The Holy Spirit a Teacher

    THE HOLY SPIRIT A TEACHER

    "For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say" Lu 12:12.

    "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" Joh 14:26.

    THE Holy Spirit is the great Teacher of the Church, and every particular saint and member thereof, unto whom the accomplishment of that great promise is committed; "And they shall be all taught of God," Joh 6:45.

    METAPHOR

    I. A Teacher is a personal appellation.

    PARALLEL

    I. The Holy Ghost is a Divine Person. See Comforter.

    METAPHOR

    II. A Teacher implieth one or more, that needeth instruction, or teaching: it argues weakness of knowledge and want of understanding in some persons, about such things, they ought to be well instructed in.

    PARALLEL

    II. There is no man whatsoever but needeth the divine teaching and instruction of the Holy Ghost; "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God," 1Co 2:11.

    METAPHOR

    III. It behoveth an able Teacher to have great knowledge and understanding himself, in all those things and mysteries he instructeth others in.

    PARALLEL

    III. The Holy Ghost hath great knowledge, yea, he is infinite in understanding, there is nothing that he is ignorant of, that either concerns God's honour, or our good; "The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God," 1Co 2:10.

    METAPHOR

    IV. A spiritual and able Teacher openeth divers dark, deep, hidden, and mysterious things to the understandings of men.

    PARALLEL

    IV. The Holy Ghost openeth many dark, and deep mysteries: what hidden mysteries did he reveal to the prophets, and open and unfold to the blessed apostles? "Which in other ages were not made known unto the sons of men, as is now revealed unto the apostles and prophets by the Spirit," Eph 3:5.

    METAPHOR

    V. A divine and able Teacher by this means greatly enlighteneth the world, and causeth darkness and ignorance to fly away, enriching men's minds with the precious knowledge of sacred truths.

    DISPARITY.

    V. The Holy Ghost inspiring, and Teaching the prophets and apostles (who were the holy pen-men of the sacred scripture) hath greatly enlightened the inhabitants of the earth, where their record is known, and also when he hath opened the eyes of the understandings of men in those profound and glorious mysteries contained in the holy scripture, how are their minds enriched with the knowledge of divine truths?

    METAPHOR

    VI. An able Teacher instructeth ignorant persons by degrees, as they are able to take in, conceive, and apprehend things, first to read the a, b, c, and then the Bible, and afterwards the Grammar, or any other things of learning they desire to be instructed in.

    DISPARITY

    VI. The Holy Ghost teacheth and instructeth poor sinners gradually, first the a, b, c, of religion, viz., the knowledge of sin, and their lost and undone condition thereby; the vanities of this world, together with the necessity of a Saviour: and then, in the second place, he instructeth them in higher mysteries, opening and explaining the covenant of grace, as also the glorious mystery of union and communion with God, the mystery of the Trinity, the incarnation of Christ, his Priesthood, and other things relating to him as Mediator; together with many dark sayings and prophecies of the scripture, which those who are unlearned, (viz., who have not the Spirit's Teachings) wrest unto their own destruction: "I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now," Joh 16:12.

    METAPHOR

    VII. Some Teachers teach their scholars out of a book; their great business is to help them rightly and distinctly to understand that.

    DISPARITY

    VII. So the Holy Ghost teacheth sinners the knowledge of the scripture: for as the Spirit gave them forth, so he is the best interpreter of them: "Then opened he their understandings, that they might understand the scriptures,"Lu 24:25. "He shall teach you all things, and shall bring my words to your remembrance; He shall take of mine and show it unto you," &c. Joh 14:26; that is, he shall open and explain my word and doctrine to you. How ignorant are some men of the scriptures, and of those glorious mysteries contained therein. Notwithstanding all their human learning (or that knowledge they have of Hebrew, Greek, and Latin) for want of the Spirit's teaching.

    METAPHOR

    VIII. A Teacher exerciseth much patience towards them whom he instructeth; especially when he meets with such that are very dull and unapt to learn, he is forced to take much pains with them.

