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/i^^..,..-^.^ ^^.^Z*^*^.<^,L^ .
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TWO SERMONS
I'KEACIIED IN THE
CATIIEDllAL OF ClIMST CHURCH,
FEEDEJRIOTON, NEW BKUNSWIOK,
ox
WUITSINDAY Ax\D TIIINHY SUNDAY, 18G7,
By JOHN. BISHOP OF FREDERICTOiN.
TU'MLISIIB'JJ Sir SiEQUBST.
FUEDEKICTON, N. B.:
IIKNIIV A. CROPIiEY.
1»67.
• t
• •
> «
. . '
n, \. « Kori.i.v. im;inti:i;. <^ii i.v siuii r. ri;i.i>n;i' ion. n. i;
TO
A/id Many other kind /) tends.
TiiKSK i)i:«cui'issi:s, n iiLisnKi) at thkiu i{i:«,.rKST.
AUK i)i;i»icATj.i». Mini i:vi:i{Y ri;i:Lixu of kkspkct and AMKcnoN,
in Tlir.IU I AlTIIkl 1, J KIKNK AM> BISIU»l',
JOHN' FIIEDKIIICTON.
THE MISSION OF THE COMFORTER.
-•«•-
" TnK Comforter, wliioh is the Uoly Ghost, wliom tlic Father will scml in my
name, lie will teadi you nil tilings, nmi l)ring nil fliinj^s io your rcmcmbraiifo,
whnt"«oovcr I have said unto vou." — St. Joiix xiv. Hi.
HE clmptcr from which my text is taken, niul tlic
two chapters which follow it, form at all times,
but especially at this season,* most profitable
subjects for tlie Christian's private reading and
meditation. That the Scriptures arc by many not
read at all, and by many more read to little pur-
pose, can hardly be denied. The business of life
absorbs the wlioh; attention, and even the Lord's
day is not devoted, as it might be, to this kind of
spiritual improvement. How small a hold must
religion have upon the heart, when not even a
portion of the day of rest can be spared for this
great purpose. It is true we regularly attend public worship, and
hear the Scriptures read with attention and devoutness; and we
mav be supposed to have discharged some part of what are called
religious duties. Ihit in order to union and communion with
(Jod, — in order to the fulfilment of that glorious destiny for which
we were sent into the world, — there must be something beyond
attendance at Church: the truths which we liear must have a deep
hold-fast in the heart itself, and they nnist be the principles on Avhich
our life and practice are built. For how immense is the danger
that the busy scenes of political life, the eager computation of money,
the schemes of management and co-operation with others, will so
absorb the mind, that it will lose all interest in the eternal world;
and the danger is the greatest when we do not see it. The fear is,
that, even on the Lord's Day, the mind may be unable to do more
than to give to God a superficial discharge of theolficcs of religion,
while the Christian is not so in love with truth as to take up the holy
Word of his own accord, and think it out quietly by himself. We
mar even make use of religious senices, so as to shut out private
reading altogether. Now, after so much has been said of the import-
Preached on WhitsuQday.
TIIK MISSION OF TIIK COMFOHTKIt.
tance of haviiij^ the Scrtpturo traiislntinl into our mother toii<(uo, niul
freely accensiblo to all, are not many, by their own ncjflccjt, placed
in the same condition with tho8C who liuvc no tninslulion of the
Bible, and nu knowledge of it? And thun it liappenH, that whilst
oth«r Christiana are fiercely assailed for depriving their inombt'iH of
this special blessing, the very persons who glory in their possession
of (lie Scriptures neglect to use them, and are, by their neglect, in a
worse condition than those over whose miserable estate they con-
tinually laii'.ent. Among the subjects which our Church presses on our
attention, we find especially prominent the subject of the coming, the
presence, the assistance, and consolation of the Holy (Jhost. The
promise of the Comforter was the special topic of consolation to the
sorrowing Apostles on the eve of our Lord's departure. " I will not
leave you orphans," he said tenderly ; *' 1 am coming to you." Com-
ing, not in bodily presence, not in manifestation of judgment, but in
sending tlie great representative of the Father and the Son, who is
IkUown as the Holy Spirit. Our Lord sjK'aks of ilim as possessing all
the attributes of a person, and of a Divine jierson. He can licar.
speak, come, and dwell, lie can keep, comfort, and intercede. He
can be vexed, fjuenched, grieved, and forced to depart. He can en-
lighten their understandings and refresh their memories. He can
impart grace, truth, light, love, i)eace, and joy. He proceeds from
the l*'ather, ajid is sent by the Son, and by the Father. He is as om-
nipotent as the Father, as ever-present as the Son, and is joined
with them in the great act of initiation into the Christian covenant,
the solemn homage of heart-worship, and in the three-fold blessing
which corresponds to the blessing which Moses taught the chiUhvn
of Lsrael to use when the ark moved and rested. The fellowship of
the Spirit is to be sought for as earnestly as the grace of the Lord
Jesus and the love of the eternal Father. AVhat solid i)roofs arc here
of the Divine nature of the blessed Spirit; and how entirely iiicom-
l)atible are the expressions with the supposition that He is a mere
attribute or influence of the Almighty I
Again, all the manifestations of Divine i)Ower which accompanied
the life of our Lord, and which followed the fultilment of his promise
that he would *' send " the Spirit " from the Father, " are aseribcd in
the (lospels and the Acts of the Apostles, and in the Ei>i<tles of St.
I'aul, to the agency of the Holy Ghost; and they were as truly miracu-
lous, and as truly proceeded from (Jod, as any of those works which,
as our Lord declared, showed that '* He proceeded forth and came
from God." Nor need we limit this supernatural and miraculous
agency to the age of visible miracles. Ileal miracles may be wrought,
when visible miracles are no longer vouchsafed. The Holy Si)irit's
miraculous power need not be limited to those bodily cures, or to
those manifestations of power o\er tlie sphere of nature, w Inch form
TitE MtSfitON OK TIIK rOMKOUTKn.
ii<fUo, niul
ct, plncc'd
Dll ol' I lie
lut whilst
ornbiMH of
»().sscssi()u
i^loct, ill u
they coii-
st'8 on our
miny. Iho
DSt. Tlio
iuii to the
I will not
I." Corn-
lit, but iii
n, who is
iessinjf all
can hear.
