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
some great Journey or some Voyage to go away from her she is mourning and weeping he comes and speaks comfortably to her and perswades her to be of good chear as if he should say My Deare there is no Remedy I must go away I must take this Journey there is no help for it 't is necessary 't is expedient nay and 't is for thy sake it is to fetch in Comforts for thee and necessaries for thee it is expedient not only for me to finish my Business because my occasions and business call me abroad but it is expedient for thee that I take this Voyage or Journey 't is for your Comfort and be assured of it that I will send to you ere long thou shalt hear from me ere long I will send One on purpose to comfort thee and refresh thee in my absence and know this that I will not stay always from you but will come in a short time again Thus Jesus Christ spake to his Disciples when he was about to leave them saith he My occasions call me to go away from you and not only so but it is expedient for you it is for your Benefit and Advantage and though I be personally absent from you yet I will send one unto you that shall supply my absence even the Comforter and after a little short time I will come again to you I will not stay long from you so he saith afterwards Verse 16. A little while and you shall not see me and a little while and you shall see me because I go to the Father And Verse 22. Therefore now have you Sorrow but I will see you again and your hearts shall rejoyce Within a little while I will come to you I will make all the haste I can to you Thus Christ speaks to his Disciples and Servants to comfort their Hearts being sorrowfull upon his going away Brethren Was there any thing or could there be any thing that was nearer or dearer to the hearts of the Disciples than the presence of Christ The presence of Jesus Christ was more to them than any Comforts of this World more to them than their Estates and Callings and Gain and Trade for you know they left their Ships and their Nets and Callings and all to follow Christ nay Christ was more near and dear to them than their nearest Relations that they had in the World for 't is said they left not only their Callings their Trades and Ships and Nets but they left their Fathers and away they went after Christ yea they left all that ever they had as Peter himself saith Matthew 19.27 28 29. saith he We have left all to follow thee Not only their Callings their Trade and Gains not only their Parents and Relations But we have left All to follow thee Yea Brethren Jesus Christ was more dear and precious to them than their very lives for you know what Christ was speaking to them about his going away Mat. 26. and telling them that some of them would deny him saith Peter Though I dy with thee I will not deny thee saith he I will dy first I will lose my life first and 't is said all of them said after the like manner they loved Christ more than their very lives and yet now you see what Christ said to them though his Presence was so near and dear unto them yet saith Christ I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away it is expedient for you that I leave you though I be so near and dear unto you So that here is the Point grounded upon these Words That it is a most certain Truth That it is expedient for the Disciples and Servants of Christ sometimes to be deprived of those Comforts that seem to be nearest and dearest to them in this World it is expedient for them The Word that is here translated expedient it signifieth most profitable more profitable for you or better for you better for you that I go away than that I stay with you more Profitable for you so the Word is sometimes translated and so it properly signifieth expedient that is profitable so saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 6.12 All things are lawfull for me but all things are not expedient The Word is profitable so it is in the Margin All things are not profitable So Chap. 10. in the last Verse saith the Apostle Even as I please all Men in all things not seeking mine own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved it is the same word only t is there translated profit or profitable 't is expedient or profitable for you that I go away and sometimes 't is translated good or better so Luke 17.2 3. Saith Christ It were better for him that a Mill-stone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the Sea than that he should offend one of these little ones The word is expedient So again Mat. 5.29 30. Saith Christ 'T is better for you to go into Life maimed with one Eye or one Hand than having both your Eyes and hands to go into Hell 'T is better the word is expedient So that here is the meaning of it It is expedient for you that I go away that is 't is most profitable for you 't is better for you that I go away from you than that you do enjoy my personal presence Now for the opening and handling of this Point and Truth I shall briefly speak to these three things 1. Give you the Demonstrations of it by some particular Instances That it is most expedient or profitable sometimes for the Servants of Christ to be deprived of their nearest and dearest Comforts that they do enjoy In which I shall give you some particulars 2. I shall shew the Ground why or whereupon It is so expedient or profitable for them to be deprived of their dearest and nearest Comforts they can enjoy in this World 3. And then shew you this That to enjoy the presence of the Comforter the Spirit