God-Guided Men

God-Guided Men

(No. 3078)

A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1908.

DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON LORD'S-DAY EVENING, MARCH
15, 1874.

"I conferred not with flesh and blood." Galatians 1:16.

THE conversion of Paul is one of the evidences of the truth of our holy
religion. So far as this life was concerned, he had nothing to gain,
but everything to lose by becoming a Christian. From being a great
Rabbi he came to be the companion of poor fishermen who themselves were
the followers of One who was poorer even than they! It is clear that he
was no fanatic and not at all likely to be carried away by any sudden
impulse. He was clear-headed, thoughtful, logical and his conversion
must have been worked by some very extraordinary power–there must have
been, to him at least, overwhelming evidence of the truth of what he
believed and of that form of faith to which he devoted his whole after
life.

In addition to supplying us with valuable evidence of the truth of
Christianity, Paul has left to us a most remarkable example of its
force in his own person. Never was there a man more fully possessed
with the Spirit of Christ than he was. He was no feeble saint with just
enough Grace to enable him to go limping into Heaven–he was a
spiritual athlete, wrestling with the powers of darkness, running with
endurance the race set before him and "filled with all the fullness of
God." He was one who was indeed "strong in the Lord, and in the power
of His might." He threw himself, with all his natural zeal, into the
cause of Christ–that natural zeal being so sanctified by the Spirit of
God as to make him a mighty and valiant servant of the Lord. I pray
that we, also, Beloved, may be what Paul was. I will not even deny his
bonds! He did so when he said to king Agrippa, "I would to God that not
only you, but also all that hear me this day were both almost, and
altogether such as I am, except these bonds." But we might be willing
even to wear his bonds if we might but have such a character as his
fully developed within us!

Paul–being converted through Christ appearing to him out of Heaven,
and speaking personally to him, being deeply repentant for the past and
believing fully in Jesus as his Lord and Savior–had no sooner been
baptized than he struck out at once an independent path for himself. He
did not need to receive any commission from men, for he had received
his commission direct from Heaven and, therefore, "straightway he
preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God."

In our text Paul says, "I conferred not with flesh and blood." He did
not consult with good men as to what he ought to do! Why should he? Why
should he ask them to countersign his commission when he had Christ's
name at the bottom of it? He did not consult his relatives, for he knew
very well what they would say. They would think him ten thousand fools
in one to throw up all his prospects of advancement to become the
follower of what they thought to be the meanest of all superstitions.
He did not consult even with his own flesh and blood, with himself. As
I have already reminded you, he had everything to lose and nothing to
gain by becoming a Christian–but he willingly descended from being a
student of Gamaliel and a member of the Sanhedrim, to earn his living
as a tentmaker and to be a simple itinerant preacher of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. He descended from comparative ease and luxury to poverty
and stern toil– from safety and peace to bitter persecution! And at
last to death by martyrdom. And while knowing that he could never be a
gainer as to temporal things, he nevertheless calmly and deliberately
gave himself up to be the bondservant of that Christ who had spoken to
him out of Heaven and called him into His service.

I want to show you, first, that faith needs no warrant for its action
but the command of God. If it gets that, it need not consult with flesh
and blood. I shall try to show you, in the second place, the range of
application of this principle to

ourselves practically. And then I shall show you, in the last place,
that the principle is a grand one and commends itself to our best
judgment

I. First, FAITH NEEDS NO WARRANT FOR ITS ACTION BUT THE COMMAND OF GOD.

Believers have no need to consult with flesh and blood. I may refer you
in illustration of this Truth of God to good men in all ages. There is
Noah, for instance. He is commanded by God to build an ark of gopher
wood–an ark large enough to hold himself and his family and some of
all beasts, birds and creeping things that were upon the face of the
earth! Was it not an absurd idea to build so huge an ark upon dry land?
Yet Noah did not consult with any of the people who were then
living–we read, "Thus did Noah: according to all that God commanded
him, so did he."