;etlo. Ho
le can en-
Ho can
^eds iVoni
is as oin-
is Joined
Ruvcnant,
bl('ssin;4'
children
wship of
the Lord
are here
y iiiconi-
is a inerc
(inpanicd
■5 i)ronu.«e
cribed in
les of St.
[y niiracu-
s Avliich.
md came
iraculous
wrought,
y Spirit's
CCS. or to
lich form
a larjje portion of the miracles reconled in the Old Testament, and
even in the infancy of the (hri'^tian Church. And I know not why
in a more spiritual sphere of action, ayrecably to the genius of the
Christian dispensation, the Holy (iliost may not work continual mir-
acles in the Christian Chiiich. And as in the ini|)erfect tlispcn-iiitioii
given to the .lews, the test of laith was to receive the teacher as
come from (J«)d, when he was enabled to exercise unusual jiowcr
over natural thiiij,^s and persons, so i»ossibly one test of faith now
may be to believe in the work of the Holy (Jhost. as sanctifying
the creatures of (Jod to hiji^h and spiritual uses, and to realize his
work, as Irulv miraculous. ihon<fh no outward chanire takes place
in the persons :ind thiiij^s whii-h are the subjects of his power. And
this may be more truly an act of faith than if we saw one ris(> from
the dead, on the jrreat i)rinciple announced by our I^ord, *'Itlcs>cd
arc th(>y that have not seen, and yet have believed.'*
Indeed, tin's princi[»l«! of the continual workinjrof the Holy (Jho>t,
and by <rreater works than Christ himself did on earth, is the? sp(>cial
[H'omisc of the (Christian dis]»>nsation. We are told by St. IVler. that
the ''holy men,'' who si)ak«! and wrote before our Lord's advent,
were ** moved " or borne on by the impnlsj's of th(> Holy (iho'«l ; nor
can we imai;iiie any ^ood tiling* in thi! heart of man wlii(;h did not
l»roreed Irom this source. Still, in a very im))ortanl sense " the Holy
Spirit was not jriven until Christ was jrloritlcd;" that is, until he as-
cencU'd into Heaven. The gift ol the HolyChost to be the representa-
tive of the F;jtlier and of the Son was not nn\de. No yeneral g-race had
been i)onr( d out on the world. Xo <jreat commission had been issued to
baptize nil nations. No one had been ai)pointed over the whole
(Jhurch, of whom the Spirit should be the invisible, but real, active,
and ever-abiding representative. The separate and subordinate gift
may have been beetowed on the individual mind, as the rsulmist
says, ^'Tttke not Thy Holy Spirit from me; '' but this was not a col-
lective gift for the whole Church, as iIk; Apostle speaks. •' Through
Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the; Father.'' "And
have been all made to drink of the same Si)irit.*' "As many of you a>
have been l»!ii)tized into Christ, have put on Christ." Thus in special
couiieclion Willi .lesus Chi'ist as "'iho head over all thing's to hi^
( liurcli, the t"nhie>s of liim avIio lillelh all in all,"' is the continued
abiding- and in-dwellingof the (Jomforter in the '• Church which is his
body," and in the Jiearts of all who believe in, love, and obey him.
How these great and plainly revealed truths are to bo rcconcil(>il
with the Cnity of Cod. is a subjeet far above the reaeli of any human
mind. lint the fact that many stumble at the doctrine, as soon a-
they l)egin to try it by the measures of sight and reason, is no valid
objection to it. Whatever God reveals transcends our reason; and if
viewed only in one aspect appears to be contradictory to it. 1 say,
THE MISSION OF THE COMFOKTEK.
(
if viewed only in one axpcct or one Hitlo; for it certainly i« not coii-
trndictory to reason lo wiy that the Divine lleinj,'^ is both One and
Tin-ee, provided lie is not Three in the same sense in wliich lie is One.
Admitting tlie Unity of (Jod to bo tlic fundamental Article of all
faith, we cannot add to this tsiniple statement that (iod is One, tlio
uecessary complements of that doctrine, that He is eternally self-exis-
tent, omnipotent, omniscient, without an apparent contradiction in
lan<j;U!i«ie: for what is clearer than that any thiny beyond Time and
splice we hav(! no idea wluitsoever, and as soon as wo attempt to state
it, we are involved in contradictions? And what is apparently clearer
tlian that a personal aj^tMit cannot be wholly present in two places at
one and the same time, and that such a bein<^ mtist be capable of being
circumscribed by certain bonds and limits? The objections therefore
nr<i('d against the doctrine of the Trinity, or the personality of the
Holy (ihost, arise in some measure from our ne<4lecting to analyse
our ideas on the attributes of God in his simi)le Ujiity. For these
ideas will be found to be as full of inconsistency, as soon as we begin
to try them by the measures of human reason. The truth is, we have
no measure of a Divine IJeing. He exists in a sphere above and
beycmd our own. Ontn; admit a llevelation, antl what is revealed is
u pure matter of faith witii which reason has nothing to do, except to
try to discover the meaning of the words in which the Itevelation is
made. The thing itself is matter for adoration, not investigation.
Ihit let us now apply ourselves to the consideration of the text it-
self. "The Comforter: He shall teach you all things." The .Son (»f (;od
whilst lie remained with man, was our Comforter, by his teaching,
b\ his glorious exami>h!, and by his wondrous patience, *' even unto
death." JJut the Holy Ghost can do more for man than the Lord
iTesus cifected on earth.
The Sv)n, having limited himself to a hunum body, Avould have been
circumscribed within the bounds of one place, and the benefits which
he bestowed must have been proportionally limited. But now acting
by his Spirit, he is present within all Churches, he visits every clime,
and hears the prayers of every soul in the assemblies of the failiiful
at one and the same moment. The bodily presence of the Son repre-
sents the loss perfect dispensation. Born of a Jewish virgin, he is
bound by Jewish laws, and oilers his devotions in the material Jewish
Temple. But now, enthroned on high, He sends His Spirit to repre-
sent to us the freedom and the glory of the New Covenant. The lirst
law" of that Covenant is faith in an unseen Spiiit, universal worship
oll'ered through an unseen Saviour " in spirit and in truth, " and the
agency of the Holy Ghost, as being invisible, impresses on us more
forcibly the spirituality of His Kingdom. The Spirit also sanctifies
and yives efllcacv to the Institutions of the Christian CTiurch, more
particularly to those two Sacraments which form the basis on which
the spirit uttl fabric rests.
