sometimes to a Child to train him up in a way of Submission to his Fathers will So the Lord deals with his own Children when he sees we have this or that Comfort which is near or dear to us Now that God may train us up to his own Will and that we may learn subjection to his Will the Lord calls for this Comfort and that mercy that is so dear to us that Yoke-fellow and that Child or whoever it be that is near and dear to us the Lord doth sometimes call it from us and take it away that we may learn to be submissive to his Will as it is said concerning Christ Heb. 5.8 That Christ learned Obedience by his Sufferings and truly so when Christ came to drink the Cup that his Father put into his hand saith he The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it He learned Obedience by his Sufferings and so the Lord may teach his Children Obedience by training them up in this way to take away their nearest and dearest Comforts from them that they may come to be at the Lords will and word in every thing And thus the Lord trained up Abraham saith God to Abraham I must have you to go out of your own Country to leave your Friends and Relations behind to go into a strange place and Abraham did so And then when the Lord had given him an only and a beloved Son saith God to him Come I must take that Son from you go and Sacrifice him your self to me thus God trained up Abraham to his foot as it were which is the expression of the Holy Ghost Isa 41.2 Abraham was brought to the foot of God to the beck of God Thus God deals with his Children he trains them up to be submissive to his own will to his ordering for every thing therefore God will sometimes take away this Comfort and that Comfort though never so near and dear to us That is the fourth Reason 5. The Lord doth sometimes deprive his Children of their nearest and dearest Comforts That they may learn to fear before him that they may stand in awe of him as it is said Psal 55.19 Because they are in no change therefore they fear not God they meet with no changes they have their wills and they enjoy their Comforts here in the World and because they have no changes therefore they fear not God And truly the Lords own people are apt to grow secure in time of Prosperity when they meet with few changes they are apt to grow secure It was Davids case Psal 30.5 6 I said in my prosperity I shall never be moved And so I remember Job hath such an expression Chap. 29.18 I said I shall dye in my Nest His nest was feathered round about him he was comfortably supplyed with all manner of Necessaries and comforts in this Life and saith he I began to grow secure I said I should dye in my Nest And therefore the Lord is pleased to bring Changes upon his People to awake them out of their security to cause them more to fear God and to acknowledge their dependance upon God to fear that God that is able to bring great Changes upon them to fear him that is able to take away their nearest and dearest Comforts Thus the Lord deals with his Children to train and nurture them up in his fear 6. And Lastly The Lord does sometimes deal thus with his own Children to deprive them of their nearest and dearest Comforts that they have in this Life That so he may make them to look more after a Heavenly Inheritance that shall never be taken from them where there shall be no Changes where they shall be past all fear of ever being deprived of any comfort they shall enjoy Therefore 't is said of the Patriarchs Heb. 11.14 16. 'T is said in the 13th Verse They confessed That they were Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth for they that say such things declare plainly That they seek a Country but now they desire a better Country which is an Heavenly They are Strangers and Pilgrims in the World they meet with great Changes in the World and therefore say they We are Strangers and Pilgrims we are going to a Country where there shall be no change So Heb. 10.34 The Apostle speaks of those that were exercised with changes that they had their Estates taken away and were plundred of all that they had they made nothing of that because they had an eye to the recompence of reward the inheritance of Heaven and that made them look for a heavenly Country because then they should be past all changes there should be no plundering there no deprivation of any Comfort that they there shall enjoy that is an Inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away there shall be no changes throughout all Eternity And thus now you have seen the Reasons and Grounds of the Point That it is expedient sometimes for the Saints and Disciples of Christ to be deprived of their nearest and dearest Comforts that they do enjoy in this World III. 1. But to come to the Third thing propounded and that is to shew That the Enjoyment of the Comforter the presence of the Spirit is more expedient for the Saints and Disciples of Christ than to enjoy the bodily Presence of Christ himself For so Christ intimates here to his Disciples saith he It is expedient for you that I go away that you be deprived of my bodily Presence for then you shall have the Comforter the Spirit if I go not away the Comforter will not come therefore it is more expedient for them to have the Presence of the Spirit than to enjoy the bodily Presence of Christ Truly Brethren as long as Christ was with them in the flesh they could not expect to have such a communication of the Spirit as they should have when Christ was taken from them When Christ was taken from them when he ascended up to Heaven then the Spirit was to be given down And that is given by the Holy Ghost John 7.37 38 39. as a Reason why the Spirit was not yet given to them They had some drops of the Spirit They had not the pouring out of the Spirit because saith he Verse 39. Jesus was not yet glorified he had said verse 38. That he that believeth on me out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living Water but this he spake of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified No they could not expect the pourings out of the Spirit till Jesus Christ had left the World and was gone into Heaven For Brethren when Jesus Christ ascended up to Heaven then the Father made him welcome and sat him down at his own right hand in glory he gave him the highest place of Dignity in Heaven all power in Heaven and Earth was put into his
bestow eternal life and salvation upon man in that way God is not bound to that Covenant nor will ever save a Soul in the way of that Covenant Now it is the work of the Spirit to discover this to a Soul that this is not the way for me ever to attain salvation it must be in another way and by another righteousness and hereby a soul is taken off from leaning and resting upon its own righteousness and from ever looking for salvation by any thing it hath done or can do though it should do never so much nay and let me add this further that when the Spirit of God doth thus take a soul off from leaning and resting upon its own righteousness yet notwithstanding the Spirit of the Lord doth put the Soul upon seeking and following hard after righteousness and its own righteousness too Ay Brethren this is now a Gospel-Mystery that flesh and blood can never attain to for our carnal hearts are ready to argue thus if we cannot be saved by our own righteousness then we need not to follow after it and so grow loose and carnal and careless and slighty neglecting duties or else being formal in them But now the Spirit of God doth teach the Soul and lead it in this middle way in this strait and narrow way every soul that the Spirit of God doth convince of righteousness in order to salvation he doth teach him and instruct him in this that though he shall never be saved by all that ever he can do yet the Spirit leads him on in a way of holiness and righteousness very exactly to be careful to walk with God in obedience to the Lords will and command And the Holy Ghost doth write a Law of obedience upon the heart and therefore those that draw such conclusions from this doctrine of the Gospel they do not understand the Gospel nor this convincing work of the Spirit which is to convince us that we are not to look for salvation by all our own righteousness and yet convinces us of the necessity of following hard after righteousness This now is the first thing that the Holy Ghost doth in convincing a soul of righteousness to take the soul off from resting and leaning upon its own righteousness 2. But Secondly Another thing that the Spirit doth in order to the convincing a soul of righteousness is this namely The Spirit doth usually discover to the Soul what this righteousness of Christ is by which it must look for acceptance with God to Salvation The Spirit doth usually reveal this righteousness to the soul therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 1.17 The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith It is the work of the Spirit of God to reveal this righteousness to open it and cause the Soul to understand it and therefore the Spirit is called the Spirit of Revelation Eph. 1.17 The Apostle prays there That God would give them the Spirit of Revelation in the knowledge of Christ because it is the work of the Spirit to reveal the righteousness of Jesus Christ to the Soul and cause the soul to understand it in some measure but still the soul is sensible of its own ignorance and blindness and possibly more afterwards than before But in some measure there is a discovery made of this righteousness of Jesus Christ to the soul and in order to this there are several things that the holy Spirit doth discover to the Soul concerning this righteousness of Christ namely It is the Spirit that discovers to the Soul the Perfection of this Righteousness that Christs righteousness is a most perfect and compleat righteousness without any blemish without any defect or imperfection The Spirit shews to the Soul that Christ hath fulfilled all righteousness he was obedient to every tittle of the Law there was no defect no blemish at all in Christs life all along neither in his outward nor inward man from his very conception all along throughout his life to his very death the Spirit of the Lord doth make a soul to understand this in some measure it discovers the righteousness of Christ to be a perfect and compleat righteousness that though my own righteousness be full of defects and imperfections yet the righteousness of Jesus Christ is a perfect righteousness That is one thing that the Spirit usally doth in this convincing of righteousness it discovers to the Soul that this righteousness of Christ is a perfect and compleat righteousness And not only so but further the Spirit discovers to the soul that it is not only a perfect but an all-sufficient righteousness the righteousness of Jesus Christ is not only a perfect righteousness exactly perfect to every tittle of the Law but an all-sufficient righteousness that the righteousness of Christ is able to save a World of sinners he was able by his righteousness to be a propitiation for the sins of the whole World 1 John 2.1 2. He is the Propitiation not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole World that is for the sins of all the Elect throughout the whole World for all that were Christs seed Christs posterity that now as all Adams posterity were made sinners by the imputation of Adam's unrighteousness so now Christs righteousness is sufficient to make all his posterity all his seed to make them all righteous in the sight of God because now this righteousness it is the righteousness of the Son of God of that person that is the eternal Son of God of that person that is very God equal with the Father the same Essence with God Now this is the righteousness of God as the Apostle calls the Blood that Christ shed the Blood of God Acts 20.28 So now this righteousness of Christ is the righteousness of God as it is usually called in the New Testament because it is the righteousness of that person which is God Now this makes his righteousness to be an all-sufficient righteousness Now then I may venture my Soul upon this righteousness if it be an all-sufficient righteouness and the righteousness of God then it is such a righteousness as is sufficient to save to the utmost all that come to God by him and it is an everlasting righteousness it will serve from the very beginning to the end of the World to make poor unrighteous Creatures to become righteous in the sight of God and to be accepted of God to eternal life and salvation nay and then further the Spirit of God goes on to discover and reveal this namely that God is ready to accept of this righteousness in the behalf of poor sinners here is now the mystery of the Gospel for truly this is a hard thing for flesh and blood to be perswaded of that I can be made righteous with the righteousness of another that I can be fed with the meat that another eats that I can be made warm by the cloaths that another wears that I should be made righteous with the
