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
of the Spirit in order to Conversion and Salvation and what shall he do in order to it Saith he He shall convince the world of Sin and this shall be the first work that the Spirit shall do He speaks of convincing of Righteousness and of Judgement but the first work that the Spirit shall do shall be to convince of Sin There are four things that are necessary to be spoken to for the opening and clearing of this great Truth and Point 1. To shew what the convincing work of the Spirit is what it is for the Spirit to convince a Soul of Sin that we may understand it and be clear in it for it is that which is in order to our Conversion and Salvation 2. Shew you That the convincing of a Soul of Sin is a necessary work in order to Salvation for here Christ speaks of the Spirits convincing the Soul of Sin in order to Salvation 3. That the Convincing of a Soul of Sin is the work of the Spirit no less than the work of the Spirit For saith Christ The Comforter shall come and when he is come he shall convince the world of sin 4. Shew you That convincing a Soul of Sin is the first work of the Spirit in order to the Conversion and Salvation of any Soul I suppose I shall not be able to go through all these things at present but to begin and go as far as we can Well First then Let us enquire what is the convincing of Sin and wherein it lies You shall find in Scripture that this convincing of Sin is set forth by various expressions sometimes 't is expressed by Pricking the heart so Acts 2.37 When they heard this they were pricked at the heart Sometimes it is called the wounding of the Spirit so Prov. 18.14 Sometimes it is expressed by the sticking of an Arrow in a mans Spirit Psal 38.2 Thy Arrows stick fast in me saith David which is nothing else but the sense of sin the guilt of sin Sometimes it is expressed by the breaking of Bones Psal 51.18 That the Bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce It was upon the Conviction of his sin of Murder and Adultery And sometimes 't is expressed by the smiting of the heart as 't is said of David 1 Sam. 24.5 when he had cut off the Skirt of Saul's garment His heart smote him he was convinced of his sin But more particularly Wherein doth the Conviction of Sin lye Now you shall find that it lies especially in three things or there are three things in a real convincing of sin 1. The first is a setting of sin before the Soul the setting of it home upon the heart or the bringing of Sin to remembrance setting of it before the Soul as David d th express it Psal 51.3 saith he My sin is ever before me 't is before my face he was convinced of his guilt and then he had sin set before him So when Nathan the Prophet came to David to convince him of his sin when he was impenitent 2 Sam. 12.7 see there how Nathan the Prophet sets his Sin in order before him that he might well say My Sin is always before me And Acts 2.36 37. Peter to convince the Jews of their sin sets their sin before them and tells them what they had done They had killed Jesus Christ the Son of God the Lord of glory and when they heard that they were pricked at the heart So that it is one thing in Conviction of Sin when the Spirit doth convince of sin he sets the sin before the Soul or upon the heart for if so be sin be not set home and brought before the Soul there can be no conviction of sin 2. Secondly There is this further in Conviction of Sin namely Sin is so set home upon the heart as that the heart is not able to avoid the Conviction The heart is not able to shift away from under the power of it all the shifts and endeavours of the Soul cannot get it off when the Spirit sets home Sin upon the heart 't is so set home as that the Soul cannot now put it off it cannot shake it off the Arrow is so shot that the Soul cannot wriggle from it 'T is true indeed a guilty Conscience doth not love to be convinced of Sin and therefore observe it whenever the Lord goes about to convince of Sin the Soul doth endeavour all it can to put off the blow as you shall see now when the Lord came to convince Adam our first Parents of their Sin Gen. 3.12 13. They had transgressed and thereupon hid themselves well the Lord called for them Adam where art thou at last Adam appears and there the Lord to convince him of his Sin sets his Sin before him What hast thou done saith God hast thou eaten of the Tree that I forbad thee He could not deny it But pray observe what evasions they had if it were possible they would avoid the dint of the Conviction saith Adam 'T is true I have eaten of the Tree but it was by instigation of my Wife The Woman which thou gavest me she gave me of the â—ree and I did eat and thus he avoided the power of the Conviction Well he goeth to the Woman and said What is this that thou hast done and she put it off too The Serpent beguiled me and I did eat Thus a guilty Conscience will shift off Convictions as long as it can You shall see Aaron when Moses was absent forty days and from the people Exod. 32.23 24. Aaron and the people made a Golden Calf to worship when Moses came down from the Mount he fell to expostulating with Aaron about his Sin he would convince Aaron of his great Sin saith Moses What did the people unto thee that thou hast brought so great a Sin upon them Now mark how Aaron would avoid the dint of this Conviction It is true saith he he could not deny the thing but let not the anger of my Lord wax hot thou knowest the people that they are set upon mischief it is the peoples fault saith he for they said make us Gods that they may go before us for as for this Moses we know not what is become of him And I said unto them whosoever hath any Gold let them break it off so they gave it me then I cast it into the Fire and there came out this Calf What a pitiful excuse was here he did bur throw it into the fire and there came out a Calf See what shifts Good men will have sometimes for Aaron wa a good man to put off the power and force of Conviction You shall see another Instance in Saul 1 Sam. 15.9 There God had sent Saul to cut off all the Amalekites Men Women and Children and Cattel and all Spare none saith God Well God give him victory over the Amalekites and he made a great slaughter indeed but Saul spared Agag the King and some of the best of
Question But you will say How shall a Soul know whether it have been sufficiently convinced of Sin and humbled for it as it ought to be Because now here is the stumbling stone that some weak and tender hearts are ready to lay before their own faces I have not been so convinced and so humbled as others have been and therefore I question whether I have been truly convinced or humbled for Sin or no how shall I know whether I have been truly convinced of sin Answer The Truth is It is not possible to determine a particular degree of convincing of Sin for every particular person and therefore I shall give you this as a Rule to know when your convincing of Sin is sufficient namely then convincing of sin is sufficient when as a Soul is so convinced of sin as that now it is wholly taken off from all hopes of being saved by any thing in its self and it is made now to look towards Christ and the Righteousness of Christ though possibly in a weak manner yet notwithstanding it is taken off from looking to any thing in it self or hoping in any thing it self to help forward its own salvation it is cut off from that by being convinced of Sin now I cannot help my self I cannot save my self by all that ever I can do What shall I do as they in the Acts Chap. 2. Sirs What shall we do to be saved They were at their wits end they saw nothing that they could do could save their Souls And so the Jaylor Sirs what must I do to be saved This now is the first thing you see what we are to understand by this Conviction of sin When he is come he shall convince the World of sin 2. But to come to the second thing namely to shew you That convincing of Sin is a thing that is necessary in order to Conversion and Salvation That it is necessary doth plainly appear thus namely Why else is it made to be the work of the Spirit if convincing of sin be not necessary would the Spirit convince of sin Can we think or say that the Spirit would work or do any thing that is not necessary Again If so be that generally all that are converted and saved have found a work of conviction upon their hearts then certainly it is necessary in order to conversion and Salvation And again not to multiply things of this nature If this work of convincing of sin be not necessary To what end else serves the Law Saith the Apostle Rom. 7.7 What shall we say then Is the Law sin God forbid Nay I had not known sin but by the Law I had not known Lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet And at the 9th Verse I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came sin revived and I died Wherefore the Law is holy and the Commandment holy just and good The Law saith he is good the Law is just and holy it is not in vain But Wherefore serves the Law It is to convince of sin Then conviction of sin is necessary and so the Apostle to the Galatians Gal. 3.19 Wherefore then serves the Law There 's the Question It was added because of Transgressions till the Seed should come And then at the 24th Verse Wherefore the Law was a School-master to bring us to Christ to prepare us as it were to come to Christ Now therefore if the Law be necessary to discover sin then the discovery and convincing of sin is necessary But not to stand upon this Question The great Question is Vpon what account or in what regard is Convincing of sin necessary in order to Salvation This is a great Question Vpon what account is the conviction of sin necessary in order to the conversion and salvation of a sinner Answer I Answer briefly Vpon manifold accounts and regards I shall name some 1. Convincing of sin is necessary in order to salvation Because except a soul be convinced of sin it will hardly ever come to Christ And that is necessary for a Soul to come to Christ that is necessary for salvation Now a Soul that is not convinced of sin will hardly ever come to Christ he will make any shift in the world before he will come to Christ Luke 8.43.44 It is said of the Woman that had the Issue of Blood At last she came to Christ but mark she made all the shift she could before she would come she had it twelve years and she spent every penny she had she spent all her Living on Physitians to cure her distemper and when all was gone and there was no other way to help her then she came to Christ So till a Soul be convinced of sin it will never come to Christ this is the course of sinners until they be convinced of the necessity they will not come John 5.40 Saith Christ Ye will not come to me that ye might have Life No the soul will look to find the Life in its own hands by its own works and endeavours by its Prayers and Duties He will not come to Christ that he might have Life And therefore when Christ doth tender grace and mercy to sinners Alas they slight it and despise it because they have not been convinced You shall see there John 8.32 and so on Christ is directing of the Jews how they might be freed from sin how they might have their freedom Saith Christ If the Son therefore make you free you shall be free indeed Now mark What do they account of Christ's freedom or directions to come to him to be made free Verse 33. Say they We are Abrahams Seed and were never in Bondage to any man we are free enough they were never convinced of the bondage of sin therefore now the offer of Christ to free them is of no account with them The soul that is not convinced of sin cares not for Christs tenders and offers of Grace John 9.39 40. Christ is there directing the Jews to come to him to have their blind eyes opened they were spiritually blind and saith Christ For Judgment am I come into the World that they which see not might see and they which see might be made blind Well those Jews they were not convinced of their spiritual blindness and therefore they make a tush at it What Dost thou come to cure our blindness to make us see Are we blind also say they they scorned his words because they were not convinced of sin they cared not for coming to Christ for any grace or any mercy and therefore when Christ would have a Soul to come to him for any grace or mercy he takes this course with them namely first to convince them of their sinful estate Rev. 3.17 18 19 20. Christ doth counsel them there to come to him for Eye-salve that they might See and for Gold that they might be rich and for white Raiment that they might be clothed but now before Christ doth make
him that Soul will be unstable its Comforts will be unstable and though he may hold up his head so long as all is calm and clear above him but when the assaults of the Devil come and the powers of Hell are let loose upon it to try its Foundation if the foundation be not deep rooted all the building will come to nothing it is like a Plant or Tree that is planted but shallow in the Ground and will be apt to wither so Christ compares it Mat. 13.21 The Seed that fell upon the stony ground sprang up for a while but when the Sun did rise when temptations came scorching temptations and tribulations and tryals came they withered away because they wanted depth of earth for the root they had no rooting they were not humbled and convinced of sin they took up a Profession and confessed Christ and professed Christ but never were truly convinced of sin and this is the great reason why Professors are subject to so many doubts and scruples about their condition when they come into sickness and dangers then they are ready to question their condition What is the reason why possibly this may be one Because they were never convinced truly of sin by the Spirit of God And therefore you see now upon all these accounts That Conviction of sin is very necessary for sinners in order to their Conversion and Salvation So now I have finished the second Thing propounded I should now have come to the third Thing to shew you That convincing of sin is the Work of the Spirit of God But that and some other things I must leave till another opportunity The Holy Ghost convinceth of Sin SERMON V. JOHN 16.9 Of Sin because they believe not on me YOU have heard the coherence of these words before and therefore I shall not trouble you with that and the Point you may remember what it was that was last propounded from these words Namely That it is the very first work of the Spirit of God in order to Salvation to convince the Soul of Sin For so Christ here is comforting of his Disciples against their sorrow upon his departure from them and he tels them That he would send the Comforter to them and he tells them what the Comforter should do he should assist them in their Ministry towards the conversion and salvation of Souls and the first thing he shall do he shall convince the World of Sin and then of Righteousness and then of Judgement but this is his first work to convince the world of Sin There were four things propounded to be spoken to for the clearing of this Point 1. To shew you what we are to understand by this Conviction of Sin which is the first work of the Spirit and wherein it lay and that you heard in three things 2. You heard the necessity of it why this work of convincing of Sin is so necessary in order to conversion and Salvation You heard the necessity of it in five or six things upon which account it was necessary in order to salvation to be convinced of Sin Well there are two things yet remain to be spoken to for the opening of this Point 3. The third thing is to shew that this work of convincing of Sin is the proper work of the Spirit Nothing short of the Spirit of God can really and truly convince the soul of Sin in order to salvation And then 4. That it is not only the work of the Spirit but the first work of the Spirit in order to Salvation These two things I shall now proceed to through the Lords assistance 3. Well then we are to fall upon the third to make it evident to you that the work of convincing of Sin is the proper work of the Spirit of God And how doth that appear Briefly I shall give you two or three Demonstrations of it 1. It appears from the opposition that is in every carnal heart to be convinced of Sin There is a desperate opposition in our hearts naturally we are utterly averse and unwilling to be convinced of Sin We are loth to come to the Light as Christ tells us John 3.20 Every one that doth evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light least his deeds should be reproved lest he should be convinced It is the same word with this in the Text He is loath to be convinced of sin it is the natural frame of our hearts to be averse and opposite to conviction of sin therefore there must come a stronger power the power of the Spirit to this work of convincing of sin else we shall never be convinced for I pray mark what this convincing of sin is For a soul to yield to the convictions of sin is to yield to its own sentence of condemnation and do you think that any one is ready to yield to the sentence of its own condemnation Now if a soul yield to the conviction of sin he yields to the sentence of condemnation For the soul that sinneth shall dye And if a soul yield that he is guilty of this or that sin now he yields to the sentence of Death and Damnation And do you think the soul will yield to the sentence of Condemnation passed against it self You see sometimes a Malefactor at the Bar Is he willing think you to be convinced of his crime which he is accused of No he will stand out against it and deny it as long as he can and if he cannot deny it he will mince it and will not yield to the conviction so long as he can possibly hold out against it and this is the guise of our hearts naturally not to yield to conviction but we will hold out against it as long as ever we can let any man come to us to convince us and reprove us we will hold against it and shift it off and mince it and avoid it all that ever we can this is natural to us as it was with our first Parents when God called them to an account for their first sin they shifted it off Adam to his Wife his Wife to the Serpent and would not willingly be convinced Just as I told you before it was with Saul 1 Sam. 15. When Saul had disobeyed the Commandment of the Lord in going against Amalek God gave him a severe charge to cut off all Men Women Children and Cattel Well he cuts off the generality of the People but he spared Agag and he spared the best of the Cattel Well Samuel comes to him afterward and Saul he comes boasting saith he Come thou blessed of the Lord I have fulfilled the Commandment of the Lord hast thou fulfilled the Commandment of the Lord saith Samuel What meaneth then the bleating of the Sheep in mine ears and the lowing of the Oxen well he would not be convinced saith he 'T is true some of them are saved alive for sacrifice for the Lord he would not yield to the Conviction until such time as Samuel was
