The Spirit of Truth

"Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come." -John 16:13 [KJV]

There are two grand lessons to be learnt in the school of Christ, and all divine teaching is comprehended and summed up in them. One is, to learn, by the Spirit's teaching, what we are by nature; so as to see and feel the utter ruin and thorough wreck of self, and the complete beggary, weakness, and helplessness of the creature in the things of God. This is the first grand branch of divine teaching. And we have to learn this lesson day by day, "line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little" [Isaiah 28:10]. Through this branch of divine teaching we have almost daily to wade, and sometimes to sink into very painful depths under a sense of our depraved nature.

And the other grand branch of divine teaching is, "To know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent" [John 17:3]. To know who Jesus is, and to know what He is; to know the efficacy of His atoning blood to purge the guilty conscience, the power of His justifying righteousness to acquit and absolve from all sin; the mystery of His dying love to break down the hardness of heart, and raise up a measure of love towards Him; and to see, by the eye of faith, His holy walk and suffering image, so as to be in some measure conformed to Him, and have His likeness in some measure stamped upon our souls. 

-preacher J.C. Philpot (1802-1869 A.D.)

July 28th, EARS FROM HARVESTED SHEAVES

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