infinitely loving towards them he knows that those things are expedient for them in this Life you that are Parents you know what is more expedient for your Children than they do themselves Alas if Children were left to their own judgments they would judge those things expedient for them that are not expedient they would judge it were better for them to take their own liberty and to do their own Wills and that it were more expedient for them to be playing than to go to School so they would judge it expedient for them never to be put out to Apprenticeship to be Servants to go from their Fathers house they think it were better for them to be always at home under their Parents wing but you that are Parents know what is more expedient for your Children than they do themselves and when they come to grow up then they will be ready to say That their Fathers did judge better for them than they could have judged for themselves then they will say If I had been left to mine own Judgment what was expedient for me then I had not had this bringing up and Education that I have nay then they may think that it was expedient for them that they were sometimes under the Rod. Truly Brethren the Lord our Heavenly Father is infinitely wise and loving to all his Children he knows what is expedient for them better than they do Christ knew that his going away from his Disciples was more expedient for them than they themselves could judge of it so our heavenly Father knows that sometimes it is best for us to be deprived of our nearest and dearest Relations in the World your Heavenly Father knows that you have need of these things and he knows that sometimes you have need to be deprived of them That is the first 2. It is expedient sometimes for the Saints and Servants of Christ to be deprived of their nearest and dearest Comforts Because sometimes the Lord takes away one Comfort and gives them that in stead of it that is far better for them Therefore as Christ saith in the Text it is expedient for you that I go away why how can that be It is more expedient for you for you shall have the Holy Ghost the Holy Spirit I will send the Comforter to you and that is better for you He would give them the presence of his Spirit in stead of his own bodily presence and that was better for them Sometimes the Lord takes away one Comfort and gives another instead of it that is most expedient for us as it is said he removed the former Covenant and that was done away that so he might bring in a New Covenant in the stead of it which was far better the Old was done away to make way for the New God took away the child from David that was begotten in Adultery and gave him a Solomon so God deales sometimes with his Children he takes away sometimes their outward Estates in the World to give them a larger an heavenly and spiritual Estate to give them more of the true Riches he takes away their outward Liberty that they may have more spiritual Enlargment thus many times the Lord deals with his Disciples and Servants he takes away one mercy from them which they think to be most expedient and gives them another which he knows to be more expedient for them Therefore I remember Joseph said to his Brethren when he sent from Egypt to them to come from the Land of Canaan saith he Leave your Stuff behind you you shall have that that is better for you than your Stuff for all the good of the Land of Egypt is before you Thus the Lord makes an exchange if he calls us to leave one Comfort he intends to bestow a better Comfort upon us thus it was with these Disciples But 3. Sometimes the Lord takes away our nearest and dearest Comforts we have in the World in way of Correction and Chastisement to correct and chastise his people for their wantonness for their forgetfulness of him for their sitting loose from him and living even as it were without God in the World when the Lord sees that his Children do make a bad use of their Comforts and Mercies the Lord is pleased to take them away from them just as you that are Parents deal by your Children if you see they go about to cut their fingers with the knife you take away the knife from them if they do waste and destroy their meat you take away their meat from them thus the Lord deals with his Children he sees his Children grow wanton and careless and forgetfull of God then the Lord is pleased to take his Rod and correct them by taking away their Comforts that are nearest and dearest to them As now again for Parents you see Parents when their Children grow forgetful of them and do not mind what they say to them and do not regard their Commands then their Parents will be ready to take away from them that which they know to be nearest and dearest to them by way of Correction Thus the Lord is pleased to deal with his own Children if he see they be perverse and disobedient and careless and rebellious It is just with the Lord then in a way of correction and Chastisemnet to take those mercies from them that he sees to be most near and dear to them and the Lord doth it out of mercy and love to his Children in depriving them of outward mercies to deprive them of Health and Strength and Estate and sometimes of their near Relations by way of Chastisement lest they should be condemned with the world they would run upon their own ruine else if the Lord let them alone The Apostle gives the reason 1 Cor. 11.32 why so many were sick and weak and fallen asleep saith he When ye are judged ye are chastened of the Lord that ye might not be condemned with the World And so the Lord is pleased to deal with his own Children and Servants he deprives them of their nearest and dearest Comforts in the World by way of Chastisement and Correction therefore sometimes he hides his face from them and many times takes his Ordinances from them and if they do enjoy Ordinances he with-holds his gracious presence from them that they shall not see his Face in this and that Duty and Ordinance and this the Lord doth by way of Chastisement 4. The Lord doth sometimes deprive his Children of their nearest and dearest Comforts in this World Because he will bring them thereby to be pliable to his own Will and train them up in a course of Obedience to his own Will Look now as Parents that they may train up their Children to be obedient to them in every thing to be at their beck sometimes they will take away from them that which is nearest and dearest to them Give me that thing and I must have such a thing will a wise Father say
Hands and he gave him the Donation or Giving out of the Spirit the giving out of the gifts of the Spirit For saith the Psalmist Psal 68.18 When he ascended up on high then he received the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit to be given out to his people This is the Reward that God the Father gave to Christ after his great labour and suffering in the World assoon as ever he came into Heaven God exalted him with this Exaltation and then he gave him the fulness of the Spirit to give out when he would therefore assoon as Christ ascended up to Heaven presently after there was an abundant pouring out of the Spirit Acts 2. You know the Holy Ghost fell down upon the Disciples like fiery cloven tongues and then they spake with tongues they were able to speak in every mans Language and then you see the Apostle Peter made a Speech to them that heard it and wondred at it Verse 33. and saith he This is the Fruit and Effect of Christs Ascension into Heaven Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the Promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which you now see and hear Christ leaving the World and being exalted in Heaven he had this power to give out the Spirit and saith he this is the Fruit of it He hath shed forth this which you now see and hear Therefore if Christ had not left the Discipies then the Disciples and Servants and Apostles of Jesus Christ had been destitute of the pourings out of the Spirit upon them It is true indeed it cannot be denyed but the enjoyment of Christs bodily presence was a most desirable thing very desirable to enjoy the bodily presence of Jesus Christ to see God in our flesh I remember Job did rejoyce in it in the hopes of it many hundreds and some thousands of yeares beforehand in the midst of his great Troubles and Afflictions Chap. 19.25 26 27. saith he I know that my Redeemer liveth and with these eyes I shall see him And this was matter of Comfort to him many hundreds of years before hand in the midst of those Sufferings and Troubles he met withall that he should see his Redeemer with his Eyes in the flesh And Brethren the sight of Christ in the flesh it is a sight that is matter of Admiration to the very Angels in Heaven God manifest in the flesh seen of Angels it was to the Admiration of Angels worth their looking upon 1 Timothy 3.16 Great is the Mystery of Godliness God manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels it was a great sight to the glorious Angels they desired to pry into that great Mystery and it was one of holy Austines wishes he wished the sight of three things in this World and this was the chiefest of all he did desire to see Rome in its glory Paul in the Pulpit and Christ in the flesh And Brethren the sight and enjoyment of the Presence of Christ in our Nature will be one of the happy sights in Heaven it will be a great part of the glory and happiness of the Saints in Heaven to see Jesus Christ therefore saith Christ Father I will that those whom thou hast given mee may be with me where I am that they may behold my glory John 17.24 So the Apostle John 1. Epist 3.2 When he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is I tell you it is a desirable thing to see Jesus Christ in the Flesh and yet this I may say that it is possible for men and women to see Christ in the flesh and yet be never the better for it You know when Jesus Christ was in the World the Jewes saw him and were near unto him and yet were never the better for him We read that when Christ was sent by Pilate to Herod Herod rejoyced to see him but he was never the better for that sight for he derided him and mocked him and sent him away You know Judas had a full Sight of Christ he lived many years in the family with Christ yet Judas was never the better for seeing and beholding the bodily presence of Christ The Reprobates the wicked of the World at the last day shall see Christ in his highest glory but shall be never a whit the better I remember 't is said Mat. 14.30 That all the Tribes of the Earth shall see him and mourn they shall behold him in his glory and yet mourn What shall we say then You see we may behold Jesus Christ in the Flesh and yet be never the better but now to enjoy the presence of the Spirit here in this life a Soul cannot enjoy that but he shall be the better for it It is true indeed in Heaven there the Saints shall enjoy the presence of Christ and the fulness of the Spirit too but here in this life for the Saints to enjoy the presence of the Spirit it is more expedient for them more profitable more advantagious for them than to enjoy the very personal presence of Christ Now to give you a few Reasons for it to shew you wherein it is more profitable more expedient to have the presence of the Spirit than to enjoy the very bodily presence of Christ 1. In regard that By enjoying the presence of the Spirit they may have more reall Comfort than they could have by the enjoyment of the personal presence of Christ You shall see the Disciples themselves all the time that they did enjoy the personal presence of Christ in the World they had not that measure of joy and rejoycing as they had afterward they had not that measure of Comfort and Consolation all the time that Christ lived in the Earth and conversed with them as they had after Christ was taken away from them then they had more real joy Alas before they were subject to griefs and troubles at every turn when they came into danger then they were affrighted and troubled when they were in a storm at Sea and were ready to sink they cryed out and were afraid but now after Christ was gone and ascended and the Spirit fell down upon them you shall see then how full of joy and comfort and consolation they were and so Christ tells them before in this very Chapter verse 21. A Woman when she is in travel hath sorrow because her Hour is come but assoon as she is delivered she rejoyceth So it shall be with you saith Christ whilest I am with you you cannot have such joy and when you hear of my departure sorrow filleth your hearts but when I am taken from you and the Comforter is come then you shall rejoyce and therefore observe when Christ speaks of sending the Spirit instead of his own bodily presence he expresseth it under the Notion of the Comforter When the Comforter shall come O then they shall have such comforts and consolation and
