for the loss of it for it may be the more expedient for you to be deprived of your Estates than to have them continued unto you possibly you would have grown more carnal more sinfull more profane insolent vain scornfull more lascivious wanton and loose and so you might have run upon your own ruine and destruction if the Lord had left you to enjoy what you would have Saith Solomon Pro. 1.32 The prosperity of the wicked shall destroy him The Lord doth sometimes leave some to a prosperous estate and it may be a means of their utter undoing Therefore it may be more expedient for you that they go away therefore let us not be inordinate in our grief and sorrow for the loss of any Creature-Comfort 3. Then Hereby we may see the foolishness and vanity of these apprehensions that do sometimes come into our mindes O we are ready to think sometimes if we had lived when Christ was here in the flesh when Christ's bodily presence was in the world or if we could now see and enjoy the bodily presence of Christ O we should go to him upon all occasions O then we could go and worship him and reverence him and honour him and adore him and admire him I tell you these are vain fancies and imaginations for the injoyment of the presence of the Spirit is more advantagious to us than the enjoyment of the bodily presence of Christ could be and if Christ were now in the world in our dayes as he was before it may be we could not tell how we might come to speak to him and see him he might be at one end of the world and we at the other but now we have this advantage we may go to Christ in any part of the World and enjoy Communion with Christ and speak to Christ in Prayer in any place and we may worship reverence honour and love Jesus Christ now he is in Heaven and Glory It is said of the Disciples Luke 24.51 52. They returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the Temple praising and blessing God I tell you we may worship and reverence and honour Jesus Christ now he is in Heaven as much as we could have done if he were bodily present with us It is therefore a vain imagination to think O if Christ were now present what worship we would now give him how we would adore him and acquaint him with our Necessities at every turn You may have as much access to him now as if he were in the World and you may have more of the Spirit given to you now than you should have then And let me add this by the way not to let your mindes go too much out about the personal presence of Christ here on earth I do not speak to condemn that opinion That Christ shall personally reign upon Earth a thousand years which is the opinion of many godly and learned Men and I would not speak contradictorily to it though for my own part I conceive Christ shall have a glorious Church upon Earth and Reign upon Earth a thousand Years too Yet I must needs say I do not apprehend as to his Bodily presence 'T is true indeed Jesus Christ shall come from Heaven at the day of Judgement and appear personally in the Clouds and if you observe it you shall find when the holy Ghost in Scripture speaks about the appearing of Christ you shall find he speaks of that appearing that shall be at the Day of Judgment As 1 Tim. 6.14 Saith the Apostle there I charge you that you keep this Commandment without spot untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ Now what appearing is this or when shall Christ appear look 2 Epistle 4.1 I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom When he shall come to Judgment then he shall appear personally Objection But you will say May he not appear for all that before in this World and may he not come in his own person and live in the World before that Answer Truly Brethren I have no warrant for that but rather to the contrary for the Apostle saith Heb. 9.28 speaking of Christs coming to Judgment To them that look for him shall he appear the second time So that his appearing to judge the World shall be his second appearing to you that look for him shall he appear the second time Now when he was incarnate in the flesh then he appeared the first time but he shall appear the second time that is when he comes to judg the World therefore I say I have no warrant for Christs being personally on Earth before the day of Judgment only 't is true there shal be a glorious appearance of the power of the Spirit there shall be a glorious Church upon Earth a thousand years that I do believe but for the personal appearance of Christ and his living personally in the World I confess I have not such grounds for that But I would not trouble your heads about these things neither would I have you trouble your Fancies much about them but look after the enjoyment of the spiritual presence of Christ that will be more advantagious and expedient for you than the very personal presence of Christ That is the third word of Application I have but one word more and that is this 4. From hence now we may have a strong Antidote and Cordial against all our sorrows griefs and troubles in parting with any creature-comfort though it be our nearest and dearest comforts in this World Know this for your comfort and support under all that it is most expedient for you this is the very cordial and support and antidote that Jesus Christ himself prescribed to his own Disciples against their immoderate sorrow because I have said these things saith he sorrow hath filled your hearts in the Verse before the Text and now he comes to give them a cordial and andidote against it in the Text Nevertheless I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away Not for me only It was expedient indeed for Christ himself to go away that he might be advanced at the right hand of God that he might be indued with the Spirit and have all fulness of gifts to give out it was expedient for him but saith he I tell you the truth it is expedient for you and this he gives them as a cordial and antidote against their sorrow it is expedient for you that I go away but they could not tell how to believe it that it should be expedient for them that he should go away therefore saith Christ Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away Truly Brethren this is the very Cordial that Christ himself gave against immoderate sorrow and grief of mind in parting with any creature-comfort in this World remember 't is expedient for you
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
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
