2 ur Savimwr of his bo” other Com vat he wil Miſſion of 1. chat # cure; 31 concern # uith, 1 wit
pv
WW:
| 15, be made partakers of, o becauſe it neither ſeeth him, whois not to
. come to you 5, > 7 The word in the Greek is Orphans, perſons without father and mother, who for rhe moſt part are the moſt comfortleſs perſons,
ray the Father, and he ſhall ſeud Jou @ndther Comforter. That term, P wathers ſignifieth the perſonal aijtintt ion of the Third, from the Firſt ol Second Perſon in che Bleſſed Trinity. And the name here given to the Bl:{ſcd Spirit, TacgiAuſoy ( which we too narrowly tranſlate Comforter, ) is a term excceding proper to ſignifie all the Operations of the Bleſſed Spirit in and upon the ſouls of his people. The ſame word, 1 Jofm 2+ 2+ where it 18 applied to Chriſt ( as here it is to the
Sprrit) here P
ro comfort only, but to ex/ort, and to be an Advocate for another, Now it belongs to the Office of an Advocate to ſuggeſt to his Client what may be for his advantage » which is alſo the Office of the bleſ- ſed Spirit ; if he feeth his Client in an error, fo reprove, and to con- vince him, which is alſo the work of the,Spirit, 7ohn 6. 7. If he (eeth him weak, and diſcouraged, to uph0!d, ſtrengthen, and encou. 1aoe bim ; this is alſo the Spirit's work, Eph. 3. 16 if he ſees him running into an error, to reffram him; if he finds him dul, and heavy, to quicken bim ; it he ſeeth him ready to be run-down, to 4e- -nd him; if he hath any thing to do in the Court, to prepare, and i-aw it up for himandas occaſion ſerveth, to ſpeak for him, All theſe things (as might be largely ſhewed) fall within the Office of an 44- wcate, and under the comprehenſive term here uſed. / And ( ſaith ou? Gyiour ) he ſhall abide with you for ever, I ſhall be with you but for a while, but he ſhall abide with yal fo eternity ( 24S ſome Obs ſerve this word, is conſtantly uſed by this Evangelift. ) Sorhat the Pr4- miſe of the Spirit is not to be reſtrained only to the Apoſtles and their Succeſſors in the Miniſtry, or to be underſtood only of thoſe extraordinary gifts beſtowed on the Apoſtles, and firſt Miniſters of the Goſpel ; but to be extended further, both with reference to per- ins and influences 3 and without doubr the influences of the Spirit, both as to Gifts and Graces, .both upon Miniſters and-more private Chriſtians, are much more plentiful ſince the ſending of the Holy Ghoſt, after Chriſt's Aſcenſion in the days of Pentecoſt, than ever they were before, not as to particular perſons ; a David, a Solomon, or ſome particular _ might have greater meaſures then any, or the moſt have ſince bad : bur as to che generality of Miniſters, and Chriſtians, doubtleſs, fince the pouring out of the Spirit in the days of Pentecoſt, there have been greater meaſures of the Gifts and Gra- ces of the Holy Spirit given out, and will be to the end of the World, than ever was in any Age before Chriſt's Aſcenſion; which is no more than what was Prophefied, iſa. 44+ 3. Foel. 2. 28. applied to the days of Pentecoſt, Att; 2. 17. but not to be limited to that time, or Age, either for gifts or gracious habits: for as the extraordinary gifts and powers, held in ſome degree after the Apoſtles age, (if we may give any credit to Eccleſtaſtical Hiſtory ) ſo both in thoſe ages, and ever fince, as to the generality both of Miniſters and Chriſtians, (that is, ſuch as are mentioned, wer. I 5. that love Chriſt, and keep his Commandments ) there have been fuller meaſures of gifts, of more conſtant ſtanding uſe for the Church, ſuch as thoſe of Knew- os and Urteraxce, Oc. and alſo of inward graces, than ever be- ore was,
17 Ewen the Spirit of truth 77, whom the world can- not receive n, becauſe it ſeeth him not, neither know- eth himo: but ye know him p, for he dwelleth with
| you, and ſhall be 1n you 9.
m He here explaineth himſelf, and tells them, that by that other Comforter mentioned, wer. 16. he meant the Spirit, whom he here calls the Spirit of Truth, either becauſe he is a Spirit that declareth and revealeth the truth, as in 1 John 5. 6. or becauſe he teacheth us truth, 1 7ohn 2. 27. he guideth us into all truth, John 16. 13. Or in Op- poſition to the /ying Spiric of rhe Devil, 1 Kings 22. 22. Moft pro- bably the Holy Spirit is here called the Spirit of Truth, becauſe of the Efficiency he hath 3s to it. Ir is he who hath revealed all the truth contained in the Scriptures, tothe World. Holy men wrote 45 they were inſpired by himy A#s 1. 16, 2 Per. 1. 21. It is he that more particularly and eſpecially revealeth truth to the particular Soul, I Cor, 10. f2, Hence perſons enlightned, are ſaid to -be partakers of the Holy Ghoſt, Heb. 6. 4. He leadeth his People into Truth, Ch. 16, 13, he ſealeth and confirmeth truth to the Soul : hence we read of the demonſtration of the Spirit, 1 Cor. 2. 4+ n This Spirit of truth, the World, that is, men of carnal heartsthat are of the World, and n whom worldly Juſts predominate, 1 John 2. 16. Chap. 19. 9g. This World, through natural impotency, 1 Cor. 2. 14. through wiſ- dom, 1 Coy, 10. 21. through Juſts and paſſions, cannot receive, that
be ſeen with mortal Eyes, nor knoweth him affeQionately, and expe- rimentally ; he being not to be known by men whoſe hearts are car- nal and full of Juſts, p but ye know him believingly, experimen- tally, akGionately, favingly : q for be dwelleth in you by a myſti- cal Union, Rom. 8, 11, 1 Cor- 6, 17, and he ſhall abide with you, by hisdwelling in you, and influences upon you.
18 * I will not leave you * comfortleſs », * I will
therefore it is crnſlated comfortleſs ; Chriſt hath a care, nor only of tne peoples Salvation and Life, but alſo of their comforts while they
S. JOHN
5 there much better tranſlated Advocate ; and it is moſt pro- pable that our Tranſlators here tranſlare ir Comforter, becauſe he is romiſed ro the Diſciples troubled, as fitted to their preſent Jiftreſs, The Verb from whence the word deriveth, ſignifies not
19 Yet a little while, and the world ſeeth me nn
live alſo w.