Then, think of Abraham. He was commanded by God to leave his country,
his kindred and his father's house and to go unto a land that God would
show him." And we read, "So Abraham departed as the Lord had spoken
unto him." Further on–in his life there was that very memorable
occasion when God commanded him to offer up his son Isaac as a burnt
offering. Abraham did not consult with Sarah. He knew the mother's
feelings far too well to wish to lacerate them, and she might have
said, "No, my Husband, such a deed as that must not be done." So he did
not ask her, but he rose up early in the morning, saddled his donkey,
prepared the wood and set out on the three days' journey to the place
of which God had told him. He did not even consult Isaac, who was,
apparently, thus to die. And when Isaac said to him, "Behold the fire
and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" his father
replied, almost choking, I think, as he said it–"My son, God will
provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering." He consulted not with his
own flesh and blood, else had the father been too strong for the
Believer, but as God had commanded him to offer his son as a sacrifice,
he unsheathed the knife to slay his beloved Isaac–a glorious instance
of what faith can dare to do without asking the advice or the approval
of men!

Remember, too, how Moses obeyed the Divine command to lead Israel out
of the house of bondage. He certainly did not consult with his own
flesh and blood, for the riches of Egypt were at his feet! Perhaps
Pharaoh's throne would have been occupied by him before long had he not
counted "the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in
Egypt," and he gave up glittering prospects to go forth into the
wilderness with the despised people of God.

Remember David, too. He had those who wished to give him counsel, when
he twice stood over his sleeping foe, the despot Saul. On the second
occasion Abishai said to David, "Let me smite him, I pray you, with the
spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second
time." But David said to him, "Destroy him not; for who can stretch
forth his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?" He knew
right well that it is not for good men to do ill actions, even though
they think the best results might follow from them. So he consulted not
with flesh and blood and he would not let the son of Zerniah lead him
into sin. Think too, of Daniel. When the royal edict was signed that
none should ask a petition of anyone except King Darius for thirty
days, did he confer with flesh and blood as to what he should do under
the circumstances? Did he consult with himself or with others as to how
he might satisfy his conscience and yet, at the same time, save his
life? Not he–he went into his house, where his windows were open
towards Jerusalem, and there he prayed to God three times a day, as he
had done aforetime, although the lions' den awaited him! And think,
also, of those three brave young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
When Nebuchadnezzar told them that they must worship his golden image
or be cast into the burning fiery furnace, they replied, "We are not
careful to answer you in this matter." Their only care was to do as God
bade them–regardless of all consequences! They did not consult with
flesh and blood, but obeyed the command of their God!

This has been faith's rule all through the ages. It was the rule of the
martyrs in the old days of the Roman persecution. They knew that they
might be put to death in the Coliseum–"butchered to make a Roman
holiday"–yet, knowing that, they dared to confess that they were
Christians. This was the glory of our Protestant ancestors in the days
of Queen Mary. They went joyfully to Smithfield to be burnt for the
sake of Christ and, as one of the pastors significantly said, "the
young people went to see the others burn–and to learn the way when it
should come to their turn." They did learn the way, too, to stand
there, not consulting with flesh and blood, but being ready to be
burned to ashes rather than worship the beast, or receive his mark on
their foreheads! This is still the spirit that animates true faith.
God's command is her sufficient warrant. She consults not with flesh
and blood.

I would have you also remember that if we do ask for something over and
above God's plain command, we are virtually casting the command,
itself, behind our backs. God tells you to do a certain thing, but you
say that you must

first consult your advisers and friends. Then has it come to this–that
a mortal man is to tell you whether you are to obey God or not? That
would be making man your god and rejecting the living and true God!
Suppose that in such a consultation you should be advised not to do the
right thing? And if you should obey that advice, would you be relieved
of your responsibility? Certainly not! It would still rest upon you. To
you comes the Divine command and it is for you to obey it, whether you
are advised by others to do so or not. Even to ask for such advice is
to trifle with the authority of God. To hesitate to do right because of
self-interest is rebellion against God. Suppose you say, "That is
plainly my duty but it would involve me in a loss"? Well, then, which
shall it be–will you suffer the loss or will you commit the sin? If
you choose to commit the sin, you do distinctly make your own gain to
be your god, for that which has the highest place in your soul is,
after all, your god. What right have you to ask, "Will such a course
pay me? Will it answer my purpose? What will be the good of it to me"?
Such questions contain the very essence of rebellion against the Most
High! What if you are no gainer by obeying your God? He who bids you do
it is your Maker and Preserver! What if you should lose everything
through obeying Him? Would it not be better to lose the whole world
than to lose your own soul, for what will you give in exchange for your
soul? The very thought of weighing self-interest against the authority
of God should be revolting to all right-minded men!

Further, to consult with flesh and blood is diametrically opposed to
the Character of Christ Flesh and blood, in the person of Peter,
rebuked Him when He talked of suffering and being killed. But the Lord
said to him, "Get you behind Me, Satan: you are an offense unto Me, for
you savor not the things that are of God, but those that are of men."
When Jesus said to His disciples, on one occasion, "Let us go into
Judaea again," they said to Him, "Master, the Jews of late sought to
stone You; and go You there again?" Yet bravely did He go where He felt
that He had a commission to go. His life was one of self-denial and
self-sacrifice–His rule was not, "spare yourself," but this was His
rule, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides
alone; but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit." He knew that
without the sacrifice of Himself, He could not glorify God. So, if you
would be like your Master, you must not be making provision for the
flesh to gratify the ease and the lusts thereof–but you must be
willing, like He, to suffer! Like He you must be willing to be
reproached–and like He, even to die, if so it must be for the Glory of
God!

I have generally found that when men do consult with flesh and blood,
the consultation usually leads to the neglect of duty and the forsaking
of the Lord. Had Paul conferred with flesh and blood he would probably
never have been an Apostle. I pray that you, Beloved, may have the
Grace to say, "My Master's command is my only Law. My Master bids me do
such-and-such–this is my reason if men say that I play the fool by
doing it, if they charge me with throwing prudence to the winds–and
even if they thrust me into prison and lead me forth to death. Sooner
let the sun refuse to shine at the Almighty's bidding! Sooner let the
earth refuse to revolve upon her axis, or any longer to traverse her
orbit! Sooner let all Nature revolt against the laws of its Maker, than
ever a man of God, redeemed by the blood of Christ, should dare to
refuse to obey Him, let Him command whatever He may."

There I leave the grand and searching principle that faith needs no
warrant for its action but the command of God!

II. Now secondly, I am going to show you THE RANGE OF ITS PRACTICAL
APPLICATION TO OURSELVES.

I judge that, first of all, it applies to all our known duties. I am
not now speaking to unconverted people–I am speaking to you who
profess to be converted. You say that you are saved and that you do not
trust in your own works. That is well. I have preached to you the
Scriptural Doctrine of Salvation by Grace, but now I am going to give
you a practical principle that is inseparably associated with that
Doctrine. It is this–It is the duty of every Christian to forsake
every known sin, whatever it may be, and, in doing so, he is notto
consult with flesh and blood. Many professors say, "This course is
wrong, judging by the Scriptural standard. But then, society has long
tolerated it. No, it has even decreed it to be right." But will society
judge you at the Last Great Day? If you are cast into Hell as a
deceitful professor, will society fetch you out of the bottomless pit?
If you are found at last outside the gates of Heaven, will society
recompense you for your eternal loss? What have you, O man of God, to
do with society? Christians are to come out from among the ungodly to
daily take up their cross and follow Christ–to go outside the camp,
bearing His reproach. The friend of the world is the enemy of Christ.
What have you to do with doing as the world does?

The same principle applies to the duty of consecration to Christ. Every
Christian should live for Christ alone. All that we are and have
belongs to Christ. Even Paul wrote, "You are not your own, for you are
bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your
spirit, which are God's." Well then, do not consult with flesh and
blood to find out how far other Christians obey that command, for the
pulse of the professing Christian is in a sickly state at this time and
Christianity is sadly adulterated. But what have I to do with what my
fellow Christians do? If they are not what they should be, is not that
a reason why I should be the more consecrated to Christ? If I see
others put into the scales of the sanctuary and found wanting, is that
a reason why I, too, should be found wanting? I charge you people of
God who are here present to try how near you can get to complete
consecration to the Lord Jesus Christ! Never say, "I am as good as my
minister." You had need be much better than I am! Never say, "I am as
good as such-and-such a Christian." O Sirs, if you compare yourselves
among yourselves, you are not wise! The only model for Christians is
Christ Himself!