some great Journey or some Voyage to go away from her she is mourning and weeping he comes and speaks comfortably to her and perswades her to be of good chear as if he should say My Deare there is no Remedy I must go away I must take this Journey there is no help for it 't is necessary 't is expedient nay and 't is for thy sake it is to fetch in Comforts for thee and necessaries for thee it is expedient not only for me to finish my Business because my occasions and business call me abroad but it is expedient for thee that I take this Voyage or Journey 't is for your Comfort and be assured of it that I will send to you ere long thou shalt hear from me ere long I will send One on purpose to comfort thee and refresh thee in my absence and know this that I will not stay always from you but will come in a short time again Thus Jesus Christ spake to his Disciples when he was about to leave them saith he My occasions call me to go away from you and not only so but it is expedient for you it is for your Benefit and Advantage and though I be personally absent from you yet I will send one unto you that shall supply my absence even the Comforter and after a little short time I will come again to you I will not stay long from you so he saith afterwards Verse 16. A little while and you shall not see me and a little while and you shall see me because I go to the Father And Verse 22. Therefore now have you Sorrow but I will see you again and your hearts shall rejoyce Within a little while I will come to you I will make all the haste I can to you Thus Christ speaks to his Disciples and Servants to comfort their Hearts being sorrowfull upon his going away Brethren Was there any thing or could there be any thing that was nearer or dearer to the hearts of the Disciples than the presence of Christ The presence of Jesus Christ was more to them than any Comforts of this World more to them than their Estates and Callings and Gain and Trade for you know they left their Ships and their Nets and Callings and all to follow Christ nay Christ was more near and dear to them than their nearest Relations that they had in the World for 't is said they left not only their Callings their Trades and Ships and Nets but they left their Fathers and away they went after Christ yea they left all that ever they had as Peter himself saith Matthew 19.27 28 29. saith he We have left all to follow thee Not only their Callings their Trade and Gains not only their Parents and Relations But we have left All to follow thee Yea Brethren Jesus Christ was more dear and precious to them than their very lives for you know what Christ was speaking to them about his going away Mat. 26. and telling them that some of them would deny him saith Peter Though I dy with thee I will not deny thee saith he I will dy first I will lose my life first and 't is said all of them said after the like manner they loved Christ more than their very lives and yet now you see what Christ said to them though his Presence was so near and dear unto them yet saith Christ I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away it is expedient for you that I leave you though I be so near and dear unto you So that here is the Point grounded upon these Words That it is a most certain Truth That it is expedient for the Disciples and Servants of Christ sometimes to be deprived of those Comforts that seem to be nearest and dearest to them in this World it is expedient for them The Word that is here translated expedient it signifieth most profitable more profitable for you or better for you better for you that I go away than that I stay with you more Profitable for you so the Word is sometimes translated and so it properly signifieth expedient that is profitable so saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 6.12 All things are lawfull for me but all things are not expedient The Word is profitable so it is in the Margin All things are not profitable So Chap. 10. in the last Verse saith the Apostle Even as I please all Men in all things not seeking mine own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved it is the same word only t is there translated profit or profitable 't is expedient or profitable for you that I go away and sometimes 't is translated good or better so Luke 17.2 3. Saith Christ It were better for him that a Mill-stone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the Sea than that he should offend one of these little ones The word is expedient So again Mat. 5.29 30. Saith Christ 'T is better for you to go into Life maimed with one Eye or one Hand than having both your Eyes and hands to go into Hell 'T is better the word is expedient So that here is the meaning of it It is expedient for you that I go away that is 't is most profitable for you 't is better for you that I go away from you than that you do enjoy my personal presence Now for the opening and handling of this Point and Truth I shall briefly speak to these three things 1. Give you the Demonstrations of it by some particular Instances That it is most expedient or profitable sometimes for the Servants of Christ to be deprived of their nearest and dearest Comforts that they do enjoy In which I shall give you some particulars 2. I shall shew the Ground why or whereupon It is so expedient or profitable for them to be deprived of their dearest and nearest Comforts they can enjoy in this World 3. And then shew you this That to enjoy the presence of the Comforter the Spirit of God is more expedient for the Saints in this World than to enjoy the personal presence of Christ I shall not be able to go through this Point at this time but for the 1. To give you some Demonstrations by some particular Instances That it is expedient for the Servants of Christ sometimes to be deprived of their nearest and dearest Comforts that they have in this World I shall Instance now in some particulars As 1. It may be expedient for the Servants of Christ sometimes to be deprived of their outward Estates in the World Brethren to have a competent measure of Estate in the World is a comfortable thing Those that have great Estates do not know and understand the temptations of a poor estate therefore saith the holy man Agur Pro. 30.9 though he would not be rich yet Lord give me not poverty It is a great mercy to be comfortably provided for in the World yet for all that it is most
sometimes to a Child to train him up in a way of Submission to his Fathers will So the Lord deals with his own Children when he sees we have this or that Comfort which is near or dear to us Now that God may train us up to his own Will and that we may learn subjection to his Will the Lord calls for this Comfort and that mercy that is so dear to us that Yoke-fellow and that Child or whoever it be that is near and dear to us the Lord doth sometimes call it from us and take it away that we may learn to be submissive to his Will as it is said concerning Christ Heb. 5.8 That Christ learned Obedience by his Sufferings and truly so when Christ came to drink the Cup that his Father put into his hand saith he The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it He learned Obedience by his Sufferings and so the Lord may teach his Children Obedience by training them up in this way to take away their nearest and dearest Comforts from them that they may come to be at the Lords will and word in every thing And thus the Lord trained up Abraham saith God to Abraham I must have you to go out of your own Country to leave your Friends and Relations behind to go into a strange place and Abraham did so And then when the Lord had given him an only and a beloved Son saith God to him Come I must take that Son from you go and Sacrifice him your self to me thus God trained up Abraham to his foot as it were which is the expression of the Holy Ghost Isa 41.2 Abraham was brought to the foot of God to the beck of God Thus God deals with his Children he trains them up to be submissive to his own will to his ordering for every thing therefore God will