of God is more expedient for the Saints in this World than to enjoy the personal presence of Christ I shall not be able to go through this Point at this time but for the 1. To give you some Demonstrations by some particular Instances That it is expedient for the Servants of Christ sometimes to be deprived of their nearest and dearest Comforts that they have in this World I shall Instance now in some particulars As 1. It may be expedient for the Servants of Christ sometimes to be deprived of their outward Estates in the World Brethren to have a competent measure of Estate in the World is a comfortable thing Those that have great Estates do not know and understand the temptations of a poor estate therefore saith the holy man Agur Pro. 30.9 though he would not be rich yet Lord give me not poverty It is a great mercy to be comfortably provided for in the World yet for all that it is most
not some of the Disciples ask him before whither he went John 13.36 Simon Peter said unto him Lord whither goest thou Jesus answered Whither I go you cannot follow me now but you shall follow me hereafter Lord saith he why cannot I follow thee now Why then doth Christ say here none of you ask me whither goest thou when Peter expresly asked the Question before Answer To this I answer The Question that Peter put to Christ whither he went was not so much to understand his Exaltation and Glory and the End of his going away as out of presidence of his own strength and ability to follow Christ but now Christs meaning is when he saith None of you ask me whither goest thou that is you do not understand the end of my going away from you you do not know wherefore I go to my Father and therefore Sorrow hath filled your hearts and then he blames them for being so sad and sorrowful for his going away Verse 6. Because I said these things to you Sorrow hath filled your hearts if they had known that Christ was now going to the Father to be exalted at the right hand of God they would not have been so sorrowful no saith Christ John 14.28 If ye had loved me ye would have rejoyced because I said I go to the Father for my Father is greater than I. Now observe and take notice of this That it is displeasing unto Christ to see any of his Disciples and Servants to be immoderately sorrowfull upon any account though it was upon the account of his departing from them and their losing his Presence yet notwithstanding Christ would not have them immoderately sorrowful he blames them for it and now sayes he because I said these things to you Sorrow hath filled your hearts And further he comes to lay down some Comforts and Antidotes against their Sorrow here in the Text the 7th verse wherein by way of Comfort he tells them 1. That it was expedient for them that he should go away It is expedient for you not only expedient for me that I go to the Father to be exalted in Heaven but it is expedient for you also saith Christ Expedient for you That is one Ground of Comfort to allay their Sorrow And not only so But 2. He doth assert it and affirm it very confidently he would have them fully perswaded of it Because it was hard for them to believe that Christ should leave them and go away from them that they should be deprived of his personal presence was there any thing harder for them to grapple with than that could there be any thing more expedient for them than that he should stay with tnem but saith Christ I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away You may be confident and perswaded of it nevertheless I tell you the Truth And. 3. He doth further amplify this Comfort about his going away by telling of them What Benefit they would have by his going from them Therefore that may sustain and support their Hearts and Spirits Why what shall they get by it saith Christ you shall have something that shall be equivalent to my bodily presence you shall have that that is more expedient for you you shall have the presence of the Comforter the Holy-Ghost and this he doth express both negatively and affirmatively If I go not away the Comforter will not come to you but if I depart I will send him unto you You shall be sure to have the Comforter if I go away when I come to sit at the right hand of my Father I will send the Comforter and you cannot have the Comforter so fully now my presence is with you as you shall have after I am ascended up to Heaven to be glorified And 4. He doth more particularly set out the Benefits they shall have by the presence of the Comforter and amongst other things he saith the Comforter shall be with them to give them success in their Ministry shall make their Ministry effectual and powerful for to convince To convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment Thus you see the Scope of these Words they are spoken by Christ by way of Comfort to his Disciples whose hearts were filled with Sorrow at the hearing of his going away from them Nevertheless I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send him unto you and when he is come he shall reprove the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment I have formerly as you may remember spoken concerning the glorious effects of the Gospel from that Scripture Acts 26.18 Now here you have laid down the Cause whereby the Gospel came to be so efficacious and effectual namely by the presence of the Comforter by the assistance of the Holy Ghost with the Ministry of it You may observe and take notice of it That after Christs Ascension into Heaven immediately their Ministry was more powerfull