or his bestowrnents of wisdom upon the natural man, may be lost· but this hi"hcr chrism in true believers, never I G. What are it.9 effects 1 (1) Direct'. (a) Enlighten- ment, "Ye all know" (cf. John xvi. 13; 1 Cr)r. ii. 0-16). Those fille<l with the Spirit see Lhe truth as others cnnnot. (b) Consequently, they can apply criteria of truth divinely given (ver. 27). (c) They arc, in a most importit.ut sense, independent of human teaching (Ueb. viii. 11). 'l'he transition from a traditional faith dcpendincr upon wlint man s11ys, to a living one born of God, is of vital importance (cf. Juhn iv~ 41, 42). (2) Indirect. (a) The lie of antichrist will be perceived in a moment through the supernatural light given from above. The inward guidance of the Holy Ghost enables men to detect false guides. (b) The quick disccrnmeut of error will be the surest safeguard against it. As the anointing abides in believers, the abiding of such believers in Christ naturally follows. Kaer:., l515~•v 6µ.as µ.,v,Te lv abT<j. II. How FAR DOlsS THIS UNCTION SERVE AS A SAFEGUARD AGAI~ST THE ANTI- CHRISTS OF THIS AND OF EVERY AGE? The teaching of the apostle, which in our first division we have carefully analyzed and arranged, we must now aim at using for its designed end. 1. There are now many antichrists. A legion of opposing foes set themselves in array against tl:.e Lod. and against his gospel. _What they are the Christian preacher knows but too well-atheism, agnosticism, deism, pantheism, positivism, etc. Several forms of error range themselves under the one worn. "anti- supernaturalism." As in apostolic days the great stumbling-block was" the offence of the cross," in our days it brgely consists in the insisting on a supernntural revelation. 2. ..1frgument for <irgument, it is quite possible, and even easy, adequately to defend the O/iristian faith. There have never been lacking competent advocates for God's truth, who have met the arguments of the unbeliever with complete and e,-en crushing replies. Never wa,; this more strikingly the case than now (A.D. 1888). Never were the enemies of the cross more daring in their denials. Never were the defences of the faith more magnificent than now. So complete, indeed; are they, that if the unbeliever did but see how tho case stands, he would know that his was a lost cause. But: 3. Sometliing more than argument is needed for an ~lfective guard against anticl,ristian error. Three things are necessary. (1) A disposition to weigh the ariument. (2) Tho ~piritual discernment to perceive things that are spiritual. (3) A read.il!ess to receive the kingdom of God as a little child-to let God teach us what he will, and to let in the light from above. 4. These conditions it is not in the powe1· of ma·n to en.mre. God will give them to every earnest prayerful seeker that he ruay be guided into all truth. But not the ablest pleader for God can create these conditions of success in any one with whom he pleads. 5. Only by the anointing of the Holy One can these conditions be bestowed and maintained. But by this anointing, by this rich enduing with the Holy Ghost, will that state of soul be initiatetl and sustained, to which the truth of God will readily find access, and by which it will be guarded against serious and fatal error. A finely cultivated taste will be a better safeguaru. against the viu- fation of good taste than any technical rules apart therefrom 6. Hence the one point at which we should constantly and prayerfully aim is the sure neutralization of error by thefulness of a Divine enlightenment and power. (1) For the Cbristian advocate this is the point to aim at. If he relies on argument alone, he will fail. 'l'he Divine Spirit can create the conditions under which the right arguruent will have its right effect. (2) So with the Christian. Let him plead for a discernment so accurate and quick that he will see error to be error without the need of ar,;ument about it. (3) So with our young people as they go forth into life, and have to meet with temptations everywhere to desert the Christian camp. Their true, their only sure safeguard is the fulness of the lloly Ghost, with all his renewing, enlightening, and quickening powers. Filled with the Spirit, they are safe anywhere; without the Spirit, they are safe nowhere!
Ver. 22.-The greatest possible lie. Connecting link: The chrism from the Christ will ward off antichrist, because it will give such clear and quick intuitions concerning what is true and what is false, that the lie of antichrist will be instantly seen to be such, and Christ's anointed ones will not be deceived by him. And the value of this safeO'uard against antichrist is seen in the fact that the lie he Wt,uld proragate being not ~erely on a minor point of detail, but concerning the Person of the Christ himself, it covers so much ground and carries so much a.long with it, that this lie of a.ntichrist THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. [crt. u. l-2!l,