sometimes take away this Comfort and that Comfort though never so near and dear to us That is the fourth Reason 5. The Lord doth sometimes deprive his Children of their nearest and dearest Comforts That they may learn to fear before him that they may stand in awe of him as it is said Psal 55.19 Because they are in no change therefore they fear not God they meet with no changes they have their wills and they enjoy their Comforts here in the World and because they have no changes therefore they fear not God And truly the Lords own people are apt to grow secure in time of Prosperity when they meet with few changes they are apt to grow secure It was Davids case Psal 30.5 6 I said in my prosperity I shall never be moved And so I remember Job hath such an expression Chap. 29.18 I said I shall dye in my Nest His nest was feathered round about him he was comfortably supplyed with all manner of Necessaries and comforts in this Life and saith he I began to grow secure I said I should dye in my Nest And therefore the Lord is pleased to bring Changes upon his People to awake them out of their security to cause them more to fear God and to acknowledge their dependance upon God to fear that God that is able to bring great Changes upon them to fear him that is able to take away their nearest and dearest Comforts Thus the Lord deals with his Children to train and nurture them up in his fear 6. And Lastly The Lord does sometimes deal thus with his own Children to deprive them of their nearest and dearest Comforts that they have in this Life That so he may make them to look more after a Heavenly Inheritance that shall never be taken from them where there shall be no Changes where they shall be past all fear of ever being deprived of any comfort they shall enjoy Therefore 't is said of the Patriarchs Heb. 11.14 16. 'T is said in the 13th Verse They confessed That they were Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth for they that say such things declare plainly That they seek a Country but now they desire a better Country which is an Heavenly They are Strangers and Pilgrims in the World they meet with great Changes in the World and therefore say they We are Strangers and Pilgrims we are going to a Country where there shall be no change So Heb. 10.34 The Apostle speaks of those that were exercised with changes that they had their Estates taken away and were plundred of all that they had they made nothing of that because they had an eye to the recompence of reward the inheritance of Heaven and that made them look for a heavenly Country because then they should be past all changes there should be no plundering there no deprivation of any Comfort that they there shall enjoy that is an Inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away there shall be no changes throughout all Eternity And thus now you have seen the Reasons and Grounds of the Point That it is expedient sometimes for the Saints and Disciples of Christ to be deprived of their nearest and dearest Comforts that they do enjoy in this World III. 1. But to come to the Third thing propounded and that is to shew That the Enjoyment of the Comforter the presence of the Spirit is more expedient for the Saints and Disciples of Christ than to enjoy the bodily Presence of Christ himself For so Christ intimates here to his Disciples saith he It is expedient for you that I go away that you be deprived of my bodily Presence for then you shall have the Comforter the Spirit if I go not away the Comforter will not come therefore it is more expedient for them to have the Presence of the Spirit than to enjoy the bodily Presence of Christ Truly Brethren as long as Christ was with them in the flesh they could not expect to have such a communication of the Spirit as they should have when Christ was taken from them When Christ was taken from them when he ascended up to Heaven then the Spirit was to be given down And that is given by the Holy Ghost John 7.37 38 39. as a Reason why the Spirit was not yet given to them They had some drops of the Spirit They had not the pouring out of the Spirit because saith he Verse 39. Jesus was not yet glorified he had said verse 38. That he that believeth on me out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living Water but this he spake of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified No they could not expect the pourings out of the Spirit till Jesus Christ had left the World and was gone into Heaven For Brethren when Jesus Christ ascended up to Heaven then the Father made him welcome and sat him down at his own right hand in glory he gave him the highest place of Dignity in Heaven all power in Heaven and Earth was put into his
Hands and he gave him the Donation or Giving out of the Spirit the giving out of the gifts of the Spirit For saith the Psalmist Psal 68.18 When he ascended up on high then he received the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit to be given out to his people This is the Reward that God the Father gave to Christ after his great labour and suffering in the World assoon as ever he came into Heaven God exalted him with this Exaltation and then he gave him the fulness of the Spirit to give out when he would therefore assoon as Christ ascended up to Heaven presently after there was an abundant pouring out of the Spirit Acts 2. You know the Holy Ghost fell down upon the Disciples like fiery cloven tongues and then they spake with tongues they were able to speak in every mans Language and then you see the Apostle Peter made a Speech to them that heard it and wondred at it Verse 33. and saith he This is the Fruit and Effect of Christs Ascension into Heaven Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the Promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which you now see and hear Christ leaving the World and being exalted in Heaven he had this power to give out the Spirit and saith he this is the Fruit of it He hath shed forth this which you now see and hear Therefore if Christ had not left the Discipies then the Disciples and Servants and Apostles of Jesus Christ had been destitute of the pourings out of the Spirit upon them It is true indeed it cannot be denyed but the enjoyment of Christs bodily presence was a most desirable thing very desirable to enjoy the bodily presence of Jesus Christ to see God in our flesh I remember Job did rejoyce in it in the hopes of it many hundreds and some thousands of yeares beforehand in the midst of his great Troubles and Afflictions Chap. 19.25 26 27. saith he I know that my Redeemer liveth and with these eyes I shall see him And this was matter of Comfort to him many hundreds of years before hand in the midst of those Sufferings and Troubles he met withall that he should see his Redeemer with his Eyes in the flesh And Brethren the sight of Christ in the flesh it is a sight that is matter of Admiration to the very Angels in Heaven God manifest in the flesh seen of Angels it was to the Admiration of Angels worth their looking upon 1 Timothy 3.16 Great is the Mystery of Godliness God manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels it was a great sight to the glorious Angels they desired to pry into that great Mystery and it was one