    DISPARITY

    VIII. So the Holy Ghost exerciseth much patience towards sinners, whom he comes to teach and instruct in the way of salvation; mankind being generally very dull and unapt to learn the knowledge of themselves, sin, Christ, and salvation; therefore he drops now a word, and then a word, for their conviction.

    METAPHOR

    IX. Some Teachers though very deserving, have been greatly slighted by those very persons they have showed much love to, and taken great pains with for their good, which hath sorely grieved them.

    DISPARITY

    IX. So, many men that the Holy Ghost hath showed much love unto, and laboured greatly with, have notwithstanding slighted and disregarded all his counsel and instruction; like as Israel did of old. "Thou gavest them thy good Spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth," &c. Ne 9:20.

    METAPHOR

    X. Some Teachers, after they have found those, whom they were employed to teach and instruct, grown to such a great degree of stubbornness and obstinacy, that they have utterly despised and refused to be taught by them, and have cast all counsel behind their backs; then they have left them, and wholly given them up as hopeless persons.

    DISPARITY

    X. So the Holy Ghost, who laboured to instruct the old world, finding they were grown to a fearful degree of hardness, rebellion, and obstinacy, utterly refusing to return or be reformed, after he had waited many years upon them, left them to perish in their sins, God declaring sometimes before the flood came upon them, "that his spirit should not always strive with man," Ge 6:3; and in like manner the Spirit deals with stubborn, obstinate sinners; for after long-waiting and abused patience, he leaves them, and gives them utterly up to their own heart's lust, and to walk in their own counsel.

    METAPHOR

    XI. Godly Teachers are so great a blessing to people, that it is a great loss to lose them; nay, a sore and lamentable judgment upon the Church and the world to be deprived of, or have their Teachers taken away from them or forced into a corner.

    DISPARITY

    XI. The Holy Ghost is such a great blessing to the Church and the people of God, nay, and unto sinners too, that there can come no greater judgment upon them, than to he deprived of this sacred and heavenly Teacher, though it is sad with the Church, "when her Teachers are removed into a corner,[1] and her eyes see them not; yet we had better loss all our Teachers, and that utterly, than lose this great Teacher only; for though he be pleased to make use of them, he can teach effectually and savingly without them, were they removed and taken away; but they cannot teach without him unto the least spiritual advantage; and those who pretend to be Teachers of others, and yet despise his teaching-assistance, will once find they undertook a work which was none of theirs."

    [1] Dr. Owen.

    INFERENCES.

    I. Is the Holy Ghost the great Teacher? how dare any then reproach and vilify him, or slight his teaching, or those who are led and instructed by him?

    II. It may also stir up all persons to a readiness and willingness of heart and mind to be taught and instructed by him.

    Quest. How may we know, say some, the Spirit's teaching? Who are they that are taught and instructed by him?

    Answ. This you may take as an undoubted truth, the Spirit never teacheth any thing contrary to the written word, because so the world might be at a certainty about a good and true Teacher in matters of religion; the Spirit hath left us the holy scripture, and he always teacheth as that teacheth, opening and explaining what dark and obscure things are contained therein; so he that walketh faithfully up to the written word, is led and taught by the Spirit.

    Quest. But doth not the apostle say, "We have an unction from the holy one, and know all things, and need not that any man teach us?" 1Jo 2:20,27. We need no other Teacher therefore but the Spirit.

    Answ. That is a great mistake, and apparent wresting of the text; for the Spirit of God, that holy unction, was in the primitive saints in a more glorious measure than he is in any now, and yet Christ called forth and ordained divers other Teachers for them, who were to build them up in their most holy faith; "And the things (saith Paul to Timothy) that thou hast heard of me, among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also?" 2Ti 2:2. A Gospel-ministry is to abide till Christ's second coming, they are appointed for the gathering together, building up, and perfecting of the saints, "Until we all come into the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man," Eph 4:13. Therefore the meaning of the Holy Ghost in that place is this, we need not that any man teach us, but as that anointing teacheth; if any man teach us such and such things that are not written; things that the Spirit never taught in the word of God, we ought not to hearken to them: we need no teaching but that which is according to the Spirit's teachings, and agreeable to its blessed rule, left upon record, viz., the holy scriptures of truth.