fain to fall downright upon him and then he fell down under the Conviction and confessed and acknowledged his Sin Thus it is we are naturally averse to yield to the convictions of Sin I pray mind what I say take a notorious Sinner one that is commonly known to be guilty of gross sins suppose drunkenness or uncleanness Come to this man and tell him The Word of the Lord saith expresly That no unrighteous person that no unclean person no drunkard shall enter into the Kingdom of God Can he deny the Scripture No he cannot deny it well but then come and tell him you are guilty of drunkenness you are guilty of uncleanness and therefore the conclusion is this it will naturally follow from these two premises That you shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Will he yield to the Conviction No unless the Spirit of God come and make him yield to it he will never yield Therefore I say from that natural opposition that is in all our hearts against this work of Conviction it is therefore required that the power of the Spirit be put forth upon the Soul so Christ promiseth here I will send the Comforter and he shall convince the World of Sin 2. There is not only a natural averseness and opposition against it in our carnal hearts but Satan also the Devil he will help the Soul to hold out against the Conviction of sin as long as he can he will keep the Soul from yielding to it for the Devil knows this that when once a Soul is convinced of sin by the Spirit of God he is in danger to lose that Soul he is in danger that that Soul will make an escape therefore he lays about him and doth all that ever he can to keep the Soul from yielding to be convinced of sin just like a Jaylor if he hath a prisoner whom he perceives hath a mind to make an escape he will lay the more Irons upon him and have the greater watch and guard about him so in this case if the Devil see a Soul in danger to make an escape he will clap on all the power he can to keep the Soul from being convinced of Sin or like a Governor of a Town if the Town be besieged and he perceive where the Enemy is like to make an Inroad a Breach to be sure he will fortify that place thus the Devil doth when he discerns a Soul is in danger to make an escape to be delivered from his power then his design is to fortify and strengthen all that ever he can the Soul against yielding to any work of Conviction and therefore we read 2 Cor. 10.4 5. of strong holds fortifications strong reasonings saith the Apostle The Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds There are strong holds and fortifications that the Devil doth make round about the Soul that the Soul should not be able to make an escape except there come a stronger than he for the Devil is compared to a strong man armed and except a stronger than he come he will keep possession Now then there must come a stronger than the Devil and this is nothing less than the Spirit of God The power of the Spirit comes and makes conviction to take place on the heart for the Devil will fortify and strengthen all that ever he can with reasons as for your sins when the Soul comes to be troubled at sin Why you are none of the greatest sinners there are hundreds and thousands greater sinners than you are and God is merciful and gracious to sinners and God will pardon sinners that do repent and at what time soever a sinner doth repent And such kind of things as these are whereby he strengthens the Soul against yielding to Convictions of sin and now the power and policy of the Devil is beyond any ordinary created power therefore there must be a stronger power than is in the World that must be able really and truly to convince the Soul of Sin and that can be no less than the power of the Spirit of God and this is the second Demonstration of it why it must be the Work of the Spirit to convince the Soul of sin Objection But you will say to me But cannot the evil Spirit may not the Devil sometimes trouble a Soul about Sin and set sin home upon the Conscience and if so then it is not in the power of the holy Spirit only but the evil Spirit also may convince the Soul of Sin Answer Truly Brethren that the evil Spirit that the Devil may trouble a Soul about Sin and for Sin I think it is out of question by the example of Judas that had his Sin so set home upon him that he could not live under it nay Brethren the evil Spirit may set home sin upon the hearts of Gods people and endeavour to overwhelm them I remember what Job speaks Cap. 6.4 The Arrows of the Almighty are within me and the poyson thereof drinketh up my Spirit the Terrors of God set themselves in array against me So Job 13.26 Thou writest bitter things against me the terrors of the Almighty are upon me Brethren Do you think now that this was from the Spirit of God the Spirit of God when once it comes to be a Spirit of Adoption it never comes to be the Spirit of Bondage again So the Apostle saith expresly Rom. 8.15 You have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear but the Spirit of Adoption Now 't is true Job doth ascribe it to God yet it may be from Satan because Job did ascribe all that ever he met withall to God Satan was an Instrument to raise a storm to blow down the house where his Children were yet saith Job The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away he takes notice of the hand of God in it so in this case The Terrors of the Almighty set themselves in Array against me This may be from the evil Spirit which did become a Spirit of Bondage to him Question But you will say then How shall we know when Sin is set home upon the Soul whether it be from the evil Spirit or from the holy Spirit of God This is a Question of very great concernment I shall therefore desire through the Lords assistance to speak something that way and to offer some things to your consideration about it How you shall know when Sin is set home upon the heart Whether it be from the evil Spirit or from the holy Spirit of God for indeed if it be from the Spirit of God it is in order to Conversion and Salvation but if by the evil Spirit it is in order to damnation Answer There are several things that I shall offer to your consideration about this 1. The evil Spirit when he comes and brings sin and sets it before the soul commonly he doth it in a tumultuous way he doth it in a
Idols more Thus the Soul will be taken off from all sin will not venture upon any thing that is sin That is the sixth 7. Let me add one more and that is this A soul that is under trouble for sin from the evil spirit the trouble will in time wear off and will be removed and healed by some way or other that is not the right way of Cure I pray mind it I say such a soul though it may be under a great stroak a great wound for sin if Satan do not prevail upon the soul to drive it to dispair the wound will be healed by some means or other that is not the right way and means possibly sometimes it wears away by length of time it vanisheth and wears off by length of time by degrees Just as it is with a Land-Flood it comes sometimes with great showres and storms but it wastes away by degrees insensibly So in this case you shall have some souls sometimes so afflicted and oppressed and troubled for sin that they cannot rest themselves nor let others rest with them they complain of the burthen of their sins what burthens they are under and the burthen wears off by degrees their trouble of Conscience wears off by degrees But how they themselves know not nor their friends neither but had it been from the Spirit of God it would not have worn off so Ahab was convinced of the danger he was in by the Prophet 1 Kings 21. The Prophet comes to him and threatens him from the Lord that the Judgments of God should fall upon him and his posterity Verse 21. That he would cut off all the Posterity of Ahab every one that pisseth against the wall Ahab was now convinced and troubled in his mind and he would fain avoid the judgment and therefore he humbleth himself in sack-cloth he was very penitent insomuch as the Lord took notice of it and told the Prophet of it verse 29. Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself So that Ahab was under a restraint for a time for about two or three years that he durst not go to Battel But look into the beginning of the next Chapter and it is said in the third year he would venture to go out when the troubles were a little worn off his spirit then he would venture to go out and then he was slain So many a man or woman is under very sore trouble of Spirit and Conscience for sin and yet notwithstanding the trouble may wear off again and that 's an argument it was not from the Spirit of God sometimes trouble about sin may wear away it may be diverted by the multiplicity of worldly business he may thrust himself over head and years in the business of the world and so possibly may calm and quiet his Conscience for the present and if it be not from the Spirit of God possibly it will never return again You read of Cain Gen. 4.17 He was troubled in his spirit about his sin and he went about the matters of the world about marrying of Wives and building of a City and by that means wore away his trouble you hear no more of him Sometimes trouble is worn off by merry Company chearly Company and by Musick and the like and so drive away their sad and melancholy humours just as it was with Saul We read of Saul when the evil Spirit was upon him he would call for one to play upon an Instrument of Musick to drive away the evil spirit Ay the trouble was from an evil spirit indeed and now therefore it must be driven away by a fit of Musick Sometimes again you may be free from this trouble of spirit about sin by making restitution and satisfaction Oh they have wronged such and such and this bears them down and oppresses them the very thoughts of it and they know not what to do Well they will go and make restitution and satisfaction and so lick themselves whole the trouble is over And so sometimes they will ease themselves of their trouble by performance of Duties and by the reformation of their Lives We read of Herod he was convinced of his sin of Incest in marrying of his Brothers Wife John Baptist convinced him of it and told him it was not lawful for him to have his Brothers Wife and thereupon he goes to hear John preach and 't is said he reformed many things he set upon a work of reformation Mark 6.12 He heard John Baptist gladly and did many things c. And there was an end of his trouble Now I say this is that I bring it for to shew you that trouble about sin that comes from the evil spirit commonly it is healed and cured by such means as are not the right means for the cure whereas now a Soul that is convinced by the Spirit of God will never be cured but by the same hand that wounded it it will never be cured but by the right plaister the right â—alve without the blood of Christ and the righteousness of Christ applyed by Faith the Soul will never be cured I remember a Story of Mr. Bilney that was burnt here at Lollards Pit without Bishops Gate he tells a story of himself and Mr. Latimer this Mr. Latimer was a young man a man of very pregnant parts but he was a Papist Now Mr. Bilney thought to circumvent Mr. Latimer and to gain him by a wile and so he goes to Mr. Latimer pretending himself a Papist he would make Mr. Latimer his Confessor so he goes and confesses himself to him and there he tells him how he had been troubled in mind about his sin and so troubled saith he that I could find no rest nor peace till I came to the right cure I was set saith he to go a Pilgrimage to such a place but my trouble continued and I was set to do such a Pennance and my trouble still continued till such time as I read in the new Testament 1 Tim. 1.15 That Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners whereof I am chief and saith he when that was set home upon me then I was quiet and free from my trouble Truly so it will be a soul will never come to a right cure till such time as it comes to the righteousness of Christ and the vertue of the Blood of Jesus Christ applyed to the soul by Faith the soul will never come to any true peace or comfort And thus now you have seen some differences between the trouble of a soul about sin that comes from the evil spirit and the convincing of a soul by the holy Spirit of God So now I have done with the third thing namely That it is the proper Work of the Spirit to convince a Soul of sin in order to Conversion There is one thing more remaining and I shall briefly draw to an end 4. And that is to shew you That as Convincing of sin is the work of the Spirit so also It is the