of holy Austines wishes he wished the sight of three things in this World and this was the chiefest of all he did desire to see Rome in its glory Paul in the Pulpit and Christ in the flesh And Brethren the sight and enjoyment of the Presence of Christ in our Nature will be one of the happy sights in Heaven it will be a great part of the glory and happiness of the Saints in Heaven to see Jesus Christ therefore saith Christ Father I will that those whom thou hast given mee may be with me where I am that they may behold my glory John 17.24 So the Apostle John 1. Epist 3.2 When he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is I tell you it is a desirable thing to see Jesus Christ in the Flesh and yet this I may say that it is possible for men and women to see Christ in the flesh and yet be never the better for it You know when Jesus Christ was in the World the Jewes saw him and were near unto him and yet were never the better for him We read that when Christ was sent by Pilate to Herod Herod rejoyced to see him but he was never the better for that sight for he derided him and mocked him and sent him away You know Judas had a full Sight of Christ he lived many years in the family with Christ yet Judas was never the better for seeing and beholding the bodily presence of Christ The Reprobates the wicked of the World at the last day shall see Christ in his highest glory but shall be never a whit the better I remember 't is said Mat. 14.30 That all the Tribes of the Earth shall see him and mourn they shall behold him in his glory and yet mourn What shall we say then You see we may behold Jesus Christ in the Flesh and yet be never the better but now to enjoy the presence of the Spirit here in this life a Soul cannot enjoy that but he shall be the better for it It is true indeed in Heaven there the Saints shall enjoy the presence of Christ and the fulness of the Spirit too but here in this life for the Saints to enjoy the presence of the Spirit it is more expedient for them more profitable more advantagious for them than to enjoy the very personal presence of Christ Now to give you a few Reasons for it to shew you wherein it is more profitable more expedient to have the presence of the Spirit than to enjoy the very bodily presence of Christ 1. In regard that By enjoying the presence of the Spirit they may have more reall Comfort than they could have by the enjoyment of the personal presence of Christ You shall see the Disciples themselves all the time that they did enjoy the personal presence of Christ in the World they had not that measure of joy and rejoycing as they had afterward they had not that measure of Comfort and Consolation all the time that Christ lived in the Earth and conversed with them as they had after Christ was taken away from them then they had more real joy Alas before they were subject to griefs and troubles at every turn when they came into danger then they were affrighted and troubled when they were in a storm at Sea and were ready to sink they cryed out and were afraid but now after Christ was gone and ascended and the Spirit fell down upon them you shall see then how full of joy and comfort and consolation they were and so Christ tells them before in this very Chapter verse 21. A Woman when she is in travel hath sorrow because her Hour is come but assoon as she is delivered she rejoyceth So it shall be with you saith Christ whilest I am with you you cannot have such joy and when you hear of my departure sorrow filleth your hearts but when I am taken from you and the Comforter is come then you shall rejoyce and therefore observe when Christ speaks of sending the Spirit instead of his own bodily presence he expresseth it under the Notion of the Comforter When the Comforter shall come O then they shall have such comforts and consolation and
more expedient for them than to enjoy the bodily presence of Christ And let me add one thing more 5. It was more expedient for them to have the presence of the Spirit than to have the bodily presence of Christ because by Enjoying the presence of the Comforter hereby they had more assistance and more powerfull success in their work and labour in their Ministry than ever they had before all the time they had the presence of Christ I say Their Ministry was more powerful and effectual than ever it was before 'T is true they went up and down and preached some particular times but we do not read of any great matter was done that many were converted by their Ministry all the time they lived with Christ but now when Christ was gone and the Spirit fell down upon them Immediately you shall see Acts 2. When Peter preached one Sermon more were converted at that Sermon than there was by all the Apostles preaching that we read of all the time they lived with Christ upon Earth there were Three thousand brought in at one Sermon And afterwards Chap. 20.21 'T is said There were many thousand Believers brought in by the Ministry of the Apostles because the Spirit did assist them There was a mighty effusion of the Spirit and a great success upon their Labours and Endeavours And so Christ here in the Text to comfort his Disciples about his departure saith he Nevertheless I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away What then Saith he I will send the Comforter and you shall find marvellous success by the presence of the Spirit in your Ministry When he is come He shall convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment By enjoying the presence of the Spirit with them they had mighty success in their Ministry in their Labours and Endeavours in the Work that Christ had called them to Therefore I say in these respects it was more expedient for them to have the presence of the Spirit than Christ's Bodily presence amongst them And thus now I have finished this Point as to the Explication Proof and clearing of it Now briefly to speak something by way of Application and so to wind up all in three or four words Application 1. Then hence we are to be admonished and warned to take heed That our Hearts and Affections be not inordinately set upon any Creature-Comfort though never so near and dear unto us Because they must be taken away from us or we from them If we had the Bodily presence of Christ amongst us we are not to set our hearts inordinately upon him meerly for his Bodily presence so as to have our Hearts as it were rent or torn asunder for the want of his bodily presence So whatever Creature-Comfort we enjoy in this World take heed that our Hearts and Affections be not inordinately set upon them because there will come a time when we must part they must go from us or we must go from them as Christ told his Disciples here it is expedient for you that I go away and this was that that did fill their hearts so with Sorrow because they were so inordinately set upon his bodily presence There are no Creature-Comforts that we can enjoy in this World but we must be taken from them therefore it should be our Wisdom to have our hearts and affections set loose from them because the closer we are glued to any Creature-Comfort the greater rending and tearing there will be when we come to be deprived of it Truth is our hearts and affections are apt to cleave too close