'But when the Comforter Is come, whom I will send unto you from the
Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He
shall testify of Me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have
been with Me from the beginning.'--JOHN xv. 26, 27.
Our Lord has been speaking of a world hostile to His followers and to
Him. He proceeds, in the words which immediately follow our text, to
paint that hostility as aggravated even to the pitch of religious
murder. But here He lets a beam of light in upon the darkness. These
forlorn Twelve, listening to Him, might well have said, 'Thou art about
to leave us; how can we alone face this world in arms, with which Thou
dost terrify us?' And here He lets them see that they will not be left
alone, but have a great Champion, clad in celestial armour, who, coming
straight from God, will be with them and put into their hands a weapon,
with which they may conquer the world, and turn it into a friend, and
with which alone they must meet the world's hate.
So, then, we have three things in this text; the great promise of an
Ally in the conflict with the world; the witness which that Ally bears,
to fortify against the world; and the consequent witness with which
Christians may win the world.
I. Now consider briefly the first of these points, the great promise of
an Ally in the conflict with the world.
I may touch, very lightly, upon the wonderful designation of this
Champion-Friend whom Christ sends, because on former occasions in this
course of sermons we have had to deal with the same thoughts, and there
will be subsequent opportunities of recurring to them. But I may just
emphasise in a few sentences the points which our Lord here signalises
in regard to the Champion whom He sends. There is a double designation
of that Spirit, 'the Comforter' and 'the Spirit of truth.' There is a
double description of His mission, as being 'sent' by Jesus, and as
'proceeding from the Father,' and there is a single statement as to the
position from which He comes to us. A word about each of these things.
I have already explained in former sermons that the notion of
'Comforter,' as it is understood in modern English, is a great deal too
restricted and narrow to cover the whole ground of this great and
blessed promise. The Comforter whom Christ sends is no mere drier of
men's tears and gentle Consoler of human sorrows, but He is a mightier
Spirit than that, and the word by which He is described in our text,
which means 'one who is summoned to the side of another,' conveys the
idea of a helper who is brought to the man to be helped, in order to
render whatever aid and succour that man's weakness and circumstances
may require. The verses before our text suggest what sort of aid and
succour the disciples will need. They are to be as sheep in the midst
of wolves. Their defenceless purity will need a Protector, a strong
Shepherd. They stand alone amongst enemies. There must be some one
beside them to fight for them, to shield and to encourage them, to be
their Safety and their Peace. And that Paraclete, who is called to our
side, comes for the special help which these special circumstances
require, and is a strong Spirit who will be our Champion and our Ally,
whatever antagonism may storm against us, and however strong and
well-armed may be the assaulting legions of the world's hate.
Then, still further, the other designation here of this strong
Succourer and Friend is 'the Spirit of truth,' by which is designated,
not so much His characteristic attribute, as rather the weapon which He
wields, or the material with which He works. The 'truth' is His
instrument; that is to say, the Spirit of God sent by Jesus Christ is
the Strengthener, the Encourager, the Comforter, the Fighter for us and
with us, because He wields that great body of truth, the perfect
revelation of God, and man, and duty, and salvation, which is embodied
in the incarnation and work of Jesus Christ our Lord. The truth is His
weapon, and it is by it that He makes us strong.
Then, still further, there is a twofold description here of the mission
of this divine Champion, as 'sent' by Christ, and 'proceeding from the
Father.'
In regard to the former, I need only remind you that, in a previous
part of this wonderful discourse, our Lord speaks of that divine Spirit
as being sent by the Father in His name and in answer to His prayer.
The representation here is by no means antagonistic to, or diverse
from, that other representation, but rather the fact that the Father
and the Son, according to the deep teaching of Scripture, are in so far
one as that 'whatsoever the Son seeth the Father do that also the Son
doeth likewise,' makes it possible to attribute to Him the work which,
in another place, is ascribed to the Father. In speaking of the
_Persons_ of the Deity, let us never forget that that word is only
partially applicable to that ineffable Being, and that whilst with us
it implies absolute separation of individuals, it does not mean such
separation in the case of its imperfect transference to the mysteries
of the divine nature; but rather, the Son doeth what the Father doeth,
and therefore the Spirit is sent forth by the Father, and also the Son
sends the Spirit.
But, on the other hand, we are not to regard that divine Spirit as
merely a Messenger sent by another. He 'proceeds from the Father.' That
word has been the battlefield of theological controversy, with which I
do not purpose to trouble you now. For I do not suppose that in its use
here it refers at all to the subject to which it has been sometimes
applied, nor contains any kind of revelation of the eternal depths of
the divine Nature and its relations to itself. What is meant here is
the historical coming forth into human life of that divine Spirit. And,
possibly, the word 'proceeds' is chosen in order to contrast with the
word 'sent,' and to give the idea of a voluntary and personal action of
the Messenger, who not only is _sent_ by the Father, but of Himself
_proceeds_ on the mighty work to which He is destined.
