And he gives us a reason for so doing--only a hint; but still a hint,
by which we may see to-day it was expedient for us that he should go
away.
Unless he went away, the Comforter would not come. Now the true and
exact meaning of the Comforter is the Strengthener, the Encourager--
one who gives a man strength of mind, and courage of spirit, to do
his work. Without that Comforter, the apostles would be weak and
spiritless. Without being encouraged and inspirited by him, they
would never get through the work which they had to do, of preaching
the Gospel to the whole world.
We may surely see, if we think, some of the cause of this. The
apostles, till our Lord's ascension, had been following him about
like scholars following a master--almost like children holding by
their father's hand. They had had no will of their own; no opinion
of their own; they had never had to judge for themselves, or act for
themselves; and, when they had tried to do so, they had always been
in the wrong, and Christ had rebuked them. They had been like
scholars, I say, with a teacher, or children with a parent. Yea
rather, when one remembers who they were, poor fishermen, and who he
was--God made man--they had been (I speak with all reverence) as dogs
at their master's side--faithful and intelligent truly; but with no
will of their own, looking for ever up to his hand and his eye, to
see what he would have them do.
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