The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 292

Ver. 7.-Though yon nre oruehed with 11 So, without any hyperbole, nothing hn.d ever 8enee of your appro11ohi ng bereavement, and been so wonderful and blessed to the human 80 imperfootly npprehend the conditions of spirit o.s the fellowship whfoh had prevo.ilerJ your future power and the mothod which between the Son of m11n and his diaciples. it ia inoumbont upon me to adopt for yonr They were with him, they snt nt his feet, oon80lo.tion o.nrl the completion of my eo.rthly tbey watched his countenance, they ex- work, neverthele11 I tell you the truth, It perienced o. continunus series of Divine is wonderful that he who is the Truth itself surprises o.t his judgments ,md his mercies. should hnve needed, in euoh vnrions forms, They were walking by ~ight, as the children t? have reitero.ted and affirmed the supreme of Israel did, following the pillar of fire and right he possessed to claim their o.cceptn.uoe cloud, and drinking of the Ii ving water; of his vero.oity. The truth, then, thus bnt they were nevertheless living by sight. solemnly aeserted, beoa.uee in their then Nevertheless, there was something more frame of mind it wo.e so utterly unpalatable wonderful and gracious still, when, in his and incredible notwithetnnding all that he physical abaenoe, they would have the sense hod so.id-the truth is, It is Hpedient for of his spiritual presence. They would lose you that I go away. The 1va. d1r,l\8c., clause him e.e an earthly Friend, but they would simply defines that which is expedient, regain him o.s e. Divine Reality; they would profitable to the disciples. Many commen- discover more than his humanity in bis God- tators, holding everywhere the telic force Mo.nhoo<l. They would wield his Divine of 1va., soy, with Meyer and Lo.age, thot Word as their weo.pon, and would become "1va. morks fact considered with regard to the channels of his healing o.nd convincing the purposes destined to be nooomplished o.nd judging powers. The promise, •• I will by it." Here, however, the profitableness send him," is the guarantee of something to the disciples is the chief and solitary more than 11 " Christ after the flesh " could thought. " For you : " here lies the gist of ever be. the mystery. They might have accepted his Ver. 8.-And he, when he is come (h,9C:,v). own assurance that, bitter as the mode of A right royal e.ssnrance. The Holy Spirit his departure mllBt be, yet they ought to will come, as my grace and the result of my and would rejoice because he was going sending. Re will conviot the world. Little to the Father. How we.a it possible for doubt is now entertained that this fll..,..1xo$ them to rejoice so faras they were personally implies the refutntion of error, the discovery concerned? He answers the question, For of wrong-doing, the bringing it home to the if I go not away-e.nd surely this solemn person convinced, and thus convicted (eh. iii departure meant, as he ho.d recently told 20; viii 9, 46; 1 Cor. xiv. 24; Titus i. 9; them, by the way of dee.th and glorification J e.s. ii. 9) ; making such a one see that he -the Paraolete, of whom I have spoken, the is open to the condemnation of conscience, or Spirit of truth (see oh. xv. 26, 27), will not of men, or of the Law of God. Thl3 convic- oome to yon; but if I go (-rrop•ve;;,, to my tion may in some cases lead to conversion Father; observe the form of the two oon- o.nd delivere.nce, but is distinct from it, and ditione.l sentences, the degree of uncertainty sometimes e.lso may issue e.fter such 11 as to the issue, to be determined by the manifestation in hardness o.nd impenitence. result), I will send him to yon (see notes The patristic interpretation (Authorized on oh. vii. 39. "The Holy Spirit," as the Version and Hengstenberg), " Ha will re- Divine dispense.tion of gro.oe to men bring- pro\'e," might po.as as II fair translation ing a renewed humanity into living incor- of the word, in its reference to sin, but poration with its great Head, taaa not yet, would he.ve slilll.!.l meaning as applied to becalLBB Jllllus waa not yet glorified). Jesus righteousness or judgment. Meyer, Godet, could not become the Divine Life-centre of Lutha.rdt, Lange, Westcott, Stier, and the hume.n fe.mily, radiating from himself Moulton agree that l!1..-y(<1 means more the full glory of a universal harmony, than " reprove," less the.n " convince." until he ho.d been ta.ken up, until he he.d The world is spoken of, not Jews merely, been glorified in God. Unspee.ke.bly precious or their leaders. Humanity itself, with its os me.ny of our earthly gifts o.nd friendships fa.lse ste.nde.rds of judgment, e.nd its self- ore, we do not apprehend them, 11or profit complacenoy, is to be convicted of being iu by them to the full, until they ::Lre taken the wrong; all kings, princes, poteutatea, from us. The youth, submitted • > the con- priests, e.nd publioo.ns, who a.re out of ho.r- dition of perfeot dopendence on o po.rent's mony with God, will be convicted by the core and guide.nee, ca.n scarcely ever ree.ch Pa.re.clete. The oon viction of the worlu is the fulness of his me.nhocd until he is threefold-in rupeot of Bin, in respect of thrown bo.ok upon the spirit of his fo.ther's righteonanesa, e.nd in respeot of jndgment, counsel, apart from the.t father's presence, The three great categoxiea of thought, o.nd brings into daily pr11ctioe from II new custom, and conduct ; the three themes standpoint the prinoiplee he has learned. where the world is in infinite need of being  302 THE GOSPEL AOOORDING TO ST. JOHN. [cH. xvi. 1--83,