to creature-comforts as outward Relations Husbands or Wives Parents or Children our hearts are apt to be glued too close to them to be inordinately set upon them and therefore hence it comes to passe that it is so grievous to us to part with them and that we are so inordinate in our sorrow and grief when the Lord saith it is expedient for you that I take this or that Comfort from you and therefore we should do well to follow the Apostles Counsel and Admonition which he gives us 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. To use the World as if we used it not to enjoy as if we enjoyed not to possesse as if we possessed not for the fashion of this World passeth away It passeth away from us and therefore let us take heed that our hearts and affections be not inordinately set upon any creature-comfort Brethren if we set our hearts upon any thing let us set them upon those things that shall never go away from us and look after these things that shall abide with us as to look after Union with Christ by faith which shall never go away from us To look after the pardon of sin and peace with God reconciliation to God through the blood of Christ which shall never go away from us neither shall we go from them therefore now let it be our care and business to chuse the better part that shall never be taken away from us chuse Maries part endeavour after the Communications of the Spirit the Comforter the Holy Ghost which shall abide with you for ever but I say take heed that your hearts and affections be not inordinately set upon any creature-comfort for then your sorrow and grief will be the greater upon your parting with them and it is expedient for you to part either you from them or they from you and you know not how soon That is the first 2. Then Hence we may see our great folly in mourning and grieving immoderately for the parting from or losing and being deprived of any Creature-Comfort or Outward-Enjoyment Here is our folly Because possibly we mourn and grieve for that which is most expedient for us And Is not that folly Though we do not know so much yet the parting with this or that Relation with this or that Child or with all our Children with this Husband or that Wife it may be most expedient for us I say therefore Take heed of grieving immoderately or inordinately for it because it may be our great folly it may be more expedient for us that they go away than that they stay with us And truly now it may be we grieve inordinately for the loss of our Children or such a Child We do not know what they might have proved if the Lord had lengthened out their lives to us they might have proved the greatest vexations that ever we met with in the World though now it may be we cannot think so We do not know how expedient it is it may be more expedient for us that they go away Therefore mourn not inordinately but submit to the holy Will of God that knows what is more expedient for us than we do our selves And so for our Estates the Lord takes away our Estates from us our Livelihood in the World and brings us into a poor and low Estate and Condition Well do not mourn inordinately
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
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
Instrument to convert by his preaching now to see that their conversion was true and real by their continuing in the truth I have no greater Joy in this world saith he And why so I pray Why should this be such a matter of Joy and rejoycing to the hearts of the faithful Servants that their Ministry is made effectual for the Conversion of Souls 1. Upon this Account because Here is a Sign and Token that God hath blessed their Ministry that the Blessing of God from Heaven hath been upon their labours and I pray let me appeal to your selves is it not matter of Comfort Joy and Rejoycing to you that you find your labours and indeavours to have any Success to be blessed of God As now take a Nurse that brings up a Child and she sees the child begins to thrive by her suckling of it and it is the Joy and Rejoycing of her heart as on the other side if she see the Child pine away and doth not prosper 't is the grief of her heart when she takes all this pains and no good comes of it When you plant and sow seed if you take any pains in your Orchard or Garden in grafting and the like and you find that your labour is made fruitful is it not a Comfort to you to go into your Garden and see the seed that you have sown flourish and come up It is rejoycing to you and much more is it to the hearts of the faithful Servants of Christ that their labours in the Ministry are blessed and made fruitful and successful because now here is the more immediate presence of God upon their labours here is the blessing the blessing of God doth more immediately appear in their labours Now in sowing of Seed there is instrumental means and causes of its growing there is Dew and Showers and Rain from Heaven there is the influence of the Sun the fatness of the Soil that concur to cause it grow but now there is much against the Ministry of the Word to work upon the heart there is the corruption of the heart and the temptations of Satan and the World and all to hinder the Gospel from taking effect but now when the Lord makes the Gospel to take effect to become efficacious to the Conversion of Souls of poor Creatures here is now the blessing of Heauen upon his labours and now he hath cause to rejoyce greatly that God is with him and hath blessed his labours and now God doth own him as a Fellow-Labourer together with himself We are Workers together with God saith the Apostle We are Gods Husband men and we are planting for God and God goes along with us and cooperates with us what a mighty cause of rejoycing is this that we have the presence of God with us and the blessing of God upon us nay it is an argument and token that God owns their Ministry and labour and he seals their Ministry and Labour as the Apostle saith Ye are the Seal of our Ministry this is I say matter of great Joy and Consolation in regard it is a Sign and Token that God hath blessed the Labours of his Servants and owned their Ministry 2. 'T is a matter of great Joy and Consolation because now Here is a Testimony that Jesus Christ in Heaven and in his Glory is mindful of his poor Servants here below in the World he doth mind and remember such a poor Servant of his that labours in his Name and doth send down the Spirit to accompany him in his Labours as Christ said here to his Disciples I will send the Comforter and he shall assist you and I will remember you when I am in Heaven I will not forget you Thus Christ now sends down the Comforter the Spirit from Heaven to assist such a poor Minister in his labours and endeavours what matter of Consolation is this to think that Christ from Heaven sends down his Spirit to co-operate with him in his indeavours What matter of Joy and Consolation is this Take but one more 3. It must needs be matter of great Joy and Consolation to the faithful Servants of Christ to think that the Lord should please to make use of such as they are to be Instruments in his hands to pull down the Kingdome of the Devil and to inlarge the Kingdom of Christ That the Devils Kingdom and power should go down