(5) For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
I detain the Reader at this verse, just to make a short remark. The waiting for the Spirit to make manifest Christ's righteousness to the soul of the believer, is a beautiful testimony of God the Holy Ghost's grace, upon this occasion. I hardly know a passage in the Bible, which so blessedly, and fully makes known, this great office-work of the Holy Ghost. It appears then most decidedly from hence, that until God the Holy Ghost, by this his special act, hath fixed our minds upon Christ's Person and righteousness, so as to make us completely satisfied with both; and that we have done with every other method of justification, and are delighted with this, as God himself is delighted: the full consent of soul is not obtained. But when God the Spirit, who keeps us in waiting for it, and at length makes it known; we then rest with full assurance of faith, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Reader! do you enter with my soul, into an apprehension of this precious, precious work, of God the Holy Ghost? Oh! then, think how sweetly the words and promise of Jesus are here, as in a thousand other instances fulfilled, when he said of the blessed Spirit: he shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. John 16:14.