Summary W. T. Turpin "the Voice," 1889.
It is important that we should apprehend the significance of the words of the Lord Jesus Christ in John 15:26-27. Having pointed out the hatred of the Jews to Him and His words and how they were without excuse for their sin and that hating Him was hating His Father also, He returned to the subject of the Holy Ghost. In John 14, the Spirit is spoken of as sent by the Father in answer to the desire of Christ, the Holy Ghost would teach them and bring to their remembrance. In John 15, the ascended Christ Himself is the sender of the Spirit! In John 16, the Spirit is present on earth without reference to the sender. The frightful wickedness of man did not hinder the manifestation of divine grace in the gift. Next His exalted position is brought before us. The Lord spoke of Himself as ascended. From Him, the Holy Ghost would come to maintain His glory which had been cast down. Further the Comforter would be the witness to the exalted glories of Christ. Israel boasted of Jehovah as their God, and on that ground would have received the Messiah. But to know the Father revealed in His true character by the Son was entirely different! If He had been manifested only in part they would have had excuse, but they had sin and hated both the Father and the Son.
Two kinds of testimony are set before us:- (1) that of the Holy Ghost, (2) that of the disciples. The distinction between these is important. It is not denied that the Holy Ghost energised and guided them in their testimony, but nevertheless the new and heavenly testimony is rendered by the Comforter, the One who came from the Son on high as the competent witness of His heavenly glory, as well as the bearer of a new testimony as to it. The ways and works of Jesus on earth to which the disciples bore witness are shown beautifully in detail. They relate to Him on earth, but the new supplementary witness relates to Him in heaven. This is connected specially with our calling. The heart clings to earth and lingers in its native air and we resent interference with our rights. It is another thing to leave the scene in spirit in company with our unerring guide, the true servant of our heavenly Isaac, to enter into the glories and receive tidings concerning Him on high. We may well challenge our hearts how far we possess and are governed by such a testimony! "He shall testify of Me." That has all the value of Christ's exalted glory. They had been "with Him from the beginning," and could testify of His moral qualities while here.