and that Souls should be drawn out of his Kingdom by the Labours of his poor Servants what Joy is this When Christ sent his Disciples to preach Luke 10.17 18 it is said They returned again rejoycing saying The Devils are subject to us Ay saith Christ I beheld Satan fall down from Heaven like Lightning Where the Gospel comes there goes such a Presence of the Spirit with the preaching thereof that Sathan goes down and poor Souls are brought out from under his power and Dominion as you know Christ told Paul that he should be instrumental to turn people from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God though they be under the Kingdom and Power of the Devil yet by the preaching of the Gospel when the Spirit concurs and goes along with it poor Souls are translated from the Kingdom of Satan into the Kingdom of his dear Son Col. 1.15 Now what Joy and Comfort must this needs be to the hearts of the faithful Servants of Christ that the Lord should please to make them Instruments in his own hands to pull down the Kingdom of the Devil and to inlarge his own Kingdom that such shall be added to the Lord as shall be saved I say it must needs be matter of Joy and Rejoycing But I would hasten to an end Briefly therefore by way of Application Application And here I might in the first place take occasion to speak a Word of Direction to the Ministers of Christ if it were a fit place and season namely to direct us how we may so preach that we may have most Joy and Consolation The faithfull Servants of Christ have more Joy and Consolation by being instrumental for the Conversion and Salvation of Souls than by all that ever the People of their Congregation can do for them If they may be instrumental in the Lords hand for their Conversion and Salvation this is more Joy and Consolation to them than any thing in the World can be Christ tells his Disciples that this would be matter of Joy and Rejoycing to their Hearts when he was gone from them therefore we should seek to convert and save Souls we should do as the Apostle saith I seek not yours but you we should seek the Conversion and Salvation of Souls and therefore we should be preaching of Faith and of Repentance as the Apostle Paul saith of himself Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and Repentance towards God whereby poor Souls may be converted and saved And we had need be much in pleading with God for the Spirit that the Spirit of the Lord may
go along with our Ministry Our Sermons had need to be watered and soaked in earnest prayer for the Spirit 2. Here is now a mighty Word of Encouragement unto poor Souls to be ready to entertain and receive the Gospel and the Ministration of it to be ready so to receive it into your hearts as it may be a good Word of Conversion and Salvation to your Souls Ay this would be matter of Joy and Rejoycing to the Servants of Christ more than all that ever you can do for them if they may be but instrumental for the Conversion and Salvation of your Souls it will be more Comfort and joy to them than all the World besides Joy to them Ay it will be Joy to the very Angels in Heaven Luk. 15.10 11. There shall be Joy in Heaven over one Einâ—â—â— that repents The Angels of Heaven observe how you come into the Congregation they observe your Carriage and how you take the Word and what impression it makes upon your hearts to Coâ—vâ—ction and Conversion and Salvation it is the Joy and Rejoycing of the Angels in Heaven to 〈◊〉 a poor Soul brought in by the Ministry of the Gospelâ— and do not you think you your selves will have as much cause of Joy and Rejoycing Whereas on the other side if so be the poor Servants of Christ do come and take pains they study and labour and hold forth the Word of the Gospel to you and people come and receive it into their ears and not into their hearts no good done upon them but they remain as carnal as worldly and unbelieving as before and they see no fruit of their Ministry this is the grief of their hearts and Souls they labour and labour and question whether the Lord doth own their Ministry or no they have cause to complain as the Prophet Isa 49.6 I have laboured in vain I have spent my Strength for naught and in vain So the poor Servants of Christ go with a dead heart into their Studies and come to preach with a sad heart when they see no good done no saving Work wrought this is a very Cut to their hearts and Souls and they would rather if they might have their wills cease mentioning of the Name of Christ to people Therefore let it be the desire and endeavour and care of people so to hear and receive the Word into their hearts that it may become effectual and an Instrument in the Lords hand for the Conversion and Salvation of their Souls Objection But you will say Is it in our power I know you think so in your hearts to make the Word convincing and converting and saving Answer I do not say 't is in your power but thus much I may say you may oppose and resist the saving Work of the Gospel upon your hearts and therefore to be found waiting upon the Lord in his way you cannot tell but the Lord may make the Gospel effectual to you for your Conversion and Salvation And therefore let me commend three or four Words by way of Direction in this case and so I shall leave all to the blessing of God Do you desire to have the Word of God made effectual for the convincing and converting and saving of your Souls Then 1. Be much and earnest in praying for the Spirit to go along with the Preaching of the Word into your hearts and Souls Ay pray much for that O! before you come you should be careful to wrestle with God for the presence of the Spirit to go along I fear Brethren that people are careless in this Point they come reeking out of the World and from their business and never wrestle with the Lord for the presence of his Spirit to assist the Preaching of the Word that it may become effectual and profitable to your Souls and so you go away as you come Therefore I say as the Apostle Jude v. 24. Be building up your selves in your most holy Faith But how shall we build up our selves in our most holy Faith how shall we do it why saith he Praying in the Holy Ghost that is the way Beg earnestly for the Spirit for the Holy Ghost to accompany the Word and make the Word profitable and effectual to you That is one Direction I do but name it I pray remember it 2. As we do desire to have the Word made effectual for Conviction Conversion and Salvation to our Souls Then attend upon the Preaching of the Gospel as the Lords Ordinance for that very End that he hath appointed it namely for Conversion and Salvation This is the very End for which God hath appointed the Preaching of the Gospel to be a saving Word a Word of Salvation to poor Souls that is the very End of the Gospel it is appointed for that End Eph. 4.11 12. saith the Apostle Christ when he ascended up on high he gave Gifts to men Ministerial Gifts he gave Pastors and Teachers for the edifying of the Body for the bringing home of Souls to the Body for the perfecting of the Saints So that those that are Saints should still attend upon the Gospel for more edifying for the saving work to be carried on This is the very Intendment of the Preaching of the Gospel God hath ordained it for this end and purpose therefore wait upon it for that end attend upon it as the Word of God which he hath appointed for that end 1 Thess 2.13 We are always bound to give thanks to God for you beloved Brethren because when you heard the Word you received it not as the Word of man but as it is indeed the Word of God which worketh effectually in them that believe Ay receive it as the Word and the Word of God for that End that God hath appointed it and through the presence of the Spirit it will become effectual Mark how it wrought in Cornelius and his Family Acts 10. Cornelius was directed to send for Peter to preach to him and Cornelius in the mean time had gathered together the Congregation his Friends and Relations he had got them together that they might hear the Gospel as well as himself when Peter came he preached Christ to them Now saith Cornelius we are all here before the Lord to hear whatever God hath directed thee to speak to us we are here to attend upon it as the very Word of God and Peter opened his mouth and preached the Gospel to them and it is said The Holy Ghost fell upon them all that heard it v. 44. and then saith Peter verse 47. Can any man forbid Water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we Attending upon the Preaching of the Gospel as Gods Ordinance and Institution for saving ends and purposes for Conversion and Edification and Salvation this is the way whereby we may have the Gospel made effectual to us we shall be brought to receive it and receiving of it we shall be brought into a state of
Salvation and further built up in our most holy Faith That is the second Direction 3. Receive the Ministration of the Gospel with humility of Spirit and meekness I say receive it with all humility and meekness of Spirit that is the way whereby it may be made effectual to Salvation When people come and say they can tell as much as the Minister can tell them and they had as good stay at home and read a good Book and not câ—ming to it as Gods Ordinance with a teachable frame of Spirit being willing to hear what the Lord will say how can the Word become effectual but now when a Soul comes with meekness of Spirit to hear what the Lord will say and then as Psal 25.9 The Lord will teach the meek and saith the Apostle James 1.21 Receive with meekness the ingrafted Word which is able to save your Souls receive it with meekness with an humble Spirit to receive whatsoeever the Lord shall please to direct his Servants to speak And let me add but one thing more and I will have done and that is this 4. Be careful to receive the Word and Truth in the Love of it and to mixe it with Faith Receive it in the Love of it Truly if so be we have no Love to the Truth and the Word when we come to attend upon it it may be just with God to give us up to believe Lies as that hath been the very Judgment of God upon the Antichristian World for these 1200 years together for this very Sin for not receiving the Truth in the love of it 2 Thess 2.11 12 13. Because they received not the Truth in the Love of it therefore God gave them up to strong delusions to believe Lies And Antichrist hath prevailed to this Day upon that very account Therefore remember that we be ready to receive the Truth in the Love of it as to say This is a Truth of God and though I have heard it before yet it is a Truth and the Lord would have this Truth spoken to me and I must receive it in the Love of it and then mix it with Faith Hâ—b 4.2 They had the Gospel preached to them as well as we and The Word preached did not profit them that heard it why because they did not mixe it with Faith in their hearts What is this mixing the Word with Faith Truly when the Lord perswades the Heart to receive whatever is spoken as spoken from the Lord to me this Word the Lord doth intend for me and makes a particular application of it this is the proper work of Faith to apply the word spoken to our selves as spoken from the Lord to us And thus the word cometh to be effectual through the Spirit either in a way of Conviction or Conversion or for the Furtherance of the Salvation of the Souls of any But thus much shall suffice at this time The Holy Ghost convinceth of Sin SERMON IV. JOHN 16.9 Of Sin because they believe not on me YOU have heard the scope of these words already which in short is this Christ would here comfort his Disciples against their sorrow which they had for his going away from them Because I said these things unto you saith he Sorrow hath filled your hearts Now Christ is speaking here in a way of Comfort to sustain and support the hearts of his Disciples against that grief and sorrow that did possess them And how doth he comfort them He tells them that his spiritual presence shall be more advantagious to them than his bodily presence could be The presence of the Spirit which he would send to them saith he he shall be a Comforter to you If I go away I will send the Comforter to you and that shall be more than my bodily presence to you whereas If I go not away the Comforter will not come Ay but how shall the presence of the Spirit be in stead of Christ's bodily presence to them and make up that loss to them Christ tells them for that wherein the presence of the Spirit with them after his going away would be equivalent and correspondent to his own bodily personal being with them But wherein He tells them namely because when the Spirit comes he shall co work with them in their Ministry so as their Ministry shall be made efficacious and effectual to the furtherance of the Salvation of many Souls The Spirit shall go along with their Ministry and this Christ gives in by way of Comfort to his Disciples Hence we Observed the last time That it is matter of exceeding great Joy and Consolation to the faithful Servants of Christ that through the operation and co-working of the Spirit their Ministry is made effectual for the good of Souls This is a great matter of joy and rejoycing for observe it Christ doth lay this down as a comfort to preponderate and out-weigh their sorrow that they had in their hearts in respect of his going away from them But I shall not speak to any thing that was then spoken to But still it may be said But how shall the Spirit concur with our Ministry to make it effectual for the Conversion and Salvation of Souls Saith Christ When he is come he shall convince the World The presence of the Spirit with your Ministry shall convince the Men of the world Convince them Of what Now here he tells them You heard in the general from the 8th Verse He shall convince the World of Sin and of Righteousness and of Judgement But now in these 9 10 and 11 Verses he comes to shew particularly the work of the Spirit in convincing the World and he gives the reason of every particular that the Spirit shall convince the World of Of Sin Because they believe not in me And again He shall convince the world of Righteousness Why Because I go to the Father and ye see me no more And again He shall convince the world of Judgment Why Because the Prince of this World is judged I shall speak only to the first of these at the present through the Lords assistance He shall convince the world of Sin Of Sin and this in order to their Conversion and Salvation Why Because Christ speaks this by way of Consolation to the hearts of the Disciples now this would be matter of Comfort indeed that their Ministry should be made efficacious for the Conversion and Salvation of Souls Therefore this convincing the world of Sin is in order to Salvation There are two Points to be spoken to from the Verse But I shall only take up one to speak to at present through the Lords assistance and that is this Doctrine That it is the first work of the Spirit of God in order to the Conversion and Salvation of any Soul to convince the Soul of Sin I say the first work of the Spirit of God in order to Conversion and Salvation of Souls is to convince of Sin For here Christ speakes of the work
