i8 74 ] THE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY 261 



to be understood by the prophet himself. This you all 

 know is quite a common course of argument, but a course, 

 I venture to say, so essentially confused as to give no hope 

 of good fruit. 



For, in the first place, the distinction between the 

 mind of the Spirit and the mind of the prophet as it is 

 here conceived has no biblical ground. In the passage, 

 i Peter i. 10-12, which is usually quoted in its support, 

 there is no distinction between the comprehension of the 

 prophet and the intention of the revealing Spirit, but only 

 (as Calvin long ago pointed out) between the &quot; privatum 

 desiderium &quot; and the &quot; publica functio &quot; of the prophet 

 himself. The revelation vouchsafed to them, and which 

 bare witness to the sufferings appointed for Christ and 

 the glory to follow, was incomplete and limited especially 

 it was limited in so far as related to the indication of the 

 time of consummation. The prophets knew only that the 

 evangelic truths which were the substance of their ministry 

 were to be realised in a future time, and so that the fruit 

 of their labours should be reaped by those who followed 

 after them. Thus they knew that their work and word 

 was not in vain, even though in their own generation 

 it seemed fruitless ; yet this consciousness could not 

 suppress the natural longing with which they strained 

 their eyes to gain a clearer view of the time of fulfilment. 

 And this circumstance the apostle uses to impress on his 

 readers a sense of their privileges. Salutis huius pretiurn 

 inde commendat, quod in earn toto studio intenti fuerunt 

 prophetae &quot; (Calvin). 



Thus understood, Peter gives no support to the idea 

 that the prophets did not understand all that was revealed 

 through them, or to the supposition that their words can 

 have a sense for us that they had not for themselves. 

 The reason why we, more than they themselves, reap 

 the fruit of their ministry, is simply because we have 

 entered into possession of those good things which they 

 saw afar off. 