and more effectual in one Sermon than it was in all the time they were with Christ in his bodily presence three thousand at one Clap were brought in by one Sermon so powerful was the Holy Ghost with them in their Ministry But briefly then before I come to speak to the eighth Verse which principally I aimed at in pitching upon this Scripture I shall take up one Note or Observation which may be of Use and Concernment to us from the 7th verse and that is this Doct. That it is a most certain Truth that it is expedient for the Disciples and Servants of Christ sometimes to be deprived of the nearest and dearest Comforts that they have in this World Brethren the Presence of Christ was the nearest and dearest Comfort that they had in this World yet saith Christ It is expedient for you that I go away from you and that you be deprived of my bodily Presence and because it was a hard thing for them to believe what to be deprived of his Presence that was so dear to them therefore he adds this I tell you the Truth it is true what I say it is no Lye Nevertheless I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away It was expedient that Christ should go away and lay down his Life that he should rise again from the dead and ascend into Heaven and sit on the right hand of God and have all Power and Glory put into his hand and therefore it was expedient for them that they might enjoy all the Fruits of his Death and Resurrection and Ascension and Glorification and Exaltation it was expedient for them in all these respects but more particularly that they might have the Holy Ghost sent down to them Me-thinks Brethren Jesus Christ here comes to his Disciples and speaks to them as a tender-hearted Husband to his dear Wife when he is about to undertake
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
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
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
more expedient for them than to enjoy the bodily presence of Christ And let me add one thing more 5. It was more expedient for them to have the presence of the Spirit than to have the bodily presence of Christ because by Enjoying the presence of the Comforter hereby they had more assistance and more powerfull success in their work and labour in their Ministry than ever they had before all the time they had the presence of Christ I say Their Ministry was more powerful and effectual than ever it was before 'T is true they went up and down and preached some particular times but we do not read of any great matter was done that many were converted by their Ministry all the time they lived with Christ but now when Christ was gone and the Spirit fell down upon them Immediately you shall see Acts 2. When Peter preached one Sermon more were converted at that Sermon than there was by all the Apostles preaching that we read of all the time they lived with Christ upon Earth there were Three thousand brought in at one Sermon And afterwards Chap. 20.21 'T is said There were many thousand Believers brought in by the Ministry of the Apostles because the Spirit did assist them There was a mighty effusion of the Spirit and a great success upon their Labours and Endeavours And so Christ here in the Text to comfort his Disciples about his departure saith he Nevertheless I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away What then Saith he I will send the Comforter and you shall find marvellous success by the presence of the Spirit in your Ministry When he is come He shall convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment By enjoying the presence of the Spirit with them they had mighty success in their Ministry in their Labours and Endeavours in the Work that Christ had called them to Therefore I say in these respects it was more expedient for them to have the presence of the Spirit than Christ's Bodily presence amongst them And thus now I have finished this Point as to the Explication Proof and clearing of it Now briefly to speak something by way of Application and so to wind up all in three or four words Application 1. Then hence we are to be admonished and warned to take heed That our Hearts and Affections be not inordinately set upon any Creature-Comfort though never so near and dear unto us Because they must be taken away from us or we from them If we had the Bodily presence of Christ amongst us we are not to set our hearts inordinately upon him meerly for his Bodily presence so as to have our Hearts as it were rent or torn asunder for the want of his bodily presence So whatever Creature-Comfort we enjoy in this World take heed that our Hearts and Affections be not inordinately set upon them because there will come a time when we must part they must go from us or we must go from them as Christ told his Disciples here it is expedient for you that I go away and this was that that did fill their hearts so with Sorrow because they were so inordinately set upon his bodily presence There are no Creature-Comforts that we can enjoy in this World but we must be taken from them therefore it should be our Wisdom to have our hearts and affections set loose from them because the closer we are glued to any Creature-Comfort the greater rending and tearing there will be when we come to be deprived of it Truth is our hearts and affections are apt to cleave too close to creature-comforts as outward Relations Husbands or Wives Parents or Children our hearts are apt to be glued too close to them to be inordinately set upon them and therefore hence it comes to