This principle of not consulting flesh and blood also applies to our
service for Christ. We have known ministers whose "call" to a place
always depended upon the size of the salary. We have heard of others
whose work for Christ depends upon whether it is to be done in
respectable society and whether it is a tolerably light and easy task.
If they find that it is Ragged School work, or if they will have to
labor among very poor people and get no credit for it, they do not care
for that kind of service–and if it involves a great deal of toil, they
do not feel that they could manage it. The real difficulty is that it
is not pleasing to flesh and blood! O soldiers of the Cross, has it
come to this, that you must have an easy place, or you will not fight
for your King? Soldiers of the Queen do not wait to ask whether it will
be hot or cold in the lands to which they are ordered to go–but away
they go at the royal command. And so it must be with Christians! We
must not be such featherbed soldiers that we can only go where we shall
be easy and comfortable. No, but in the name of Him who bought us with
His blood, let us ask, "Is this my proper sphere of service for Christ?
Then I will occupy it, by His Grace, cost what it may."

Perhaps I am addressing some Brother or Sister here who says, "I feel
that I am called to service for Christ, but I am going to consult my
friends to see whether they are with me or not." That will probably put
an end to your service before it begins! Nothing good will be done by a
man who will not attempt it until everybody thinks it is wise. If God
has called you to any work for Him, go at it at once with all your
might, for if you stop to consult even good people, it is very likely
that they have not the faith that you have–or if they have, they will
frankly tell you that they are not judges of your call. I cannot decide
whether it is a call from God to you–you must yourself be the judge as
to that. And if you feel that God has called you to any work, go and do
it!

"Oh, but Christian people throw cold water over my plans!" Yes, that is
a common practice, but it ought not to stop you from doing the Lord's
work! Remember how David's brother, Eliab, said to him, "I know your
pride and the naughtiness of your heart; for you are come down that you
might see the battle"? I have always admired the modesty of David's
reply, "What have I now done? Is there not a cause?" He had been sent
down to the camp by his father and he had a further justification, a
little later, when he stood before Saul with the giant's gory head in
his hand! If God bids you do any work for Him, go and do it in His
strength without consulting with flesh and blood. Many a noble purpose
has been strangled by a committee! Many a glorious project that might
have been the means of carrying the Gospel to the utmost ends of the
earth has been crushed by timid counselors who said that it was not
practicable! Whereas, had it been attempted, God would have worked with
the worker and great would have been the result. So go, O man of God,
to the work He has called you to do–and consult not with flesh and
blood!

In the next place, this principle applies to all necessary sacrifices.
There are sacrifices which we must make for Christ and His cause. For
instance, there are persons who, if they are converted to God, must
make sacrifices in their business. There are here tonight one or two
men who used to be publicans. But when they became converted, they took
the very first opportunity of getting out of that business, although it
meant a considerable sacrifice. They have cheerfully borne the loss and
they are now sitting here with clear consciences as they could not have
been if they had not done what they believed to be right. There are
others here who used to get a living by their Sunday trade, but they
willingly gave it up for Christ's sake when they became His. I do not
think they have ever got back as much money as they gave up, but they
have great peace of mind and they feel perfect satisfaction at the loss
because they believe it to be right. Every Christian is bound to act
thus, not considering for a moment the profit or loss of the matter. As
God is God, He is to be served at all costs!

Sometimes, however, the following of Christ involves the loss of more
than money–the loss of friendships. There are separations still made
in the world because of devotion to Christ. Ungodly parents drive away
from them their converted children. Close friendships have been snapped
and situations of influence and usefulness have had to be given

up for Christ's sake and the Gospel's. "What am I to do?" asks one who
is threatened with grievous loss if he will not give up Christ. Be
willing to let father and mother, or husband or wife and all else go
rather than let Him go upon whom your eternal interest depends!
Remember that He said, "If any man comes to Me and hates not his
father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters;
yes, and his own life, also, he cannot be My disciple." Some persons
feel that if they become followers of Christ, they will lose prestige
and position–and that is more than they can endure. There have been
some who, when they had joined this Church, have henceforth had the
cold shoulder in the aristocratic circles to which they belonged. And
they have come to me and said, "Our former friends no longer call upon
us, nor ask us to their houses." And I have replied, "Thank God! Then
you will be out of the way of the temptation to which you might be
exposed from their idle chat." They have said, by-and-by, that it was
even so and that it was well. But at the first it was hard to bear.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, always do what is right! Whatever
may come of it, be out-and-out for Christ. Verily I say unto you–there
is no man who shall be a loser by Christ at the last! Great shall be
his gain who, for Christ's sake, can give up even all that he has!

I want you to further notice that this principle also applies to the
confession of your faith, i f you have been converted to Christ. Very
often some of those who really do believe in Jesus neglect to avow
their faith in the Lord's appointed way. Nothing is more plainly taught
in the New Testament than that it is the duty of every Believer in
Christ to be baptized. It is the duty of every Christian, having first
given himself to Christ, afterwards to give himself to Christ's Church,
according to the will of God. Now, my dear Friend, do your Master's
will and consult not with flesh and blood!

Do not consult with yourself about this matter, for if you do, Self
will say, "Why need you go through that trouble? You will bring a great
deal of unnecessary notice upon yourself if you do. And perhaps you
will not be able to hold out to the end–you may fall into sin and
bring disgrace upon the name of Christ!" Self will reason in this way,
but what have you to do with such reasoning? Is it not your bounden
duty to do as your Master bids you? If soldiers, in the day of battle,
are commanded to charge the enemy at the point of the bayonet, they
must not stop to consider the danger of such a course, or to ask why
their commander gave such an order. And so it must be with all the
soldiers of King Jesus! And so surely it will be with every true
Christian. Are you a Christian and does your Lord bid you confess your
faith in Him? Then come forward and say, "According to His will, I with
confess with my mouth, because with my heart I have believed in His
name." Possibly someone says, "If I were to do that, I should grieve my
parents." Do not needlessly grieve anybody, but if it is necessary for
Christ's sake, grieve everybody–and grieve yourselfmost that they
should be grieved because you do what is right!

Another says, "My position would become very uncomfortable if I were to
be baptized." Then find your comfort in the Presence of Christ with you
in uncomfortable circumstances! "But," says one, "I don't see how I
could be baptized at present." Is it your duty? Then remember that the
Apostle says, "Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood." When
I preached in the country, before I came to London, I used to have a
hearer who professed to have been a Christian for many years. Whenever
I spoke to him about joining the Church, he always said, "He that
believes shall not make haste," to which I replied, "Well, if you come
at once, you certainly will not have made haste." Then I tried to
explain to him that the haste referred to there was the haste of fear
and cowardice. And I said that a much more appropriate text was this
one, "I made haste, and delayed not to keep Your commandments."

"Well," says one, "I don't wish to put off joining the Church. At the
same time, I cannot quite give up the world." Then, do not join the
Church! We do not want in the Church those whose hearts are still in
the world, so injurious both to the world and to the Church are those
who try to join the two together! If you are Christ's, you must give up
the world–but why should you hesitate about doing that? What is there
in the world but vanity and vexation of spirit? You will find Christ to
be infinitely preferable to the world, for in Him you will have–

"Solid joys and lasting treasure."

III. I see that my time has gone, but I need not dwell upon the last
point– that THIS PRINCIPLE COMMENDS

ITSELF TO OUR BEST JUDGMENT.

It is the judgment we exercise upon others. We do not like to see
half-and-half people, do we? And if we see people who are willing to
suffer for their principles, we respect and honor them. Well then, let
us so act that others may be able, in their inmost hearts, to respect
and honor us!

This principle will commend itself to us when we come to die. I never
heard of a Nonconformist father, when he was dying, saying to his son,
"My Boy, you know that I was a Dissenter and I lost my farm for that
reason. I advise you to go to the State church and get into the good
books of the parson and the squire." I never heard of a Christian, when
dying, saying to his wife, "My Dear, the shutting up of our shop on the
Sabbath has meant a great loss to us and I have all the less to leave
you–and I regret now that we were so unwise." No, no! I never heard
and never dreamed of hearing of anyone saying such a thing as that! I
never heard a dying Christian say, "I gave too much to the Lord's
cause. I worked too hard in Christ's service. I did not really exercise
sufficient prudence and look out for myself as I ought to have done."
Oh, no! Their regrets always are all the other way! Those who have
denied themselves most always wish that they had done more, given more
and been privileged to even suffermore for Christ's sake!

