any things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 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 show you things to come. He shall glorify
me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things
that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I that he shall take of
mine, and shall show it unto you." John 16:12-15. In the former of these
passages the special promise is that the Holy Spirit shall bring to the
remembrance of the apostles and unfold to their understanding all
Christ's personal teachings; so that they shall thus have a fuller
apprehension of their meaning than they could while he was yet with
them. The second promise is introduced with the declaration that the
Saviour has yet many things to say to his apostles which they cannot now
bear. Of course these things are reserved for the ministration of the
Spirit, as he immediately proceeds to show: "When he, the Spirit of
truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth." The Spirit shall
glorify Christ; for he shall take of the things which are Christ's, and
reveal them to the apostles. And what are the things which are Christ's?
"All that the Father hath;" for the Father has given all things into the
hands of the Son. John 13:3. Among these "all things" are included all
the Father's counsels pertaining to the way of salvation through the
Son. These are given to the Son; and the Holy Ghost shall take of them
and reveal to the church, through the apostles, as much as it is needful
for the church to know. In these remarkable words we have at once a
proof of our Lord's deity, and a sure guarantee to the apostles of
supernatural illumination and guidance in the work committed to
them--all the illumination and guidance which they needed, that they
might be qualified to finish without error the revelation of the gospel
which Christ had begun.

The question is often asked: Were these promises given to the
apostles alone, or through them to the church at large? The
answer is at hand. They were given _primarily_ and in a _special
sense_ to the apostles; for they had reference to a special work
committed to them, which required for its performance special
divine illumination and guidance. They were also given, in an
important sense, to the church at large; since all believers
enjoy, throu