I desire simply to bring before you the scripture unfoldings as to the Person of God the Holy Ghost. The subject is of all importance, not only because our God and Father has been pleased to reveal it to us in scripture, but also because the presence in person of the Comforter on earth constitutes the essential difference of the present Christian state; it is true it is not the foundation of it, but the power and presence of the Holy Ghost on earth, as the result of the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ and His exaltation to the right hand of God, is the distinguishing characteristic of Christianity.
I would at this time confine myself to the great fact of the Personality of the Spirit as we have it revealed to us in scripture.
It is very comforting to the heart to know that while on the whole page, as it were, of scripture, His divine Person is unfolded more or less, He is brought before us more vividly in His Personality, as soon as the blessed Lord announces to His disciples His approaching departure out of this world to the Father.
What tenderness of the heart of Christ comes before us in this! He knew what a wrench His departure would be to their poor sorrow-filled hearts, He knew what a blank His absence would create. He was about to leave them in Person, another Comforter, the blessed Paraclete (B"D"680J@H), or, as some have called Him, Advocatus, that is, one “called in,” was to be here in Person. Oh how tender of the Lord all this, as He was about to leave them in Person a Person then was to come and abide with them for ever.
This is the more striking as we remember that in the early chapters of John, the blessed Spirit is presented to us rather as Power than in Personality. We know, thank God, He is both.
But further, in order that we may have the fact of His divine Personality more impressed upon us, I would observe how that throughout those precious chapters of John 14, 15, 16, the language in which the blessed Spirit revealed the mind of God, and inspired as well the writers to convey it, leaves no doubt whatever as to the Personality of the Comforter, for we have the masculine, such as ,6,4<@H, that is, that Person; "LJ@H, that is, He Himself used, when speaking of the Spirit: it is then Him, as has been very truly said, “As the living and conscious exerciser of true personal will and love, as truly and fully as the first ‘Paraclete,’ the Lord Jesus Christ Him- self (1 John 2:1).
Now it is very blessed to observe that this new personal power, this divine Person, God the Holy Ghost, is spoken of as “Power from on high” (see Luke 24:49, and compare with it Eph. 4:8 and Psa. 68:18); this heavenly endowment they were to receive consequent upon the ascension and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. And, moreover, note they were to be clothed with it, for that is the force of the word in the original (,<‘LF0F2,), they were to have put upon them the garment of heavenly power, heavenly endowment! How precious to dwell on this, and what light it sheds on His own gracious words, “It is expedient for you that I go away.” Further, note that in the sense of power we are unclothed until we receive the heavenly gift—God the Holy Ghost—and He alone is power. May we rejoice evermore in this heavenly Comforter and power.
But again let me remark, that this new power was also to be the fulfilment of the promise of the Father in three ways, namely:
1st. In vivid contrast with law and Jewish blessing.
2nd. As setting forth the new order of power connected with the characteristic name of Christianity, namely, Father.
3rd. As having been given to Christ and received by Him from the Father for others; it was but suitable that He the second Man in His place of exaltation, having revealed the Father, should receive Him, the Spirit, for others, and as soon as the Spirit had been given, and sent down from Him in glory, this explanation is thus given, “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he (Jesus) hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear (Acts 2:33).
Let us then dwell much on the blessed fact of there being in us and with us a blessed divine Person, God the Holy Ghost, He and He alone could be the solace for the wrench and the filler of the blank caused by the departure and absence of our Lord Jesus Christ; He and He alone could supply the comfort for their sorrow, sustaining their faith in the One now to be unseen, and as well testifying of the loved absent One to their hearts. May we know this gracious ministry of this personal Comforter more and more.