And finally, this will be our judgment at the Last Great Day. We shall
account that to have followed Christ and to have suffered loss for
Christ was the right thing–but for anyone to have gotten off cheaply
through consulting with flesh and blood will then seem to us to have
been the meanest thing that was ever heard of–treason against the King
of Love, treachery against the Christ who died! Those who have been
faithful to Christ on earth shall share His Glory in Heaven and dwell
with Him there forever and ever! So, if you believe in Him, come out
boldly and confess that you do.

If you love not the Lord Jesus Christ, take heed that He should come
against you with His rod of iron and utterly destroy you. May He, by
His gracious Spirit, give to all of us faith in Him and loyalty to Him
for His dear name's sake! Amen.

EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: JOHN 14.

Verse 1. Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe
also in Me.See Sermons #730, Volume 13–let not your

HEART BE TROUBLED; #1741, Volume 29–"LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED"
and #3076, Volume 54–THE CAUSE AND EFFECT OF HEART TROUBLE– the
Sermon to which this Exposition belongs.] Here is a troubled company of

disciples, very much cast down, so their Divine Master, full of
infinite tenderness, talks to them in this gentle manner, "Let not your
heart be troubled." He does not like to see them troubled, for when
they are, He is also troubled. Our Lord here prescribes faith as the
only remedy for heart trouble. If you, poor troubled soul, can believe,
you will leave off fretting. Twice our Lord uses the word, "believe."
He seems to say to His disciples, "Take another dose of faith–it will
take away from you this faintness of heart from which you are
suffering. 'You believe in God, believe also in Me.'" And then He seeks
to make them forget their heart trouble by talking most sweetly to them
about His Father and His Father's dwelling place. It is a great thing
to divert the mind, when it is troubled, from that which bores into it
and threatens to destroy it.

2. In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would
have told you. "You have all My heart, so I have no secrets from you.
'If it were not so, I would have told you.' Even in going away from
you, I am going away for your good."

2. I go to prepare a place for you [See Sermon #2751, Volume 47–"A
PREPARED PLACE FOR A PREPARED PEOPLE"] "I am all yours, and always
yours, and everywhere yours–and I am doing everything for you."

3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and
receive you unto Myself "I will not send an angel to fetch you, but I
will Myself come for you. If you die, I will come for you in that way.
But if you live on until my Second Advent, 'I will come again, and
receive you unto Myself.'"

3. That where I am, there you may be also. "So do not be troubled
because I am going away from you. I am going first in order that you
may follow afterwards. I am going as the Pioneer into that blessed
state where you shall dwell with Me forever! So do not be troubled at
My departure." How tenderly and lovingly this is all put!

4. And where I go, you know, and the way you know. "I am not going to
take a leap into the dark–you know where I am going, and you also know
the road along which I am going." Ah, but sometimes sorrow forgets what
it knows and thus creates a cloud of unnecessary ignorance which
darkens and increases the sorrow!

5. Thomas said unto Him, Lord, we know not where You go; and how can we
know the way?It was a pity that Thomas had such a thought as this in
his mind, but as it was there, it is a great mercy that he told his
Lord of it.

Sometimes to put your trouble down in black and white is a quick way to
get rid of it–but to bring it to your Lord in prayer is a still better
plan!

6. Jesus said unto him, Iam the way, the truth, and the life: no man
comes unto the Father, but byMe. [See Sermons #245,Volume 5–THE WAY TO
GOD and #942, Volume 16–THE WAY.] How

impossible it is to fully describe our Lord in human language! He is
going away, yet He is, Himself, the way! And He is, Himself, the
beginning and the end–He is everything to His people–"the way, the
truth, and the life." We are obliged to have mixed metaphors when we
talk of Christ, for He is the mixture of everything that is delightful
and precious. All over glorious is our Lord–there is no way of setting
Him forth to the full in our poor halting speech.

7. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also: and from
henceforth you know Him, and have seen Him.It cheers the children of
God to talk to them about their Father, and about their Father's house,
so that is what the Elder Brother did in His great kindness to His
disciples–He talked to them about their Father and His Heaven.