joy that they never had before and so John 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter and so verse 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name So Chap. 15.26 But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father Still when Christ speaks of sending the Spirit he speaks of sending him under the Notion of a Comforter which is to imply that they shall have more true matter of Comfort of joy and rejoycing than ever they had before by his bodily presence and therefore saith the Apostle Paul As our Tribulations abound for Christ so our Consolations also do super-abound and saith the Apostle again Rom. 5.3 We glory in Tribulations which is an high expression Before upon every occasion they were afraid when they came into danger but now saith the Apostle We glory in Tribulations we joy and rejoyce in the highest degree of rejoycing The Apostles whilest Christ lived never had that fulness of Spiritual joy and consolation as they had after Christ was gone and the Spirit was sent down from Heaven and therefore that is one Respect why it is better to enjoy the presence of the Spirit than the personal Presence of Christ 2. By having the Spirit the Comforter sent down to them thereby they come to have more Boldness and spiritual Courage than they had before Alas before how ready were they to be affrighted and scared at every turn whilest they had the presence of Christ you see how they were affrighted when Christ was apprehended they all forsook him and fled and when Peter would needs peep into the Judgment Hall you see how he was dismayed and afraid when a Maid spoke to him and told him Thou art one of his Companions and he denyed it and swore he never knew him so timorous and fearful he was but afterwards he grew bold and couragious when the Spirit did descend upon him see the Courage of Peter and the Apostles Acts 4. when they came before the Judgment Seat Verse 8. And when they had set them in the midst they asked By what power or by what Name have you done this then Peter filled with the Holy Ghost said unto them Verse 10. Be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom ye crucified whom God raised from the dead even by him doth this man stand here before you whole This was a Spirit of Boldness And Verse 13. When they saw the Boldness of Peter and John Now they had more Spiritual Boldness Courage and Audacity than they had before now the Spirit was poured down upon them And Verse 19. when they commanded them to speak no more in the Name of Jesus Then Peter and John said unto them Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you rather than unto God judge ye for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Thus by the plentiful effusion of the Spirit they grew more spiritually bold 3. When they were deprived of Christs personal presence then being indued with the Spirit They had more Christian strength and power given to them than they had before to act and do for Christ Therefore then they were said to be endued with power from on high Luke 24.49 When Christ was about to ascend up to Heaven he told them they should be endued with Power from on high Ay the Spirit is a Spirit of power 2 Tim. 1.7 God hath given to us not the Spirit of Fear but of power of love and of a sound mind The Spirit of Power When the Spirit falls down upon a person 't is a Spirit of Power that they shall be able to do and suffer for the Name of Christ very great things they are now endued with power from above Now Christ was gone and the Spirit come therefore you see how they did act They went up and down and could preach every day from place to place they travelled up and down to preach the Gospel and you shall see what great works they did as great works as Christ himself did do when he was upon Earth they raised up Tabitha from the dead Acts 9. And it is said Acts 19. that the very shadow of Peter and the Apostles passing by cured them that were sick We do not read of such miracles when Christ was upon Earth great power they had then see what power Paul had to go through Sufferings 2. Cor. 11.23 24 25. How he suffered abundantly and saith he I know that tribulations and sufferings abide for me in every place but none of these things move me he was indued with power from on high now saith he I am able to do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Philip. 4.13 4. By having the Presence of the Spirit with them after they were deprived of the bodily presence of Christ Then they had a more powerful gift and Spirit of prayer Never such a Spirit of Prayer all the time that Christ lived with them then the Spirit of Prayer was poured down upon them as it was prophesied Zech. 12.10 I will pour out upon the house of Judah the Spirit of Grace and Supplication now they were able to pray to pour out their Souls abundantly to God in prayer before all the time that Christ was amongst them they were poor shallow weak Creatures not able to pray and therefore they came to Christ Luke 11.2 Lord teach us to pray as John taught his Disciples they had not the Spirit of prayer then in comparison with what they had afterwards therefore Christ was fain to dictate words to them as you do to your little Children to say word after word after you thus they came to Christ Lord teach us to pray but afterward when Christ was ascended and left them and the Spirit poured out upon them then they were able to pour out their prayers upon every occasion although 't is true as Paul saith Rom. 8. We know not how to pray as we ought that is we our selves left to our selves but the Spirit within us helps our infirmities with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered The Apostles prayed so strongly that they shook the very room where they were praying Acts 4 23. And being let go they went to their own Company and reported all that the Chief Priests and Elders said unto them and when they heard that they lift their voice to God with one accord and mark Verse 31. And when they had prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled together So Paul and Silas Acts 16. 't is said They prayed at Midnight and praised God and the very foundation of the Prison was shaken by their very Prayers There was a mighty powerfull Spirit of Prayer that fell down upon them when Christ was gone from them therefore in that respect also the presence of the Spirit is
in the Text. Though I think that is not the proper signification or intendment of it in this place For observe it It is not so proper to say That the Spirit when he comes shall Reprove the World of Righteousness he may reprove them of Sin and rebuke them for Sin but not of Righteousness nor for Righteousness nor of Judgement That is one signification of the word to Reprove or Rebuke 2. Sometimes the word signifies to make manifest or to make evident to make apparent so you shall find it John 3.20 21. Every one that doth evil hateth the Light Neither cometh to the Light lest his deeds should be reproved or made manifest and it is expounded in the next verse made manifest But he that doth Truth cometh to the Light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God it is the same Word here in the Text. But this cannot be the meaning of this Word in the Text that he shall make manifest Sin and make manifest Righteousness and make manifest Judgment though there be a Truth in that yet this cannot be the full intendment of this word in this place 3. There is another signification of it and that is to convince and so 't is in the Margin He shall convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment and so I remember it is John 8.46 saith Christ there Which of you doth convince me of Sin It is the same Word he doth not say which of you charges me with Sin for they did charge him with Sin enough and they did reprove and rebuke him for Sin they said he was a Blasphemer therefore that cannot be the meaning of the Word to charge or reprove him of Sin but which of you can convince me of Sin to make it apparent without gain-saying that I am guilty of any Sin And so I think that place Tit. 1.9 holding fast the faithful Word as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and to convince the Gain-sayers And so I shall take it in this sense all along when the Comforter is come he shall assist you in your Ministry so as he shall thereby convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment II. What doth he mean by the World Not the whole Universe the Fabrick of Heaven and Earth no that cannot be the meaning of it but it is to be understood of Men the World of Men of sinful Men Men that are guilty of Sin and more particularly by the World we may understand the unbelieving World a company of unbelievers Now unbelievers they may some of them be elected and are elected and shall be brought to believe in Christ in time through the Gospel and some of them are not elected and shall never be brought to believe in Christ Now which of these doth Christ here mean when he speaks of the World whether he means only those Unbelievers that are elected and shall be brought on to believe so some think or whether he means the Unbelievers of the World that were never elected and shall never be brought to believe in Christ so others Truly I see nothing to the contrary but we may include both namely Unbelievers that are not elected the Holy Ghost shall come and convince them of Sin though they shall go no further there may be convictions where no conversion follows and this is the work of the Spirit to convince of Sin and he shall also convince Unbelievers that are elected convince them effectually so as they shall be brought on to conversion and I think especially and chiefly our Saviour here meaneth those Unbelievers in the World that are elected though I would not exclude the other but those especially that are elected and shall be brought on through conviction and conversion to salvation for Christ doth speak these Words by way of Comfort to the Disciples that the Spirit shall come and assist them in their Ministry it is some comfort indeed if any be convinced but that is not so much comfort as to be convinced and effectually wrought upon to salvation and this comfort Christ doth hold forth as an Antidote against their sadness and sorrow upon his going away And then he shall convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment I shall not now come to speak particularly to open these in particular to you but only thus much in short to shew you how the World was convinced by the Apostles Ministry immediately after Christs Ascension into Heaven the World was then convinced the World of the unbelieving Jews was convinced of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment Look but into that Sermon Acts 2. which was preached upon the occasion of the falling down of the Holy Ghost the coming of the Comforter which Christ promiseth here you shall see there how the Jews were convinced both of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment by the coming of the Holy Ghost upon them in that very Sermon verse 23. There he convinces them of Sin In murdering and crucifying the Lord of Glory they were so far from believing on Christ as their Saviour that they did murder him whereas saith the Apostle in another place If so be they had known and so believed in Christ they would not have crucifyed the Lord of Glory but saith he Him being delivered by the determinate Counsel of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucifyed and slain He tells them plainly that they were guilty of murdering the Son of God and they were so convinced at this Word that they did not gainsay it but were pricked in their hearts thus they were convinced of Sin that they did not believe in Christ but instead of believing they murdered him and then they were convinced also of Righteousness namely of Christs Righteousness that Christ was a Righteous Person whom they crucifyed and slew verse 22. Ye Men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a Man approved of God by Signs and Wonders and Miracles which God did by him in the midst of you as your selves know the Apostle here holds forth that he was a Righteous Person and they crucifyed a Righteous Person and what had they to say against this No they were silent they laid their hands upon their mouth and afterwards their hands come upon their heart and they were pricked at the heart and now they were convinced of the Righteousness of Christ and also of Judgment that now God had given all power to execute Judgment into the hand of Christ unto this Son of man whom they crucified and slew So verse 24. Whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it he overcame Death and overcame the Devil that had the power of Death and at Verse 31. he seeing this before spake of the Resurrection of Christ that his Soul was not left in Hell This Jesus hath God raised up
whereof we all are witnesses Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost having received all Power and Authority and Dominion and Government over all Principalities and Powers c. By this means he convinced them of Judgment for the Prince of this World is judged Christ is exalted at the Right hand of God and they had nothing to say against what the Apostle spake but their hearts were pricked and now Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved Thus you see the intendment and scope of Christ in these Words is to comfort the Hearts of his Disciples against his going away and now saith Christ I will send the Comforter unto you and when he is come he shall so assist you in your Ministry that you shall be able to Convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment your Ministry shall be made effectual operative and saving and this he delivereth as an Antidote against their sorrow for his going away from them And here is the Point that I shall briefly take up to speak to at this present if the Lord please Doct. That it is a matter of unspeakable Joy and Consolation unto the faithful Servants of Christ that their Ministry is made effectual through the power of the Spirit of Christ for the saving of poor Souls Christ gives them this very thing as an Antidote as a Comfort and Cordial against their sorrow which their hearts are filled with for his going away from them saith he the Comforter shall come to you and be with your Ministry and make your Ministry effectual and powerful and saving to the Souls of many persons in the World and this he gives as an Antidote against their sorrow And truly I might have said it is a matter of the greatest Comfort that any thing in the World can afford to the faithful Servants of Christ that their Ministry is made effectual to the furtherance of the Salvation of Souls he speaks of it you see as a Comfort suitable to their sorrow that is able to weigh down their sorrow that though they were so filled with sorrow at Christs departure from them yet saith Christ you shall have that that is as comfortable to you as my