John xvi. 14. He shall glorify me : for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
MANY imagine that the doctrine of the Divinity of Christ is founded on some few passages only of Holy Writ, on passages too which may possibly be of doubt- ful interpretation. But the truth is, that that doctrine pervades the whole New Testament; so that scarcely any part of it can be fairly explained except on the hypothesis, that Christ is God. Take for instance the passage before us. Our blessed Saviour told his Dis- ciples that he would " send to them the Comforter, even the Spirit of Truth, who should guide them into all truth, and shew them things to comea." But is he a man, or a mere created being, that arrogates to him- self this power ? Of that Spirit he proceeds to say, " He shall glorify me." What language is this ? Does a creature say, he will send the Spirit of the living- God to glorify him? That God should send a creature for the advancement of his own glory, is intelligible enough : but that a creature should send God for the advancement of his glory, is what no rational being would for a moment admit. But further ; our Sa- viour adds, " He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." What ! Has a creature any thing that he can call his own ; and which is of so mysterious a nature, that it cannot be known, except God himself shall make it the subject of a special revelation ? And has he such an exclusive propriety in that thing, that it must be acknowledged to be his, at the very time that God is taking of it in order to shew it unto men? This was so strong an assertion of his Godhead, that the Disciples themselves appear to have been stag- gered at it ; on which account our Lord proceeded to vindicate and confirm the expression he had used : " All that the Father hath, is mine : therefore said I that he shall take otmine, and shall shew it unto you\" » ver. 7, 13. b ver. 15.