have sunk into the bottomless pit But I pray consider was this Conviction from the holy Spirit of God you have heard there may be a trouble for sin that may come from the evil spirit What was it any other but the Conviction that may come from the evil spirit yes you will say I hope it is from the holy Spirit of God For that you may consider those seven things that were laid down to discover when sin is set home by the holy Spirit of God you may consider of them at your leisure when you are in private between the Lord and your own Souls But let me only propound this one thing to you from them all you say you have been convinc'd of sin by the Spirit of God I pray mind it for it is that that doth concern our everlasting state our eternal Salvation for if the first step be not set toward our conversion then we cannot expect that the other steps are set therefore I say you that say you hope you have been convinced of sin by the Spirit I pray consider how was your Conviction healed how was your trouble taken off Consider of it between the Lord and your own Souls you were troubled for your sins once but how is it taken off did it wither away by degrees like a land-flood that makes a great noise for a time but wears away by degrees insensibly Was it so with you or was your trouble taken off by making restitution giving of satisfaction where you have wronged or was it by reformation and performance of duties and so obtained the life by your own hands as the Prophets expression is or was it by making application of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ to your Souls in a way of faith and believing Were you brought to that Truly if not I cannot say but that your Conviction of sin might be from the evil spirit Therefore consider seriously of it hereby we may come in some measure to discern about our spiritual Estate whether the work of Conversion be effectually wrought or no Consider whether this first step be set namely Convincing of sin by the Spirit of God and truly if so be the holy Spirit have convinced you of Sin I am apt to think that the Spirit will never leave till it hath made thorow Work saith the Apostle Philip. 1.6 We are confident of this very thing that he that hath begun a good Work in you will certainly finish it to the Day of Christ And if the holy Spirit hath begun to convince you of sin the Spirit will go on to convince you of Righteousness too That is the first Word of Application I have another and so have done 2. It is to exhort and perswade you that if ever the Work of Conviction should come upon your hearts and spirits to take heed that you do not hinder it but further it what you can I confess it is irksome to flesh and blood our carnal hearts cannot away with this Work of Conviction but will avoid it and escape it if possible But take heed you do not hinder it but further it what you can because else if it be from the holy Spirit of God you do resist the Spirit and go about to quench the Spirit Therefore you should do even as old Eli advised young Samuel when the Lord began to call him saith Eli When you hear the Voice again say speak Lord for thy Servant desireth to hear So I say to you doth any word come to your Hearts and speak to your Consciences in a way of Conviction of sin do not drive it away do not quench it but say Speak Lord for thy Servant desireth to hear And now plead with the Lord do not now rise up in your Spirits against the Instruments that are means to convince you take heed of that but rather ly low before the Lord and bless the Lord that any Word is spoken to you by way of Conviction and never leave till such time as you come to rest upon Christ and his Righteousness and upon the vertue of his death whereby he hath made satisfaction to the Justice of God on the behalf of poor sinners I say do not neglect do not slight or despise or quench or check this Work of Conviction And so now I have done with this Point The next Point is concerning the Spirits convincing of the sin of unbelief He shall convince the World of sin because they believe not on me But thus much shall suffice for this time The Holy Ghost convinceth of Sin SERMON VI. JOHN 16.9 Of Sin because they believe not on me WE have already handled one point from these words which was this That the first work of the Spirit of God upon the heart in order to Conversion is to convince the Soul of Sin Christ saith here that he would send the Spirit after his departure from them saith he I will send the Comforter and this he spake to support and comfort the hearts of his Disciples against his absence and therefore the end of his Spirit was to cooperate with their Ministry it was in order to the Conversion of Souls this is the matter of their comfort Now this I have spoken to at large before but now to come to the second Note or Point which doth plainly lye before us which I shall desire to speak something to at present and that is this Doctrine That the great and special Sin that the Spirit of God doth usually convince People of in order to their Conversion is their Vnbelief not believing on Christ For so saith Christ here He shall convince the World of Sin Of what Sin He tells them of their Unbelief Of Sin because they believe not on me That is the great and special Sin that the Spirit of God is wont to convince people of in order to their Salvation namely their Vnbelief It is indeed the work of the Spirit to convince of other sins as you heard before but yet in a special manner 't is the work of the Spirit to convince of this sin of Unbelief He is said so to convince of this Sin as if there were no other sins to be convinced off he mentions no other sins But he shall convince the World of sin because they believe not on me And this you shall find in part verified presently after Christs Ascension into Heaven In a few dayes after Christs Ascension into Heaven he sent the Holy Ghost Acts 2. The Holy Ghost was poured down abundantly upon the Disciples when they were met together thereupon Peter preached a sermon to the People that came wondring about him and now Peter had experience of what Christ here promised saith Christ I will send the Spirit and he shall convince the World of sin by your Ministry And at Peters Sermon there was three thou-convinced at one clap they were convinced of sin not only of their not believing on Christ but of their murdering of Christ that they had Crucified
convincing of the soul of this great sin of unbelief you shall find usually that the Spirit in convincing a soul of unbelief in order to conversion and eternal salvation it usually doth these three things 1. The Spirit doth come and reveal to the Soul the great evil of the sin of unbelief sets it before the soul and makes it to see it therefore the Spirit is called the Spirit of Revelation because it doth reveal the Gospel and the great sin that is against the Gospel Eph. 1.17 That God would give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation Brethren it is not natural Conscience that can convince a man of the sin of unbelief A natural Conscience may possibly help to convince a soul of other sins it may check the soul for other sins as Murder or Blasphemy For indeed a natural Conscience is ready to accuse of sin Rom. 2.15 Their Consciences in the mean while excusing or accusing one another Natural Conscience may accuse for some sins but not for this sin of unbelief The Law may help a soul to be convinced of some sins that are expresly against the Law but the law cannot convince any man or woman of unbelief no though 't is true as I said before That believing on Christ is virtually required in the first Commandment yet it is not expresly commanded but only implicitly and virtually therefore it is not in the power of the law of the Commandments to help to convince a soul of the sin of unbelief no more than the second Commandment is a means and instrument to convince us of our neglect of Gospel worship because it is not expresly commanded there but implicitly and consequentially Therefore I say it must be the work of the Spirit alone to convince of the sin of unbelief The Law and Conscience may help to convince the Soul of other sins but none but the Spirit of God can convince the soul of the evil of the sin of unbelief This is the first thing that the Spirit doth in the soul in order to the convincing of it of the sin of unbelief namely to open the eyes of the understanding and to reveal and discover to the soul the evil that is in the sin of unbelief 2. Another work of the Spirit in order to it is this namely to cause the Soul to understand and know plainly that all his best duties and services that he can perform in this World cannot be acceptable unto God nor make his person acceptable without faith in Christ Truly this now is the work of the Spirit to convince a Soul of this to discover this that it is not all my duties and services and performances that can procure my acceptance with God without faith in Christ Brethren this the Holy Ghost speaks in Scripture and this the Holy Ghost makes a soul sensible of That without faith it is impossible to please God The soul it may be is ready to think that he can please God with the performance of duties and services But when the Spirit of God comes to convince the soul of the sin of unbelief it shews him that all these things are not pleasing to God but are displeasing to him without faith in Christ neither our persons nor any thing we can do can be accepted of God without faith Eph. 1.6 saith the Apostle Wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved Our persons are accepted in the Beloved and our services are accepted in the Beloved in Christ and through Christ otherwise nothing can be accepted and pleasing to God that we can do and hereby now by the operations of the Spirit the Soul comes to see the sad and miserable Estate of unbelief That is the second 3. Another Work that the Spirit doth in order to convince a Soul of the Sin of Vnbelief is this namely to cause the Soul to see plainly that it hath been out of the Way of Salvation all this time The Soul hath gone on it may be in a course of duties and services and performances it hath been careful and strict to walk exactly to wrong no body to be diligent in its calling to be careful in all its dealings to be abundant in duties and services giving attendance to the Word waiting upon God in every Ordinance The Soul goes on in this way and thinks now it is in a way of salvation I would not discourage and dishearten any from going on in such a way but still without faith this is not the way we are out of the way of salvation and we are all of us naturally enclined to seek for salvation in this way in walking exactly and being conscientious in the performance of duties and being diligent in our vocations and callings this was the way wherein the poor Israelites did miscarry and perish Saith the Apostle Rom. 9.30.31 What shall we say that the Gentiles which followed not after Righteousness have attained to Righteousness but Israel which followed after the Law of Righteousness hath not attained to the Law of Righteousness wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the Works of the Law Ay they went about saith the Apostle to establish their own righteousness and so would not submit to the Righteousness of God They went about to establish their own Righteousness truly this is natural to every one to walk on in the way of the Covenant of Works to look for life in that way that Adam should have found life in if he had continued in his obedience I say 't is natural for every one to walk on in such a course to expect eternal life and salvation in that way whereas when the Spirit of God comes to convince a Soul of the sin of unbelief it makes the soul to see it hath been out of the way of life and salvation all this time I have taken a wrong course all this time and now the Soul begins to be amazed to think he hath lost all his time and all his labour and now the Soul sees that this is not the way to life and salvation but the way of salvation is in the way of believing on Christ and now the soul is set in that way and course of believing on Christ and this is the Word behind us which the Prophet Isaiah speaks of Isa 30.21 Thou shalt hear a voice behind thee saying this is the way walk in it The Spirit of the Lord comes and whispers in our ear and tells us this is the way of life and salvation you will never find life by your own doings but this is the way walk in it if you would find life Thus the Holy Ghost doth ordinarily those three things in order to the convincing a Soul of the sin of unbelief So now you have heard the Point opened and cleared Now to make a little Application in a word or two and so I have done Application 1. Hence we may see the reason why so many Professors do see so
little evil in the sin of unbelief why and whence is it that so many Professors are so little sensible of the sin of unbelief though unbelief be such a great sin the greatest of all sins as you have heard though it be such a sin as to make God a liar and it doth kick and spurn away the loving kindness of God and by our not believing we put the greatest contempt upon the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God that can be yet I fear there are very few Christians do really and truly see the greatness of this sin they can be humbled for other sins and confess how they have provoked God by slighting and despising his Word by being formal and careless and wanton and prophaning Sabbaths and Ordinances but this sin of unbelief is little laid to heart there is little real humiliation for that and what is the reason because it is the work of the Spirit of Christ only to convince of this sin And therefore as we do desire more and more to see the evil of this sin of unbelief truly we had need to look up for the Spirit to discover it to us that all that we can do can never please God unless we do believe on Christ whatever prayers we make whatever duties we perform yet all doth not please God but we must be accepted only by faith in Christ and it is the work of the Spirit to shew us how we have been out of the way of salvation all this time I have gone on in a course of duties and performances in a way of moral Righteousness but I have been out of the way of life and salvation all this time If the Spirit do not convince us we shall never be convinced of this sin of unbelief it is not all that I have spoken nor all that all the Saints in the World can speak in laying open this sin of unbelief that can convince us of it except the Spirit of the Lord come and convince of this sin of unbelief Therefore look up for the Spirit and wait for the Spirit to be given out to convince us of this sin of unbelief That is the first 2. To end all hereby we may come in some measure to discern our spiritual estate and condition whether we be in a way of salvation or no Brethren you may see it plainly in the Text saith Christ I will send the Spirit and he shall convince the World of sin of this sin of unbelief in order to salvation Well then Consider I pray seriously between the Lord and your own souls whether or no you have been convinced of sin and especially of this sin of unbelief hath the Holy Ghost discovered the evil of this sin to you I pray consider seriously of it for this is the work of the Spirit in order to salvation to convince of this sin of unbelief Objection You will say Well I hope the Lord hath been at work upon my soul I hope the Spirit hath been convincing me of sin I think I have been convinced of many sins I hope the Spirit hath made me to see my original sin and hath convinced me of the sins of my youth the Lord hath written bitter things against me and made me to possess the iniquities of my youth he hath brought to my remembrance how I have been disobedient to my Parents and Superiors the Spirit I suppose hath convinced me that I have been given to lying to purloining defrauding and stealing from Parents and Masters and I have been convinced of Sabbath-breaking c. Answer But I pray consider have you ever been convinced of this sin of unbelief I pray consider it seriously what of the evil of unbelief hath the Spirit discovered to you I tell you Brethren if so be you have not been convinced and seen something of the evil of unbelief truly you have cause to question whether ever the Spirit of God hath been at work upon you in order to salvation Let me tell you plainly and I pray bear with me you may have been convinced of sin and yet the Spirit hath never been at work upon you in order to salvation No when the Spirit doth work in order to salvation it doth sooner or later convince of this sin of unbelief Therefore if you be perswaded that the Spirit hath been at work upon your hearts in convincing you of sin in order to salvation then wait for it and look that the Spirit shall discover this sin of unbelief to you wait for it for the Spirit will go on if he have begun a convincing Work in order to salvation and eternal life he wil convince you of the evil of unbelief sooner or later you will be brought in some measure to see the real evil and sinfulness of it therefore look and wait for it and then also wait for the work of the Spirit to convince you of Righteousness for so it follows in the next words I will send the Spirit and when he is come he shall convince the World of Sin because they believe not on me And of Righteousness because I go to the Father and ye see me no more But thus much shall suffice for this time The Holy Ghost revealeth Christ's Righteousness SERMON VII JOHN 16.10 Of Righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more YOU have heard before That the first work of the Spirit of God upon the Soul in order to Conversion and Salvation is to convince it of Sin and in a special manner of the sin of Unbelief And when he is come he shall convince the World saith Christ in the former Verse of Sin Because they believe not on me Now then where the Spirit begins to work in order to Salvation by convincing of sin he goes on also to convince of Righteousness And so I shall fall immediately upon the Point before us which is this Doctrine That when the Spirit of God doth begin to work upon a Soul in order to Salvation by convincing it of Sin he goes on also to convince it of Righteousness When he is come he shall convince the World of Sin saith Christ Ay but he doth not stop there but goes on also to convince of Righteousness Brethren it is the first work of the Spirit of Christ to convince us of our own Unrighteousness and his next work is to convince us of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ I confess I had it in my thoughts to have spoken to some other subject at this time but casting about and considering with my self what might be of most and greatest concernment the Lord was pleased to turn my thoughts again upon this Subject for verily if it were the last Sermon that ever I should preach to you in this world as the Lord knows whether it be or no if so be that any of you were going out of the World and I should be called to speak to you I do not know what I should say that is of more or