8-10. Philip said unto Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it suffices
us. Jesus said unto him, Have I been so long a time with you, and yet
have you not known Me, Philip? He that has seen Me has seen the Father;
then how can you say, Show us the Father? Do you not believe I am in
the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you I
speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwells in Me, He does the
works. Christ and the Father are indissolubly One. Even when He was
here in His humiliation, He was not separated from His Father except in
that dread hour when He was bearing His people's sins upon the Cross.
Now He is visibly One with His Father on the Throne of Glory!

11, 12. Believe Me that Iam in the Father, and the Father in Me: or
else believe Me for the very works 'sake. Verily, verily, I say unto
you, He that believes on Me, the works that I do shall he do also. "I
am going away from you; but be not dismayed, for I shall not take away
My power from you–that will remain with you."

12, And greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My
Father. "My very absence will let loose a greater power than you could
have experienced while I was here! You will need more power when I am
gone from you, and you shall have more. Therefore, 'let not your heart
be troubled.' Besides, you will still be able to pray, and prayer will
bring you greater blessings than any that I ever gave you."

13, 14. And whatever you shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the
Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask anything in My
name, I will do it. Every word in this address of Christ was full of
comfort to His disciples.

15, 16. If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the
Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with
you forever. There was the One who would enable the disciples to meet
every trial–

that other Comforter [See Sermons #4, Volume 1–THE PERSONALITY OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT; #5, Volume 1–THE COMFORTER; #1074, Volume 18–THE

PARACLETE and #2074, Volume 35–INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.]
whom Christ promised to them! Their trouble was that their Lord was
going away from them. That other Comforter made amends for that and He
will make amends to you, Believer, for every form of trial to which you
may be exposed. Is it bodily weakness? Is it the infirmity of old age?
Is it depression of spirit? Is it losses and crosses at home? Is it
crooked things that cannot be made straight? Well, Christ's promise
still stands good, "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you
another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever."

7. Even the Spirit of Truth: whom the world cannot receive, because it
sees Him not, neither knows Him: but you know Him."You are on familiar
terms with Him. You are intimate with Him. You know Him."

17-20. For He dwells with you, andshall be in you. I will not leave you
comfortless. I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world sees
Me no more; but you see Me: because I live, you shall live also. At
that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in
you. These are the three wonderful mysteries of the union between God,
and Christ, and His people–"I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in
you."

21, 22. He that has My commandments andkeeps them, he it is that loves
Me: andhe that loves Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love
him, and will manifest Myself to him. Judas said unto Him, not
Iscariot, Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself unto us, and
not unto the world? "Perhaps if You did manifest Yourself to the world,
the world would bow down before You and worship You." But Christ's plan
was to manifest Himself to the inner circle of His own chosen ones.

23-27. Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man loves Me, he will
keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him,
and make our abode with him. He that loves Me not keeps not My sayings:
and the word

which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's which sent Me. These
things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the
Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My
name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, My
peace I give unto

you. [See Sermons #247, Volume 5–THE BEST OF MASTERS and #300, Volume
6–SPIRITUAL PEACE.] He had given them peace while He was with them.
His Divine Presence had been their continual comfort. But now, although
He was going away from them, He would leave His peace behind Him as the
most precious legacy that He could bequeath to them–"Peace I leave
with you, My peace I give unto you."

27, 28. Not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard how I said unto you,
I go away, and come again unto you. If you loved Me, you would
rejoice–. "I know that you do love Me, but if you really acted as if
you loved Me, you would rejoice."

28, Because I said, I go unto the Father: for My Father is greater than
I. The Lord Jesus, though equal with the Father, had voluntarily laid
aside His Glory and taken the form and place of a Man, making Himself
of no reputation, so His disciples ought to have rejoiced that He was
going back to His primitive Glory!

29, 30. AndnowIhave toldyou, before it comes topass, that when it is
comes topass, you might believe. Hereafter I will not talk much with
you: for theprince of this world comes, and has nothing in Me. Still
Christ would have enough to do to meet that arch-enemy and to endure
all that would come upon Him during that dread encounter.

31. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the
Father gave Me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go from here.