with this light I do but plainely unfold this This Conviction of the Holy Ghost is not in generall onely that all men are sinners but particular and strong thou art a sinner and thou art in danger of damnation And it is universall taking in sinnes of nature sinnes of life sinnes of the understanding will and affections and it is not of sinne onely but of the misery by sinne of the danger folly and madnesse of sinne and of the aggravations that greaten sinne as of stifling so many good motions withstanding so many meanes abusing so many mercies The Holy Ghost Convinces us throughly that wee can have nothing to reply Because I have spoken of this before I am short Beloved unlesse the Holy Ghost Convince there will be no Convincing our deceitfull hearts have so many windings and turnings proud nature armes it selfe with defences as a hedge-hogg winds himselfe round and defends himselfe by his prickes So you have many cloath themselves with strong words ill translations upon others frivolous mitigations the way of the multitude as with a coate of male to keepe out this Conviction that did not the Holy Ghost strike in hard with their consciences Thou art the man this worke would never bee done But you will aske me this Question how shall we know common Conviction of conscience from this of the Spirit for carnall men that goe to Hell are Convinced by a common conviction what is this saving Conviction I answer Common Conviction by the light of Nature is a weake Conviction a little sparke will shew a little light but it will not inlighten a roome it must be the worke of some greater light as the Sun the Spirit is a strong light stronger then naturall conscience Naturall conscience and common light is of some breaches of the second Table Naturall conscience never Convinces of corrupt nature but the Spirit doth most of all as you may see in David Psal. 51. He resolves all into this as if hee should say what should I tell you of my murther and Adultery in sin did my mother conceive me so a true Christian doth not look to the branches so much as to the root Then againe a naturall conscience when it Convinceth a man it is against his will it makes him not the better man he mends not upon it but hee is tortured and tormented But a man that is convinced by the Holy Ghost he takes Gods part against himselfe he is willing to be laid open that hee may find the greater mercy So that there is a grand difference betweene common conviction of nature and the Conviction of the Spirit The Conviction of the Spirit is the light of the Spirit which is of a higher nature then that of naturall conscience I will send the Comforter when hee comes hee will greatly inlighten and over-power the soule Againe the Conviction of the Spirit sticks by a man it never leaves the soule But that of an ordinary conscience it is but for a flash and after they are worse then they were before I must cut off these these things because the time is alwaies past upon these occasions before we begin Come we therfore to make some Use. The Spirit doth Convince of sin But how by the Ministery ordinarily though not alone by the Ministery Therefore we must labour willingly to submit to the Ministery Convincing of sin Conscience will Convince first or last Is it not better to have a saving Conviction now to purpose then to have a bare desperate Conviction in Hell O beloved all the admonitions we heare if wee regard them not now we shall hereafter therefore labour to make good use of this Sword of the Spirit of God and it is an argument of a good heart to wish O that the Ministery might meet with my corruption that it may be discovered to me to the full A true heart thinkes sinne the greatest enemy and of all other miseries it desires to be freed from the thraldome thereof For that defiles Heaven and Earth and separates God from his creature It s that that threw Angels out of Heaven Adam out of Paradice What imbitters blessings and puts a sting into all afflictions but sinne if it were not for sinne wee would take up any crosse and beare any affliction more quietly then we doe Therefore as we desire to be saved and to stand with comfort before God at the day of judgement let us desire and endeavour to bee throughly Convinced of sin Take heed of resisting the Spirit of God in the Ministery why are so many led captive of their lusts but because they hate the Ministery of the Word they looke upon it as Ahab did upon Elias Hast thou found me O my Enemy They naturally are in love with their sinnes and there is none so much hated as those that present themselves to themselves A man take him in his pure naturalls is a foolish creature his heart rises against Conviction You see the Pharisees Wise men Learned men being convinced they hated Christ to the death why because he did untombe them and discover the dead mens bones within So many now a daies that are convinced hate any that by life or speech discover their sinne unto them if it were possible and in their power to the death Thus the Holy Ghost convinces of sin But before I leave this point let me add this from the reason or ground of this Conviction because they beleeve not in me That unbeleefe makes all other sinnes damnable no sinne is damnable if we could beleeve and repent Therefore we are convinced of sin because we doe not beleeve as we say of a man that is condemned because hee cannot reade therefore hee is condemned he should escape if he could reade being for no great fault so it is here it is not beleeving in Christ and repenting makes all other sinnes deadly The differing of one man from another is their faith and repentance some there bee whose sinnes are greater then others yet by the Spirit of God and faith they worke them out every day It is faith in the brazen Serpent that takes away the sting of the fiery Serpents I have done with the conviction of sinne Let us now come to speake of the conviction of Righteousnesse Of righteousnesse because I goe to my Father and you shall see mee no more It is a fit time for the Holy Ghost to convince Gods people of righteousnesse when they are convinced of sinne before then they can relish Christ Balme is balme indeed when the wound is discovered and felt O then a pardon is welcome when the party is condemned The reason of this conviction of righteousnesse is because I goe to my Father and you shall see me no more The Holy Ghost as he sets on sin upon the conscience so he takes off sinne by applying to the conscience the righteousnesse of Christ this is his office first to convince the world of
The reverend faithfull and profitable Minister of Gods word Richard Sibbes D D master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge preacher of Grayes Inne London Wil Marshallsâ—â— THE SAINTS PRIVILEDGE OR A Christians constant Advocate Containing a short but most sweet direction for every true Christian to walke comfortably through this valley of teares By the faithfull and Reverend Divine R. SIBS D. D. and sometime Preacher to the Honourable Society of Grayes-Inne LONDON Printed by G M for George Edwards dwelling in Green-Arbour at the signe of the Angell 1638 A Table of the severall Heads contained in this Treatise 1. COnviction of sinne how necessarie it is to salvation Page 4. 2. What this Convincing of sinne is Page 5 6. 3. A particular Convincing of sinne Page 7. How wee shall know the common Conviction of conscience from this of the Spirit P. 8 9 10. The use of all this how the Spirit Convinces Page 11 12 c. Secondly Conviction of Righteousnesse P. 15. What the Conviction of Righteousnesse is P. 16. First ther 's a fourefold Gradation of Conviction 1. There must be a Righteousnesse P. 17. 2. That it is not in any creature P. 18. 3. That this Righteousnes is to be had in Christ. P. 19 4. The Spirit Convinces that this belongs to all beleevers P. 20. 1. Question How the Holy Ghost doth convince me of the righteousnesse of Christ. P. 21 22. 2. Question Why is the sending of the Spirit necessary for the convincing of this righteousnesse P. 23. For these reasons 1. Because it is above the conceit of man P. 23. 2. Reason why the Holy Ghost is necessary for this conviction P. 24. 3. Reason because flesh and bloud is full of pride P. 26 27 Objection Alas I am not convinced of the Spirit that Christ is my righteousnesse therefore what case am I in The full answer of this very comfortable P. 28. The use of all this P. 30. In which is shewen the priviledges and prerogatives of a man that is convinced in all temptations P. 30. 1. When God himselfe seemes to bee our enemie P. 31 2. Against Satan P. 32. 3. Against our owne consciences P. 33 How we may know whether we bee convinced of this righteousnesse The answer to this P. 33 Secondly but how shall I know that the Holy Ghost hath convinced me enough of sinne so that I may without presumption apply the righteousnesse of Christ. 1. If the Holy Ghost have discovered my sinnefull condition P 34 2. By the worke of the Spirit P 35 3. By inward peace and great joy P 36 37 4. Where this is it answers all objections P 37 38 The use How we should live by faith P 38 2 How every day to make use of the righteousnesse of Christ P 39 Wherefore did Christ goe to the Father 1. To make application of what hee had wrought P 41 2. To send the Spirit P 41 3. To stop Satans mouth P 41 42 4. To make the Father our Father P 42 5. Sweet comforts at the hower of death P 42 43 The use Great comfort in the hower of death P 45 46 April 10. 1638. Imprimatur THO WYKES THE SAINTS Priviledge JOHN 16.8 9 10. When he is come he shall reproove the world of sin righteousnesse and Iudgement Of sin because they beleeve not in me Of righteousnesse because I goe to my Father Of Iudgement because the Prince of this world is judged Especially the 10. verse Of righteousnesse because I goe to my Father and you shall see me no more OVR blessed Saviour descending from Heaven to Earth for the Redemption of man after hee had accomplished that great worke he ascended thither againe And knowing his Disciples would take his departure very heavily he labours to arme them against the assaults of all griefe and sorrow that might otherwise oppresse them and that by many arguments Among the rest this is not the least that when he is gone away he will send the Comforter unto them God never takes away any thing from his children but hee sends them a better And this Comforter whom hee promised to send shall beare them through in all their Ministery all function and in effect he thus bespeakes them You my Disciples are to encounter with the world Be of good comfort my Spirit shall goe along with you and hee shall reproove the world of sinne righteousnesse and judgement Of your selves you are too weake but the Spirit shall strengthen you and make way into the hearts of those that shall be saved by convincing them of sinne righteousnesse and judgement So that be not discouraged the Spirit shall breath courage into you and make way for your doctrine When the Comforter is came he shall reproove the world of sinne and of righteousnesse and judgement Of sinne because they beleeve not in me Of righteousnesse because I goe to the Father Of judgement because the Prince of this world is judged There are three maine parts of salvation Knowledge of our misery knowledge of our deliverance and a life answerable The Holy Ghost shall worke all these hee shall Convince the world of their owne sinne of righteousnesse by a Mediator and of a reformation of life So that the Holy Ghost shall goe along with you in the carriage of the whole businesse of mans salvation Where hee begins hee makes an end Where he Convinces of sin hee Convinces of righteousnesse and then of a necessity of a reformation hee beares all afore him and he doth it in a spirituall order First hee Convinces the world of sinne then of righteousnesse then of judgement because it were in vaine to Convince of the righteousnesse of Christ unlesse he hath before Convinced of sinne For who cares for balme that is not wounded who cares for a pardon that is not condemned therefore hee Convinces of sinne first I have spoken heretofore of Convincing of sinne Here is a threefold Convincing of sinne of righteousnesse and of judgement and every one of these hath a reason added thereto Of sinne because they beleeve not in me Of righteousnesse because I goe to my Father Of judgement because the Prince of this world is judged The Holy Ghost begins with Convincing of sinne What is this Convincing It is a cleare and infallible demonstration of our condition It brings a commanding light into the soule It sets downe the soule and takes away all cavills all turnings and windings To Convince is to make a man as the Psalmists phrase is lay his hand upon his mouth Light is a convincing thing now wee see the Sun we see it is day though ten thousand men should say it is not day wee would not beleeve them because the convincing hereof is undeniable that he must bee an unreasonable man that gainesayes it So then the Spirit of God brings a commanding light into the soule undeniable thou art thus and thus here no shifting no winding and turning will serve the turne when the Holy Ghost comes
then what is poverty and what is imprisonment not worthy to be reckoned in respect of the glory that shall be revealed Againe where the Holy Ghost convinces enough there is inward peace and great joy sutable to the righteousnesse As the righteousnesse is an excellent righteousnesse of God-Man so that peace and joy that comes from it is unspeakeable peace and joy So that then the heart sees it selfe instated in'peace and joy as you have it Rom. 5. Being justified by faith wee have peace towards God not onely inward peace and joy but a peace that will shew it selfe abroad a glorious peace a peace that will make us glory verse 3. We glory in tribulation A hard matter to glory in abasement not onely so but we glory in God God is ours and Christs righteousnesse ours when Christ hath satisfied Gods wrath then wee may make our boast of God Againe where this conviction of righteousnesse is it answers all objections the doubting heart will object this and that but the Spirit of God shewes an All-sufficiency in Christs obedience and that sets the soule downe quietly in all crosses and calmes it in all stormes in some degree Where the soule is convinced of the righteousnesse of Christ there the conscience demands boldly It is God that justifies who shall condemne It is Christ that is dead and risen againe and sits at the right hand of God Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen So that a convinced conscience dares all creatures in Heaven and Earth it works strongly and boldly I shall not need to inlarge this you know whether you are convinced To end the point I beseech you labour to live by this faith heere is an evidence if we can live by it How is that Every day to make use of the righteousnes of Christ as every day we run into sinne Be sure we have our consciences sprinkled with the blood of Christ that as we increase new guilt so we may have a new pardon therefore every day labour to see God as reconciled and Christ as our Advocate with the Father Christ is now in Heaven if we sinne make use of him this should be the life of a Christian to make use of Christs righteousnesse when you finde nature polluted goe to God and say Lord my nature though fowle in it selfe yet is holy and pure in Christ Hee tooke the weakenesse of the humane nature unto him that hee might communicate the worth and efficacy of his divine nature unto me and for my actions I am a sinner but Christ hath fully discharged all my debts and is now in Heaven hee hath performed all righteousnesse for me Look not upon me as in my selfe but looke upon me in Christ He and I am one This should be every daies exercise to see our selves in Christ and so see him and our selves one I should inlarge the point further but I will speake a word of the reason What is the reason why the Comforter may and shall convince of righteousnesse Because I goe to the Father what strength is there in that reason why this Christ took upon him to be our surety and hee must acquit us of all our sinnes ere he can goe to his Father If one sinne had beene unsatisfied for he could not have gone to his Father but now he is gone to his Father therefore all our sinnes are satisfied for so that now the Ascention of Christ is a sufficient pledge to me that my person is accepted and my sinnes pardoned because he is gone to his Father to appeare before the Father for us which he could not have done had he not fulfilled all righteousnesse But wherefore did he go to the Father why to make applicatiō of what he had wrought If Christ should not have gone to the Father hee could not have sent the Holy Ghost to us Therefore there is great use of this going to his Father Satan pleads before God wee are such and such I but saith Christ I have shed my blood for them and there hee perfumes all our weake prayers if wee were not imperfect what need we a Mediator in Heaven Therefore he is gone to Heaven to disanull all Satans accusations and to provide a place for us die when wee will our place is readie Then againe hee is gone to the Father to cloath us with a sweet relation to make the Father our Father For he saith Iohn 12.17 I goe to my Father and to your Father So that he is not ashamed to call us Brethren by vertue of this we may goe to God and call him Father when we die we may without presumption say Father into thy hands I commend my spirit for the Father loves us as hee loved Christ with one and the same love though in a farre different degree What a comfort is this that when we die we goe to our Father that is better then any earthly Father Therefore it should joy us when the time of our departure comes We see old Iacob when hee saw the Chariots come out of Aegypt how his heart leaped because he should go to see his Sonne Ioseph So when death is sent to transport us to Christ to Heaven had wee a strong faith we should be exceeding glad And let us learne here the art of faith from Christ I goe to the Father saith hee there was a great deale of time yet to passe no lesse then forty daies after his Resurrection before he went to the Father yet he saith I goe to the Father to shew that faith presents things future as present faith sees Heaven as present and the day of judgement as present and doth affect the soule as if they were now existent If we had a Spirit of faith it would thus present things farre off as nigh at hand Therefore when we meet with any thing that may make our way to Heaven seeme long or troublesome exercise your faith and make your terme present to your spirits though remote from sence say I go to the Father what though I goe through blood and a shamefull death yea perhaps a tormentfull death yet I goe to the Father when a man is once perswaded that God is his Father in Christ it will make him walke to Heaven before his time Let us make Use of this point of Christs going to the Father Beloved there is not a point of Religion but hath a wonderfull spring of comfort and it is want of faith that we doe not draw more comfort from them When therefore we part with our friends by death thinke they are gone to their Father If ye loved mee saith Christ yee would rejoyce because I said I goe to the Father If wee love our friends wee should rejoyce when they die Beloved this should comfort us Christ is gone to his Father O what welcome was there of Christ when he came into Heaven the same welcome will there be when we goe to the Father How joyfull intertainement shall we have of the Father and the Sonne Therefore death should not be troublesome to us say Christs righteousnesse is mine therefore I know I shall goe to the Father what care I then what kind of paines I goe through If a man be going to a desired place howsoever the way be troublesome the sweetnesse of the end will make him forget the discouragements of his passage Perhaps we must wade to Heaven through a Sea of blood it matters not the end will recompence all though wee lose our limbes by the way It is better to limpe to Heaven then dance to Hell FINIS 1 Convincing of sin What is this convincing Quest. Answ. 1 Difference Psal. 51. 2 Difference Vse 1. 2 Conviction of Righteousnesse A fourefold gradation of conviction of righteousnesse 1 Gradation 2 Gradation 3 Gradation 4 Gradation Quest. Answ. Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Ob. Answ. Vse Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Vse Vse