TTTF, MI«MON OF TTTR rOMTOnTEn.
not coii-
Oiio and
lu in Olio,
clo of n\l
One, the
solt'-exls-
liction in
Time niul
[)t to state
ly clearer
I places at
e of being
therefore
ity of the
0 analyse
For tlieso
we begin
!, we have
ibove and
Bvealed is
except to
'elation is
stigalion.
lie text it-
on of (Jod
teaching,
even nnio
the Lord
have been
fils which
L>w acting
ry clinic,
e faitlifnl
on rei)re-
(in, he is
al rJewisli
to reprc-
The first
worship
' and the
lis more
sanctifies
•ch, more
oil which
The word Sacrament is derivctl from the anciont military oath, by
Whicli KoldieiH were bound. The .Sacraments are, therefore, tests of
our fidelity. They are essentially spiritual onllnanccs. Conslilered as
more forms nuiny ways might bo devised of rememberiug our FiOrd
as signiticant ; and as lie never indnlge<l in mere forms and cere-
monies, it would be contrary to his practice to continue them, on
the supposition (hat they are only forms; and the (Juaker, on this prin-
ciple, is the oaly consistent Christian in entirely abandoning tlu'ir use.
For the whole genius of Christianity is adverse to forms wlilcli embody
no truth, and contain no symbolical teaching. The Sacraments nnist
bo connected with the CJracc! of the Holy (ihost, or they are lifeless
forms, without force or meaning. Our (Mmnjh therefore rec(>gnl/es
throughout her whole service a great si)irit«ud element, a great and
mighty truth, that the i)n>sence of the Holy (jlhost can alone bless and
sanctify what Christ has commanded to bo done; and if it be done
asChristco]nmanded,we cannot suppose that glorious Presence will bo
withheld. For if we believe that (Christ's Sacraments may bo rightly
administered and righty received, and yet that the Holy Chost will
not be present, what do we but make the Lord's words a moc^kery,
what are wc to think of such words as "whom the Father will send in
my Name," if the Holy Ghost be not present, when that High Name is
rightly used? What is therefore by some dcrisivelycalled" Sacramental
Ueligion,"' is not a belief in the efficacy of Sacraments irrespective of
the working of the Holy Ghost, and of the right recei)<ion of the wor-
shipper, a mere magical charm, which it is to be hoi)od no Christian
believes in ; but it is a firm possession of the reality and etficacy of
the Sacraments rightly administered and riglily received (a persuasion
which Cranmer, llidley, and Jewell held to the last hour of their lives),
u firm belief in the presence and acting of the Holy CJhost, in and
though the Avord spoken by the eternal Son for the use of men. Our
belief in the presence of the Holy Ghost if. expressed in the one
Sacrament by the ecclesiastical word " liegeneration," and in the
other by thewords "Ileal Presence, "terin3which,howcverabusod, can
be clearly separated from that abuse, and satislhctoriiy explained.
Regeneration is oiir ti'ans])lantlng from a state of nafure into a state
of grace, and our aibnission into all the privileges of the sons of (Jod.
No i)ower but that of the Holy (ihost can do this, and it belongs to
Him specially and exclusively. In one respect it dill'ers entirely from
CoiiM ision, with which it is sometimes confounded, llegeneration
is bestowed on us as a free gift, that we may be made and may be
called children of (jod. Conversion is also His gill; but it is a more
complex word than Hegeneration. It lini)lies not only the gift of God
to turn from sin by llepentance and Faith, but the ellort of man io turn
from sin, after he has fallen into it. llegeneration takes place once, and
can no more be repeated than a man can be naturally twice born;
10
THE MISSION or THE OOMKOIITRK.
Conversion is in one sr ise lifc-lonj>-, for wo nevor bid fiirewoll to fin
till we pass out of tiiis sinful world, in another sense, it nuiy be
repeated, for we may be converted, and fall away a«^ain, and yet bo
restored to life. Uegeneration, our churcli teaches us, may be be-
stowed on Inlants, who ncA'cr connnitted actual sin. But it is not
bestowed on Adults, unless they repent and believe. But to say that
an Infant is converted is to pervert the use of words, for an Infant
has no actual sin to repent of. Again, by the words "Real Presence"
we do not mean that the elements of bread and win<! cease to be what
in their own nature God has nnide them, but that the Holy Ghost de-
scending- upon them, and receiving them as our oblation to (iod,
sanclilies tliem to a holy and spiritual use wholly dilferent from
their natural use, and through them comnuinicales the Body and
Blood of Christ spiritually to the soul of the faithful receiver; so that
in a manner wholly incomprehensible to our natural faculties, Christ
and His Spirit are truly present, and we do by faith "verily and
indeed" spiritually feed on Christ our Lord. This is so often and so
plainly stated in our Catechism and Communion ottioe, that it is need-
less to (juote i)assages lamiliar to all who use these otiices, and the doc-
trine being there expressed, the words "Real rresenco" need not
disquiet any serious mind, as though any change of the substance of
the elements, or any adoration of them, or any carnal presence of
Chnst's body were implied or intended.
But the sanctitication of the Sacraments to the spiritual uses of the
soul is far from being the whole of the Spirit's work in the Church of
God. We depend on the witness of the Spirit for the autlienllcity of
the Gospels.* That they contain matters of fact is evident from this
testimony of the Lord, "He shall teach you all things (necessary by
tliem, we suppose, to be known), and bring all things to your remem-
brance, whatsoever 1 have told you." There is a peculiar character in
the biogra\>hy of the Gospels which distinguishes them from every
other history of man. We arc nssured that the Spirit of (iod guided
the writers in the selection of facts, and brought to their remembrance
all that was necessary for the design of (iod. Human judgment would
have been utterly at fault in the selection of facts from our Lord's
wonderful and many-sided life, and would have either omitted some-
thing important to be known, or would have nmltiplied the details
unnecessarily, so as to make the work burdensome by its si/e, or
would have cuml)ered it by n'Hections, or would have omitted the
account ot the weakness and incredulity of the diseiples. Who but an
inspired Avriter could have been trusted to describe the betrayal of
i
* As the yion\':i gcnuim'ness ami authrnUtify arc often coiifound*^!, obsorvo that
rfenitiiuDi'ss siLrnitics that tlio dociniu'iit wsis wntteii hy the :aitt'<>r whose ti ine
it IwMirs; authnticit;/, tliiit (lie docuini'tit coutuins mutters of I'uct, not legcudary
Btxjnes.
