The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 293

c,ompelloo to eee thRt it ie altogether in me no more. Not merely thl\t the world the w1·N1~. The dieoiplee are to ovel'<'ome will be led to form a new conception of the whole world by the intensity with righteouenese, seeing that God has exalted whi~h they will be inetrumentAUy the him whom they ht\ve condemned as a. male- OOOR~ion of this oonviotion. The world factor,-that would roa.lly, with Liicke and under the depreBBing and distracting in- Meyer, limit thie "righteoueneee" to 11, fluence of its own principles, ILi! wt11l as it.a judgment oonoeming the guilileeeneBB of pessions, hRS misoonooived the whole nature Obrist; nor Mn we, with Luther, eto., regnrd of "sin,'' the entire mystery of '' righteous- it ae equivalent to the llurcuo,ro.,.,, of Rom, neBB," the oort&inty of retribution, e.nd the i. 17, the righteous attribute a.nd righteous thin~ and prinoiplee on which condign proceBB by which God ie able to trca.t ae ",iudgment " must fall. The Advooa.te, the rightooue those who believe. This is the Divine, indwelling Spirit of the truth, whom only place in the Gospel where the word Christ will s<'nd into hie disciples e.e oom- occurs, and it ce.n scarcely benr the tech- penl!lltion for his own e.hsenoe, will through niMl significance of the grea.t theologioul them do this strange and tromendons work. discuBBione with which it was afterwa.rde Our Lord does not here promise the conver- associated. Schaff hu.s oalled attention to sion of mankind, but euoh e. oonviction the.t the Vulgate translation jU3titia, which ie the bleseed conBeqnenoe may follow. The represented in the Rheims English Version first great step will be taken. by "jnstice," and reminds us how Arch- Ver. 9.-The three elements of this con- deacon Ho.re urges that "righteousness" viction of the world are sepa.re.tely treated. and "jnstice" correspond to the entire In respeot of sin, beoause they believe not theology of the Protestant a.ad Romanist on me. The /Jn has been restricted by Churches. The Proteste.nt sees in "1·ight- llieyer to "so far o.s," as thongh the con- eonsness " an ideal never reached by the viction with respect to sin was limited to e. human will in its own strength ; the charge of specific unbelief; and Hengsten- Romanist, by the term "justice," embodies berg would render it " oonsisting in this, itself in outward acts. The idea. of right- that," etc. But B1ll'ely the full causal force eousness involves the demand for purity; of the particle is to be pressed, " beaanse tho idea of justice, one for cleanness. But they believe not on me." The essence of all seeing that Christ had all along called sin is unbelief, a refusal to surrender heart urgent attention to the fact that that which and will to the Divine will and authority, is highly esteemed among men is abomina- though the world generally had t.aken dif- tion in the sight of God, and that the right- ferent views of it : supposing .. Bin " to be eonsneBB of his kingdom must exceed " the disobedience to some particular claBB of righteonsness of the scribes and Pharisees," duties, or the neglect of cert.a.in specific it becomes clear that his o:x:e.lte.tion to the ceremonial. Christ declares that the Spirit right hand of the Father would exhibit which has always been striving with men God's ideal of righteonsness; and by the to bring them into reconciliation with God, aid of the Holy Spirit working through the will now convict the world that its einfnl word of the apostles, the world's view of tendencies and principles have reached these things would be utterly snbverteci, the their highest and most wilful expression in world would be silenced, convicted of being unbelief EU iµl, tDwards me. The most utt.erly in the wrong in its idea. of right- complete manifestation of God has received eowmess e.e well as in its jadgment upon from the world the most utter e.nd insensate the nature of sin. The idea of righteous- repudiation. The very nature of sin thus ness will be expanded e.nd transfigured; the stands revealed., the leprosy of sin will idea of sin will be deepened and intensified come out on the smiling self-complacency and brought home. Stier has, with great of the world. It will no longer be able to eloquence e.nd power, pressed the other view, charge upon Adam, nor the devil, nor upon which makes the h,eyxos of the Holy nature, nor upon temptations of the 11.esh. Ghost nothing short of this-that there is the blame of sin; but will t.ake the guilt no other righteonsness for men than the home, and see tha.t, in this crowning a.et of righteonmeBB of God in Christ e.nd the hums.n folly, unbelievers have rendered righteousness of Obrist before God. Notice, themselves pel'80Ilally liable to oondemna.- nevertheless, the occa.sioIIB on which the iion, and, bv rejecting infin.ite love as well world was brought to reoognize the triumph a.s eternal la.w, have left themselves without of Christ's righteousness and confusion of its excnse. own prejudicea (Acts ii 27, Sl; iii H; Ver. 10.-In raipect of ri.ghteO'llBlllllll, vii. 52). beo&uN I go to the :rather, 1 and 71 behold Ver. 11.-In respeot of judgment, beoauae the prince of tbil world is judged. The 1 The µ.au of T .R. is omitted by B. T ., Tisch- conviction of sin will have a peculiarly e.ad endorf, etc., on the e.nthoriiy of M, B, D, eto. specially snbjeotive cause ; that of judgment ea. xvi. 1-33.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN.