{$) The Fourth Gospel, however, relates a series of conversations running through the course of our Lord's ministry, which reveal entirely new views of the Spirit's relation to the individual life, to the Church, and to God. The conversation with Nicodemus (Jn 3°"") a.sserts the principle of the new birth, tracing the beginnings of the spiritual life in men to the Spirit of God, and apiiarcntly connecting the birth of the Spirit with the future sacrament of Christian baptism. Similarly, the discourse of Jn 6 speaks of the spiritual food of the new life, which was to lie imparted iu the nij'stery of Christ's body and blood. In the con- versation with the woman of Samaria (Jn 4'°), and the proclamation at the Feast of Tabernacles (Jn I'"'-), the Lord directs attention to Hinself as the Fountain of the Spirit, from which believers should continually receive, and in turn communi- cate, fresh supplies of the water of life. The language is mystical, but the evangelist was able after the event to find its fulfilment in the dispensa- tion of the Spirit (Jn T^, Rev 22"). But the fullest and clearest revelation was reserved for the last discourse on the night before the Passion (Jn 1416.17.26 15M 16?. 1S)_ It opgjis „.ijj, t],e promise,
' I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Paraclete, to be with you for ever, the Spirit of truth ' (cf. v.^ 6 Si vapaKXriTO!, rb irvcvfia t6 6.yior, where the identification is complete). The Holy Spirit, then, was to be Chri.st's substitute and representative on earth, a vicnria vis (Tertullian, Prttscr. 13) ; and the work assigned to Him is that of an advocate (on TrapdKXTjros see Westcott's <letached note, and Liglitfoot's early work. On a Fresh Revision of the NT', p. .50 f.). No function more characteristic of person.al life could have been attributed, and Christ speaks accordingly of the Spirit as 6 irapd^Xijros, not as rd TrapdK\7jrov, — a choice 01 gender which is emphasized by the repeated use of the masculine pronoun(^/(frvo5|Uo/)Ti>p)i(rci . . ^Ke'ifo! i\('-y(ei . . , ^KCivos ifii So(a(r<i.) But the personality of the Dejiut; is in fact essential to the Lord s
reasoning ; no impersonal influence could supply the lack of personal jiiiidance and probation wliicli the apostles would feelwhen the Lord was taken from them.* It is therefore futile to compare His mode of speaking in this nassage with the prosopojuria by which in the Ol and Apocrypha the wi.sdoin of tJod is described as a personal (female) agent. Further, it cannot be maintained that Christ ia speaking in Jn 14-10 merely of a new operation of divine jjower in man (cf. l\ 139'), or of His own Spirit as perpetuating itself in tlie lives of His disciples. Fur He proceeds to distinguish the coming Paraclete both from the Father and from Himself: 'the Father will give j'oii another Para- clete . . . the Father will send [him] in my name . . . I will send him from the Father . . . the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father.' The dill'erentiation is perfect; the Spirit i«> not the Father, nor is He tlie Son ; as a Person, He is dis- tinct from both. Again, we are permitted to learn something as to His relation to both. He is sent by both, but He is sent by the Son from the Father ; He proceeds from the Father (xapd to5 jraTpos). Although this is scarcely equivalent to the ecclesiastical phrase iK toS rarpds (see Wcstcott, ad loc, and on tlie origin of the later phrase, cf. Hort, Tivo Dissertations, p. 80 f.), the words used by Christ teach implicitly that the Spirit possesses an eternal relation with the Father upon which His temporal mission rests (cf. Jn 10^- '■" with 1", and Westcott's notes).
The Lord proceeds in the same great discourse to shadow forth the work to wTiich the new Paraclete was about to be sent. His mission would be primarily to thedi.sciples and the Church (Jn 14'*- "), in the way of fellowship {ij.e0' vpiCiv), jiresence (irop' viiiv), and indwelling (^i- iip.iv) ; and this threefold relation was to be permanent (th t6v aiuiva), not, as Christ's historical manifestation, transient (AVestcott). His functions would be (1) to carry on the teaching work of Christ, partly by quickening the memories of Christ's immediate followers (Jn H-'"), partly by guiding them into new truth, till all had been learnt (Jn 14=' 10'"), and revealing the new order (Jn 16" t4 ipxip-fi"'- dvay- yf\u vfitp) ; (2) to glorify the Son, as the Son glorifies the Father, by revealing the Son to the Church in the fulness of the divine life (Jn 10'^- '"). But the Spirit would also have a mission to the world, although it could not discern or recognize Him (14" oil $eaipei a&rii or5^ yivuicKd). He would co-operate with the Church in bearing witness to Christ (Jn IS'-""), and His witness would carry the force of an irresistible conviction (Jn 10' ^Xiy^ei Tbv xio-^oi/) concerning the great facts of human sin, divine righteousness, and the process of judgment by wlii(di, from the Advent onwards, the victory of righteousness is being determined.
(7) The crowning revelation followed the Resur- rection, and is recorded by St. Matthew alone (28"). The disciples had been taught that the Divine Spirit is a living Person, and that He is not to be identified witli either the Father or the Son. From the formula of baptism they now learnt that the three Persons are comprehended under One Name ; the Spirit is one with the Father and the Son in the LTnity of the Divine Life. The words justify the place which has been assigned to the Holy Ghost in the creeds and the worship of the universal Church (BasU, Ep. ii. 125, itZ yap r)/'S»