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
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
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
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
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
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
for a supply of them and is unsatisfied without them Whosoever he is that is thus Let him come to me Now I say this same spiritual thirst of the Soul is very necessary else the Soul will hardly ever come to Christ for to be supplyed Like as it is with a man that hath no ailment at all at lest no sence of it tell him of a Physician he will not stir a step after him for cure Those that are truly thirsty and have not wherewithal to supply themselves they are they that will come to Christ And hence it is that when Christ would stir up those of Laodicea to come unto him he doth it by shewing them their spiritual wants Thou saist saith he that thou standest in need of nothing that thou art full and standest in need of nothing But I say saith Christ that thou art blind miserable and naked First Christ doth convince them as it were of their need of a thirst and then holds forth the Water of Life Here 's the first thing opened What we are to understand by this thirst They who are truly thirsty let them come to Christ But 2. What is this coming to Christ or how may the Soul come unto Christ to drink of the water of life As I said before concerning thirst 't is not a thirst of the body but a thirst of the soul In what way may the Soul be said to come unto Christ Briefly three ways the Soul that is athirst may be said to come to Christ 1. First We are to come to Christ in the way of his Ordinances attending upon his Word to hearken to Christ there Let him come to me in the way of mine Ordinances As in Scripture phrase in that place before mentioned Isa 55.2 3. Coming is an hearkening diligently enclining the ear Come unto me by enclining of your ear Jesus Christ is usually to be found in his own way in his ordinances Mat. 28.20 Lo I am with you alway even to the end of the World yea in his Ordinances in the administration of the Gospel I am with you Then come to the place where Christ is or where he may meet with you Received you the Spirit by the hearing of the Law or by the preaching of Faith that is the Gospel Ye received the Spirit saith the Apostle Paul by having the Gospel preached he compares the preaching of the Law and the preaching of the Gospel and calls the preaching of the Law the Letter and the preaching of the Gospel the Spirit To come to Christ to wait upon Christ in his own way where he gives out this water of life he that receives of this water of life must be found in the way where Christ comes as Zaccheus was when Christ said to him this day is Salvation come to thy house This was beyond his desire and beyond his thirst Would you come to Christ come into his Galleries come into my sister my Spouse Would you come to Christ come where he is and see he walks in the midst of his golden Candlesticks there wait upon him in the way of his Ordinances and here what he will say unto you for a supply of your wants 2. Secondly Come unto Christ in a way of Asking by asking of him the waters of life So we are to come and this is called a coming to the Lord in the Hebrews He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Chap. 11.6 He that comes to God how in a way of prayer and so to seek grace to help in a time of need come in a way of prayer And see how he directed the Woman of Samaria Christ asked her a little water and she denyed him well saith Christ If thou hadst asked of me I would have given thee living water how would he have given her living water why in a way of asking 3. Thirldy We are to come in a way of Faith And so saith Christ here in this Text If any man thirst let him come and drink that is he that believeth in me and so this coming to Christ is expounded to be believing John 6.35 He that cometh unto me shall never hunger and he that believeth in me shall never thirst Look now as unbelieving is a departing from the Lord Heb. 10.38.39 Take heed if any man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him But we are not of those that draw back but of them that believe to the saving of the Soul O! an evil heart of unbelief is a departing from God and so then by believing the soul is said to come to God to draw neer to God But what is that coming unto Christ or believing in Christ whereby the Soul shall be fully satisfied is it a believing that Jesus Christ is the Messias the Saviour of the World the very Devils do believe this No but briefly This Believing is namely The Souls rest and relying and trusting upon Christ for acceptance in the sight of God for remission of sins for Salvation and eternal life Trusting and relying upon Christ and his merits for Salvation a putting confidence in the Lord. Now when the Soul doth rely and venture through a Word of invitation in the Gospel through Christs invitation doth adventure to rely upon his merits to be wholly accepted in the sight of God This now is a coming to Christ And now saith Christ If any man thirst Let him câ—me unto me and he shall drink Let not any here move contention and say what do you bid us come to Christ why this holds forth free Will Why know that such exhortations usually and frequently are in all the duties that the Holy Ghost requires of us which he knows we have no strength to do the Lord calls us to pray and 't is our duty so to do and to believe but we have no strength and power of our selves but we must not stand upon cavelling and say 't is but a folly for us to be striving seeing we can do nothing but it is our duty to be doing what lies in us to the performance and wait upon the Lord for his coming in with power to enable us to perform as Lazarus when he was in the grave Christ called and with his word power was given forth and he came out So now we should indeavour to rely and trust upon Christ in his grace and in his promise to have a supply of this same Water of life and not to give over and cavil That is a third to shew what way the Soul that is truly a thirst should come to Christ Then 3. Thirdly Such as being athirst and do come to Christ they shall certainly be supplyed They shall certainly have a full supply and it freely given them for so saith Christ If any man thirst let him come and he shall drink freely He doth not expect any thing or hold forth any price but they whoever come shall drink freely