bodily presence can be you shall have the co-working of the Spirit with you in your Ministry to make it effectual for the furtherance of the salvation of poor Souls For the opening of this Point I shall speak to these four things that are implyed and wrapt up in it 1. That the Ministry of the Gospel is the Means of the conversion and salvation of Souls This is implyed here They shall go out to preach and this should be for their Comfort that they should be instrumental for the conversion and salvation of Souls 2. That it is through the power of the Spirit that the Ministry of the Gospel comes to be effectual for the conversion and salvation of Souls Therefore saith Christ I will send the Comforter to you the Holy Ghost and he shall convince the World of Sin he shall make the Word that you preach efficacious to further the salvation of Souls 3. That as the Ministry of the Gospel alone of it self cannot so neither will the Holy Ghost work efficaciously and savingly to the conversion and salvation of Souls without the Ministry of the Gospel Christ doth not say the Spirit alone shall work effectually and convertingly and savingly no but with your Ministry It was therefore spoken for their Comfort the Spirit shall come along with your Ministry and shall work effectually and convincingly and savingly 4. It is matter of exceeding great and unspeakable Consolation and Joy to the faithful Servants of Christ that their Ministery through the Operation of the Spirit is made efficacious and effectual for the convincing and converting and saving of any Soul Briefly to run over these things 1. That the Ministration of the Gospel is the ordinary Means of the Conversion and Salvation of Souls And therefore hence it is that the Gospel is called sometimes the Word of Salvation Acts 13.26 To you is this Word of Salvation sent the Word of Salvation that is the Gospel and sometimes 't is called the Gospel of Salvation Ephes 1.13 The Gospel of your Salvation saith he and sometimes 't is called Salvation it self Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation If we neglect the Gospel we cannot escape damnation The Gospel is called Salvation beause 't is the Instrument and the means of conversion and salvation And hence it is that people are said to be begotten and born again unto God by the Gospel Saith Paul to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4.15 Though you have ten thousand Instructors in Christ yet you have not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel I have begotten you saith he to be Children of God by the Gospel So Paul writing to Philemon concerning Onesimus at the 10th verse saith he Receive him for I have begotten him in my bonds Paul was then a prisoner and Onesimus ran away from his Master Philemon and came to Paul and he was an instrument to beget him again to God by the Gospel so saith the Apostle to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 15.1 2. The Gospel by which you are saved And so the Apostle James calls it the Word of Truth whereby Souls are begotten to God Cap. 1.8 And so Peter also saith Ye are born again by the incorruptible seed the Word namely the Word of the Gospel So that the Holy Ghost doth testify to us that the Gospel is the Means of the Conversion and Salvation of Souls Question And why so I pray Whence is the Gospel the means of the Conversion and Salvation of Souls Answer In a word it is from hence namely Because God hath so ordained it and appointed it It pleased God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.21 by the foolishness of Preaching to save those that believe God hath appointed and ordained the Gospel and the preaching of it to be a means for the Conversion and Salvation of Souls It pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching not that the Apostle calls it foolishness but he speaks after the manner of the World after the account and esteem that the World had of the preaching of the Gospel As now Cannot we as well read a Chapter at home and edify our selves at home by reading of a Chapter or reading some good Sermons better than we can Hear And thereforeâ— is it not a simple weak foolish thing for us to spend our time so But saith the Apostle count it foolishness if you will It pleased God to ordain by this way of foolishness as the World counts it It pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe 'T is that that God ordains and appoints and institutes for that end and that 's the reason it is a means of
open the understanding to open the heart We read the heart of Lydia was opened when she heard Paul preach but it was not Pauls preaching but the Spirits going along with it that did open her heart and she attended to what was spoken by Paul and so the Spirit with the Word is mighty to draw a Soul to Christ not the Word alone no saith Christ John 5.44 45. No man can come unto me except the Father draw him that is there must be the mighty Power of the Spirit of God concurring to work with the Word to draw and perswade and convince by the Word and then it works And so the Spirit with the Word will cause a Soul to grow and encrease in a Spiritual Estate Paul may plant and Apollos may water but it is the Lord must give the encrease to make the growth So it is one may preach and another may preach but still there must be the concurrance and work of the Spirit or else all our preaching will be but like the watering of a dead plant but the Spirit of the Lord must come and be present and then our preaching our planting and watering may be blessed for those ends for which God hath appointed it And the reason is this That without the Spirit of God the Word though it be ordained of God to be a Means of Conversion and Salvation yet the Word alone without the Spirit cannot do it because the Ministry of the Word is too weak to make an Impression upon our hard hearts Take a Seal and set it upon a Rock or Stone it makes no Impression Why Because there is no pliableness in the Rock or Stone to receive the Impression Thus it is with our hearts our hearts are naturally like so many Stones therefore see what the Lord promises To take away the heart of Stone and to give a heart of Flesh a soft heart the hardness of it shall be taken away that when the Word comes as a Seal to make an Impression upon the heart the Spirit doth change the heart and makes it pliable to receive the Impression which othewise it could not do You may as well make an Impression upon a Rock or Stone as upon any Heart till the Spirit come and soften the heart and make it pliable to receive the impression of the Word and therefore hence you may observe That sometimes when divers hear the same Word preached there are diversity of effects in the same hearers hearing the same Word some are converted and others not some believe and others not As Acts 17. When Paul had been preaching to them Verse 32 34. When they heard of the Resurrection of the dead some mocked and others said We will hear thee again of this matter Howbeit certain clave to him and believed Ay some received the Gospel and others not some believed and others not As I remember 't is said Acts 28.24 Some believed the things that were spoken and some believed not And What is the Reason The Spirit doth work effectually with the Gospel upon some hearts but not upon others that is the reason that some believed and some believed not And hence it is again that sometimes some are more hardned by the very word of the Gospel So far from being converted and brought into a state of Salvation that they are more hardned and set further off nearer to their damnation What is the reason Because there wants the presence of the Spirit and therefore you shall see Isa 6.9 saith the Lord to the Prophet he was an Evangelical Prophet Go saith the Lord make this peoples heart hard go and harden their hearts that they may hear and not understand that they may not be converted and saved Let their hearts be more hardned saith God by hearing the Gospel preached nay sometimes what is the reason that the most eminent ablest Preacher of the Gospel in the World that their Ministry is sometimes less efficacious than the Ministry of them that are far inferiour to them what is the reason Because the Concurrence of the Spirit goeth along with the one and not with the other You shall see Christ himself the most eminent Preacher that ever was under Heaven John 22.36 37. He preaches there and though he did Miracles before them yet they believed not on him that the saying of Isaiah the Prophet might be fulfilled Lord who hath believed our Report and to whom hath the Arm of the Lord been revealed And therefore they could not believe because Isaiah saith again He hath blinded their Eyes and hardned their hearts These things said Isaiah when he saw his glory and spake of him when he saw the glory of Christ when he was most Evangelical in his Ministry then he spake these Words whereas Peter now that was far inferiour to Christ having the presence of the Spirit mightily poured down upon him Acts 2. where the Holy Ghost fell down upon the Apostles like so many fiery cloven tongues Peter preached to them and he converted three thousand Souls at one Clap because of the powerful presence of the Spirit together with the Word Therefore Brethren still let us not satisfy our selves with hearing the Gospel preached though we had the most eminent preacher that ever was in the World though we should have heard Christ himself but look for the Concurrence of the Spirit the breathings of the Spirit wait upon God for the communicating and giving out of his Spirit that they may make the Gospel to be the Ministration not of the Letter but of the Spirit for it is the Spirits Work to make the Gospel effectual and operative for the Conversion and Salvation of Souls 3. In a Word that As the Preaching of the Gospel of it self cannot convert or save any Soul So neither will the Holy Ghost without the Concurrence and preaching of the Gospel You heard before that the Preaching of the Gospel cannot do it alone But cannot the Spirit will not the Spirit do it alone It can do it alone indeed But mark I pray the Spirit will not ordinarily convince and convert effectually and savingly any Soul without the Ministration of the Gospel To give you but a Scripture or two for this Acts 9. You see there Christ himself speaks to Paul you know how he met with him as he was going to Damascus to persecute the Saints and Christ spake immediately to him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me well who art thou Lord saith he I am Jesus whom thou persecutest Well Verse 6. You shall see saith Paul Lord What wouldest thou have me to do Mark now Christ doth not preach the Gospel immediately himself but he sends him to one to preach to him Go into Damascus and there it shall be told thee what thou shalt do and there Christ sent Ananias to preach the Gospel to him Christ himself would not preach the Gospel from Heaven to him nor he would not convert nor save his Soul without the Ministration of the
Gospel And look into Acts 10. See there concerning Cornelius there was an Angel from Heaven sent to him he had been fasting and praying and that hour there came an Angel of God to him to tell him that God had heard his Prayers and accepted his Alms but why may not the Angel preach the Gospel immediately No the Lord would have the Gospel dispensed in an ordinary way of preaching not by an Angel from Heaven therefore Verse 5. And now send men to Joppa and call for one Simon whose Surname is Peter and he shall tell thee words whereby thou and thy house shall be saved he shall preach the Gospel effectually to you and you shall see afterwards Verse 33. Immediately therefore I sent to thee and thou hast done well that thou art come now therefore are we all here present before God to hear thee and Verse 44. Whilest Peter spake these Words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word Why did not the Angel himself preach the Gospel to Cornelius Why was not he an Instrument of his Conversion and Salvation no the Holy Ghost will not work alone without the ordinary concurrence of the Ministration of the Gospel and therefore look at it as a delusion of Satan if so be that upon any pretence whatsoever any shall endeavour to take you off from attending upon the Ministry of the Gospel upon pretence of the Spirit that the Spirit shall anoint us and teach us all things Well look upon it as a Delusion of Satan if it be to take you off from attending upon the Ministery of the Gospel which is the ordinary way that God hath appointed and take this for an universal Rule That whatever it be that tends to take any people off from any Ordinance of God or any Institution of God look at it as a delusion of Satan let it be under any pretence whatsoever as now to take one off from Duties and Ordinances to wait till the Spirit come immediately to inspire look upon it as a Delusion because it tends to take you off from the ordinary Institutions that God hath appointed So you see the Gospel is the Means of Conversion and Salvation the Gospel without the Spirit cannot do it and the Spirit without the Gospel will not do it 4. The fourth thing is this That it is a matter of unspeakable Joy and Consolation to the faithfull Servants of Christ that their dispensing of the Gospel through the Concurrence of the Spirit is made effectual for the Conversion and Salvation of any Soul Ay saith Christ here this shall be instead of my bodily presence with you and it shall be as comfortable to you You are now troubled and sorrowful because I am going away from you but I