Righteousness of Christ for there is no other can serve our turn to make us accepted of God to eternal life no other Righteousness doth fulfill the Law of God in our nature but only the Righteousness of Jesus Christ therefore I say it must needs be that it is the righteousness of Jesus Christ in our humane nature for which we must be accepted of God And this is the righteousness which the Spirit of God is said to convince the World off Objection But you will say If so be that every believer be made perfectly righteous by the righteousness of Jesus Christ then how comes it to pass that believers cannot be Mediators for others and make others righteous for if so be we have the very righteousness of Christ upon us or we cannot be saved then as the righteousness of Christ makes others righteous why may not the righteousness of godly Parents make their Children to become righteous by their righteousness it being the righteousness of Christ why should it not be imputed to their very Children What is the reason that believers being made righteous by the very righteousness of Christ that they should not also by that righteousness make others righteous Answer For Answer plainly in a word the reason is because Believers though they be made righteous by the very righteousness of Christ yet notwithstanding they are not made righteous with that righteousness in that manner that Christ was righteous Christ was righteous inherently in his own person but now the righteousness that we are made righteous withall it is ours only by imputation That look now as it was with Christ Christ was made sin for us saith the Apostle that is he had the sins of all believers imputed to him he was made a sinner by Imputation Now the reason why Christ did not make others sinners by the sin that he had as Adam made his posterity sinners the reason is because Christ was not a sinner as Adam was that is not Inherently in himself but by way of imputation So now we are righteous by Christs righteousness only in a way of imputation and therefore we cannot derive and communicate this righteousness to another I say here is the reason of it That though we be made righteous with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ yet we are not thereby made Mediators and able to impute righteousness unto others to make them righteous with our righteousnes Objection But then there is another Objection for the clearing of this You will say if so be that a believer be made righteous with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Câ—â—ist then I pray why should a believer be called upon to seek and follow after righteousness is not the righteousness of Christ enough is not that perfect enough shall we add any thing to the righteousness of Christ that will make the righteousness of Christ to be imperfect Now if so be that you or I or any believer be made righteous with the very righteousness of Christ which is a most perfect and compleat righteousness then why should we need to seek after any further righteousness You know the Holy Ghost in Scripture calls upon Believers to follow after righteousness as the Apostle calleth upâ—n Timothy 1 Tim. 6.11 Follow after Righteousness What had not he righteousness enough if he had the righteousness of Christ on him what shall a man or woman need any further righteousness than the Righteousness of Christ Answer For Answer briefly It is true we shall not need any further righteousness than the righteousness of Christ for that end that Chaists righteousness is for I pray mind it and understand it I say No believer doth need any further righteousness than the righteousness of Christ for that end Christs righteousness is imputed to us and what is that namely To make us accepted of God and to procure and obtain forgiveness of all our sins and eternal life and salvation for us This is the end of Christs Righteousness and why it is imputed to us Now 't is true we need not to follow after any other righteousness for those ends for then we derogate from the Righteousness of Christ Question But why then you will say are we called upon to follow after Righteousness Answer Why in short for I must not enlarge we are to follow after righteousness to be exactly righteous in our lives and dealings and conversations and to be obedient in duty and diligent in waiting upon God in his Ordinances we are thus to follow after righteousness not that we may be accepted of God for any thing that we can do in this world not that we may be saved for any thing we can do or suffer here we may do and suffer very much and yet be damned for all that but We are to follow after righteousness and holiness partly by a way of thanksgiving unto God for his grace and goodness to us partly in a way of obedience to the Will of God and also that we may maintain our peace that we have with God by walking closely and uprightly with him He that walketh according to this rule peace be upon him Now by walking sinfully and unrighteously we lose the sence of our peace with God but now by walking uprightly and closely with God we come to maintain the sense of our peace and I might further add By this means we come to enjoy more communion with God by waiting upon God in holy duties and ordinances this is the means whereby God comes to meet with us and manifest himself to us but this is not to obtain salvation for us or forgiveness of sins no that is the work and power of Christs righteousness alone therefore I say though a Believer be made righteous with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ yet it is the duty of Believers to follow hard after righteousness So now you have heard the second thing opened namely what that righteousness in particuiar is which Christ speaks of when he saith the Spirit shall convince the World of righteousness that is of this righteousness of God this righteousness which is by faith the righteousness of Jesus Christ in our nature this is the righteousness which the Spirit convinceth the World of in order to salvation 3. But then you will say in the third place to come to that But how doth the Spirit convince of righteousness in order to salvation You have heard what Bighteousness in general is and what this righteousness in particular is Now to shew you that it is the work of the Spirit to convince of righteousness Now what doth the Spirit do in order to the convincing a soul of this righteousness in order to its salvation Briefly this I shall desire to open to you in two or three particulars 1. The Spirit in convincing a Soul of righteousness takes the Soul off from resting upon or closing with his own righteousness not from seeking and following after its own righteousness but from resting and
clear off from its own righteousness and not only so but it leads the Soul to follow after Righteousness still after our own righteousness too This is the work of the Spirit the Evangelical work of the Spirit to take a Soul off from its own righteousness and cause it to lean only upon Christs righteousness and yet to follow hard after its own righteousness it is a mystery to the World ay but the Spirit of the Lord doth lead a Soul in this way whereas now one that hath but a notional conviction of the righteousness of Christ and that his own righteousness cannot save him alas he will be ready to be formal and slighty in looking after his own righteousness he will be formal and careless in duties and ordinances or else he will be ready to neglect them he thinks under a notion of Christs righteousness that he shall be saved by the righteousness of Christ and so he neglects following hard after his own righteousness Brethren this is that the Spirit of the Lord doth when he convinces a Soul of the righteousness of Christ in order to Salvation it still causes the Soul to follow hard after its own righteousness though not to be accepted of God for it not to be saved by it but for such ends as I told you of before This is the way now that the Spirit of the Lord doth work upon the Soul in in order to its salvation And then 2. Again this also the Spirit is wont to do when he convinces of righteousness he doth convince effectually and powerfully as I told you he doth so convince the soul of the Righteousness of Christ as to perswade the soul to venture to lean its everlasting condition upon it to lean there to rest there I say this is the work of the Spirit And let us consider with our selves I pray whether the Spirit hath been thus at work upon our hearts in order to salvation Well to conclude and take my Farewel of you As we desire to obtain life and salvation through the righteousness of Jesus Christ take but only these three words which I shall leave with you and so have done 'T is a matter of everlasting concernment closing with this Righteousness of Christ fall short of the Righteousness of Christ but a hairs breadth and you fall short of eternal life and salvation for There is no Name under Heaven whereby you can be saved but by Christ and his Righteousness this is the new way of the Covenant of Grace to be saved for righteousness indeed and a perfect Righteousness too as perfect as ever Adams was but not for our own but for the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ therefore I say let me commend but three Words to you and so I have done First Study earnestly and diligently to understand this Righteousness of Christ though possibly you may think you do understand it in some measure yet there is a great deal more of it to be understood it is a great Deep a great Mystery therefore still let us be much in the study of this Righteousness of Christ Secondly Beg and pray earnestly for the Spirit to be given out unto you to convince you of this Righteousness more and more to convince you effectually and powerfully so as to enable your souls to venture to lean upon it Thirdly And then indeavour every day frequently to be exercising your selves in leaning and resting the weight of your Souls upon this Righteousness of Jesus Christ do not only beg for the Spirit to convince us of this but let us be indeavouring to exercise our selves frequently in leaning the weight of our Souls upon the Righteousness of Jesus Christ to be accepted of God to eternal life I will repeat them agaiâ— and then have done First Be very diligent in studâ—ing to understand what the Righteousness of Christ is Our eternal life is in it as Moses said Set your heart to this Word for it is your Life So I say this is your life this Righteousness of Christ therefore set your heart to study it make it your work and business to study to understand still more and more of this Righteousness of Christ Secondly Beg earnestly for the Spirit of Conviction that Christ would send down his Spirit to convince us of this Righteousness to convince us effectually and powerfully of it so as to be enabled to rest upon it Thirdly Let us be exercising our selves frequently in leaning and resting the weight of our Souls upon this Righteousness giving up our selves frequently day by day to lean and rest the weight of our Souls upon the Righteousness of Christ for acceptance with God to eternal life and salvation Well I have done only this Word I shall add in a Word He that hath ears to hear let him hear Thirsty Sinners invited to Christ SERMON VIII JOHN 7.37 In the last day that great day of the Feast Jesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink YOU have heard before the Words that Christ spake when the Pharisees and Rulers sent Officers to take him at the 30 Verse At the 33 and 34 Verses he told them that whatever their design should be to take him Yet notwithstanding saith he yet a little while I am with you and whereas you are now desirous to be rid of me Ere long I shall go away and you shall see me no more and though you may desire it You shall seek me saith Christ and shall not find me and where I am thither you cannot come Now mark what an effect these words had upon them what use did the Jews make of that word of Admonition that Christ gave and that gracious Counsel he gave instead of making a good improvement See v. 35.36 they made use of his words to scoff at and mock him say they Yet a little while and he will go away will he go to the dispersed among the Gentiles speaking in derision and scorn will he go among the dispersed Gentiles Christ spake plain enough if they had not been maliciously blind Yet a little while saith he and I go to him that sent me and so they made a meer mock So that here we may take notice that Malicious minded men in stead of receiving any Word of Counsel and advice will be ready rather to rail mock and scoff at them who give it And so here to the Jews it was a word of Admonition that Christ gave but they fell a mocking and scoffing at him And so it was of old 2 Chron. 14.20 you read there how King Jehoshaphat sent about Priests and Levites throughout the Cities out of Compassion to their Souls to teach the Word among them and to put them in mind of their duty and it is said they mocked those that came they mocked the messengers of the Lord for the words which they brought were for the welfare of their Souls And so you read concerning the Lords Prophets that he
THE WAY OF THE SPIRIT In bringing SOULS TO CHRIST Set forth in X. SERMONS ON JOHN 16.7 8 9 10. And CHAP. 7.37 By that able and faithful Servant of Jesus Christ Mr. Thomas Allen late Pastor of a Church in the City of Norwich London Printed in the Year 1676. To the Reader HAving a sight of these Sermons before they went to the press I thought fit to speak something of them and something of the Author 1. As to these Sermons The design of them is excellent First they shew that the Holy Ghost in bringing Souls to Christ doth first convince them of sin so making them to feel their need of Christ working in them to hunger and thirst after him prize him above all and count all things loss and dung in comparison of him Secondly In these Sermons is excellently set forth the fulness and righteousness of the Lord Jesus whereby he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him Thirdly here is set forth how freely Christ admits sinners to come unto him that they may have life not standing upon any merit or worthiness in us but only works our hearts to a sense of our own vileness and unworthiness and by a secret work of his Spirit draws the humbled and convinced sinner to take of the water of life freely Possibly some may meet with a few passages in some of these Sermons that they may not clearly understand Let such consider that these Notes were neither intended nor prepared by the Author for the Press but taken in short hand from the mouth of the Preacher in which case there must be great allowance Likewise some may think the Author did inculcate things too much and was not so concise and sententious as were to be desired In answer to that I would say that in my poor judgment I always looked upon it as one of the many excellent gifts of God bestowed upon him that he had a great dexterity in clearing and urging things with variety of expressions As he was a heart Christian so he was a heart Preacher and those things that are to be wrought upon the hearts of the hearers are to be sufficientey cleared to their understandings and earnestly set home to their Souls and Consciences though God can set in with a short hint to convert a soul and enlarge that with great light and power upon the hearer that was not sufficiently cleared and urged by the Preacher yet truly 't is an excellence in a Preacher to set forth the truths of God plainly and fully with power and authority in the name of Christ 2. As to the Author of these Sermons that burning and shining light Mr. Thomas Allen now with Christ I must needs say something having such an opportunity of the exceeding grace of God in him 1. I will speak of him as a Christian He was one that obtained mercy to fear the Lord from his youth and soon grew up to sueh a measure of grace as to be one of the highest form in Christs school he attained to be more than one of the children or young men in Christ even to be one of the Fathers one of the most grown and most experienced Christians full of Faith and of the Holy Ghost His heart was much awed with a holy reverence of God he was a man of a tender conscience fearful to offend God Christ was exceeding precious to him he made him all his salvation and all his desire he was full of holy zeal valiant for the Truth he had a heart for God and a tongue for God upon all occasions In communicating to others necessities he was so free that usually he did beyond his estate he was every way eminent in grace adorning the Gospel with a holy fruitful conversaion 2. As a Minister he was very able and faithful he was an excellent Preacher plain and powerful in his doctrine and though he was a learned man yet he preached without all ostentation he did not confound his hearers with obscure terms and fantastical expressions but endeavoured to set forth the Truths of God in the most plain and convincing way to the consciences of men He preached not himself but Christ he was not desirous of vain glory In his preaching he was not in jest playing with his Text and with the souls of men as the manner of some is but was in sober sadness and good earnest to bring souls to Christ and build them up in him He was eminent in self-denial he made not the Ministry a trade to get mony his design was not to make himself rich in the World but to make others rich in grace In those places in which he laboured he might say with the Apostle that he sought not theirs but them not their goods but their good It 's no dishonour to a Minister of Christ to live of a little and to leave but little when he dyes Proud lordly self seeking high living Ministers no way suit the Gospel of Christ which was first preached by a company of poor men without any worldly splendor who went through wonderful hardships and difficulties in fulfilling the Ministry which they received of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 6.4 5. 