Primarily, of course, these are the Apostolic group but the Apostles,
in all these discourses, stand as the representatives of the Church,
and not as separated from it. And whilst the teaching Spirit could
'bring to the remembrance' of those only who first heard them 'the
words that He said unto them,' that Spirit's teaching function is not
limited to those who listened to the Lord Jesus. The fire that was
kindled on Pentecost has not died down into grey ashes, nor the river
that then broke forth been sucked up by thirsty sands of successive
generations, but the fire is still with us, and the river still flows
near our lips, and we, too, may be taught by that divine Spirit. For
this very Evangelist, in writing his Epistle, has at least two distinct
references to, and almost verbal quotations of, this promise, when he
says, addressing all his Asiatic brethren, 'Ye have an unction from the
Holy One, and know all things.' And again, 'The unction which ye have
of Him abideth with you, and ye need not that any man should teach
you.'
So, then, Christian men and women, every believing soul has this divine
Spirit for His Teacher, and the humblest of us may, if we will, learn
of Him and be led by Him into profounder knowledge of that great Lord.
Oh! dear brethren, the belief in the actual presence with the Church of
a Spirit that teaches all faithful members thereof, is far too much
hesitatingly held by the common Christianity of this day. We ought to
be the standing witnesses in the world of the reality of a supernatural
influence, and how can we be, if we do not believe it ourselves, and
never feel that we are under it?
But whilst a continuous inspiration from that self-same Spirit is the
prerogative of all believing souls, let us not forget that the early
teaching is the standard by which all such must be tried. As to the
first disciples the office of the divine Spirit was to bring before
them the deep significance of their Master's life and words, so to us
the office of the teaching Spirit is to bring to our minds the deep
significance of the record by these earliest scholars of what they
learned from Him. The authority of the New Testament over our faith is
based upon these words, and Paul's warning applies especially to this
generation, with its thoughts about a continuous inspiration and
outgrowing of the New Testament teaching: 'If a man think himself to be
spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you
are the commandments of the Lord.'
Now from all this take three counsels. Let this great promise fill us
with shame. Look at Christendom. Does it not contradict such words as
these? Disputatious sects, Christians scarcely agreed upon any one of
the great central doctrines, seem a strange fulfilment. The present
condition of Christendom does not prove that Jesus Christ did not send
the Spirit, but it does prove that Christ's followers have been wofully
remiss and negligent in their acceptance and use of the Spirit. What
slow scholars we are! How little we have learnt! How we have let
passion, prejudice, human voices, the babble of men's tongues, anybody
and everybody, take the office of teaching us God's truth, instead of
waiting before Him and letting His Spirit teach us! It is the shame of
us Christians that, with such a Teacher, we, 'when for the time we
ought to be teachers, have need that one teach us again which be the
first principles of the oracles of Christ!'
Let it fill us with desire and with diligence. Let it fill us with calm
hope. They tell us that Christianity is effete. Have we got all out of
Jesus Christ that is in Him? Is the process that has been going on for
all these centuries to stop now? No! Depend upon it that the new
problems of this generation will find their solution where the old
problems of past generations have found theirs, and the old commandment
of the old Christ will be the new commandment of the new Christ.
Foolish men, both on the Christian and on the anti-Christian side,
stand and point to the western sky and say, 'The Sun is setting.' But
there is a flush in the opposite horizon in an hour, as at midsummer;
and that which sank in the west rises fresh and bright in the east for
a new day. Jesus Christ is the Christ for all the ages and for every
soul, and the world will only learn more and more of His inexhaustible
fullness. So let us be ever quiet, patient, hopeful amidst the babble
of tongues and the surges of controversy, assured that all change will
but make more plain the inexhaustible significance of the infinite
Christ, and that humble and obedient hearts will ever possess the
promised Teacher, nor ever cry in vain, 'Teach me to do Thy will, for
Thou art my God. Thy Spirit is good, lead me into the land of
uprightness.'