What shall we do to have Christ for our teacher?

(1.) See your need of Christ's teaching. You cannot see your way without this morning star. Some speak much of improving the light of reason ; alas! the plumb-line of reason is too short to fathom the deep things of God; the light of reason will no more help a man to believe, than the light of a candle will help him to understand. A man can no more by the power of nature reach Christ, than an infant can reach the top of the pyramids, or the ostrich fly up to the stars. See your need of Christ's anointing and teaching in Rev 3:18. "I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see."

(2.) Go to Christ to teach you. "Lead me in your truth, and teach me." As one of the disciples said, "Lord, teach us to pray," I, so say, "Lord, teach me to profit. Light my lamp, O great prophet of your church! Give me a spirit of wisdom and revelation, that I may see things in another manner than I ever saw them before; teach me in the Word to hear your voice, and in the sacrament to discern your body. Give light to my eyes!" Psalm 13:3.

That we may be encouraged to go to our great Prophet:

(1.) Jesus Christ is very willing to teach us. Why else did he enter into the calling of the ministry but to teach the mysteries of heaven? "Jesus went about teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom." Why did he take the prophetic office upon him? Why was Christ so angry with those who kept away the key of knowledge? "Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering." Luke 11:52. Why was Christ anointed with the Spirit without measure but that he might anoint us with knowledge? Knowledge is in Christ, for us as milk in the breast for the child. Oh then go to Christ for teaching. None in the gospel came to Christ for sight but he restored their eyesight; and surely Christ is more willing to work a cure upon a blind soul, than ever he was to do so upon a blind body.

(2:) There are none so dull and ignorant, but Christ can teach them. Everyone is not fit to make a scholar of; but there is none so dull but Christ can make him a good scholar. Even such as are ignorant, and of low abilities, Christ teaches in such a manner that they know more than the great sages and wise men of the world. The unlearned men rise up, and take heaven; they know the truths of Christ more savingly than the great admired Rabbis. The duller the scholar, the more is his skill seen that teaches. Hence it is, that Christ delights in teaching the ignorant, to get himself more glory. "The eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped." Who would go to teach a blind or a deaf man? Yet such dull scholars Christ teaches. Such as are blinded with ignorance, shall see the mysteries of the gospel, and the deaf ears shall be unstopped.

(3.) Wait upon the means of grace which Christ has appointed. Though Christ teaches by his Spirit yet he teaches in the use of ordinances. Wait at the gates of wisdom's door. Ministers are teachers under Christ. "Pastors and teachers." We read of pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. Judges 7:16. Ministers are earthen vessels but these pitchers have lamps within them to light souls to heaven. Christ is said to speak to us from heaven now, by his ministers, as the king speaks by his ambassador. Heb 12:25. Such as wean themselves from the breast of ordinances seldom thrive; either they grow faint in their head, or lame in their feet. The word preached is Christ's voice in the mouth of the minister; and those who refuse to hear Christ speaking in the ministry, Christ will refuse to hear speaking on their death-bed.

(4.) If you would have the teachings of Christ, walk according to the knowledge which you have already. Use your little knowledge well, and Christ will teach you more. "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it is of God, or whether I speak of myself." A master seeing his servant improve a little stock well, gives him more to trade with.

Use three: If you have been taught by Christ savingly, be THANKFUL. It is your honor to have God for your teacher, and that he should teach you, and not others, is a matter of admiration and congratulation. Oh how many knowledgeable men are ignorant! They are not taught of God; they have Christ's Word to enlighten them but not his Spirit to sanctify them. But that you should have the inward as well as the outward teaching, that Christ should anoint you with the heavenly unction of his Spirit, that you can say, "One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see." Oh, how thankful should you be to Christ, who has revealed his Father's bosom secrets unto you! "No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he has revealed him." If Alexander thought himself so much obliged to Aristotle for the philosophic instruction he received from him oh, how are we obliged to Jesus Christ, this great Prophet, for opening to us the eternal purposes of his love, and revealing to us the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven!