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Spirit!" — For another thing, it seems to me very strange to speak of the Holy Ghost as *' blowing," and to speak of the "sound" of the Holy Ghost, or of that "sound" being heard by Nicodemus.
I can see no difficulty whatever in the expression, " The wind bloweth where it listeth." It is common in the Bible to personify unintelHgent things, and to speak of them as having mind and will. Thus our Lord speaks of the " stones crying out." (Luke xix. 40.) And the Psalmist says, " The sun knoweth his going down." (Psalm civ. 19.) See also Job xxxvii. 8, 35. — In addition to this, I see a peculiar beauty in the selection of the wind as an illustration of the work of the Spirit. Not only is the illustration most apt and striking, but it is one which is used in other places in Scripture. See for instance, in the vision of the dry bones, how Ezekiel cries to the " wind" to breathe on the slain, (Ezek. xxxvii. 9.) See also Cant. iv. 16, and Acts ii. 2. — Last, but not least, it seems to me, that Nicodemus' state of perplexity makes it highly probable that our Lord would graciously help his igno- rance by the use of a famihar illustration, like that of the wind. If no illustration at all was used in this verse, it is not quite easy to see how its language would help Nicodemus to understand the doctrine of the new birth. — But if the verse contains a famihar illustration, the whole purpose of our Lord in saying what He did becomes clear and plain.
JOHN m. 9—21.
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be ?
10 Jesus answered and said un- to him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things ?
1 1 V"erily, verily, I say unto thee. We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen ; and ye receive not our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye beUeve not, how BhaU ye believe, if I teU you of heavenly Ihings ?
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, "vtn the Son of man which is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up :
15 That whosoever belie veth in him should not perish, but have eternal hfe.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have ever- lasting life.
V\ For God sent not his Son in- to the world to condemn the world ; but that the world through him miglit be saved.
18 He that beUeveth on him is not condemned: but he that be- lieveth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the
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