A Key to Open Scripture Metaphors, Book 2 · Part 3 · Subpart 10 – Subpart 11
The Holy-Spirit a Teacher.
Luke 12.12.
For the Holy-Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
Joh. 14.26.
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 thing to your Remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
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.
Teacher.
A Teacher is a personal Appellation.
II. A Teacher implieth one or more, that needeth Instruction, or Teaching; it argues Weakness of Knowledg and want of Understanding in some Persons, about such things, they ought to be well instructed in.
III. It behoveth an able Teacher to have great Knowledg and Understanding himself, in all those Things and Mysteries he instructeth others in.
IV. A spiritual and able Teacher openeth divers dark, deep, hidden, and mysterious things to the Understandings of Men.
V. A divine and able Teacher by this means greatly inlightneth the World, and causeth Darkness and Ignorance to fly away, inriching Men's Minds with the precious Knowledg of sacred Truths.
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.
VII. Some Teachers teach their Scholars out of a Book; their great Business is to help them rightly, and distinctly to understand that.
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 forc'd to take much Pains with them.
IX. Some Teachers, tho very deserving, have been greatly slighted by those very Persons they have shewed much Love to, and taken great Pains with for their good, which hath sorely grieved them.
X. Some Teachers, after they have found those, whom they were imployed to teach and instruct, grown to such a great degree of Stubborness and Obstinacy, that they have utterly despised and refused to betaught by them, and have cast all Counsel behind their Backs; then they have left them, and wholly given them up as hopeless Persons.
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 Tea-chers taken away from them or forc'd into a Corner.
Parallel.
THe Holy Ghost is a Divine Person. See Comforter.
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. 1 Cor. 2.11.
III. The Holy Ghost hath great Knowledg, 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.1 Cor. 2.10.
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, Eph. 3.3.as is now revealed unto the Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit.
V. The Holy Ghost inspiring, and teaching the Prophets and Apostles (who were the holy Pen-men of the sacred Scripture) hath greatly inlightned 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 inriched with the Knowledg of divine Truths?
VI. The Holy Ghost teacheth and instructeth poor Sinners gradually, first the a, b, c, of Religion, viz. the Knowledg 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,1 Pet. 3.16. (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.
VII. So the Holy Ghost teacheth Sinners the Knowledg of the Scriptures: for as the Spirit gave them forth so he is the best Interpreter of them:Luk. 24.45 Then opened be their Ʋnderstandings, that they might understand the Scriptures. He shall teach you all things, Joh. 14.26.and shall bring my Words to your Remembrance; he shall take of mine and shew it unto you &c. 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 humane Learning (or that Knowledg they have of Hebrew, Greek, and Latine) for want of the Spirit's Teaching.
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 Knowledg of themselves, Sin, Christ, and Salvation; therefore he drops now a Word, and then a Word for their Conviction.
IX. So many Men that the Holy Ghost hath shewed 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, Neh. 9.20.and withheld not thy Manna from their Mouth, &c.
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,Gen. 6.3. That his Spirit should not always strive with Man: and in like manner the Spirit deals with stubb…rn, 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.
XI. The Holy Ghost is such a great Blessing to the Church and People of God, nay, and unto Sinners too, that there can come no greater Judgment upon them, than to be deprived of this sacred and heavenly Teacher, tho it is sad with the Church,Dr. Owen. When her Teachers are removed into a Corner, and her Eyes see them not; yet we had better lose all other Teachers, and that utterly, than lose this great Teacher only; for tho he is 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.
Inferences.
IS the Holy Ghost the great Teacher? how dare any then reproach and villify him, or slight his Teaching, or those who are lead and instructed by him?
2. 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 Teachings? who are they that are taught and instructed by him?
Answ. This you may take as an undoubted Truth, that 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 that he that walketh faithfully up to the written Word, is lead and taught by the Spirit.
Quest. But doth not the Apostle say, We have an Ʋnction from the holy One, 1 Joh, 2.20, 27.and know all things, and need not that any Man teach us? 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;2 Tim. 2.2. 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? 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 Ʋnity of the Faith, Eph. 4.and of the Knowledg of the Son of God, unto a perfect Man, &c. 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.
The Holy-Spirit compared to a Dove.
Mat. 3.16.
And he saw the Spirit of God descending like a Dove, and lighted on him.
The Holy-Spirit is represented by a Dove, or appeared in the shape of a Dove, and may in some things be resembled thereto.
Simile.
A Dove is a Bodily Substance, or hath a Subsistence of his own.
II As at the beginning of the Creation, saith a Reverend Divine,Dr. Owen. the Spirit, foreign incubabat, came and fell on the Waters, cherished the whole, and communicating a prolifick and vivifick Quality unto it, as a Fowl or Dove in particular gently moves it self upon its Eggs, until with, and by its generative Warmth it hath communicated vital Heat unto them.
III. A Dove is a meek, harmless, and innocent Creature; Be ye as harmless as Doves.
IV. A Dove hath a quick, sharp Sight or Eye, as it is hinted, Cant. 1.6. chap. 4.1.
V. A Dove brought Tidings to Noah of the ceasing of the Flood of Waters, and so consequently, that the Wrath of God was abated likewise.
VI. A Dove is a most swift Creature: hence David crys out, O that I had the Wings of a Dove! Psal. 55.6.then would I fly away, and be at rest.
Parallel.
SO the Holy Ghost hath a personal Existence, It was foreign, a bodily Shape, and that foreign of a Dove.
II. So now (saith he) at the Entrance of the new Creation, the Spirit comes as a Dove upon Christ, who was the immediate Author of it, and virtually comprized it in himself, carrying it on by virtue of his Presence with him; and so this is applyed in the Syriack Ritual of Baptism, composed by Severinus; And the Spirit of Holiness descended, flying in the likeness of a Dove, and rested upon him, and moved on the Waters.
III. So the Holy Spirit is of a most sweet, meek, pure and Dove-like Disposition, the Perfection of all excellent Qualities being in him, as well as upon the Dove Christ, as he was figured forth thereby.
IV. The Holy Spirit hath a quick and sharp Sight, can discern the very Thoughts and Intents of the Heart; what can be hid from his Eyes,Heb. 4.13▪ before whom all things lie naked and bare?
V. So in the Assumption of this Form, there may be some respect had to Noah's Dove, signifying Peace and Reconciliation by Christ, and the ceasing of the Wrath of God to all those who shall fly to the Lord Jesus, and rest upon him by a lively Faith.
VI. The Holy Ghost is swift; God is said to fly upon the Wings of the Wind; the Spirit is God, and the Flight of the Dove, saith Reverend Blackwood, Mr. Blackwood on Mat. 3. p. 85.denotes the divine Influence of the Spirit coming from Heaven into the Members of Christ, as well as into the Head; the Holy Ghost can quickly come to the Aid and Succour of a Believer, when in Trouble or beset with Temptation, or to strengthen him when, he hath any great Work and Business to do for God. That Spirit appeared like a Dove, and yet the Learned tell us, it was of a fiery Colour, and we must not think this Substance, saith Mr. Blackwood, or Body resembled by a Dove, to be hypostatically united to the Holy Spirit, as the humane Nature of Christ is to the divine: but as Angels appeared oft-times to Men in humane Bodies, and laid them down again; so did the Holy Ghost.