passe that it is so grievous to us to part with them and that we are so inordinate in our sorrow and grief when the Lord saith it is expedient for you that I take this or that Comfort from you and therefore we should do well to follow the Apostles Counsel and Admonition which he gives us 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. To use the World as if we used it not to enjoy as if we enjoyed not to possesse as if we possessed not for the fashion of this World passeth away It passeth away from us and therefore let us take heed that our hearts and affections be not inordinately set upon any creature-comfort Brethren if we set our hearts upon any thing let us set them upon those things that shall never go away from us and look after these things that shall abide with us as to look after Union with Christ by faith which shall never go away from us To look after the pardon of sin and peace with God reconciliation to God through the blood of Christ which shall never go away from us neither shall we go from them therefore now let it be our care and business to chuse the better part that shall never be taken away from us chuse Maries part endeavour after the Communications of the Spirit the Comforter the Holy Ghost which shall abide with you for ever but I say take heed that your hearts and affections be not inordinately set upon any creature-comfort for then your sorrow and grief will be the greater upon your parting with them and it is expedient for you to part either you from them or they from you and you know not how soon That is the first 2. Then Hence we may see our great folly in mourning and grieving immoderately for the parting from or losing and being deprived of any Creature-Comfort or Outward-Enjoyment Here is our folly Because possibly we mourn and grieve for that which is most expedient for us And Is not that folly Though we do not know so much yet the parting with this or that Relation with this or that Child or with all our Children with this Husband or that Wife it may be most expedient for us I say therefore Take heed of grieving immoderately or inordinately for it because it may be our great folly it may be more expedient for us that they go away than that they stay with us And truly now it may be we grieve inordinately for the loss of our Children or such a Child We do not know what they might have proved if the Lord had lengthened out their lives to us they might have proved the greatest vexations that ever we met with in the World though now it may be we cannot think so We do not know how expedient it is it may be more expedient for us that they go away Therefore mourn not inordinately but submit to the holy Will of God that knows what is more expedient for us than we do our selves And so for our Estates the Lord takes away our Estates from us our Livelihood in the World and brings us into a poor and low Estate and Condition Well do not mourn inordinately
for the loss of it for it may be the more expedient for you to be deprived of your Estates than to have them continued unto you possibly you would have grown more carnal more sinfull more profane insolent vain scornfull more lascivious wanton and loose and so you might have run upon your own ruine and destruction if the Lord had left you to enjoy what you would have Saith Solomon Pro. 1.32 The prosperity of the wicked shall destroy him The Lord doth sometimes leave some to a prosperous estate and it may be a means of their utter undoing Therefore it may be more expedient for you that they go away therefore let us not be inordinate in our grief and sorrow for the loss of any Creature-Comfort 3. Then Hereby we may see the foolishness and vanity of these apprehensions that do sometimes come into our mindes O we are ready to think sometimes if we had lived when Christ was here in the flesh when Christ's bodily presence was in the world or if we could now see and enjoy the bodily presence of Christ O we should go to him upon all occasions O then we could go and worship him and reverence him and honour him and adore him and admire him I tell you these are vain fancies and imaginations for the injoyment of the presence of the Spirit is more advantagious to us than the enjoyment of the bodily presence of Christ could be and if Christ were now in the world in our dayes as he was before it may be we could not tell how we might come to speak to him and see him he might be at one end of the world and we at the other but now we have this advantage we may go to Christ in any part of the World and enjoy Communion with Christ and speak to Christ in Prayer in any place and we may worship reverence honour and love Jesus Christ now he is in Heaven and Glory It is said of the Disciples Luke 24.51 52. They returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the Temple praising and blessing God I tell you we may worship and reverence and honour Jesus Christ now he is in Heaven as much as we could have done if he were bodily present with us It is therefore a vain imagination to think O if Christ were now present what worship we would now give him how we would adore him and acquaint him with our Necessities at every turn You may have as much access to him now as if he were in the World and you may have more of the Spirit given to you now than you should have then And let me add this by the way not to let your mindes go too much out about the personal presence of Christ here on earth I do not speak to condemn that opinion That Christ shall personally reign upon Earth a thousand years which is the opinion of many godly and learned Men and I would not speak contradictorily to it though for my own part I conceive Christ shall have a glorious Church upon Earth and Reign upon Earth a thousand Years too Yet I must needs say I do not apprehend as to his Bodily presence 'T is true indeed Jesus Christ shall come from Heaven at the day of Judgement and appear personally in the Clouds and if you observe it you shall find when the holy Ghost in Scripture speaks about the appearing of Christ you shall find he speaks of that appearing that shall be at the Day of Judgment As 1 Tim. 6.14 Saith the Apostle there I charge you that you keep this Commandment without spot untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ Now what appearing is this or when shall Christ appear look 2 Epistle 4.1 I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom When he shall come to Judgment then he shall appear personally Objection But you will say May he not appear for all that before in this World and may he not come in his own person and live in the World before that Answer Truly Brethren I have no warrant for that but rather to the contrary for the Apostle saith Heb. 9.28 speaking of Christs coming to Judgment To them that look for him shall he appear the second time So that his appearing to judge the World shall be his second appearing to you that look for him shall he appear the second time Now when he was incarnate in the flesh then he appeared the first time but he shall appear the second time that is when he comes to judg the World therefore I say I have no warrant for Christs being personally on Earth before the day of Judgment only 't is true there shal be a glorious appearance of the power of the Spirit there shall be a glorious Church upon Earth a thousand years that I do believe but for the personal appearance of Christ and his living personally in the World I confess I have not such grounds for that But I would not trouble your heads about these things neither would I have you trouble your Fancies much about them but look after the enjoyment of the spiritual presence of Christ that will be more advantagious and expedient for you than the very personal presence of Christ That is the third word of Application I have but one word more and that is this 4. From hence now we may have a strong Antidote and Cordial against all our sorrows griefs and troubles in parting with any creature-comfort though it be our nearest and dearest comforts in this World Know this for your comfort and support under all that it is most expedient for you this is the very cordial and support and antidote that Jesus Christ himself prescribed to his own Disciples against their immoderate sorrow because I have said these things saith he sorrow hath filled your hearts in the Verse before the Text and now he comes to give them a cordial and andidote against it in the Text Nevertheless I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away Not for me only It was expedient indeed for Christ himself to go away that he might be advanced at the right hand of God that he might be indued with the Spirit and have all fulness of gifts to give out it was expedient for him but saith he I tell you the truth it is expedient for you and this he gives them as a cordial and antidote against their sorrow it is expedient for you that I go away but they could not tell how to believe it that it should be expedient for them that he should go away therefore saith Christ Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away Truly Brethren this is the very Cordial that Christ himself gave against immoderate sorrow and grief of mind in parting with any creature-comfort in this World remember 't is expedient for you
if the Lord call us to part with any thing that is near and dear to us near and dear Yoke-Fellows Husband or Wife or an only Son well here is the Cordial and Antidote that Christ gave know saith he That it is expedient for you that this near Comfort go away from you it is for your advantage profit and benefit Brethren I pray let me ask you this Question Do you think that any creature comfort that you enjoy in this World can be nearer and dearer to you than the personal presence of Christ was to the Disciples Yet saith Christ It is expedient for you that I go away truly so I may say as to every Comfort that God takes from us It is expedient for us that this comfort be taken from us It may be you cannot see it now but you may see it afterward it is that which your heavenly Father knows to be expedient for you and he is wiser than we This may be a Cordial and Antidote both for the time past and for the time present and to come the time past when we call to remembrance O the comfort that sometimes we had the comfortable enjoyment of such a Relation such a Husband or such a Wife or such a Child our hearts are ready to bleed afresh at the remembrance of it Now here is a Cordial and Antidote that Christ himself prescribes I tell you the truth saith Christ It is expedient for you O I cannot tell how to think it can be expedient for me to lose such a Husband such a Wife such a Child yea saith Christ I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that such a comfort be taken away from you So for the time present if God take away a near Relation or Wife or such a Child remember that Christ hath said it is expedient for you that this Child should go that this Comfort that this Relation should go away from you And Brethren if we do believe that it is expedient for us why then should we be excessive in our grief and sorrow I pray tell me if a Physician come unto you and by reason of your distemper prescribe you some bitter Pill or bitter Potion to take or a strong vomit or he prescribe a great deal of blood to be taken from you these things are somewhat hard but he tells you it is expedient for you and you will yield to it you will take the Vomit or Purge though never so grievous to you you will take the Pill though never so bitter to you and if he will draw so much blood from you let him take it So the Lord is pleased to deal as a wise Physician he prescribes sometimes a bitter Pill for us to swallow down O to lose such a Yoke-Fellow or such a Child this is a strong vomit a bitter purge this is like the drawing of a mans blood from his heart but our heavenly Father knows what is most expedient for us I tell you the Truth saith Christ it is expedient for you that I go away it is expedient for you that I take so much blood from you that I put you upon the swallowing of this bitter pill And remember and lay up this Antidote against a time of need we know not how suddenly any of us here before the Lord may be called to part with our nearest and dearest Comforts we know not how the Lord may deal with us well remember this Antidote and lay it up for the time to come remember and say Well it is expedient for me that this and that Comfort be taken away from me and you have heard the Reasons O remember these words of our Lord Jesus which he spake to his Disciples to comfort them against their griefs and sorrow for being deprived of the greatest comfort they had in this World Nevertheless I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away Conversion of Souls great Joy to the Ministers of Christ. SERMON III. JOHN 16.8 And when he is come he will reprove the world of Sin and of Righteousness and of Judgment IN this Chapter as you have heard our Lord Jesus Christ doth fore-warn and fore-arm his Disciples against Persecution and Sufferings which they were like to meet withal and this he speaks of in the first four Verses and then he doth endeavour to comfort their hearts against that sorrow that had possessed them for his going away from them Saith he Now I go my way to him that sent me and because I have said these things unto you sorrow hath filled your hearts Christ endeavours to comfort their hearts against their great sorrow and this in the general he proposeth for their Comfort Namely saith he 'T is expedient for you that I go away 'T is not only expedient for me but it is expedient for you that I go away But they could hardly think so And then he gives them this Reason saith he If I go not away the Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send him unto you But then they might be ready to say Lord Suppose the Comforter do come will that make recompence for our loss of thy presence What if the Comforter do come what if we have the presence of thy Spirit yet thy presence might seem to be more comfortable to us Now Christ lays in further for that saith he If the Comforter come that will be still better for you than my bodily presence is for if he come he will be with you to assist you in your Ministry He will accompany the Ministration of the Gospel in your mouth he will make your Ministration to be succesful and effectual for convincing and converting Thus now Christ doth lay in against their sorrow that they might have upon his departure from them that though he went from them yet they should have that from the promise that should countervail all that comfort and joy that they had by his bodily presence And this seems to be the very scope and intendment of these words When he is come saith he He will so work with your Ministry that it shall Reprove or Convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgement Before I come to the Point because the words seem to have some difficulty in them and because there seems to be some variety in the Interpretation of them I shall briefly give you a hint of what I apprehend to be the most proper meaning of these words As now 1. What doth he mean by Reproving He shall reprove the World 2. What doth he mean by the World And then 3. How he shall Reprove the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgement I. The word here translated Reprove hath a three-fold acceptation in Scripture 1. Sometimes it signifies to Reprove as here 't is translated And so I remember Titus 1.13 This Witness is true Wherefore rebuke them sharply or reprove them sharply 'T is the same Word So here 't is translated
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
Salvation and further built up in our most holy Faith That is the second Direction 3. Receive the Ministration of the Gospel with humility of Spirit and meekness I say receive it with all humility and meekness of Spirit that is the way whereby it may be made effectual to Salvation When people come and say they can tell as much as the Minister can tell them and they had as good stay at home and read a good Book and not câ—ming to it as Gods Ordinance with a teachable frame of Spirit being willing to hear what the Lord will say how can the Word become effectual but now when a Soul comes with meekness of Spirit to hear what the Lord will say and then as Psal 25.9 The Lord will teach the meek and saith the Apostle James 1.21 Receive with meekness the ingrafted Word which is able to save your Souls receive it with meekness with an humble Spirit to receive whatsoeever the Lord shall please to direct