TTir. MISSION or TIIK CX)MKOnTKIJ.
U
well to fin
it limy be
iinl yet be
nay bo be-
lt it is not
to say that
an Infant
Presence"
to be what
,' Ghost de-
m to (iod.
brent from
Body and
er; so that
ties, Christ
verily and
rten and so
t it is nced-
nd the doc-
" need not
nbstancc of
jrescnce of
uses of the
0 Church of
lent'icity of
it from this
[•cessary by
jur remem-
luj'acter in
rom ev<n*y
od jruided
ncnibranco
iicut would
our Lord's
tted some-
thc details
its size, or
mntted the
Alio but an
betrayal of
observe that
\vbi)sp !)')no
Bt legeu'lary
Judas, the denial of 8t. Peter, or above all the Pnflrerin*?s, death, and
resurrection of the Lord himself? Who but an inspired writer could
have do<^iiiatica!ly laujiiit the Supreme Divinity of the ISoii, and yet
iusisted luUy on his inferiority to the Father as man, in the s(!lf-same
Gospel, puttiuj{ into his mouth the two slariliufi: sentences " My Father
is greater thji 11 I,' and "That all men should honour the Son, even
as tliey honour the Father?" Thus we see everywhere in the Gospels
the lV>otpriiits of the I )ivine Spirit. We s«'e tliat the writers were men
of ditl'eient natural jiifts and powers of observation, and yet in one
respect singularly alike ; and that the diversity of their natural powers
under ^lie plastic iiilluence of the Spirit of (iod was made to subserve
God's jj^reai purpose. Xoihinjj!' was told us tojn'atity curiosity, nothing
was withheld wliich could serve that i)urpose.
Once more, we may trace the Holy Spirit's <rift in the ordination and
ellectual discharge of the iluties of the Ministers of the Church. For
the continued gift of the Spirit implies that the words "Sejiarate me
Barnabas and Saul for the work to which 1 have called thom,"' still re-
main in unchanged force and efficacy, and that his gifts still render
valid the olHces pertbrmed by frail, fallible men. This truth teaches
us how to <listinguish between the personal fiailties of the man and
tiie benelits we can receive from his ministry, whilst the ellectual min-
istrations even of the traitor Ju<las Iscaiiot arc guaranteed by no less
an autiiorily than our Lord himself. For even .ludas was chosen iiiid
sent lurlh to discharge, and doubtless did discharge, the duty assigned
to him. We look then above the man who is sent to the Master who
sends him, and believe that he may convey to our souls the inestimable
blessings of Christ's Word, even though, through his own neglect or
apostacy, he, alas! prove a castaway.
In dwelling on this important subject, I have chiefly spoken of the
Holy Spirits work on the Church of (iod at large. Not that 1 would
keep out of sight, or undervalne his blessful work on the imlividuai
heait, but because it is a very common error to depreciate or forget
iiis holy work in the corporate btxiy, and restrict his sacred inlluences
to what is done in the heart of the separate believer. The etlect of
this sejiaration of the two joint works is most deplorable. It leads
i.Multitudes to believe that Truth has no objective side, that piety is
only feeling pious, instead of being the life olGoil in the soul of man,
begun by the Spirit in the Church, carried on Uy the Spirit in the
soul, in active and effectual co-operation Avith our use of the means of
grace appointed to assist us, and with our daily endeavour to follow
the steps ot Christ's most holy lile. Whilst tlasnifore we utterly dis-
claim the doctrine of the grace of the Sacraments, unconnected with
their right administration and reception, we would urge on you the
necessity of believiun in the Spirit's work in the whoU; body and your
duty of co-operating with it. !i.« nienihcrs of tliai body, tiiis being in
19
THE MISSION OF THE COMFORTEU.
Bomo scnso as important as His gracious work in our own separate
souls. Your life, in sliort, is a common life ; your ransom, a common
ransom; the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost common to vou all,
as Heaven is the common home olTered to you. You can neither be
born, nor live, nor die, nor rise again, spiritually, for yourselves alone.
Kcmcmber, I beseech you, that an isolated Chiistianity is uotliiug
but a spiritualized sclfislmess.
THE MISSION OF THE COMFORTER.
" The wind bloweth where it listcth, mid thou hearcst tLe sound thereof, but
canst not tell whence it comcth, and wliither it goeth; so ia every one that ii
born of the Spirit." — St. John iii. 8.
HERE is an important difference between the three
first Gospels and the fourth. Th« three fir it speak
of tlic facts relating to our Lord's Incarnation as
historical truth: St. John d'sals with their mys-
terious and sacramental character. We may observe
this ditfcrence in the very opening of the Gospels.
St. Matthew, after connecting our Lord with tho
royal house of David, simply tells the story of his
birth. St. Mark, omitting this as already told, enters
almost at once on his ministiy. St. Luke, after
recounting more fully the history of St. John tho
Baptist, gives us the particulars which, possibly, ho
had received from the Blessed Virgin herself, of the Lord's Incarnation,
and all the attendant circumstances. But St. John (as the fathers
speak) lightens upon us at once like a flash from a thunder-cloud :
"In the beginning was the "Word." And without pausing to explain
why he made use of that expression, he adds, " and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not
anytliing made that was made. And the Word was made flesh and
dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." What depths of
eternal greatness and wisdom are here unfolded; what a mighty
mysterious revelation of the Eternal mind, in a few verses, in laiiguago
transparently simple, in depth of meaning wholly unfathomable!