Be that as it may, mark only, for the last thought here about the
details of this great promise, that wonderful phrase, twice repeated in
our Lord's words, and emphasised by its verbal repetition in the two
clauses, which in all other respects are so different--'from the
Father.' The word translated '_from_' is not the ordinary word so
rendered, but rather designates _a position at the side of_ than an
_origin from_, and suggests much rather the intimate and ineffable
union between Father, Son, and Spirit, than the source from which the
Spirit comes. I touch upon these things very lightly, and gather them
up into one sentence. Here, then, are the points. A Person who is
spoken of as 'He'--a divine Person whose home from of old has been
close by the Father's side--a Person whose instrument is the revealed
truth ensphered and in germ in the facts of Christ's incarnation and
life--a divine Person, wielding the truth, who is sent by Christ as His
Representative, and in some sense a continuance of His personal
Presence--a divine, personal Spirit coming from the Father, wielding
the truth, sent by Christ, and at the side of all the persecuted and
the weak, all world-hated and Christian men, as their Champion, their
Combatant, their Ally, their Inspiration, and their Power. Is not that
enough to make the weakest strong? Is not that enough to make us 'more
than conquerors through Him that loved us'? All nations have legends of
the gods fighting at the head of their armies, and through the dust of
battle the white horses and the shining armour of the celestial
champions have been seen. The childish dream is a historical reality.
It is not we that fight, it is the Spirit of God that fighteth in us.
II. And so note, secondly, the witness of the Spirit which fortifies
against the world.
'He shall bear witness of Me.' Now we must especially observe here that
little phrase, 'unto you.' For that tells us at once that the witness
which our Lord has in mind here is something which is done within the
circle of the Christian believers, and not in the wide field of the
world's history or in nature. Of course it is a great truth that long
before Jesus Christ, and to-day far beyond the limits of His name and
knowledge, to say nothing of His faith and obedience, the Spirit of God
is working. As of old He brooded over the chaotic darkness, ever
labouring to turn chaos into order, and darkness into light, and
deformity into beauty; so today, all over the field of humanity, He is
operating. Grand as that truth is, it is not the truth here. What is
spoken of here is something that is done in and on Christian men, and
not even through them on the world, but in them for themselves. 'He
shall testify of Me' to you.
Now it is to be noted, also, that the first and special application of
these words is to the little group listening to Him. Never were men
more desolate and beaten down than these were, in the prospect of
Christ's departure. Never were men more utterly bewildered and
dispirited than these were, in the days between His crucifixion and His
resurrection. Think of them during His earthly life, their narrow
understandings, their manifold faults, moral as well as intellectual.
How little perception they had of anything that He said to them, as
their own foolish questions abundantly show! How little they had drunk
in His spirit, as their selfish and ambitious janglings amongst
themselves abundantly show! They were but Jews like their brethren,
believing, indeed, that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, but not knowing
what it was that they believed, or of what kind the Messiah was in whom
they were thus partially trusting. But they loved Him and were led by
Him, and so they were brought into a larger place by the Spirit whom
Christ sent.
What was it that made these dwarfs into giants in six weeks? What was
it that turned their narrowness into breadth; that made them start up
all at once as heroes, and that so swiftly matured them, as the fruits
and flowers are ripened under tropical sunshine? The resurrection and
ascension of Jesus Christ had a great deal to do with the change; but
they were not its whole cause. There is no explanation of the
extraordinary transformation of these men as we see them in the pages
of the Gospels, and as we find them on the pages of the Acts of the
Apostles, except this--the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus
Christ as facts, and the Spirit on Pentecost as an indwelling
Interpreter of the facts. He came, and the weak became strong, and the
foolish wise, and the blind enlightened, and they began to
understand--though it needed all their lives to perfect the
teaching,--what it was that their ignorant hands had grasped and their
dim perceptions had seen, when they touched the hands and looked upon
the face of Jesus Christ. The witness of the Spirit of God working
within them, working upon what they knew of the historical facts of
Christ's life, and interpreting these to them, was the explanation of
their change and growth. And the New Testament is the product of that
change. Christ's life was the truth which the Spirit used, and a
product of His teaching was these Epistles which we have, and which for
us step into the place which the historical facts held for them, and
become the instrument with which the Spirit of God will deepen our
understanding of Christ and enlarge our knowledge of what He is to us.
So, dear friends, whilst here we have a promise which specially
applies, no doubt, to these twelve Apostles, and the result of which in
them was different from its result in us, inasmuch as the Spirit's
teaching, recorded in the New Testament, becomes for us the
authoritative rule of faith and practice, the promise still applies to
each of us in a secondary and modified sense. For there is nothing in
these great valedictory words of our Lord's which has not a universal
bearing, and is not the revelation of a permanent truth in regard to
the Christian Church. And, therefore, here we have the promise of a
universal gift to all Christian men and women, of an actual divine
Spirit to dwell with each of us, to speak in our hearts.
