Such was the cause of Christ which the Holy Spirit as the Advocate would plead to the world, working conviction as in a hostile guilty party. Quite other was that cause of Christ which, as His Advocate, He would plead with the disciples, and quite other in their case the effect of His advocacy. We have, even on the present occasion, marked how often the Lord was hindered, as well as grieved, by the misunderstanding and unbelief of man. Now it was the self-imposed law of His Mission, the outcome of His Victory in the Temptation in the Wilderness, that He would not achieve His Mission in the exercise of Divine Power, but by treading the ordinary path of humanity. This was the limitation which He set to Himself - one aspect of His Self-exinanition. But from this His constant sorrow must also have flowed, in view of the unbelief of even those nearest to Him. It was, therefore, not only expedient, but even necessary for them, since at present they could not bear more, that Christ's Presence should be withdrawn, and His Representative take His place, and open up His Cause to them. And this was to be His special work to the Church. As Advocate, not speaking from [5782] Himself, but speaking whatsoever He shall hear - as it were, according to His heavenly brief' - He would guide them into all truth. And here His first declaration' would be of the things that are coming.' A whole new order of things was before the Apostles - the abolition of the Jewish, the establishment of the Christian Dispensation, and the relation of the New to the Old, together with many kindred questions. As Christ's Representative, and speaking not from Himself, the Holy Spirit would be with them, not suffer them to go astray into error or wrong, but be their wayleader' into all truth. Further, as the Son glorified the Father, so would the Spirit glorify the Son, and in analogous manner - because He shall take of His and declare' it unto them. This would be the second line, as it were, in the declarations' of the Advocate, Representative of Christ. And this work of the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father, in His declaration about Christ, was explained by the circumstance of the union and communication between the Father and Christ. [5783] And so - to sum up, in one brief Farewell, all that He had said to them - there would be a little while' in which they would not behold' Him (okti theoret me), and again a little while and they would see' Him (psesth me), though in quite different manner, as even the wording shows. [5784] [5785]
If we had entertained any doubt of the truth of the Lord's previous words, that in their absorbedness in the present the disciples had not thought of the whither' to which Christ was going, and that it was needful for them that He should depart and the other Advocate come, [5786] this conviction would be forced upon us by their perplexed questioning among themselves as to the meaning of the twofold little while,' and of all that He had said about, and connected with, His going to the Father. They would fain have asked, yet dared not. But He knew their thoughts, and answered them. That first little while' comprised those terrible days of His Death and Entombment, when they would weep and lament, but the world rejoice. Yet their brief sorrow would be turned into joy. It was like the short sorrow of childbearing - afterwards no more remembered in the joy that a human being had been born into the world. Thus would it be when their present sorrow would be changed into the Resurrection-joy - a joy which no man could ever afterwards take from them. On that day of joy would He have them dwell in thought during their present night of sorrow. That would be, indeed, a day of brightness, in which there would be no need of their making further inquiry of Him (m ok rotsete). [5787] All would then be clear in the new light of the Resurrection. A day this, when the promise would become true, and whatsoever they asked the Father (atsete), He would give it them in Christ's Name. [5788] Hitherto they had not yet asked in His Name; let them ask: they would receive, and so their joy be completed. Ah! that day of brightness. Hitherto He had only been able to speak to them, as it were, in parables and allegory, but then would He declare' to them in all plainness about the Father. And, as He would be able to speak to them directly and plainly about the Father, so would they then be able to speak directly to the Father - as the Epistle to the Hebrews expresses it, come with plainness' [5789] or directness' to the throne of grace. They would ask directly in the Name of Christ; and no longer would it be needful, as at present, first to come to Him that He may inquire' of the Father about' them (rotso per mn). For, God loved them as lovers of Christ, and as recognising that He had come forth from God. And so it was - He had come forth from out the Father [5790] when He came into the world, and, now that He was leaving it, He was going to the Father.