The same dift'erence of treatment is apparent in St. John's account
of the two Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. The three
first Evangelists (with very slight variations) furnish us with tho
same account of our Lord's baptism ; St. Matthew and St. Mark record
the general commission to baptize all nations. All three Evangelists
record the institution of the Lord's Supper; St. Luke according
perfectly with the account of St. Paul in tiie fu'st epistle to the Corinth-
ians. St. John does not record the institution of the Lord's Supper at
(1=0
u
Tiir, Missio:t OK TiiK no!»ii"ORTr,«.
all; but he dwuUs on tho nivHtorics coiinoctcd with both 8««vftmout8,
and rcl'ors to tlieir peiiuaual witiiesn to Dlvlno Truth in his tirst
guiienil epistle: "Thmc are three that bear witness on earti), tlie
spirit, and tlie water, and the bh>od: and tliesc three a;(ree in one."*
In tlie tliird cliapter of liis (iospel lie selects Nicodenius, one of the
great council of the nation, as the person whose conversation with
our Lord he deems it tittest to record; and he proves from that
discourse "the great necessity of the 8acramont" of l)aptism,t <>f a
new birth by water and the spiiit. None anj exchnled from this
uecessity. All, learned or unlearned, rich or poor, venerated liabbi
or '* simple folk," must stoop by this door; for none can enter into the
kingdom of .lesus but such as are born of water and of the S])irit.
Nicodemus avows himself astonished at the statement. He canriot
understand the mystery. He asks in anuizement, can the natural
birth take place a second time? Our Lord does not condescend to
explain his stattunent, but assists the cloud«'d understanding of his
disciple by the illustration in the text: "The wiiul bloweth where it
listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence
it Cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the
Spirit." It is important to have a distinct conception of the points
of the comparison, an«'. of its bearing on the whole conversation.
Our Lord had announced to the astonished Habbi a new ami spiritual
life connected Avith his king<lom. He showed him that all who enter
his kingdom partake of a new birth, and that in this new birth there
arc two parts, the visible and the invisible ; the water which cleanses the
body, and the 8i)irit which purities the soul. AV^ater, in the old
dispensation, had been used as an outward means of bodily restorat ion ;
it should now be made use of in the "mystical washing away of sin."
Our Lord connects the earthly element with tho sjjiritual grace by a
link, the subtlety of which altogether escapes us, so that what is per-
ceptible to our observation, is inscrutable to our understanding. Ho
leaves it to tinu^,and to thcgraciousteachingof his Spirit to make known
to Nicodemus the practical working of this truth. For we do not know
that our Lord baptized Nicodenms, nor do we know at whose hands
he received bai>tism. The mystery of the Sacrament is what St. John
gets forth, and loves to dwell upon. In his view, it exalts the dignity of
his Master to raise the Saci'ament in the eyes of men. In our days, men
speak of elevating Christ, when they depreciate his Sacramentj^ ; as
if Christ could possibly be magnitieil by unflervaluing what Christ
instituted for the benetit of the whole world. Surely such Christians
take a very different view of truth from the inspired Apostle. One
would suppose the true way to raise one's Master in men's
thoughts was not to idolize the servant, but to magnify tho Master's
* 1 St. John V. S. t Service for Baptism of Adults.
THE 3IIS870N OF THE COMFOUTKU.
1A
!^1(M-Ani01lt8,
ill his Hrst
I earth, the
lie in oiu?."*
, Olio of the
sal ion with
s iVoin that
[)fisin, t of a
il from tJiis
rated Uahbi
iter into (lie
' the S])irit.
He cannot
the natural
iidescend lo
idin«f of liis
cth wliere it
tell whence
boni of the
f the points
rsation.
ind spiritual
1 who enter
birth there
cleanses the
in the old
restoration ;
vay of sin."
jrrace by a
vliat is per-
ndino:. He
lake known
o not know
hose hands
at iSt. John
e dijjnity of
days, men
iment>< ; as
rhat Christ
Christians
>stle. One
in men's
e Master's
;
i
law, and to estei^n (he Ilj^litest word spoken by Illm us more
precious than jrold; to (hink of lliin as ordainin<; nothint; in whi«rh
Jle was not forever present, never inovinjf in the sphere of form and
ceremony, but in that of intense solemn reality. In short, to exalt
<Jhri8t is to lower the man who is sent, in the jfreatiiess of the (Jod
who sends him; to ma«fnily the thing done, rather tliau tlie earthly
doer thereof.
On a former occasion 1 set before you the g'racious work of the Holy
Spirit on the (church a( larj^e. invijroralinj^ it w ith new life ; bestowiiiff
on it both miraculous powers and spiritual j^races; endowiii}^ the
Sjicranients with the jfltl of Ills Presence; and so making (he one
to become, when ri<i:h(ly r«Mu'ived. the ordinary (channel of our new
IJirth. and the odier (he m(>aiis whereby we rec.«'ivc the Lord's Body
and liloo<l: inspirin<>' fallible men with the power to reveal new and
Divine TriKh; commissioninic his servants to declare that Truth, and
validly to perform spiritual funcfions. Hut beside this j^eneral <ii(t (o
theChurchat larjife,(he Holy (Jhost carries on in the hearts of the faith-
ful a work lea«lin;^ to their \)erso!ial sanctilication and sjdva(ion. On
this work I now d«!sire <'hi(!t1y to speak. And I wish yon all to observe
distinctly, that when I inajfiiify the Sacrament which Christ appointe(l,
1 neither attribute to it a superstitious cliarni, nor wish to exalt it
abov(! the dignity whi«*h tin* inspired writer ascrib(!s to it. much less
would 1 deny the necessity of that c(mtinual life-long work of grace
in the soul, of which the Sa«'rament is both (he sign and the seal.
Our Lord's illustration in (he text is taken from the natural world.
This is His condnual habit, to dwell on, and to spiritualize what wo
call nature; but which is not a power apiirt fr«»ni (Jod, but (rod's own
handiwork : for not only is t he ( rod of Nature also the ( iod of grace, but
his work in (be one sphen' is analogous to his work in the other. A
very simpleiilementary truth. one wouI<lsupp<>s(n yet how much forgot-
ten, misunderstood. misrepn^scMited. Howmanyfals<'princii)les would
have beenavoided in ancient and modern times.if men hadonly believed
(as Scripture teaches) that (rod woiks in gracct as he works in na-
ture, making allowance for the ditlerenl subjet^ls on wliicli he works,
anddieditlerent pui'p(»s<'s He has in view. When (Jod works In Nalun^
He works on Matter: it has no jjower to resist his will ; it forms sueli
(combinations as he directs, and is snliject to such laws as he imposes.