2 Cor. 11 23 24 c. but are rather like the Merchants of Babylon who grow rich and great with the abundance of her delicacies Rev. 18.3.11.12 Another thing that I would mention of this worthy man was his marvellous condescension in private discourses to his brethren in the Ministry who were much inferiour to him in age and gifts not standing upon his own great worth never exalting himself but preferring them above himself hearing their judgments in any matter with as great reverence and respect as if they had been his Superiors Surely his humility was extraordinary and a notable example to all that knew him As he was a Scribe instructed to the Kingdom of God in all points of the Doctrine of Religion so he was expert in all Questions about Church-discipline above many for which he had been much advantaged by living so long in New-England and having there such intimate acquaintance with those famous men Mr. Bulkly Mr. Hooker Mr. Cotton Mr. Shephard and others there who lived in his heart when they were dead and he delighted to speak and to relate some remarkable passages of them One thing more I would take notice of in this man of God he was full of compassion to those that were under violent temptations and terrors of Conscience and very judicious to direct them in the way to find rest unto their souls Whil'st I commend this Servant of Jesus Christ let none be offended as if I thought or spake of man above what is meet I know indeed there is in these days a kind of man-worship a crying up this man and the other and having their persons and preaching in admiration without cause when in the mean while who almost cryeth up the Lord Jesus and maketh him all in
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
in the Text. Though I think that is not the proper signification or intendment of it in this place For observe it It is not so proper to say That the Spirit when he comes shall Reprove the World of Righteousness he may reprove them of Sin and rebuke them for Sin but not of Righteousness nor for Righteousness nor of Judgement That is one signification of the word to Reprove or Rebuke 2. Sometimes the word signifies to make manifest or to make evident to make apparent so you shall find it John 3.20 21. Every one that doth evil hateth the Light Neither cometh to the Light lest his deeds should be reproved or made manifest and it is expounded in the next verse made manifest But he that doth Truth cometh to the Light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God it is the same Word here in the Text. But this cannot be the meaning of this Word in the Text that he shall make manifest Sin and make manifest Righteousness and make manifest Judgment though there be a Truth in that yet this cannot be the full intendment of this word in this place 3. There is another signification of it and that is to convince and so 't is in the Margin He shall convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment and so I remember it is John 8.46 saith Christ there Which of you doth convince me of Sin It is the same Word he doth not say which of you charges me with Sin for they did charge him with Sin enough and they did reprove and rebuke him for Sin they said he was a Blasphemer therefore that cannot be the meaning of the Word to charge or reprove him of Sin but which of you can convince me of Sin to make it apparent without gain-saying that I am guilty of any Sin And so I think that place Tit. 1.9 holding fast the faithful Word as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and to convince the Gain-sayers And so I shall take it in this sense all along when the Comforter is come he shall assist you in your Ministry so as he shall thereby convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment II. What doth he mean by the World Not the whole Universe the Fabrick of Heaven and Earth no that cannot be the meaning of it but it is to be understood of Men the World of Men of sinful Men Men that are guilty of Sin and more particularly by the World we may understand the unbelieving World a company of unbelievers Now unbelievers they may some of them be elected and are elected and shall be brought to believe in Christ in time through the Gospel and some of them are not elected and shall never be brought to believe in Christ Now which of these doth Christ here mean when he speaks of the World whether he means only those Unbelievers that are elected and shall be brought on to believe so some think or whether he means the Unbelievers of the World that were never elected and shall never be brought to believe in Christ so others Truly I see nothing to the contrary but we may include both namely Unbelievers that are not elected the Holy Ghost shall come and convince them of Sin though they shall go no further there may be convictions where no conversion follows and this is the work of the Spirit to convince of Sin and he shall also convince Unbelievers that are elected convince them effectually so as they shall be brought on to conversion and I think especially and chiefly our Saviour here meaneth those Unbelievers in the World that are elected though I would not exclude the other but those especially that are elected and shall be brought on through conviction and conversion to salvation for Christ doth speak these Words by way of Comfort to the Disciples that the Spirit shall come and assist them in their Ministry it is some comfort indeed if any be convinced but that is not so much comfort as to be convinced and effectually wrought upon to salvation and this comfort Christ doth hold forth as an Antidote against their sadness and sorrow upon his going away And then he shall convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment I shall not now come to speak particularly to open these in particular to you but only thus much in short to shew you how the World was convinced by the Apostles Ministry immediately after Christs Ascension into Heaven the World was then convinced the World of the unbelieving Jews was convinced of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment Look but into that Sermon Acts 2. which was preached upon the occasion of the falling down of the Holy Ghost the coming of the Comforter which Christ promiseth here you shall see there how the Jews were convinced both of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment by the coming of the Holy Ghost upon them in that very Sermon verse 23. There he convinces them of Sin In murdering and crucifying the Lord of Glory they were so far from believing on Christ as their Saviour that they did murder him whereas saith the Apostle in another place If so be they had known and so believed in Christ they would not have crucifyed the Lord of Glory but saith he Him being delivered by the determinate Counsel of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucifyed and slain He tells them plainly that they were guilty of murdering the Son of God and they were so convinced at this Word that they did not gainsay it but were pricked in their hearts thus they were convinced of Sin that they did not believe in Christ but instead of believing they murdered him and then they were convinced also of Righteousness namely of Christs Righteousness that Christ was a Righteous Person whom they crucifyed and slew verse 22. Ye Men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a Man approved of God by Signs and Wonders and Miracles which God did by him in the midst of you as your selves know the Apostle here holds forth that he was a Righteous Person and they crucifyed a Righteous Person and what had they to say against this No they were silent they laid their hands upon their mouth and afterwards their hands come upon their heart and they were pricked at the heart and now they were convinced of the Righteousness of Christ and also of Judgment that now God had given all power to execute Judgment into the hand of Christ unto this Son of man whom they crucified and slew So verse 24. Whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it he overcame Death and overcame the Devil that had the power of Death and at Verse 31. he seeing this before spake of the Resurrection of Christ that his Soul was not left in Hell This Jesus hath God raised up
Conversion and Salvation though it be a foolish thing to carnal reason to come and hear a man speak a little time and think this to be a means of Conversion and Salvation but though it be so foolish a thing yet this is the way and means that God hath appointed whereby Souls should be converted and saved Question But I pray How is the Ministry of the Gospel a Means of Conversion and Salvation Answer Briefly for I must not inlarge The Gospel is a Means of Conversion and Salvation namely partly by discovering or convincing People where they are out of the way of Salvation as in the Text I will send the Comforter and he shall convince the World of Sin of their sinful Estate and how they are out of the Way of Salvation and doth discover and convince them and shew them the right way and also the Gospel is a means to open and enlighten the Understandings of People to open their blind Eyes as Christ told Paul when he sent him to preach the Gospel Acts 26.18 Go saith he I have sent thee to open the Eyes of them that are blind and to turn them from Darkness to Light that is by the Ministry of the Gospel The Gospel is a Means to open peoples Eyes to turn them from Darkness to Light to make them see that they are in a state of Darkness to make them see that there is a glorious Light held forth in the Gospel as the Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 2.9 Who hath called you out of Darkness into his marvelous Light This is that the Gospel is a Means of and so it brings to a state of Salvation And again the Gospel is a Means to deliver people from the power of the Devil every one naturally is in the power of Satan he rules and works in all the Children of Unbelief Now the Gospel is a means to bring Souls from under the power of Satan and so Christ told Paul in that 26th of Acts I have sent thee saith he to turn them from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan to God The Gospel is a Means of that therefore saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 10.4 The Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds to beat down the Batteries and Castles and Fortifications that Satan builds it is mighty to pull down the power of Satan and so by that means to bring a Soul into a State of Conversion and Salvation And also the Gospel is the Means to work faith in the heart to cause a Soul to believe on Christ 't is a means of that and so by that means the Soul comes to be justified and freed from the guilt of Sin Faith saith the Apostle cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10.17 Faith cometh by hearing the Gospel preached God is pleased to make use of the preaching of the Gospel to work Faith in the Souls of poor Sinners and by working Faith in their Souls drawing them unto Christ Now by believing in Christ they come to have remission of Sins as Christ told Paul in that of the Acts To turn them from Darkness to Light from the power of Satan to God that they might receive Forgiveness of Sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified and all by Faith in Christ So that I say the Gospel is the means ordained and appointed of God for the Salvation of Souls and therefore let no body think that the Ministry of the Gospel is a needless thing as many are ready to think in their minds that of all the Callings in the World the Ministry of the Gospel may be best spared Truly if so be that the Salvation of Souls be not necessary then the Calling of Ministers to their Office and their preaching of the Gospel may be spared but you see Christ hath appointed it to be the means of Conversion and Salvation and therefore whatever people may think secretly in their minds that we may edifie our selves by reading a Chapter and meditating upon it by reading of good Books and what need we to trouble oâ—r selves to wait upon the Ministry of the Gospel Truly know this That the Foolishness of God is wiser than the Wisdom of Man God hath pleased to ordain and appoint the Ministry of the Gospel to be the means of Conversion and Salvation and therefore if the Conversion of Souls be necessary then the preaching of the Gospel is necessary therefore let us take heed we do not neglect attending upon the Gospel and the preaching of the Gospel as we would be loth to neglect our own Salvation That is the first That the Gospel is the Means of working a saving and converting Work upon the Souls of Men. 2. The second is That the Gospel alone of it self cannot work a saving and converting Work upon any Soul no there must be the Operation of the Spirit of Christ that must go along with the Gsopel or else the Gospel will never be able to work any saving converting Work upon any Soul 't is true indeed the Gospel is the Word of Salvation Ay saith the Apostle Rom. 1.16 It is the Power of God to Salvation Ay where the power of God goeth along with it it works Salvation by the power of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 13.4 The Weapons of our Warfare are mighty through God saith the Apostle not mighty in themselves The Weapons of our Warfare what is that The Ministry of the Gospel the Preaching of the Gospel is mighty but it is mighty through God to the pulling down of Strong Holds Alas of it self it cannot the Gospel of it self is but a weak Letter but where the Power of the Spirit goes along with it it is mighty mighty through God mighty to convince and mighty to convert and mighty to save therefore the Gospel is compared to a Sword and it is called the Sword of the Spirit Eph. 6.17 Take to you the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God It is a Sword that cannot do good except it be wielded by the hand of the Spirit of God It is not now as a natural cause to effect any thing as now our Food is a natural cause sanctified and ordained by God as a natural cause of nourishment Physick is ordained as a natural Cause of health but 't is not so with the Word the Ministry of the Word is but as a Tool or Instrument in a Workmans hand in a Carpenter or Joyners hand the Tool of it self cannot work the Word of it self cannot work but as it is in the Workmans hand so it works Truly so the Sword of the Spirit in the hand of the Spirit that will work to the convincing and converting and saving of a Soul otherwise it cannot do it no it is but weak in it self even as a Sword that cannot move or lift up it self but now in the hand of the Spirit the Spirit the Gospel is mighty to
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