will send the Comforter to you and the Comforter shall assist you in your Ministry and make it successful to convince and convert and save Souls and Christ would have them to look upon it as equivalent to his own bodily presence and would be matter of greater Joy and Consolation to them Look into Verse 12 22 of this Chapter saith Christ You are now sad and sorrowful but I tell you saith He the time is coming that your sorrows shall be forgotten The sorrows that you have upon my departure shall be forgotten they shall be swallowed up with Joy and Consolation Look saith he as it is with a Woman when she draweth near the time of her Travail when her pains begin to come upon her then she is sad and sorrowful but saith he when she is delivered she forgetteth her sorrow for Joy that a man-child is born so shall it be with you Thus Christ comforts his Disciples against his going away they should have such matter of rejoycing that should swallow up all their sorrows they should have the presence of the Spirit and their Ministry should be efficacious and successful for the converting of Souls and Christ did speak it from his own experience John 4. When he was speaking to the Woman of Samaria he sent his Disciples into the City to buy food for he was hungry and when he sat down weary on the Well he asked a little water of the woman and so fell a discoursing and convincing of the woman that she lived in Adultery and converted the woman and when his Disciples came Master say they here is meat to eat Meat saith he I have that which is better than meat I have meat to eat which you know not of my Meat is to do the Will of my Father here is my joy and rejoycing to convert Souls Meat is matter of great joy to an hungry man if you give him all the World if he have not meat it is nothing saith Christ I take more joy and delight in converting of Souls than I do in eating when I am an hungry And you shall see how the Apostle Paul doth rejoyce in this that he was an Instrument in converting and saving of Souls he writing to the Thessalonians 1 Epist 2.19 20. For what is our Joy or Hope or Crown of rejoycing are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming for ye are our Glory and our Joy ye saith he are the Top of my Joy the Crown of my Joy Paul had been an Instrument to convert them by the preaching of the Gospel and saith he ye are the top of my glory and rejoycing So 2 Thess 2.13 14. We are bound to give God thanks always for you my Brethren and Beloved in the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you unto Salvation through the Sanctification of the Spirit and Belief of the Truth whereunto he called you by my Gospel to the obtaining the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ Saith he we are always bound to give thanks to God for you Ay here is matter of Joy and Rejoycing And truly so though Paul did meet with Afflictions Tribulations and Persecutions for preaching of the Gospel yet notwithstanding he made nothing of all his troubles sufferings and sorrows in regard he did but finish his Course with Joy If he have but this Joy and Consolation I care not saith he what troubles or afflictions do abide me Acts 20.24 The Holy Ghost witnesseth in every City that bonds and afflictions abide me but none of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I may finish my Course with Joy and the Ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus If I can but preach the Gospel saith he and be an Instrument to convert Souls this is the Joy of my heart let my life go for it And it is a very high expression which the Apostle John hath Epist 3. Verse 4. saith he there I have no greater joy mark the Apostle John that had such Communion with Christ Yet saith he I have no greater joy than to hear that my Children walk in the Truth Those that he had been a means and
go along with our Ministry Our Sermons had need to be watered and soaked in earnest prayer for the Spirit 2. Here is now a mighty Word of Encouragement unto poor Souls to be ready to entertain and receive the Gospel and the Ministration of it to be ready so to receive it into your hearts as it may be a good Word of Conversion and Salvation to your Souls Ay this would be matter of Joy and Rejoycing to the Servants of Christ more than all that ever you can do for them if they may be but instrumental for the Conversion and Salvation of your Souls it will be more Comfort and joy to them than all the World besides Joy to them Ay it will be Joy to the very Angels in Heaven Luk. 15.10 11. There shall be Joy in Heaven over one Einâ—â—â— that repents The Angels of Heaven observe how you come into the Congregation they observe your Carriage and how you take the Word and what impression it makes upon your hearts to Coâ—vâ—ction and Conversion and Salvation it is the Joy and Rejoycing of the Angels in Heaven to 〈◊〉 a poor Soul brought in by the Ministry of the Gospelâ— and do not you think you your selves will have as much cause of Joy and Rejoycing Whereas on the other side if so be the poor Servants of Christ do come and take pains they study and labour and hold forth the Word of the Gospel to you and people come and receive it into their ears and not into their hearts no good done upon them but they remain as carnal as worldly and unbelieving as before and they see no fruit of their Ministry this is the grief of their hearts and Souls they labour and labour and question whether the Lord doth own their Ministry or no they have cause to complain as the Prophet Isa 49.6 I have laboured in vain I have spent my Strength for naught and in vain So the poor Servants of Christ go with a dead heart into their Studies and come to preach with a sad heart when they see no good done no saving Work wrought this is a very Cut to their hearts and Souls and they would rather if they might have their wills cease mentioning of the Name of Christ to people Therefore let it be the desire and endeavour and care of people so to hear and receive the Word into their hearts that it may become effectual and an Instrument in the Lords hand for the Conversion and Salvation of their Souls Objection But you will say Is it in our power I know you think so in your hearts to make the Word convincing and converting and saving Answer I do not say 't is in your power but thus much I may say you may oppose and resist the saving Work of the Gospel upon your hearts and therefore to be found waiting upon the Lord in his way you cannot tell but the Lord may make the Gospel effectual to you for your Conversion and Salvation And therefore let me commend three or four Words by way of Direction in this case and so I shall leave all to the blessing of God Do you desire to have the Word of God made effectual for the convincing and converting and saving of your Souls Then 1. Be much and earnest in praying for the Spirit to go along with the Preaching of the Word into your hearts and Souls Ay pray much for that O! before you come you should be careful to wrestle with God for the presence of the Spirit to go along I fear Brethren that people are careless in this Point they come reeking out of the World and from their business and never wrestle with the Lord for the presence of his Spirit to assist the Preaching of the Word that it may become effectual and profitable to your Souls and so you go away as you come Therefore I say as the Apostle Jude v. 24. Be building up your selves in your most holy Faith But how shall we build up our selves in our most holy Faith how shall we do it why saith he Praying in the Holy Ghost that is the way Beg earnestly for the Spirit for the Holy Ghost to accompany the Word and make the Word profitable and effectual to you That is one Direction I do but name it I pray remember it 2. As we do desire to have the Word made effectual for Conviction Conversion and Salvation to our Souls Then attend upon the Preaching of the Gospel as the Lords Ordinance for that very End that he hath appointed it namely for Conversion and Salvation This is the very End for which God hath appointed the Preaching of the Gospel to be a saving Word a Word of Salvation to poor Souls that is the very End of the Gospel it is appointed for that End Eph. 4.11 12. saith the Apostle Christ when he ascended up on high he gave Gifts to men Ministerial Gifts he gave Pastors and Teachers for the edifying of the Body for the bringing home of Souls to the Body for the perfecting of the Saints So that those that are Saints should still attend upon the Gospel for more edifying for the saving work to be carried on This is the very Intendment of the Preaching of the Gospel God hath ordained it for this end and purpose therefore wait upon it for that end attend upon it as the Word of God which he hath appointed for that end 1 Thess 2.13 We are always bound to give thanks to God for you beloved Brethren because when you heard the Word you received it not as the Word of man but as it is indeed the Word of God which worketh effectually in them that believe Ay receive it as the Word and the Word of God for that End that God hath appointed it and through the presence of the Spirit it will become effectual Mark how it wrought in Cornelius and his Family Acts 10. Cornelius was directed to send for Peter to preach to him and Cornelius in the mean time had gathered together the Congregation his Friends and Relations he had got them together that they might hear the Gospel as well as himself when Peter came he preached Christ to them Now saith Cornelius we are all here before the Lord to hear whatever God hath directed thee to speak to us we are here to attend upon it as the very Word of God and Peter opened his mouth and preached the Gospel to them and it is said The Holy Ghost fell upon them all that heard it v. 44. and then saith Peter verse 47. Can any man forbid Water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we Attending upon the Preaching of the Gospel as Gods Ordinance and Institution for saving ends and purposes for Conversion and Edification and Salvation this is the way whereby we may have the Gospel made effectual to us we shall be brought to receive it and receiving of it we shall be brought into a state of
have sunk into the bottomless pit But I pray consider was this Conviction from the holy Spirit of God you have heard there may be a trouble for sin that may come from the evil spirit What was it any other but the Conviction that may come from the evil spirit yes you will say I hope it is from the holy Spirit of God For that you may consider those seven things that were laid down to discover when sin is set home by the holy Spirit of God you may consider of them at your leisure when you are in private between the Lord and your own Souls But let me only propound this one thing to you from them all you say you have been convinc'd of sin by the Spirit of God I pray mind it for it is that that doth concern our everlasting state our eternal Salvation for if the first step be not set toward our conversion then we cannot expect that the other steps are set therefore I say you that say you hope you have been convinced of sin by the Spirit I pray consider how was your Conviction healed how was your trouble taken off Consider of it between the Lord and your own Souls you were troubled for your sins once but how is it taken off did it wither away by degrees like a land-flood that makes a great noise for a time but wears away by degrees insensibly Was it so with you or was your trouble taken off by making restitution giving of satisfaction where you have wronged or was it by reformation and performance of duties and so obtained the life by your own hands as the Prophets expression is or was it by making application of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ to your Souls in a way of faith and believing Were you brought to that Truly if not I cannot say but that your Conviction of sin might be from the evil spirit Therefore consider seriously of it hereby we may come in some measure to discern about our spiritual Estate whether the work of Conversion be effectually wrought or no Consider whether this first step be set namely Convincing of sin by the Spirit of God and truly if so be the holy Spirit have convinced you of Sin I am apt to think that the Spirit will never leave till it hath made thorow Work saith the Apostle Philip. 