But wImmi He wtM'ks in (irace. He works on Mind, to which H(^ lias
vouchsafed a likeness in immortal being and altriltutes to Hin»<elf: to
which He hasgivena power denied to Matter — the power to reflect, to
compare, to will, to love, to hate, nay to work wit h or to resist, for its own
good, or its own undoing. ( )nmipotence itself. Thedestiny of Matter
is made for it. The <lestiny ofmiiitl. (he mind makes fori(self; though
whenever it works tor goocl it must Ijc aided and m'>ulded by the
plastic power of a higher, wiser, nobler mind. And yet some
10
THE MISSION OF THE rOMFOUTEtt.
men would reprcficnt God as ftctin«»' more ar]>itrarily, ca])rIcionsly,
tyrauicuU} , and far less lovingly, on the world of mind, than on the
worUl of matter; as less full of {goodwill to the soul that thinks, than
to the matter incapable of thought; and as ** passing by," with a lofty
indillerence, the necessities, and the woes, and the aspirations of the
souls which IJo has permitted for ever to exist. Surely the Bible,
soundly interpreted, teaches no su(!h doctrine ; and the common sense
of mankind will for ever revolt against it.
** The wind bloweth Avhere it listeth." The grace of the comparison
is wholly lost in lOnglish, because Ave use one word for the wind and
another for the Jloly Spirit; whereas both in the Greek and IIcibreAV
tongues the same word expresses both ideas. So that some* have
translated the text, "■ the Spirit bloweth where he listeth," yet we cannot
doubt incorrectly, as thus the point of analogy is lost.
Again, there are two words in (rreek signifying wind, one, a])pli-
cable to the more violent motion of the atmosphere; and the other,
which is here used, signifying rather the gentler breatliing of the air,
which is in constant motion. " The wind bloweth where it listeth:"
not the hurricane with its impetuous violence; not the simoon with
I)estilential blast; but rather (as it has been well translated) "the air
brcatheth where it listeth." Go forth into the woods at noon on some
warm sununor's day, and note the deep silence that prevails. The song
of birds is hushed; the lowing of the cattle is still; the very hum
of insects is scarcely audible. Not a cloud cros cs the sky; not a
breath of wind is felt. Suddenly, without a n^te of preparation,
without knowing '' whence it comes, or whither it goes," a rustle is
heard in the forest. Every leaf feels the sweet impulse; a breath
passes over the water, a soft murnmr is heard, and gently dies aAvay.
*' So is every one that is boi'u of the Spirit." The free motion of the
air is one of the greatest mysteries in nature. It is perceptible to all
our faculties. It is the sustenance of life. It infuses into us new
vigor and unspeakable delight. Yet it is inscrutable. The whence,
the whither, the how, the Avhy, what i)liilosopher can tell us? The
secret mystery of its coming and going no nnm knows. This vital air
that breatlies everywhere in constant, healtliful, life-sustaining motion;
Bouietimes lluttering as a whisper, or heard as a '"small still voice;"
sometimes rising like a "mighty wind," that tills and overawes, and
is then hushed into silence, is our Lord's beautiful illustration of the
working of the Holy Si)irit on the mind of man.
"NVc learn from the comparison that llie intluence of the Spirit is as
wide-spread as the breath of air. It is contined to no class. It is
limited to no age or nation. The love of the Spirit is the love of the
Imman race. Yet it is as free as it is wide, independent of human
• A» Lutlior.
tin: siissiox ok tfii: cfj^irouTKU.
17
;nprlcionsly,
tluiii oil tlic
thinks, than
with a lofty
itions of the
y tlic Bible,
nmon sense
comparison
lie wind and
md IIcbroAV
some* have
et we cannot
, one, a])pli-
d the oilier,
^ of the air,
iit listeth:"
inioon with
h1) "the air
3011 on some
•5. The song
ic very linm
sky; not a
)reparation,
a rustle is
; a breath
dies away.
Dtion of the
)tible to all
to us new
10 whence,
1 us? The
lis vital air
n,i>- motion;
till voice;"
rawcs, and
tion of the
Spirit is as
I ass. It is
love of the
of human
laws and coiKlitions, to bo vouchsafed or withdrawn a^ (Jod ><m's titi
^V^' may ii(»t. indeed, say thai tlie irit"! was the >ame before our Lord
ascended into Heaven, as after lie ax-ended ; nor can we say that the
Spirit is vouchsafed to Heathens as t<» Christians; but I think we
siiould not err in sayiiij*". thai wherever tliere !>< a tender, l(»viiiji' lieart,
a <ieneroiis imitiilse. an honest mind, a reverent h(»inai;e to (Jod, a
dc>ire to "do justly and love mercy,'' a shrinkin;;' fr(»ni injii>lice,
cruelty, and iini)iirity, whether in .lew, heathen, oi- ('hri>tian. then;
is the motion of the ble^sed Spirit for <rood, however far the heart
maybe from the perfect knowled;;*' of (Jod, And how various and
manifold is this «;ift. As the air hlows on the nioiintain-lo|is. or in
the sultry plains, in (he autumn evenin^r. or in the elcar fro'>t\ air of
th»' winter morn, or is boiMu; in upon the tide ever in healthful thouiili
various motion, so the Spirit variously works on t' e human heart.
Now It whispers simple (ruths into the child's bicast ; now It iierv«'s
theendurinjjrmaii for a jireat and hazardous eiiterpri/.e : now It siiuiiests
the first thouiihl of devotion, or strenythen> the last act of faith : It speaks
comfort to the mourner, and fear to the head>t ron;:' yituth : It plaees in
the hands of the preacher the "bow that is<lrawn at a vent lire. "and that
sends convii'tion to the heart : Itaids the counsel of friends, and helps the
weak to resist tenii)tation, and brinn's before us the better way. and
bids us walk therein, and l»e safe: it speaks of eontentmeiit and hope;
amidst sntleriiiif, and assures us. in dark and dreary hours, that a way
will be ojiened before us. and that at evenin<;-tide there shall be li<ilit.
O, how j^racious is this blessed Spirit, how winniiiL;", and how wise!
lie chooses means adai)ted to hearts which ditler as widely as the laces
of mankind. He does not force truth upon us. but presents it to the
mind, so that it may be the heart's own choice, iiivitini:', persuasive,
yet not irresistible, for then there eculd be no •••raee in aceeptinji- it :
and that the Holy Spirit is not irresistible ii is iniiMtriaiit to -how for
several reasons, Xothinu;" can more rleaily prove tlii> than (»iir Lord's
impassioned, bitter cry, *'0 deni-alem, .Ieru>alein. how oflen would
1 have <i'athered thy children to<j;<'i!ier. a> a hen jiatliereth her ehickens
under her wings, (ind ye would not!" AVords full of the insult of the
deepest mockery had there been anythinu' w ithheld which the (Jrace
of (Jod (M)uld have j^iveu, consistently wiih man's own per-onal res-
ponsihility of acceptino- or rejecting' the otlercd mercy. Ami Si. Paul's
earnest entreaty is of the same nature, *• We. then, as workers together
with (Jod, beseech you also, that ye receive not the (Jraco of (Jod in
vain." Yet he intreats mockingly if no grace that might be resisted
Were vouchsafed, if the Holy Spirit could not be resisted, though all
migdit be saved by comindsion, salvation would not be the glorious
crown of the (Jhristian's own life-long struggle. All the sympathy of
Christ with his much-tried and faithful soldiers would be lost; iiU the
Bymjiathy of the Kedeemed in lleuven with each other would b(! de«i-
18
TIIK MI.^SION OK TIIK ('()MF<)1{TF,U.
ti'oyed. For what is syuipiithy l)ut fcllow-rodinjj: witli ollior ^ufTcrors
in their ciKhii-iincc? The Hcdccmcd will love racli (»tii('r in Ilciivcn
bcciiusc ihcy hiiVi- all "coiiio out of ^rcat tribulation," and they lovo
Christ in Heaven hci-auso thts Spirit proceeded from the Father and
the Son to help them in their strujr^^les, not to Ibnre them into salvation.
They know they would never have rearhed that blessed shor<i without
liis constant aid, and yet there is u humble, healthful consciousness
within each heart of havin;^' not (bine violence to the <';:!entle breathin<;s
of ji'oodnes.~, of having made a vi<iorous and continued etlbrt, of havini^
cherished a life-Ion^' (h'siro, of havinji^ struck out with both hands
curuestly to r(>ach the wished-for shore.
We know thai even in lower thin<is, in schools, or contests for
earthly rewards, if jjri/ces ten times nion^ valuable were l)estowed
without ail ellori, they W(julil be valueless in the eyes of tho-io who
received them. And what meaniujj: wouhl those noble words have to
us, *• who for the Joy set Ixrfore llim endured the cross, despisin«r ibo
sliame, and is set (h)wn at the riyiit hand of the throne of (Jod; " and
aji'ain. " Jiut W(* see .b'sus for thi' sufVerin;.'s of death, crowned with
{rlory and honour;" if instead of bearing;' our cross after him, we were
lanih'd in Heaven without an effort, and had no need to raise an arm,
or maintain a strurylc to take us thither? So that the doctrine of
irresistible <4:race is foun(h'don a misconception of the whoU' nature of
man, and of the reward i)roper to man's nature, and on a misinter-
pnitation of all the passa<>es of Scripture Avhich describe the struy:<ile
and the success of man.
So, thou, as the o-racc of the Holy Spirit is resistible, as that bh>sscd
Person may be resisted, '•rieved, vexed, quenched, and his lijiht
kindled or ])ut out within us. we should see that we ])ut forth all the
powers and desires of our minds t() meet that jrentle motion, and to
fall in with its first suj^fj-estions. Nor are we to look for his o])eration
commonly, in a way imi)lyin,<^ violence, or sudden tiory impulses, that
take? the heart by storm, and leave no room for resistance. When the
Holy (Jhost first came down from Heaven. If was indeed "like a
mij^hly wind, that shook the house" where the Ajiostles were assembled;
for It was sent to ^ive evidence to unbelievers of a power that could
not be resisted, and to supi)ort w^eak and i)ersecuted believers in
the dischar<i;'c of their hiyh mission. But the miracle was never exactly
rejicated. not even in Ai)ostolic times, and the <,nft of tonp-nes has
since been withdrawn. W(? know, from the histoi-y of Elijah, that
not in the " pTeat and strong' wind which rent the mountains, and
brake in ])ieces the rocks." nor in the ** earth<|uake.'' nor in the " fire,"
but in the *' still small voice" of love, the Lord's presence was mani-
fested. So it is not for man to assemble his fellows, and pr(>scribe the
mai
nier of the Spirit's operat
ion.
Now it is to be seen and felt; in
this way only; on those very benches, with those set expressious of
TTIK MISSION OF TITK <'«MF«)RTF,n.
19
or >un«Mors
ill llciivoii
I tlit'y lovo
Fiillicr luul
I) salvation.
Jl-'! w illlUllt
iis(!i(Misnoss
hrcatliiii^jH
t, of lia villi;;
butli hands
ontosfs for
• l)0stOW0(l
tlit).-»e who
rds liavc to
"•il)i-infr lli(^
(Joel; " and
(wncd witli
n, we Tvero
is(> an arm.