the Cattel at the 13th Verse And Samuel came to Saul and Saul said unto him Blessed be thou of the Lord I have performed the Commandment of the Lord The Lord knows saith he I have done the will and Commandment of the Lord he would not be convinced at first well saith Samuel to convince him Verse 14. What meaneth then the bleating of the Sheep in my ears and the lowing of the Oxen which I hear Well Saul could not deny but there was some of the Oxen spared and the best of the Cattel spared but he had his excuse for that verse 15. The People said he spared the best of the Sheep and of the Oxen to sacrifice unto the Lord Thus he would not be convinced At last Samuel was fain to fall upon him with down right blows and thunder against him to strike him down I tell you saith he v. 22 23. here is rebellion against God and rebellion is as the Sin of witchcraft and stubborness is as iniquity and idolatry And at the last he was brought down and fell under the Conviction v. 24. And Saul said to Samuel I have sinned and transgressed the Commandment of the Lord and thy Words because I feared the people But you see what a deal of Do there was to bring Saul under the power of the Conviction he stood upon his Justification Just thus it is with a poor Sinner as long as he can stand out against Conviction he will put it off as it is with a Malefactor at the Bar as long as he can he will not be convinced he will plead Not guilty and justify himself either by denying or mincing of it or one thing or other till the Evidence come clear against him then his mouth is stopt then he is convinced Thus it is with a poor Sinner the Lord brings his sin before him if he can he will deny it and excuse himself But now when the Holy Ghost comes to convince of sin he stops the mouth that he shall have nothing to plead to excuse himself As I remember 't is the Apostles expression Rom. 3.19 That every mouth may be stopped and all the World may become guilty before God so convinced that the Sinner may have nothing to say to justify him before God This is another thing in Conviction when Sin is not only set before the Soul but so set home that the Soul hath nothing to say to clear it self 3. Thirdly There is a third Thing in a true Conviction of sin namely When the Soul is really convinced by the Spirit of sin it hath not only sin set before it and so set before it as the mouth is stopped and silenced that it cannot plead Not guilty But where there is a true Conviction of Sin the heart is affected with it and afflicted for it And this is intimated by those expressions you heard before whereby the Holy Ghost doth set out Conviction of Sin as it is set out by the shooting of an Arrow Now if an Arrow stick in the flesh it will put it to pain it will make the flesh ake if there be a Prick at the heart you will certainly be sensible of it if a Bone be broken there will be grief and trouble and affliction Truly thus it is in this work of Conviction of Sin when the Spirit doth convince a Soul of Sin it doth not only set sin before him and also set sin so home as the Soul cannot justify it self but now the Soul falls down under it and is affected and afflicted with it and therefore hence it is that sometimes when a Soul is convinced of Sin it is affected with trembling and astonishment He even trembles to think he should be guilty of such a sin as I remember 't is said concerning the Jaylor Acts 16.26 He came in trembling before Paul and Silas it is said he sprang in and came trembling there was an Earth-quake and that Earth-quake was an Heart-quake to him it made his heart shake and he saw himself in a damned condition and now saith he Sirs What shall I do to be saved he came in trembling before Paul and Silas saying What shall I do And sometimes 't is expressed by shame and blushing the Soul is even ashamed and confounded when sin is set home as you know it was the speech of Ephraim Jer. 31.18 19. He was ashamed and confounded for his rebellion he was so like a Heifer unaccustomed to the Yoke he could not bear the Lords Yoke and when the Lord came to tame him then he was ashamed as Ezra said I am ashamed and blush before thee Ezra 9.6 And sometimes with grief and sorrow and mourning as when Paul had convinced the Corinthians of their sin in suffering the incestuous person amongst them without bearing testimony against him 2 Cor. 7.11 What Carefulness saith he it wrought in you What Sorrow what godly Sorrow ye had amongst you Ay they were convinced and then they mourned and sorrowed And so sometimes the heart is as it were all a-mort when the Soul is convinced of Sin the heart is even dead and knows not what to do saith Paul When the Commandment came Sin revived and I died Rom 7. I saw my self a dead man his heart was even dead Well thus you see what Conviction of Sin is and wherein it lies it consists in these three or these three things do concur to a real Conviction of Sin namely A setting of sin before the Soul and so setting it home that the Soul cannot deny it but must fall down under it and be affected and afflicted with it Now least any poor Soul may have a stumbling Block laid before it let me only intimate this That there are degrees of convincing of sin all are not in a like measure convinced of Sin some are convinced more and others less as now some that have had civil Education that have not lived in notorious and gross sins and wickedness their Convictions possibly may be more silent and not make so great a noise as the Convictions of others do as Lydia she lived without breaking into notorious and gross wickednesses and you see there was no great noise of her Conviction of Sin though convinced of Sin she was and there is a necessity of that as you wilâ— hear by and by now others that have lived in scandalous sins notorious gross sins in lewdness and wickedness in opposing and persâ—cuting the Saints and the people of God and the like their Convictions ordinarily are more great as in the case of Paul Paul that was a Persecutor his Convictions were such that it made the Country to ring it was heard off far and near as Paul saith himself to King Agrippa These things were not done in a corner When God came to convert Paul he first convinced him of his sin Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me saith he Who art thou Lord he answered I am Jesus whom thou persecutest it was set home with power upon him
first work of the Spirit in order to Conversion and Salvation for so the Point was laid down That it is the first work of the Spirit in order to Conversion and Salvation to convince a Soul of sin Now how doth that appear Briefly in two or three Words 1. Thus because The Lord in the Work of the new Creation doth ordinarily use the same Method that he did in the old Creation You know in the first Creation of the World the first particular Work that God wrought was Light saith God Let there be Light and there was Light Light is that whereby things are discovered light makes things manifest So now God comes in the new Creation when he is about the great Work of the new Creation upon the Soul the first thing God works in the soul is to create Light Light whereby the soul may come to see and discern what is in himself he comes to see and discern sin saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.6 God that commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined into our hearts In the new Creation he doth cause a soul to see and discern its own unrighteousness and there where true righteousness is to be had the righteousness of Jesus Christ of which we may speak afterwards if the Lord please He shall first convince the World of sin and then of righteousness but the first Work is to create Light in the soul and such Light as to discover sin as Christ told Paul when he called him to preach the Gospel Acts 26.18 saith he I have sent thee to turn people from Darkness to Light That is the first Work commonly the Spirit doth in order to Conversion and Salvation to bring in a light into the soul to discover sin the soul was in darkness before and saw no great evil in sin but now there is a light brought in whereby the soul is made to see and discern sin and so is convinced of sin 2. It is the first Work of the Spirit in order to Conversion to convince the soul of sin because Till a Soul be convinced of sin it will never much heed the Gospel of Grace Alas the Gospel and the glorious Grace that is held forth in the Gospel is a very slighty thing to a carnal heart they make a light matter of it they do even mock at it as a very simple foolish thing as in Acts 17. When Paul was Preaching to the Athenians say they What will this Babler say v. 18. It is but a kind of babling So sometimes some of your learned Doctors have counted the preaching of the Gospel but prating and babling so v. 22. When they heard 〈…〉 the resurrection of the dead some mocked They made a slight matter of it and disregarded it but now when a soul comes to be convinced of sin then it will be ready to attend the Gospel the soul will then be ready to hear what God speaks in the Gospel See that example again Acts 2. You read there those that were converted by Peters Sermon at first they did not regard what the Apostles said say they These men are drunken with new wine and they talk they know not what but afterward they came to be of another mind when Peter had preached to them and the Spirit had gone along with him to convince them of sin then Men and Brethren what shall we do now we will hearken to you and hear any thing you will say to us I say upon this account it is the first work of the Spirit to convince the soul of sin because the soul makes but a slight matter of the grace of God in the Gospel till it be convinced of sin it will make but a mocking matter of it But when a soul comes to be convinced of sin by the holy Spirit of God then the Word of the Lord will be precious to him and then we will hear thy Words for they are sweet 3. And lastly The Spirit doth first convince the soul of sin in order to Conversion and Salvation Because till such time as a Soul be convinced of sin the Soul is not fit to be married to Christ There must be first a Divorce before there can be another marriage if a woman be to be married the second time she must not marry whilest her Husband lives without a Divorce so 't is in this case a Soul cannot truly be married to Christ till such time as it be dead to the law of sin The Apostle speaks very elegantly to this purpose Rom. 7.1 2. Know you not Brethren I speak to them that know the Law how the Law hath Dominion over a man so long as he liveth And so on And at the 4 v. he comes to make Application Wherefore my Brethren ye also are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him that was raised from the dead You cannot be marryed to Christ till such time as you be clear from your first Husband and how come we to be divorced from the Law of sin but by conviction of sin when the Spirit of the Lord comes to convince of sin then there is a Divorce then the heart is taken off from sin Indeed as I told you before if the soul be not convinced by the Spirit he is not convinced of sin as sin but when the Spirit of the Lord comes and convinces a Soul of sin here is a Divorce and now the Soul is made fit to marry with Christ And so you have seen the Point opened Application Now one word or two by way of Application and I have done 1. Then Hereby we may come to discern or have a near scantling about our spiritual Estate whether we have had the Work of Conversion wrought in us or no. I shall speak but a Word to it and leave it to your further Consideration Consider whether the first step towards Conversion hath ever been set that is the Work of Conviction by the Spirit Hath the Lord by his Spirit ever convinced you of sin hath the Spirit come and brought sin unto you and set it home upon you hath the Spirit of the Lord so set home sin upon you that you have not been able to make any evasion for that as you heard is the nature of true Conviction and hath the Spirit so set home sin upon you that your heart came to be affected with it and afflicted for it that you are made to humble your selves before the Lord under the sense of sin Well have your souls ever been thus convinced of sin or no if not then you have not set the first step towards Conversion I pray mind it You will say yes I hope I have been convinced of sin I have had some sins so set home upon me that I could not deny it nor avoid it but my heart hath been greatly afflicted under it that I could not rest day nor night and I have been afraid I should
the Lord of Life and when they heard this then by the power of the Spirit that went along with Peter's Sermon 't is said they were pricked at the heart and cryed out Men and brethren what shall we do They saw now a need of Christ and were glad now to receive Christ and to believe in Christ Well for the prosecution of this point I shall desire briefly to speak to three things 1. Shew you That not Believing on Christ is a sin 2. That it is not only a sin not to believe in Christ but a great sin one of the greatest sins that a soul can be guilty of 3 That it is the work of the Spirit to convince a Soul of the sin of Unbelief 1. Then that Unbelief is a sin It is that which very few are sensible of they scarce look upon unbelief to be a sin they look upon believing rather as their presumption and for their not believing they look upon it rather as their duty as their humility Now I say Unbelief is a sin Such as do not believe on Christ they are guilty of sin But mark I do not say that every one that doth not believe on Christ is guilty of the sin of Unbelief No but Unbelief is a sin only to them that have the Gospel preached to them and Christ offered to them it is a sin to them not to believe on Christ 't is not a sin to others and though Heathens and Pagans shall be condemned and damned in their unbelief yet not for their not believing on Christ Saith Christ John 15.22 If I had not come and spoken to them they had not had sin that is they had not had the sin of Unbelief they had not been guilty of that sin but now they have no Cloak no excuse for their sin Look now as it is with those that have not the Law written as the Apostle speaks Rom. 2.12 14 15. They that sin without Law shall be judged without the Law They shall not be judged and condemned by the written Law but they shall be judged and condemned by the Law that is written in their hearts and consciences So now here those that never had the Gospel preached to them as a great many Nations in the World Pagans Heathens and Infidels and Indians they never had the Gospel preached to them Christ was never revealed to them the Name of Christ never sounded in their ears now they shall not be condemned for their not believing on Christ 't is not a sin to them And therefore some tell us there is a twofold Unbelief There is a Negative or Privative Unbelief that is the Unbelief of those that never had the means of Faith offered them and it is not a sin for them not to believe on Christ because they never heard of him But when there is a Positive Unbelief as they call it that is the Unbelief of such as live under the sound of the Gospel under the hearing of Christ Christ is preached to them and held forth to them and they are called upon to believe on Christ and yet they believe not this is a Positive unbelief and this unbelief is a sin And that it is a sin let me give you two or three Demonstrations 1. It appears to be a sin because it is the transgression of the Moral Law or the Law of the Ten Commandments Where there is no Law saith the Apostle there is no Transgression Sin is not imputed where there is no Law Rom. 5.13 But sin is a transgression of the Law and this sin of unbelief a transgression of the Moral Law of the first Commandment Objection How so you will say Was believing on Christ then commanded to Adam in the first Commandment Answer I Answer Yes Virtually The first Commandment you know was thus Thou shalt have no other gods before me That is thou shalt own the true God for thy God and no other Now how do we own God When we give him that worship that he requires of us now the first Commandment requires that we should worship God with a natural worship which is due to God from us as we are his Creatures that is comprized in the first Commandment You shall worship God as God worship him How Obey him fear him love him reverence him believe in him put trust and confidence in him The first Commandment requires that we should yield obedience to God in whatsoever is required of us Then this is virtually required in the first Commandment 'T is our duty by virtue of the first Commandment to believe in Christ Now if it be commanded in the Law then our unbelief is a sin because it is a transgression of the Law Objection But you will say a little for the clearing of this but this was inconsistent with the state of Innocency for Adam to believe on Christ as a Mediator as a Saviour to save him from sin because Adam was in a sinless condition he had no guilt upon him in his Innocency it was then inconsistent with Adams state to believe on Christ as a Mediator and Saviour then it seems Adam had no power to believe on Christ and if so then certainly not believing on Christ is not a transgression of the first Commandment Answer For Answer to it let me briefly clear this in two things 1. It is granted it is true that it was inconsistent with Adams state of Innocency to rely upon Christ and to believe on Christ as a Saviour to save him from sin for he had no sin he was Innocent therefore it was inconsistent with his state to believe on Christ as a Saviour yea it was inconsistent with the wisdom of God to require Adam to believe on Christ to command such a duty of Adam yet notwithstanding mark I pray Adam had a principle and a virtual power for to have believed on Christ if God had required it of him Though its true it was inconsistent with his state that God should require it of him yet Adam had this principle this virtual power put into him with his first Creation in the image of God He had this power put into him that he had a virtual power to obey God in every thing that he should require of him whatever God should reveal to be his will he had power to believe it and yield obedience to it Though it is true it was inconsistent with his State actually to believe yet he had a power to have believed on Christ if God had required it of him For Adam had a power to do that which was inconsistent with his state of innocency as for example Adam had a Principle and virtual Power to shew Mercy and Compassion to any that were in misery but that was inconsistent with his state for there was none in misery then There was no need of the Compassion of Adam yet Adam had a principle a virtual power to have done this so in this case though 't is true believing on Christ