his Servants to speak And let me add but one thing more and I will have done and that is this 4. Be careful to receive the Word and Truth in the Love of it and to mixe it with Faith Receive it in the Love of it Truly if so be we have no Love to the Truth and the Word when we come to attend upon it it may be just with God to give us up to believe Lies as that hath been the very Judgment of God upon the Antichristian World for these 1200 years together for this very Sin for not receiving the Truth in the love of it 2 Thess 2.11 12 13. Because they received not the Truth in the Love of it therefore God gave them up to strong delusions to believe Lies And Antichrist hath prevailed to this Day upon that very account Therefore remember that we be ready to receive the Truth in the Love of it as to say This is a Truth of God and though I have heard it before yet it is a Truth and the Lord would have this Truth spoken to me and I must receive it in the Love of it and then mix it with Faith Hâ—b 4.2 They had the Gospel preached to them as well as we and The Word preached did not profit them that heard it why because they did not mixe it with Faith in their hearts What is this mixing the Word with Faith Truly when the Lord perswades the Heart to receive whatever is spoken as spoken from the Lord to me this Word the Lord doth intend for me and makes a particular application of it this is the proper work of Faith to apply the word spoken to our selves as spoken from the Lord to us And thus the word cometh to be effectual through the Spirit either in a way of Conviction or Conversion or for the Furtherance of the Salvation of the Souls of any But thus much shall suffice at this time The Holy Ghost convinceth of Sin SERMON IV. JOHN 16.9 Of Sin because they believe not on me YOU have heard the scope of these words already which in short is this Christ would here comfort his Disciples against their sorrow which they had for his going away from them Because I said these things unto you saith he Sorrow hath filled your hearts Now Christ is speaking here in a way of Comfort to sustain and support the hearts of his Disciples against that grief and sorrow that did possess them And how doth he comfort them He tells them that his spiritual presence shall be more advantagious to them than his bodily presence could be The presence of the Spirit which he would send to them saith he he shall be a Comforter to you If I go away I will send the Comforter to you and that shall be more than my bodily presence to you whereas If I go not away the Comforter will not come Ay but how shall the presence of the Spirit be in stead of Christ's bodily presence to them and make up that loss to them Christ tells them for that wherein the presence of the Spirit with them after his going away would be equivalent and correspondent to his own bodily personal being with them But wherein He tells them namely because when the Spirit comes he shall co work with them in their Ministry so as their Ministry shall be made efficacious and effectual to the furtherance of the Salvation of many Souls The Spirit shall go along with their Ministry and this Christ gives in by way of Comfort to his Disciples Hence we Observed the last time That it is matter of exceeding great Joy and Consolation to the faithful Servants of Christ that through the operation and co-working of the Spirit their Ministry is made effectual for the good of Souls This is a great matter of joy and rejoycing for observe it Christ doth lay this down as a comfort to preponderate and out-weigh their sorrow that they had in their hearts in respect of his going away from them But I shall not speak to any thing that was then spoken to But still it may be said But how shall the Spirit concur with our Ministry to make it effectual for the Conversion and Salvation of Souls Saith Christ When he is come he shall convince the World The presence of the Spirit with your Ministry shall convince the Men of the world Convince them Of what Now here he tells them You heard in the general from the 8th Verse He shall convince the World of Sin and of Righteousness and of Judgement But now in these 9 10 and 11 Verses he comes to shew particularly the work of the Spirit in convincing the World and he gives the reason of every particular that the Spirit shall convince the World of Of Sin Because they believe not in me And again He shall convince the world of Righteousness Why Because I go to the Father and ye see me no more And again He shall convince the world of Judgment Why Because the Prince of this World is judged I shall speak only to the first of these at the present through the Lords assistance He shall convince the world of Sin Of Sin and this in order to their Conversion and Salvation Why Because Christ speaks this by way of Consolation to the hearts of the Disciples now this would be matter of Comfort indeed that their Ministry should be made efficacious for the Conversion and Salvation of Souls Therefore this convincing the world of Sin is in order to Salvation There are two Points to be spoken to from the Verse But I shall only take up one to speak to at present through the Lords assistance and that is this Doctrine That it is the first work of the Spirit of God in order to the Conversion and Salvation of any Soul to convince the Soul of Sin I say the first work of the Spirit of God in order to Conversion and Salvation of Souls is to convince of Sin For here Christ speakes of the work
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