doftriiu! of
0 nature of
a niisiiitor-
iu! ,slrn<i'^lo
hat l)lo^scd
1 his lii-ht
)rth all the
on, and to
o]>('ration
iilst's, that
When the
like a
soinbled ;
(hat could
iov(Mv in
rer exactly
no-ues lias
lijali. that
tains, and
he '' tire,"
was niaui-
\-('ril)e the
id f«'lt ; in
essions of
d
feel in;r and with none other, ye lunst be born ngain: feel us 1 have
felt, or ye cannot l)e born (»f the Spirit at all. This is the direct
tipposite of the text. It is not the ^jciitl' motion of the uir, intln'tely
various in its opei'aiioii; now wavin^i' on the to|)s of lofty pines, now
whispeiinji" on the lowly tlower. now st('alin<,^ over the wide prairie,
or visiiiiiji' the retired valley, ov lurUiii;,^ behind the summer cloud, or
quiverinjf on the aspen leaf, and then retirin<i- into silence: it is rather
the liery furnace-blast, that i)ours ft)rth fast and furious, scorches but
not iiiviiiforates, and riMpures aufain and aj,''ain to be kindled by the
same spasmodic ellbrt. U'e do not look for the jifentle prompliii<>s of
the Spirit in such ways as these, much less should we limit His ^^raee
to such means. We may adniH that He can bless ellbrts the most
irre<(ular, but wo may rather exj^ect His biessin<»' in the meek and
liumblo ways of sobriety and trustfulness, such as His word records
ami juvscribes. The fjfreatest favour ever bestowed by the Holy
(ihost upon one of the children of men was <rran(cd to a lowly Jewish
maiden, who in few words of artless modesty and conlidin<>' faith,
with no f^raphic deseription or scnsation-s|)eeoh, humbly submitlod to
the ffracious will and word of the Most JH^^h. And the words of the
Anj^el were as simple as her own. In no hiss reverent spirit does our
Church train her children to ask for the ji^ift of the Holy (Jhost, and
with no loss trustfulness does she humbly expect that it will be be-
stowed ill answi'r to our prayers.
It may possiby be objecMed to our Baptismal Service, " "Why, if you
deny the Holy Spirit's visible oi»eratioii, do you assert so positively that
the child is rej^enorate?" But there is a vast ditl'ercncc bet woeii what
we may expect when wo use the means which Christ has prescribed,
and where means are used which men invent themselves, to Avhich no
Divine promise is annexed. The Sacrament of Baptism is a Divine
institution, to Avliieh Christ has promised his presence; and wherever
Christ is His Si)irit is present also to l>|{>ss and sanctify. But let it be
rememborec^ that when we say the child is regenerate, we do not mean
what is intended when people say the man is converted. Conversion
sui)poses a chaii<^e of mind, aii actual turning' from sin to holiness.
We ascribe no such change to the infant. Wo sav rliat bv the grace
of the Holy Spirit it is taken out of the state of nature in whi(^h it
was born, and is i)laeed in a state of grace; it is made a christian; it
is now Cod's child; it has the ado\)tion and the privileges of sons; it
is an lieir of the kingdom; and that so much is implied in all the
Scriptural accounts of baptism in the New Testament-, and that St.
Peter exi)ressly makes such i)romises to our children. But we nowhere
speak of converted children. In order to conversion, a person must
have committed actual sin, which we are sure infants have not done.
Further, we do not limit the grace of the Holy Spirit to any one time,
nor do we say in w liat manner He will work on the heart of the child;
-
80
THE MISSION OF TUJE C'OMI'0|?Tfin.
but WO say distinctly, that in'-ordov to etonial salvation, llin child, if
it live and ^row up, must ** crucify the old man and utlcily abolish
the whole body of sin," and that "all thin<^.s bclonfjfin^- to the Spirit
livlnw' and {'•rowinj'' in him, haviiiff victory over the devil, the world,
and the flesh, and beiny endued with heavenly virtues," he will thus,
and thus only, be in the c\u\ "everlastingly rewarded."
This office, therefore, only thanks Ood for a present promised
benetit, but neither prescribes the manner in which tlu' Holy (J host
will at any future time work on the man's heart, nor does it in any
way antlcii)ate his future and eternal state, except accordin<>' to the
couflitions which the IScripturo prescribes as necessary for all Chris-
tians.
And noAV, my brethren, how shall we improve tliis passajfe of (Jod's
holy word to our own use and benetit? If the air thit breathes in
(constant motion be our blessed Lord's own symbol of His Spirit's
grace, if we daily breathe and enjoy, and are sustained by the air, —
how much more should we long- for, how carelul .should we be to
pray for the hif'iier g'ltl? Above all, how much should we strive not
to provoke, resist, j^rieve, or (iuen(;h, the Spirit of Truth, of (3rdcr, of
Decency, of Ueauty, of AVisdom, of Fear, of Love, Charity, Purity,
and Peace; provoke Him by op[)osilion, vex Him by nej^lect, (piench
His rays by deeds of darkness and impurity, by deeds and words of
violence, by stilling' the convictions of our conscience, by wilful dis-
order, disunion, and disobcdionce to any j^ood advice; for if, even
under the old covenant, '* when they rebelled aiul vexed His Holy
Spirit, he turned to be their enemy, and fouj^-ht ag-ainst them," how
miich greater the sin, how much surer and more severe the i)unish-
ment, when the nobler blessing is obstinately rejected ; and remember
that all non-iinprovement of ourselves is virtually rejection of the
grace which helps us to improve.
The more connnon and ordinary our duties in life are, '* the more
necessary it is" (as has bee\i well said) *'to keep up the tone of
our minds to that higher region of thouglit and feeling-, in which every
work seems dignified in proportion to the ends for which, and the
spirit in which, it is done."* "And what we achieve depends less on
the amount of time we jjosscss, than on the improvement of our time."
I leave the subject with one AVord of trarnnii/ suitable to a g-eneration
ever boasting of superior light, yet showing too many tokens of unreal-
ity and blindness to its faults, " If ye were blind, ye should have no sin ;
but now ye say we see: therefore your sin remaineth." Au'i with
one word of inexpressible comfort: "the w'ater that I shall give
him shall be in him a fountain of water, springing up unto everlasting
life." And with one word of pniise and trust, tit to express our
souse of God's great mercy: "All my fresli springs are in Thee I "
* J. S. Mill. Address to the Students of the University of St. Andrews.
Hio cl)fld, if
(eriy uholi.sh
to Uio Spirit
, tho world,
10 will thus,
t promised
Holy (jrhost
^'« it in any
iiin«' to the
>!• all Chris-
?o of God's
)i'euthos in
lis Spirit's
tho air,—
wo bo to
strive not
f Order, of
y, Purity,
Bt, quench
1 words of
^viltul dis-
)r if, even
Jlis Holy
em," how
0 i)unish-
•e member
m of tlie
I
the more
5 tone of
ich every
and the
Is less on
ir time."
neration
t'unreal-
5 no sin ;
lid with
all o-ivG
rlasting*
■ess our
JCl"
ews.
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