1.6 We are confident of this very thing that he that hath begun a good Work in you will certainly finish it to the Day of Christ And if the holy Spirit hath begun to convince you of sin the Spirit will go on to convince you of Righteousness too That is the first Word of Application I have another and so have done 2. It is to exhort and perswade you that if ever the Work of Conviction should come upon your hearts and spirits to take heed that you do not hinder it but further it what you can I confess it is irksome to flesh and blood our carnal hearts cannot away with this Work of Conviction but will avoid it and escape it if possible But take heed you do not hinder it but further it what you can because else if it be from the holy Spirit of God you do resist the Spirit and go about to quench the Spirit Therefore you should do even as old Eli advised young Samuel when the Lord began to call him saith Eli When you hear the Voice again say speak Lord for thy Servant desireth to hear So I say to you doth any word come to your Hearts and speak to your Consciences in a way of Conviction of sin do not drive it away do not quench it but say Speak Lord for thy Servant desireth to hear And now plead with the Lord do not now rise up in your Spirits against the Instruments that are means to convince you take heed of that but rather ly low before the Lord and bless the Lord that any Word is spoken to you by way of Conviction and never leave till such time as you come to rest upon Christ and his Righteousness and upon the vertue of his death whereby he hath made satisfaction to the Justice of God on the behalf of poor sinners I say do not neglect do not slight or despise or quench or check this Work of Conviction And so now I have done with this Point The next Point is concerning the Spirits convincing of the sin of unbelief He shall convince the World of sin because they believe not on me But thus much shall suffice for this time The Holy Ghost convinceth of Sin SERMON VI. JOHN 16.9 Of Sin because they believe not on me WE have already handled one point from these words which was this That the first work of the Spirit of God upon the heart in order to Conversion is to convince the Soul of Sin Christ saith here that he would send the Spirit after his departure from them saith he I will send the Comforter and this he spake to support and comfort the hearts of his Disciples against his absence and therefore the end of his Spirit was to cooperate with their Ministry it was in order to the Conversion of Souls this is the matter of their comfort Now this I have spoken to at large before but now to come to the second Note or Point which doth plainly lye before us which I shall desire to speak something to at present and that is this Doctrine That the great and special Sin that the Spirit of God doth usually convince People of in order to their Conversion is their Vnbelief not believing on Christ For so saith Christ here He shall convince the World of Sin Of what Sin He tells them of their Unbelief Of Sin because they believe not on me That is the great and special Sin that the Spirit of God is wont to convince people of in order to their Salvation namely their Vnbelief It is indeed the work of the Spirit to convince of other sins as you heard before but yet in a special manner 't is the work of the Spirit to convince of this sin of Unbelief He is said so to convince of this Sin as if there were no other sins to be convinced off he mentions no other sins But he shall convince the World of sin because they believe not on me And this you shall find in part verified presently after Christs Ascension into Heaven In a few dayes after Christs Ascension into Heaven he sent the Holy Ghost Acts 2. The Holy Ghost was poured down abundantly upon the Disciples when they were met together thereupon Peter preached a sermon to the People that came wondring about him and now Peter had experience of what Christ here promised saith Christ I will send the Spirit and he shall convince the World of sin by your Ministry And at Peters Sermon there was three thou-convinced at one clap they were convinced of sin not only of their not believing on Christ but of their murdering of Christ that they had Crucified
convincing of the soul of this great sin of unbelief you shall find usually that the Spirit in convincing a soul of unbelief in order to conversion and eternal salvation it usually doth these three things 1. The Spirit doth come and reveal to the Soul the great evil of the sin of unbelief sets it before the soul and makes it to see it therefore the Spirit is called the Spirit of Revelation because it doth reveal the Gospel and the great sin that is against the Gospel Eph. 1.17 That God would give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation Brethren it is not natural Conscience that can convince a man of the sin of unbelief A natural Conscience may possibly help to convince a soul of other sins it may check the soul for other sins as Murder or Blasphemy For indeed a natural Conscience is ready to accuse of sin Rom. 2.15 Their Consciences in the mean while excusing or accusing one another Natural Conscience may accuse for some sins but not for this sin of unbelief The Law may help a soul to be convinced of some sins that are expresly against the Law but the law cannot convince any man or woman of unbelief no though 't is true as I said before That believing on Christ is virtually required in the first Commandment yet it is not expresly commanded but only implicitly and virtually therefore it is not in the power of the law of the Commandments to help to convince a soul of the sin of unbelief no more than the second Commandment is a means and instrument to convince us of our neglect of Gospel worship because it is not expresly commanded there but implicitly and consequentially Therefore I say it must be the work of the Spirit alone to convince of the sin of unbelief The Law and Conscience may help to convince the Soul of other sins but none but the Spirit of God can convince the soul of the evil of the sin of unbelief This is the first thing that the Spirit doth in the soul in order to the convincing of it of the sin of unbelief namely to open the eyes of the understanding and to reveal and discover to the soul the evil that is in the sin of unbelief 2. Another work of the Spirit in order to it is this namely to cause the Soul to understand and know plainly that all his best duties and services that he can perform in this World cannot be acceptable unto God nor make his person acceptable without faith in Christ Truly this now is the work of the Spirit to convince a Soul of this to discover this that it is not all my duties and services and performances that can procure my acceptance with God without faith in Christ Brethren this the Holy Ghost speaks in Scripture and this the Holy Ghost makes a soul sensible of That without faith it is impossible to please God The soul it may be is ready to think that he can please God with the performance of duties and services But when the Spirit of God comes to convince the soul of the sin of unbelief it shews him that all these things are not pleasing to God but are displeasing to him without faith in Christ neither our persons nor any thing we can do can be accepted of God without faith Eph. 1.6 saith the Apostle Wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved Our persons are accepted in the Beloved and our services are accepted in the Beloved in Christ and through Christ otherwise nothing can be accepted and pleasing to God that we can do and hereby now by the operations of the Spirit the Soul comes to see the sad and miserable Estate of unbelief That is the second 3. Another Work that the Spirit doth in order to convince a Soul of the Sin of Vnbelief is this namely to cause the Soul to see plainly that it hath been out of the Way of Salvation all this time The Soul hath gone on it may be in a course of duties and services and performances it hath been careful and strict to walk exactly to wrong no body to be diligent in its calling to be careful in all its dealings to be abundant in duties and services giving attendance to the Word waiting upon God in every Ordinance The Soul goes on in this way and thinks now it is in a way of salvation I would not discourage and dishearten any from going on in such a way but still without faith this is not the way we are out of the way of salvation and we are all of us naturally enclined to seek for salvation in this way in walking exactly and being conscientious in the performance of duties and being diligent in our vocations and callings this was the way wherein the poor Israelites did miscarry and perish Saith the Apostle Rom. 9.30.31 What shall we say that the Gentiles which followed not after Righteousness have attained to Righteousness but Israel which followed after the Law of Righteousness hath not attained to the Law of Righteousness wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the Works of the Law Ay they went about saith the Apostle to establish their own righteousness and so would not submit to the Righteousness of God They went about to establish their own Righteousness truly this is natural to every one to walk on in the way of the Covenant of Works to look for life in that way that Adam should have found life in if he had continued in his obedience I say 't is natural for every one to walk on in such a course to expect eternal life and salvation in that way whereas when the Spirit of God comes to convince a Soul of the sin of unbelief it makes the soul to see it hath been out of the way of life and salvation all this time I have taken a wrong course all this time and now the Soul begins to be amazed to think he hath lost all his time and all his labour and now the Soul sees that this is not the way to life and salvation but the way of salvation is in the way of believing on Christ and now the soul is set in that way and course of believing on Christ and this is the Word behind us which the Prophet Isaiah speaks of Isa 30.21 Thou shalt hear a voice behind thee saying this is the way walk in it The Spirit of the Lord comes and whispers in our ear and tells us this is the way of life and salvation you will never find life by your own doings but this is the way walk in it if you would find life Thus the Holy Ghost doth ordinarily those three things in order to the convincing a Soul of the sin of unbelief So now you have heard the Point opened and cleared Now to make a little Application in a word or two and so I have done Application 1. Hence we may see the reason why so many Professors do see so
little evil in the sin of unbelief why and whence is it that so many Professors are so little sensible of the sin of unbelief though unbelief be such a great sin the greatest of all sins as you have heard though it be such a sin as to make God a liar and it doth kick and spurn away the loving kindness of God and by our not believing we put the greatest contempt upon the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God that can be yet I fear there are very few Christians do really and truly see the greatness of this sin they can be humbled for other sins and confess how they have provoked God by slighting and despising his Word by being formal and careless and wanton and prophaning Sabbaths and Ordinances but this sin of unbelief is little laid to heart there is little real humiliation for that and what is the reason because it is the work of the Spirit of Christ only to convince of this sin And therefore as we do desire more and more to see the evil of this sin of unbelief truly we had need to look up for the Spirit to discover it to us that all that we can do can never please God unless we do believe on Christ whatever prayers we make whatever duties we perform yet all doth not please God but we must be accepted only by faith in Christ and it is the work of the Spirit to shew us how we have been out of the way of salvation all this time I have gone on in a course of duties and performances in a way of moral Righteousness but I have been out of the way of life and salvation all this time If the Spirit do not convince us we shall never be convinced of this sin of unbelief it is not all that I have spoken nor all that all the Saints in the World can speak in laying open this sin of unbelief that can convince us of it except the Spirit of the Lord come and convince of this sin of unbelief Therefore look up for the Spirit and wait for the Spirit to be given out to convince us of this sin of unbelief That is the first 2. To end all hereby we may come in some measure to discern our spiritual estate and condition whether we be in a way of salvation or no Brethren you may see it plainly in the Text saith Christ I will send the Spirit and he shall convince the World of sin of this sin of unbelief in order to salvation Well then Consider I pray seriously between the Lord and your own souls whether or no you have been convinced of sin and especially of this sin of unbelief hath the Holy Ghost discovered the evil of this sin to you I pray consider seriously of it for this is the work of the Spirit in order to salvation to convince of this sin of unbelief Objection You will say Well I hope the Lord hath been at work upon my soul I hope the Spirit hath been convincing me of sin I think I have been convinced of many sins I hope the Spirit hath made me to see my original sin and hath convinced me of the sins of my youth the Lord hath written bitter things against me and made me to possess the iniquities of my youth he hath brought to my remembrance how I have been disobedient to my Parents and Superiors the Spirit I suppose hath convinced me that I have been given to lying to purloining defrauding and stealing from Parents and Masters and I have been convinced of Sabbath-breaking c. Answer But I pray consider have you ever been convinced of this sin of unbelief I pray consider it seriously what of the evil of unbelief hath the Spirit discovered to you I tell you Brethren if so be you have not been convinced and seen something of the evil of unbelief truly you have cause to question whether ever the Spirit of God hath been at work upon you in order to salvation Let me tell you plainly and I pray bear with me you may have been convinced of sin and yet the Spirit hath never been at work upon you in order to salvation No when the Spirit doth work in order to salvation it doth sooner or later convince of this sin of unbelief Therefore if you be perswaded that the Spirit hath been at work upon your hearts in convincing you of sin in order to salvation then wait for it and look that the Spirit shall discover this sin of unbelief to you wait for it for the Spirit will go on if he have begun a convincing Work in order to salvation and eternal life he wil convince you of the evil of unbelief sooner or later you will be brought in some measure to see the real evil and sinfulness of it therefore look and wait for it and then also wait for the work of the Spirit to convince you of Righteousness for so it follows in the next words I will send the Spirit and when he is come he shall convince the World of Sin because they believe not on me And of Righteousness because I go to the Father and ye see me no more But thus much shall suffice for this time The Holy Ghost revealeth Christ's Righteousness SERMON VII JOHN 16.10 Of Righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more YOU have heard before That the first work of the Spirit of God upon the Soul in order to Conversion and Salvation is to convince it of Sin and in a special manner of the sin of Unbelief And when he is come he shall convince the World saith Christ in the former Verse of Sin Because they believe not on me Now then where the Spirit begins to work in order to Salvation by convincing of sin he goes on also to convince of Righteousness And so I shall fall immediately upon the Point before us which is this Doctrine That when the Spirit of God doth begin to work upon a Soul in order to Salvation by convincing it of Sin he goes on also to convince it of Righteousness When he is come he shall convince the World of Sin saith Christ Ay but he doth not stop there but goes on also to convince of Righteousness Brethren it is the first work of the Spirit of Christ to convince us of our own Unrighteousness and his next work is to convince us of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ I confess I had it in my thoughts to have spoken to some other subject at this time but casting about and considering with my self what might be of most and greatest concernment the Lord was pleased to turn my thoughts again upon this Subject for verily if it were the last Sermon that ever I should preach to you in this world as the Lord knows whether it be or no if so be that any of you were going out of the World and I should be called to speak to you I do not know what I should say that is of more or
hath given him authority to execute Judgment also because he is the Son of man As the Father hath life in himself so there is fulness of power and authority given out unto Jesus Christ to give out to whom he will and he gives and communicates as being full of the Spirit 1. He communicates of the Spirit and Holy Ghost to whom he will He gives the Spirit and therefore promises it to his Disciples John 16.7 When they heard of his departure from them that night he should be betrayed Christ having given them a hint of it they were troubled and saith Christ Because I tell you the truth you are grieved yet nevertheless it is expedient for you that I go away and that you be deprived of my presence for when I go away I will send the Holy Ghost the Comforter unto you And so the Apostle Peter Acts 2. When the Holy Ghost fell upon the twelve with fiery tongues the people marvelled at it and thought they were drunk with new wine no saith Peter These are not drunken with new wine as you suppose this is an effect of the Promise as to the latter days according to Joels Prophecy And 2. Again He communicates of the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit The Graces of the Spirit are given out by Jesus Christ Eph. 4.8 When he ascended on high he led Captivity Captive and gave Gifts unto men And so the Apostle saith Grace and Peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ He giveth Gifts and Graces 3. And so again Christ doth communicate and give out Forgiveness and Remission of Sin He hath power and authority to give out that as Mat. 9. When they brought the Palsey man and Christ saw their faith saith he Son be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee and certain of them thought he had blasphemed well saith he That I may shew unto you that I have power on earth to forgive sins I say unto thee Son take up thy bed and walk And so Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his own right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give unto Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins And 4. Again Jesus Christ doth communicate Peace and Consolation Peace with God and true Comfort Being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ And so in another place If there be any consolation in Christ Jesus taking it for granted there is consolation in Jesus Christ and all true consolation comes from him And so as our sufferings abound so do our consolations abound much more through Jesus Christ our Lord. Again 5. It is Jesus Christ also that doth communicate and give out eternal life to whom he will Saith he My sheep hear my voice and they follow me and I give them eternal life Brethren Christ hath power and authority to give out all spiritual blessings a fountain having all fulness so they that come to Christ for a supply come to a full fountain Brethren if so be that Jesus Christ were full of the Spirit and full of grace yet if he were not full as a fountain he could not communicate look now as it is with a bucket though it may be full of water yet notwithstanding it hath not the fulness of a fountain as it doth supply any it hath so much the less but Christ now being a fountain-fulness though he communicate never so much yet still there is the same fulness as now go to the sea all the rivers in the World are filled with the sea and yet the sea hath never a whit the less and so the Sun hath given out its light day by day four thousand years together and yet the Sun hath never the less light in it because it is the fountain of light So Christ now being a fountain hath never the less in communicating still as much grace as much holiness as much righteousness as before And so the Saints some of them have been full of the Holy Ghost as Stephen though yet notwithstanding their fulness is not the fulness of a fountain and so they cannot supply the want of others As the wise Virgins when the foolish Virgins wanted Oyl and their lamps were out they would have had oyl of the wise but say they we have none to spare none to communicate why because they have not a fountain But still now in Jesus Christ there is a fulness as a fountain of all grace whatsoever That is the first Demonstration 2. Secondly Take another withall and that is this to shew that there is a full supply in him because All that come to Jesus Christ are neer to him nay they are united to him They are made neer unto God being united unto Christ and thereupon they have a communication of his fulness from Union for Union is the cause of communication as now if the Branches of a Tree be united to the tree they communicate and partake of the trees root sap and nature of it Saith Christ I am the Vine ye are the Branches why now the branches of the Vine partake of the Vine look now as it is with the members of the natural body being joyned they do communicate and participate with all the members as the Head it is the seat of all the sensitive or animal Spirits and the head being united to the body there is a communication of all the senses from the head to every member according to its capacity why now Jesus Christ he is the head we are his members flesh of his flesh bone of his bone we are members of him being joyned to him and they that are joyned to the Lord are one Spirit we are by faith joyned to the Lord and Jesus Christ is said to dwell in us by faith there is a nearer union that the believing soul hath with Jesus Christ than any member hath to the natural body than any branch hath to a natural tree yea than our souls and bodies have to each other John 6.56 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Now the nearer we be to a fountain the nearer a suply suppose one were in a fountain of water he must needs have enough suppose a man were in the body of the Sun he must needs be supplied with light Now the Soul that comes unto Christ and is in Christ it is in the fountain of living water and being in the fountain it must needs receive a full supply unto all its wants I say a very full supply That is a second Demonstration 3. Thirdly To take up one more I say we shall have a full supply because This same Fulness is communicated and given to Christ by the Father as Mediator for this end and purpose to give out and communicate to us For Brethren this fulness that is in Christ is communicated unto Christ as the fulness of the God-head for it seems to be an improper speech to say that
of the Spirit in order to Conversion and Salvation and what shall he do in order to it Saith he He shall convince the world of Sin and this shall be the first work that the Spirit shall do He speaks of convincing of Righteousness and of Judgement but the first work that the Spirit shall do shall be to convince of Sin There are four things that are necessary to be spoken to for the opening and clearing of this great Truth and Point 1. To shew what the convincing work of the Spirit is what it is for the Spirit to convince a Soul of Sin that we may understand it and be clear in it for it is that which is in order to our Conversion and Salvation 2. Shew you That the convincing of a Soul of Sin is a necessary work in order to Salvation for here Christ speaks of the Spirits convincing the Soul of Sin in order to Salvation 3. That the Convincing of a Soul of Sin is the work of the Spirit no less than the work of the Spirit For saith Christ The Comforter shall come and when he is come he shall convince the world of sin 4. Shew you That convincing a Soul of Sin is the first work of the Spirit in order to the Conversion and Salvation of any Soul I suppose I shall not be able to go through all these things at present but to begin and go as far as we can Well First then Let us enquire what is the convincing of Sin and wherein it lies You shall find in Scripture that this convincing of Sin is set forth by various expressions sometimes 't is expressed by Pricking the heart so Acts 2.37 When they heard this they were pricked at the heart Sometimes it is called the wounding of the Spirit so Prov. 18.14 Sometimes it is expressed by the sticking of an Arrow in a mans Spirit Psal 38.2 Thy Arrows stick fast in me saith David which is nothing else but the sense of sin the guilt of sin Sometimes it is expressed by the breaking of Bones Psal 51.18 That the Bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce It was upon the Conviction of his sin of Murder and Adultery And sometimes 't is expressed by the smiting of the heart as 't is said of David 1 Sam. 24.5 when he had cut off the Skirt of Saul's garment His heart smote him he was convinced of his sin But more particularly Wherein doth the Conviction of Sin lye Now you shall find that it lies especially in three things or there are three things in a real convincing of sin 1. The first is a setting of sin before the Soul the setting of it home upon the heart or the bringing of Sin to remembrance setting of it before the Soul as David d th express it Psal 51.3 saith he My sin is ever before me 't is before my face he was convinced of his guilt and then he had sin set before him So when Nathan the Prophet came to David to convince him of his sin when he was impenitent 2 Sam. 12.7 see there how Nathan the Prophet sets his Sin in order before him that he might well say My Sin is always before me And Acts 2.36 37. Peter to convince the Jews of their sin sets their sin before them and tells them what they had done They had killed Jesus Christ the Son of God the Lord of glory and when they heard that they were pricked at the heart So that it is one thing in Conviction of Sin when the Spirit doth convince of sin he sets the sin before the Soul or upon the heart for if so be sin be not set home and brought before the Soul there can be no conviction of sin 2. Secondly There is this further in Conviction of Sin namely Sin is so set home upon the heart as that the heart is not able to avoid the Conviction The heart is not able to shift away from under the power of it all the shifts and endeavours of the Soul cannot get it off when the Spirit sets home Sin upon the heart 't is so set home as that the Soul cannot now put it off it cannot shake it off the Arrow is so shot that the Soul cannot wriggle from it 'T is true indeed a guilty Conscience doth not love to be convinced of Sin and therefore observe it whenever the Lord goes about to convince of Sin the Soul doth endeavour all it can to put off the blow as you shall see now when the Lord came to convince Adam our first Parents of their Sin Gen. 3.12 13. They had transgressed and thereupon hid themselves well the Lord called for them Adam where art thou at last Adam appears and there the Lord to convince him of his Sin sets his Sin before him What hast thou done saith God hast thou eaten of the Tree that I forbad thee He could not deny it But pray observe what evasions they had if it were possible they would avoid the dint of the Conviction saith Adam 'T is true I have eaten of the Tree but it was by instigation of my Wife The Woman which thou gavest me she gave me of the â—ree and I did eat and thus he avoided the power of the Conviction Well he goeth to the Woman and said What is this that thou hast done and she put it off too The Serpent beguiled me and I did eat Thus a guilty Conscience will shift off Convictions as long as it can You shall see Aaron when Moses was absent forty days and from the people Exod. 32.23 24. Aaron and the people made a Golden Calf to worship when Moses came down from the Mount he fell to expostulating with Aaron about his Sin he would convince Aaron of his great Sin saith Moses What did the people unto thee that thou hast brought so great a Sin upon them Now mark how Aaron would avoid the dint of this Conviction It is true saith he he could not deny the thing but let not the anger of my Lord wax hot thou knowest the people that they are set upon mischief it is the peoples fault saith he for they said make us Gods that they may go before us for as for this Moses we know not what is become of him And I said unto them whosoever hath any Gold let them break it off so they gave it me then I cast it into the Fire and there came out this Calf What a pitiful excuse was here he did bur throw it into the fire and there came out a Calf See what shifts Good men will have sometimes for Aaron wa a good man to put off the power and force of Conviction You shall see another Instance in Saul 1 Sam. 15.9 There God had sent Saul to cut off all the Amalekites Men Women and Children and Cattel and all Spare none saith God Well God give him victory over the Amalekites and he made a great slaughter indeed but Saul spared Agag the King and some of the best of
fain to fall downright upon him and then he fell down under the Conviction and confessed and acknowledged his Sin Thus it is we are naturally averse to yield to the convictions of Sin I pray mind what I say take a notorious Sinner one that is commonly known to be guilty of gross sins suppose drunkenness or uncleanness Come to this man and tell him The Word of the Lord saith expresly That no unrighteous person that no unclean person no drunkard shall enter into the Kingdom of God Can he deny the Scripture No he cannot deny it well but then come and tell him you are guilty of drunkenness you are guilty of uncleanness and therefore the conclusion is this it will naturally follow from these two premises That you shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Will he yield to the Conviction No unless the Spirit of God come and make him yield to it he will never yield Therefore I say from that natural opposition that is in all our hearts against this work of Conviction it is therefore required that the power of the Spirit be put forth upon the Soul so Christ promiseth here I will send the Comforter and he shall convince the World of Sin 2. There is not only a natural averseness and opposition against it in our carnal hearts but Satan also the Devil he will help the Soul to hold out against the Conviction of sin as long as he can he will keep the Soul from yielding to it for the Devil knows this that when once a Soul is convinced of sin by the Spirit of God he is in danger to lose that Soul he is in danger that that Soul will make an escape therefore he lays about him and doth all that ever he can to keep the Soul from yielding to be convinced of sin just like a Jaylor if he hath a prisoner whom he perceives hath a mind to make an escape he will lay the more Irons upon him and have the greater watch and guard about him so in this case if the Devil see a Soul in danger to make an escape he will clap on all the power he can to keep the Soul from being convinced of Sin or like a Governor of a Town if the Town be besieged and he perceive where the Enemy is like to make an Inroad a Breach to be sure he will fortify that place thus the Devil doth when he discerns a Soul is in danger to make an escape to be delivered from his power then his design is to fortify and strengthen all that ever he can the Soul against yielding to any work of Conviction and therefore we read 2 Cor. 10.4 5. of strong holds fortifications strong reasonings saith the Apostle The Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds There are strong holds and fortifications that the Devil doth make round about the Soul that the Soul should not be able to make an escape except there come a stronger than he for the Devil is compared to a strong man armed and except a stronger than he come he will keep possession Now then there must come a stronger than the Devil and this is nothing less than the Spirit of God The power of the Spirit comes and makes conviction to take place on the heart for the Devil will fortify and strengthen all that ever he can with reasons as for your sins when the Soul comes to be troubled at sin Why you are none of the greatest sinners there are hundreds and thousands greater sinners than you are and God is merciful and gracious to sinners and God will pardon sinners that do repent and at what time soever a sinner doth repent And such kind of things as these are whereby he strengthens the Soul against yielding to Convictions of sin and now the power and policy of the Devil is beyond any ordinary created power therefore there must be a stronger power than is in the World that must be able really and truly to convince the Soul of Sin and that can be no less than the power of the Spirit of God and this is the second Demonstration of it why it must be the Work of the Spirit to convince the Soul of sin Objection But you will say to me But cannot the evil Spirit may not the Devil sometimes trouble a Soul about Sin and set sin home upon the Conscience and if so then it is not in the power of the holy Spirit only but the evil Spirit also may convince the Soul of Sin Answer Truly Brethren that the evil Spirit that the Devil may trouble a Soul about Sin and for Sin I think it is out of question by the example of Judas that had his Sin so set home upon him that he could not live under it nay Brethren the evil Spirit may set home sin upon the hearts of Gods people and endeavour to overwhelm them I remember what Job speaks Cap. 6.4 The Arrows of the Almighty are within me and the poyson thereof drinketh up my Spirit the Terrors of God set themselves in array against me So Job 13.26 Thou writest bitter things against me the terrors of the Almighty are upon me Brethren Do you think now that this was from the Spirit of God the Spirit of God when once it comes to be a Spirit of Adoption it never comes to be the Spirit of Bondage again So the Apostle saith expresly Rom. 8.15 You have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear but the Spirit of Adoption Now 't is true Job doth ascribe it to God yet it may be from Satan because Job did ascribe all that ever he met withall to God Satan was an Instrument to raise a storm to blow down the house where his Children were yet saith Job The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away he takes notice of the hand of God in it so in this case The Terrors of the Almighty set themselves in Array against me This may be from the evil Spirit which did become a Spirit of Bondage to him Question But you will say then How shall we know when Sin is set home upon the Soul whether it be from the evil Spirit or from the holy Spirit of God This is a Question of very great concernment I shall therefore desire through the Lords assistance to speak something that way and to offer some things to your consideration about it How you shall know when Sin is set home upon the heart Whether it be from the evil Spirit or from the holy Spirit of God for indeed if it be from the Spirit of God it is in order to Conversion and Salvation but if by the evil Spirit it is in order to damnation Answer There are several things that I shall offer to your consideration about this 1. The evil Spirit when he comes and brings sin and sets it before the soul commonly he doth it in a tumultuous way he doth it in a
confused manner to put the soul into a hurry that possibly the soul shall be mightily troubled about sin and cry out O I am a damned Creature and I shall be damned in Hell for my sins and the wrath of God will abide upon me for ever for my sins and yet possibly the soul doth not know what particular sin it is if you come to particulars and ask how you are guilty of this or that particular sin O yes they are sinners and they are guilty before God but come to any particular sin the soul will not fix there but go from one to another and still the Devil keeps the Soul in a hurry and confusion that one that hears him speak sometimes cannot tell what to make of his condition O I shall be damned for ever for my sins and the wrath of God will abide upon me for ever and yet not convinced by the Spirit of God The Devil doth what he can to overwhelm the Soul as it was the case of Saul 1 Sam. 28.5 Sauls heart did tremble he was put into an amazing frame he was afraid and his heart greatly trembled and afterward at the 15th Verse saith he I am sorely distressed the Philistims make war against me and God is departed from me I am sorely distressed Why what was the matter he could not tell very well what the matter was but the Devil had troubled his spirit had afflicted him he was put into a sore affright an amaze and trembling and he knew not what the matter was but God had cast him off and forsaken him and now he must lie under the wrath of God for ever Now the Devil to help him forward in his despair at the 18th and 19th Verses he claps one sin upon him Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee And saith the Devil to him The Lord shall deliver you into the hands of the Philistims and to morrow shall thou and thy Sons be with me And thus the Devil claps upon him to confound him and 't is said Verse 2. Then Saul fell straightway all along upon the earth and was sore afraid his heart died in him like a stone thus the trouble upon his Spirit being from Satan it was in a kind of hurry and Confusion that one could not tell what to make of his condition but now on the other side when the Spirit of God comes to convince a Soul of sin it sets sin in order before the Soul first one thing and then another Psal 50.11 I will reprove thee and set thy sins in order before thy face in an orderly way not in a hurry to confound and distract a soul but I will set them in order before thee and so you may observe those that have been convinced of their sins their sins have been set in an orderly way before them in the 2 Sam. 12.9 10. When Nathan came to convince David of his sins he set his sins in order before him first one sin and then another sin and so you may observe in the Gospel that those that have been convinced of sin the Spirit hath been an orderly Spirit and hath set sin in order before them So that that is one thing whereby you may know the difference between the trouble for sin that comes from the evil spirit and the convincing of sin that comes from the holy Spirit of God 2. Take another thing whereby you may see the difference and that is in the End or Design that Satan aims at in his troubling a Soul about Sin What is the Design The great design of the Devil is to bring the Soul into despair into a desperate case and so at last to make away it self to dispatch it self that is the great end that Satan drives at in his troubling a soul about sin and with sin to drive the soul into despair to overwhelm the Soul and cause the Soul if it be possible to make an end of it self that is the design of Satan he will so set Sin before the Soul that it is so great that there is no hope it should be pardoned when he tempts a Soul to sin he makes but a litte matter of it it is but a small mattâ—r and it is but once but when the soul hath once committed it then his great design is to overwhelm the Soul and to set the sin before the soul in such a manner that it looks like the unpardonable Sin Well Your sin is now unpardonable and there is no hope for you and many times he makes souls believe that they have sinned against the Holy Ghost and now there is no hope for them Just as it was with Cain Gen. 4.11 Oh saith he My sin is greater than can be forgiven This now is the design of Satan to cause a Soul if possible to make a way it self you see how the Devil carried it towards Judas Judas had committed a very great sin in betraying the Son of God Well when he had sinned the Devils design was now so to set home his sin upon him that he could find no rest day nor night till such time as he had gone and hanged himself It is the great end that Satan aims at in his troubling a Soul about sin his great design is to bring the soul into despair and so to make away it self Whereas now on the other hand the great end of the Spirit of God is to make a soul sensible of sin so as to be humbled for it so as to repent of it 'T is true indeed sometimes when sin is set home by the Spirit of God upon a Soul the Soul may be brought very low may be much overwhelmed and may possibly be brought into a despairing desponding condition and may be ready sometimes to make a way it self to destroy it self by the Devils setting in with it yet ordinarily the Spirit of God comes and prevents such things where the conviction begins from the Spirit the holy Spirit doth prevent such things the Soul is made to look up to God as Jonah did Chap. 2.4 I said I was cast out of thy sight the Lord hath rejected me Yet saith he will I look towards thy holy Temple The Spirit of God had convinced him of his sin and though he did seem to be cast out of God's sight out of his favour and was thrown into the belly of the Whale yet the Spirit of the Lord would not suffer him to be despondent and give over all as desperate Yet will I look towards thy Holy Temple That is the second thing whereby we may discern the difference 3. When the evil Spirit doth set home a sin upon the Soul it is to drive the Soul further from God When the Holy Ghost comes to convince a Soul of sin it is to draw the Soul nearer to God You may observe it that when ever the Devil doth set home a sin