that wonderful Passover, to the end of the world, should be the great Comforter of the souls of the faithful. a little while and ye shall see Me no more; but He shall abide with you for ever. How wonderful this is, my brethren! To think that now, as of old; that now, as until doomsday, God, the Holy Spirit, is doing as marvellous a ministry amongst the sons of men, as God the Son did in Jewry. There were places where Jesus did no wonderful works because of the unbelief of the people; so now mayhap, there are places where the Holy Ghost doeth no wonderful works because of men's unbelief. Oh, surely, this is not one such place, is it? What sort of a heart have you? Is it as the barren desert, where no water is? Is it as Capernaum, exalted to heaven; as Capernaum on the

we of a mighty downfall? Or is it as the fruitful valy where the dew rests, and bubbling fountains spring nd flow? I know not, I know not. But 'tis a fearful ad shocking thing, to live in a valley of dry bones. nd yet 'tis a wonderful sight to behold bone fit to one, and flesh come up upon them, and then.... hat shall I say?......... "Come, Holy Ghost, our uls inspire."

But let us hearken to our Saviour's words. "I will nd Him unto you," He said; "and when He is come e will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, d of judgment." Eighteen hundred years have me and gone since then. Is the work done-this proving the world? Did it refer to those days, and those days only? Are we in no need of reproof such that to which the Saviour alluded? We must enavour to satisfy ourselves on this head.

There is nothing so dangerous, I think, dear breth, as trifling with holy things; and when we read hapter of the Holy Book, and then lay it aside, and nk no more about it, it does seem to me like trig. Come, now, I pray you, what meant our Saviour, en He said, the Comforter shall reprove the world sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment? 1 do my best to teach you; but then, dear brethren, u must receive with meekness the engrafted word, ich is able to save your soul. You must shape ar course by it; frame and fashion your lives by it. k! any body can talk. Listen! any body can list

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en, who likes. Do! who manages this? The sentence at last, will not run in this fashion—“ well said!” nor in this "well intended!" but thus,-" well done! good and faithful servant!" Remember, the word preached does not profit, unless it be mixed with faith in them that hear it.

Let us try and clear a way to the subject before us. He will reprove; or, as the margin reads it, convince. Which is it, reprove, or convince? And then the world; what does He mean by the world here? May I make no mistake. But, perhaps, I ought so say a few words on that title, which is here given to the Holy Spirit. The Comforter.

You know, I think, at least I have told you, that this word is confined to the writings of St. John. Five times it is used by him; four times hereabouts, in his gospel, and once in his epistle, called in the latter place Advocate; and referring to our Saviour. You see the word sometimes printed in books as "Paraclete," from the Greek, which is sounded Paracletos (ПlapaKANTOS.) It does not mean Comforter only, as you

No!

And, alas! it is true, He, the Holy Ghost, does not comfort the world. The world is against Him. The world cannot receive Him, nor know Him. but He convinces, or convicts the world. And He does more to the disciples than even comfort; He teaches. He sanctifies. So that we may say He is Teacher, Sanctifier, Advocate, Monitor, as well as Comforter. Perhaps, however, the last word is the best, because

at may include all the others in its meaning. If ou are ignorant, knowledge gives comfort. If you

e polluted, sanctification gives comfort. If you are iendless, an advocate is a comfort. If you are apt forget, even prime truths and gracious privileges, have a monitor close at hand, reminding and promptg you, is like having a Comforter. Oh! how the ther has provided for His children! I wish we were dutiful, and valued properly the privileges set bere us. But we do not, sad to say.

We will read it thus, if you please. He is the Comter of true Christians; and He is the Reprover, the nvicter, of the world. I wish I could shew you the rking of a contrite heart, and then you would be vinced that the Holy Ghost is the Comforter.

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h I could shew you the working of an impenitent art, and then you would be convinced that He is Reprover. But there is no necessity-you have a art of your own, study that.

Let us pass on. There is a difference between roof and conviction. You may be reproved and yet convicted. Often reproof is as the outer door, conviction the inner. You must go through the to get at the other; so that, after all, we shall err, I think, if we take both the readings before reprove, as in the text; convince, as in the margin. And then the world, what a word this is! How ny sermons have been preached about it! How ch has been said, right and wrong, on that one

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