God and yet the justice of God not suffer here is the infinite wisdom of God set on work to find out this way Brethren there was a great deal of the Wisdom of God seen in the contrivance of the World and of the creatures framing of the Creation Saith the Psalmist speaking of the creatures In Wisdom hast thou made them all Psal 104.24 Ay there is much of the Wisdom of God seen in the creation of the World The Heavens declare the Glory of God Ay but Brethren in the work of the redemption of lost man shewing grace and favour and kindness to poor undone creatures as we are herein appears the manifold Wisdom of God Eph. 3.10 To the intent that now unto the Principalities and Powers in heavenly places might be made known by the Church the manifold Wisdom of God Here was Wisdom and manifold Wisdom Wisdom upon Wisdom to find out a way for God to shew kindness and favour to poor condemned creatures as we are And then 3. Consider further that you may see the kindness of God about the salvation of man Consider that God should make it known that he is freely and fully willing to save undone creatures that he is willing to save any poor sinner that is willing to venture on Christ to lay hold on him by Faith it was the great intendment of God in sending his Son from Heaven to be made a man and to be made under the Law and to suffer the wrath and Curse of God for the transgression of the Law to make peace and attonement for sinners here is now the manifold Wisdom of God the wonderful Wisdom of God and that God should reveal this and make this known unto poor sinners that God is freely willing and fully willing that poor sinners find grace in his sight that they might have pardon and reconciliation whosoever they be that will believe on Christ and accept of him And not only so But 4. Consider that God should send his Servants and Messengers about up and down the World for that end that he might shew favour and kindness to poor sinners he sends them in his name to publish and proclaim his Grace to make known his everlasting Gospel unto poor sinners Go saith Christ Mark 16.16 Preach the Gospel and tell them He that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned There will be his punishment Now Brethren put all these together here is kindness and grace indeed that God should have favour for poor undone sinful creatures as we are that are sentenced to eternal death and that he should come and offer it and tender it as he doth Now consider what a sin it is not to receive it not to embrace it and accept of it but to slight it and refuse and despise it as every unbeliever doth God comes and offers eternal life and salvation in the Gospel if you will receive it you shall be saved if you do venture your souls upon it you shall be eternally saved now for poor creatures as it were to kick this away with the foot to spurn at this grace and kindness of God to cast it behind your back as not worthy the regarding you will say certainly this cannot be but a very great and high provocation As now suppose the King should send a pardon to a poor condemned Malefactor and he should take the pardon and cast it behind his back you will say this mans case is very sad This is the case of every unbelieving soul the pardon that God offers in the Gospel he makes a very wisp of it and casts it behind his back Now consider if this be not a sin doth not this deserve condemnation with a witness This is the condemnation That is the third 4. Let me name one more that if the Lord please to open our Eyes we may see a little more into the evil of this sin of unbelief Our not believing on Christ is the highest Contempt put upon the eternal Son of God that can be In refusing and slighting of Christ we trample upon the Blood of the infinite and eternal and beloved Son of God You will say that is a sin with a witness indeed if a man should have taken the Blood of Christ that ran out of his side and stampt it under his feet in disdain and contempt you will say that mans sin is a very great sin Brethren those that have Jesus Christ offered and tendered to them as Jesus Christ is tendered and offered to every sinner that sits under the Gospel there is his Blood offered and tendered to us now if we refuse it we do as it were trample upon the very Blood of the Son of God 'T is the expression of the Apostle Heb. 10.29 Who have trodden under foot the Son of God They trample the very Blood of the Son of God under their feet Brethren Jesus Christ in the Gospel comes and tenders himself he tenders his Blood the price and merit of his Blood here is peace here is pardon and reconciliation with God here is eternal life and salvation the very price of my Blood Now for us to make nothing of all this to make no more of the Blood of Christ than we would do of the Blood of a Beast certainly this cannot but be a very high Provocation I remember the Parable Mat. 21. of a Vineyard that was let out to Tenants so the Master of the Vineyard sent in season for the fruit of his Vineyard well 't is said v. 31. The husbandmen took his Servants and beat one and killed another and stoned another at last saith the Master of the Vineyard I will send my Son they will reverence my Son and at v. 38. When they saw the Son they used him as despitefully and shamefully as the other What shall become of those husbandmen that instead of reverencing his Son they cast him out of the Vineyard and slew him 'T is said v. 40. When the Lord of the Vineyard comes he will miserably destroy those husbandmen Why Brethren this is the case of every unbelieving soul the Son of God comes and tenders his Blood here is my hearts blood the price of my Blood which I have shed he tenders it to us to accept of it to accept of peace and pardon and salvation which is the price of my Blood and we make no account of it is not this a high provocation and do we not deserve to be miserably destroyed So now you have seen the second thing opened That unbelief is not only a sin but it is a great sin one of the greatest sins of all others And O! that we had eyes to see it But then 3. Thirdly To shew you that it is the work of the Spirit in order to Conversion to convince a Soul as of other sins so especially of this great sin of unbelief I shall briefly name two or three things to shew you what the Spirit doth in order to the
greater concernment If I were immediately to go out of the World and were to preach my last Farewel Sermon I know not what Truth to commend to you of more concernment than this of the Righteousness which the Spirit doth convince the world of in order to their Salvation Now that I may open it to you if the Lord please and the Lord open our hearts that we may understand it I shall only speak to these three things 1. To shew you in the general what we are to understand by Righteousness 2. To shew you more particularly what this Righteousness is which is the work of the Spirit to convince us of And 3. Shew you How or in what way usually the Spirit doth convince a Soul of Righteousness or what work the Spirit doth in a Soul in order to the convincing it of Righteousness I shall bound my discourse in speaking to these three particulars if the Lord please 1. Then What are we to understand by Righteousness in the general for that will make way for our understanding what this Righteousness is In the general then Righteousness is nothing else but a perfect exact conformity to the Law of God or to the revealed Will of God an exact conformity to it both in Heart and Life That is Righteousness in the general I say a perfect conformity to the whole Will of God revealed not only in the outward conversation but in the inward frame of the Heart and Soul You know when Adam was at first created when he came immediately out of the hands of God he was made perfectly righteous God made Man upright that is Righteous Well wherein did that Righteousness of Adam consist What was the Righteousness that Adam was created in It is said He was made in the Image of God Now wherein did the Image of God in Adam lye What only in the conformity of his outward actions to the Law and Will of God No alas that was the least part of the Image of God in Adam but Adam was made in the Image of God Upright and Righteous and Holy in his inward man especially in his Soul he was made exactly conformable to the Will of God in every thing that he required of him and therefore now when Adam did sin and fall he lost the Image of God he lost that Righteousness that was in his inward man and you see after his fall it is said That every imagination of the thought of mans heart were only evil and that continually Gen. 6.5 Not only every action that he did was evil no but the very thoughts of his heart the inward frame of his heart and spirit was only evil and that continually therefore on the contrary his Righteousness did consist in the conformity of his inward man to the Law and Will of God 1 John 3.7 8. saith the Apostle He that doth righteousness is righteous he that committeth sin is of the Devil but he that doth righteousness is righteous Every sin is a transgression of the Law so that now when a man or woman is exactly conformable to the whole Will of God not only in his outward conversation but also in his very thoughts and frame of his heart then he is said to be perfectly righteous this is perfect Righteousness For Brethren a man may possibly be outwardly conformable to the Letter of the Law and yet not be righteous in the account of the Holy Ghost as the Pharisees you know were very righteous in respect of the Letter of the Law Ay but saith Christ they are inwardly unrighteous and therefore he tells them They were like whited Sepulchres which appeare beautiful outwardly but inwardly are full of corruption and putrefaction therefore saith Christ Mat. 5.18 Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven They were very righteous and exact as to the Letter of the Law and therefore saith Paul when he was a Pharisee Touching the Righteousness of the Law blameless The Pharisees were exact as to the Letter of the Law but still they did not look to their inside to their heart there they were unrighteous so that by this you see what is meant by Righteousness in general It is to be perfectly and exactly conformable to the whole Will and Law of God revealed both in heart and life That in general 2. But Let us in the second place enquire a little more particularly What is this Righteousness here which Christ saith the Spirit shall convince the World of What Righteousness doth Christ here mean Brethren It cannot be meant of a man 's own Righteousness that the Spirit doth convince of for the Spirit doth rather convince men of their own Vnrighteousness therefore it cannot be a mans own Righteousness Therefore saith Paul I would not for all the world be found in mine own Righteousness Phil. 3.9 Neither is it that Righteousness which is called the Righteousness of the Law for that is still the same with a man 's own Righteousness which is when a man is obedient to the Letter of the Law as the Apostle speaks in that third of Philip. 9. And be found in him not having on my own Righteousness which is of the Law Well what Righteousness then is it which Christ here speaks of when he saith The Spirit shall convince the World of Righteousness What Righteousness is it In brief It is that Righteousness which is called the Righteousness of God in opposition to a mans own Righteousness The Righteousness of God as the Apostle speakes Rom. 10.3 And so in other places The Jews being ignorant of the Righteousness of God went about to establish their own Righteousness So that the one is set in opposition against the other A mans own Righteousness and God's Righteousness is contrary distinst and in opposition to one another The Righteousness of God is that Righteousness which God himself doth require in order to our salvation and it is that righteousness which God will accept of and no other righteousness for our salvation and this Righteousness is also called The Righteousness of Faith Rom. 10.16 So Rom. 9.30 He calleth it The Righteousness which is of Faith because it comes in in a way of faith and believing Question Now you will say Wherein lies the difference between the one Righteousness and the other That we may understand things as we go along Wherein lies the difference between that which is called our own Righteousness and the Righteousness of the Law and that which is called the Righteousness of God and the Righteousness of Faith What doth the Difference lye here namely that our own Righteousness or the Righteousness of the Law must be exactly conformable and agreeable to the whole Will and Law of God to a Tittle and the Righteousness of God not so No Brethren The Righteousness of Faith is an exact conformity to the Law of God to a tittle as well as the other What saith
trusting and leaning upon its own righteousness from looking to be accepted of God to salvation upon the account of its own righteousness This the Spirit of God doth take a soul from in order to convincing it of righteousness Truly Brethren this is the rock that we are all of us naturally prone to dash upon and to split upon we are all of us naturally prone to seek after acceptance with God upon the account of our own righteousness to run on in the way of the Covenant of Works to seek for salvation in that way that Adam should have been saved in if he had stood Doe and Live be obedient to the Will of God be exactly righteous and you shall have life this is the way that Adam should have had life in if he had continued in his obedience but now this way of the Covenant of Works is null'd and we cannot look for salvation in that way but we are all of us naturally prone to run on in that way to look for the life of our souls meerly by our own righteousness This was the stumbling stone that the Jews stumbled at this was the great rock of offence Rom. 9.31 32 33. saith he The Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained righteousness but the Jews which followed after righteousness have not attained righteousness why so because the Jews stumbled at that stumbling stone they sought after righteousness by the works of the law they sought to be righteous with their own righteousness and therefore mark what he saith Chap. 10.3 They being ignorant of Gods righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God This is natural to us to look to be accepted of God for our own righteousness and truly it is a very hard thing for a soul to be taken off from that and therefore hence it is that the people that are morally righteous and not so notoriously wicked and prophane as others are are ordinarily harder to be convinced and converted than others are so that as Christ saith Mat. 21. Publicans and Harlots shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven before you speaking to the Scribes and Pharisees that were exact to the letter of the law I say we are all apt naturally to stick there to run upon the rock of our own righteousness just as the Apostle speaks of himself when he was a Pharisee Philip. 