And what will He speak there? He will teach us a deeper knowledge of
Jesus Christ. He will help us to understand better what He is. He will
show us more and more of the whole sweep of His work, of the whole
infinite truth for morals and religion, for politics and society, for
time and for eternity, about men and about God, which is wrapped up in
that great saying which we first of all, perhaps under the pressure of
our own sense of sin, grasp as our deliverance from sin: 'God so loved
the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' That is the sum
of truth which the Spirit of God interprets to every faithful heart.
And as the days roll on, and new problems rise, and new difficulties
present themselves, and new circumstances emerge in our personal life,
we find the truth, which we at first dimly grasped as life and
salvation, opening out into wisdom and depth and meaning that we never
dreamed of in the early hours. A Spirit that bears witness of Christ
and will make us understand Him better every day we live, if we choose,
is the promise that is given here, for all Christian men and women.
Then note that this inward witness of Christ's depth and preciousness
is our true weapon and stay against a hostile world. A little candle in
a room will make the lightning outside almost invisible; and if I have
burning in my heart the inward experience and conviction of what Jesus
Christ is and what He has done and will do for me--Oh! then, all the
storm without may rage, and it will not trouble me.
If you take an empty vessel and bring pressure to bear upon it, in go
the sides. Fill it, and they will resist the pressure. So with growing
knowledge of Christ, and growing personal experience of His sweetness
in our souls, we shall be able, untouched and undinted, to throw off
the pressure which would otherwise have crushed us.
Therefore, dear friends, here is the true secret of tranquillity, in an
age of questioning and doubt. Let me have that divine Voice speaking in
my heart, as I may have, and no matter what questions may be doubtful,
this is sure--'We know in whom we have believed'; and we can say,
'Settle all your controversies any way you like: one thing I know, and
that divine Voice is ever saying it to me in my deepest
consciousness--the Son of God is come and hath given us an
understanding that we may know Him that is true; and we are in Him that
is true.' Labour for more of this inward, personal conviction of the
preciousness of Jesus Christ to strengthen you against a hostile world.
And remember that there are conditions under which this Voice speaks in
our souls. One is that we attend to the instrument which the Spirit of
God uses, and that is 'the truth.' If Christians will not read their
Bibles, they need not expect to have the words of these Bibles
interpreted and made real to them by any inward experience. If you want
to have a faith which is vindicated and warranted by your daily
experience, there is only one way to get it, and that is, to use the
truth which the Spirit uses, and to bring yourself into contact,
continual and reverent and intelligent, with the great body of divine
truth that is conveyed in these authoritative words of the Spirit of
God speaking through the first witnesses.
And there must be moral discipline too. Laziness, worldliness, the
absorption of attention with other things, self-conceit, prejudice,
and, I was going to say, almost above all, the taking of our religion
and religious opinions at secondhand from men and teachers and books--all
these stand in the way of our hearing the Spirit of God when He
speaks. Come away from the babble and go by yourself, and take your
Bibles with you, and read them, and meditate upon them, and get near
the Master of whom they speak, and the Spirit which uses the truth will
use it to fortify you.
III. And, lastly, note the consequent witness with which the Christian
may win the world.
'And ye also shall bear witness of Me, because ye have been with Me
from the beginning.' That 'also' has, of course, direct reference to
the Apostles' witness to the facts of our Lord's historical appearance,
His life, His death, His resurrection, and His ascension; and therefore
their qualification was simply the companionship with Him which enabled
them to say, 'We saw what we tell you; we were witnesses from the
beginning.'
But then, again, I say that there is no word here that belongs only to
the Apostles; it belongs to us all, and so here is the task of the
Christian Church in all its members. They receive the witness of the
Spirit, and they are Christ's witnesses in the world.
Note what we have to do--to bear witness; not to argue, not to adorn,
but simply to attest. Note what we have to attest--the fact, not of the
historical life of Jesus Christ, because we are not in a position to be
witnesses of that, but the fact of His preciousness and power, and the
fact of our own experience of what He has done for us. Note, that that
is by far the most powerful agency for winning the world. You can never
make men angry by saying to them, 'We have found tho Messias.' You
cannot irritate people, or provoke them into a controversial opposition
when you say, 'Brother, let me tell you my experience. I was dark, sad,
sinful, weak, solitary, miserable; and I got light, gladness, pardon,
strength, companionship, and a joyful hope. I was blind--you remember
me when my eyes were dark, and I sat begging outside the Temple; I was
blind, now I see--look at my eyeballs.' We can all say that. This is
the witness that needs no eloquence, no genius, no anything except
honesty and experience; and whosoever has tasted and felt and handled
of the Word of Life may surely go to a brother and say, 'Brother, I
have eaten and am satisfied. Will you not help yourselves?' We can all
do it, and we ought to do it. The Christian privilege of being
witnessed to by the Spirit of God in our hearts brings with it the
Christian duty of being witnesses in our turn to the world. That is our
only weapon against the hostility which godless humanity bears to
ourselves and to our Master. We may win men by that; we can win them by
nothing else. 'Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, and My servants
whom I have chosen.' Christian friend, listen to the Master, who says,
'Him that confesseth Me before men, him will I also confess before My
Father in heaven.'