3. I was saith he concerning the Righteousness of the Law blameless but afterwards when the Spirit of the Lord had convinced him of his own unrighteousness and the righteousness of Christ at the 8 and 9 Verses Now saith he I would be found in him not having on my own righteousness which is of the Law that righteousness that I had when I was a Pharisee I would not be found saith he having on my own righteousness but that righteousness which is by faith in Christ Jesus Now I say we are very hardly brought off from our own righteousness to close with this righteousness of Jesus Christ but now it is the work of the Spirit in convincing a soul of righteousness to take the soul off from its own righteousness and therefore the Spirit is fain to take pains with the Soul to shew it that all its own righteousness will come to nothing And therefore do but observe the way and method of the Spirit of God what the Spirit of God doth ordinarily when it taketh a Soul off from its own righteousness The Spirit of God comes therefore and causeth the Soul to see not only its own sinfulness by notorious open wickedness and prophaness that it hath lived in it doth not only convince the Soul of its profaning of Sabbaths and its disobedience to Parents and lying and stealing and pilfering and dishonesty when a Soul sees that then it cannot be accepted of God for its own righteousness And not only so but the Spirit of the Lord doth discover to the Soul the secret evils of his heart inward sins that never saw the light of the Sun that the World never knew of The Spirit of the Lord comes and convinces of those wickednessâ—s that there is such and such wickedness in the heart secret pride and secret malice and secret envy and secret hypocrisy and secret unbelief and the like and now how can the Soul expect to be saved of God for its own righteousness What is this the righteousness saith the Soul that I look to be accepted for And not only so but the Spirit also doth dâ—scover to the Soul the unrighteousness of its best duties and services those things that men are apt to think that God should accept them for now the Spirit comes and opens the understanding and makes the Soul to see the imperfection and weakness of the best duties and services as the Church saith All our very righteousnesses are as filthy rags and O! can I expect to be accepted for these prayers and these duties and services that are so filthy and so defective and so impure When the soul comes to be made sensible of these things how can it expect to be accepted for its own righteousness Nay Brethren the holy Spirit doth usually discover to a Soul not only the sinful faâ—â—ings that are in his best duties and services but also the sinful frame of the heart and spirit that there is a sinful frame of wickedness within a law of rebellion and enmity against the will of God within though possibly it hath never broken out but there is a sinful frame of heart within that every thought and imagination of the heart is only evil continually and out of the heart proceeds all manner of abominations evil thoughts murder and theft and blasphemy and all manner of wickedness Now Brethren when the Spirit of the Lord comes and opens a mans heart to himself that he sees the very frame and disposition of his heart is set against God and the will of God in every thing then the Soul must needs be convinced that it can never be accepted of God for its own righteousness the Soul sees that it hath no righteousness at all in it self to rest upon And not only so but the Spirit of the Lord in this convincing a Soul of righteousness discovers to a Soul that this is not the way where by it can look for acceptance with God by all that ever he can do it is true indeed this was the way that Adam in his innocency should have found life and salvation in but since the Fall that Covenant is broken and null'd and now God hath no where promised to give life and salvation in the way of that Covenant no God hath nulled that way of Salvation by our own works and doings that if so be now it were possible a man or a woman to be perfectly obedient to the whole law yet he may go to hell and be damned for all that because now God is not bound nor engaged to
bestow eternal life and salvation upon man in that way God is not bound to that Covenant nor will ever save a Soul in the way of that Covenant Now it is the work of the Spirit to discover this to a Soul that this is not the way for me ever to attain salvation it must be in another way and by another righteousness and hereby a soul is taken off from leaning and resting upon its own righteousness and from ever looking for salvation by any thing it hath done or can do though it should do never so much nay and let me add this further that when the Spirit of God doth thus take a soul off from leaning and resting upon its own righteousness yet notwithstanding the Spirit of the Lord doth put the Soul upon seeking and following hard after righteousness and its own righteousness too Ay Brethren this is now a Gospel-Mystery that flesh and blood can never attain to for our carnal hearts are ready to argue thus if we cannot be saved by our own righteousness then we need not to follow after it and so grow loose and carnal and careless and slighty neglecting duties or else being formal in them But now the Spirit of God doth teach the Soul and lead it in this middle way in this strait and narrow way every soul that the Spirit of God doth convince of righteousness in order to salvation he doth teach him and instruct him in this that though he shall never be saved by all that ever he can do yet the Spirit leads him on in a way of holiness and righteousness very exactly to be careful to walk with God in obedience to the Lords will and command And the Holy Ghost doth write a Law of obedience upon the heart and therefore those that draw such conclusions from this doctrine of the Gospel they do not understand the Gospel nor this convincing work of the Spirit which is to convince us that we are not to look for salvation by all our own righteousness and yet convinces us of the necessity of following hard after righteousness This now is the first thing that the Holy Ghost doth in convincing a soul of righteousness to take the soul off from resting and leaning upon its own righteousness 2. But Secondly Another thing that the Spirit doth in order to the convincing a soul of righteousness is this namely The Spirit doth usually discover to the Soul what this righteousness of Christ is by which it must look for acceptance with God to Salvation The Spirit doth usually reveal this righteousness to the soul therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 1.17 The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith It is the work of the Spirit of God to reveal this righteousness to open it and cause the Soul to understand it and therefore the Spirit is called the Spirit of Revelation Eph. 1.17 The Apostle prays there That God would give them the Spirit of Revelation in the knowledge of Christ because it is the work of the Spirit to reveal the righteousness of Jesus Christ to the Soul and cause the soul to understand it in some measure but still the soul is sensible of its own ignorance and blindness and possibly more afterwards than before But in some measure there is a discovery made of this righteousness of Jesus Christ to the soul and in order to this there are several things that the holy Spirit doth discover to the Soul concerning this righteousness of Christ namely It is the Spirit that discovers to the Soul the Perfection of this Righteousness that Christs righteousness is a most perfect and compleat righteousness without any blemish without any defect or imperfection The Spirit shews to the Soul that Christ hath fulfilled all righteousness he was obedient to every tittle of the Law there was no defect no blemish at all in Christs life all along neither in his outward nor inward man from his very conception all along throughout his life to his very death the Spirit of the Lord doth make a soul to understand this in some measure it discovers the righteousness of Christ to be a perfect and compleat righteousness that though my own righteousness be full of defects and imperfections yet the righteousness of Jesus Christ is a perfect righteousness That is one thing that the Spirit usally doth in this convincing of righteousness it discovers to the Soul that this righteousness of Christ is a perfect and compleat righteousness And not only so but further the Spirit discovers to the soul that it is not only a perfect but an all-sufficient righteousness the righteousness of Jesus Christ is not only a perfect righteousness exactly perfect to every tittle of the Law but an all-sufficient righteousness that the righteousness of Christ is able to save a World of sinners he was able by his righteousness to be a propitiation for the sins of the whole World 1 John 2.1 2. He is the Propitiation not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole World that is for the sins of all the Elect throughout the whole World for all that were Christs seed Christs posterity that now as all Adams posterity were made sinners by the imputation of Adam's unrighteousness so now Christs righteousness is sufficient to make all his posterity all his seed to make them all righteous in the sight of God because now this righteousness it is the righteousness of the Son of God of that person that is the eternal Son of God of that person that is very God equal with the Father the same Essence with God Now this is the righteousness of God as the Apostle calls the Blood that Christ shed the Blood of God Acts 20.28 So now this righteousness of Christ is the righteousness of God as it is usually called in the New Testament because it is the righteousness of that person which is God Now this makes his righteousness to be an all-sufficient righteousness Now then I may venture my Soul upon this righteousness if it be an all-sufficient righteouness and the righteousness of God then it is such a righteousness as is sufficient to save to the utmost all that come to God by him and it is an everlasting righteousness it will serve from the very beginning to the end of the World to make poor unrighteous Creatures to become righteous in the sight of God and to be accepted of God to eternal life and salvation nay and then further the Spirit of God goes on to discover and reveal this namely that God is ready to accept of this righteousness in the behalf of poor sinners here is now the mystery of the Gospel for truly this is a hard thing for flesh and blood to be perswaded of that I can be made righteous with the righteousness of another that I can be fed with the meat that another eats that I can be made warm by the cloaths that another wears that I should be made righteous with the
personal righteousness of Jesus Christ Brethren this is the work of the Spirit of God to discover and reveal this to the Soul that God will accept of the righteousness of Christ on the behalf of poor sinners He was made sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Well this the Spirit of God doth discover and reveal to the Soul when he comes to convince it of righteousness Nay and let me add further concerning this righteousness namely the Spirit doth discover to the Soul the way whereby he may come to have an interest in this righteousness the Spirit doth discover that to the Soul namely that it is in a way of faith and believing and leaning and resting upon the righteousness of Christ that Whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life and Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 This is the work of the Spirit to discover this to the soul when he comes to deal with the soul to convince it of righteousness in order to salvation This is the second thing that the Spirit doth first it takes us off from our own righteousness and then it reveals and discovers to the Soul this righteousness of Christ what it is and which way it is to be attained But then 3. A third Work that the Spirit doth which is the upshot of all and that is this when the Spirit comes to convince a Soul of righteousness in order to salvation then The Spirit doth convince powerfully and effectually that is the Spirit comes powerfully and perswades the Soul to close with this righteousness This is to convince of righteousness in order to salvation so to convince as to perswade and prevail with the soul to venture to close with it this is the way whereby a Soul comes to have an interest in Christs righteousness by faith and believing on Christ and it is the work of the Spirit so to convince so powerfully so as to prevail with the Soul to give the venture Well I will venture my Soul upon it if I perish I perish I will venture my Soul upon this righteousness of Christ the Spirit secretly perswades the heart so as now the Soul is made to say with the Psalmist Psal 71.16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God I will make mention of thy righteousness even of thine only When the Spirit comes thus to convince effectually so as to perswade the Soul to venture to lean upon Christs righteousness only to be accepted of God to salvation then the soul doth make mention of Christs righteousness and that only well I will venture to rest upon that alone and then surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength then the soul shall be made to say there 's all my righteousness I have none of my own that I dare venture on but I do now venture to lean the weight of my Soul upon this righteousness of Christ and if I perish I perish This is now the convincing work of the Spirit to convince of righteousness So now you have heard the point briefly opened namely That it is the Work of the Spirit in order to Salvation to convince the Soul of righteousness Now then briefly for the Application of it in a Word Application Here then we may come to understand whether or no the Spirit hath been at work upon our souls in order to salvation It is a great Question I suppose you will think it so when you come to ly upon your death-beds whether or no the Spirit of God hath been at work upon my heart in order to my salvation Well you see it is the work of the Spirit in order to Salvation to convince of sin and to convince of righteousness then consider I pray consider seriously between the Lord and your own souls and let us not willingly deceive our own souls Hath the Spirit of the Lord ever been thus at work upon my heart hath the Spirit ever come and convinced me of sin and of righteousness For if the Spirit of the Lord hath ever convinced you of sin in order to your Salvation it will go on also in the Work of Conviction to convince also of Righteousness Therefore I say I pray consider of it seriously Objection You will say Well I hope the Spirit of the Lord hath been at work upon my heart I hope I can say my heart hath been deeply troubled about my sin and I have gone and confessed my sin unto God and I have begged earnestly in prayer for the pardon of my sins Answer Well a man or a woman may do all this and yet come short of this convincing work of the Spirit which is in order to Salvation Therefore consider further I pray for as you heard the last time usually when the Spirit doth convince of sin in order to Salvation it convinceth the soul especially of unbelief and indeed till a Soul come to be convinced by the Spirit of the sin of unbelief his conviction of sin may be no argument to him that the Spirit hath been at work upon his heart in order to salvation Indeed when a soul comes to that discovery that the soul is convinced of the evil of unbelief then there is the greatest hopes that such a Soul is not like to miscarry for I am perswaded that the Spirit of the Lord never convinces a Soul of the evil of unbelief but it is in order to his salvation you shall never have a carnal heart to understand the evil of unbelief that is the work of the Spirit of God Now consider I pray hath the Lord discovered to you and convinced you of sin especially of the sin of unbelief Objection You will say possibly I hope the Spirit hath been at work upon my heart in order to salvation for I know thus much I am perswaded that without the righteousness of Christ I can never be saved I can never be saved by mine own righteousness I know that and I know that I must have the righteousness of Christ imputed to me by faith or I cannot be saved Answer But Brethren I pray consider of it for here may be only a meer notional knowledge a meer conviction in the notion only you may be convinced that this is a truth that there is no salvation but by Christ A man or woman may be convinced of this notionally he may have this knowledge in his head that the only way whereby I must attain to salvation must be by the righteousness of Christ by believing on Christ but I pray consider whether the Spirit of the Lord hath throughly convinced you of the righteousness of Christ Question You will say How shall I know that Answer Briefly by these two things 1. When the Spirit of the Lord doth convince a Soul of righteousness in order to Salvation it doth as you heard take a Soul