THE SPIRIT CONVINCING OF SINNE OPENED In a Sermon before the Honorable HOUSE of COMMONS Assembled in Parliament upon the solemne day of their Monethly Fast Novemb. 26. 1645. By PETER STERRY sometimes Fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge AND NOW Preacher of the Gospel in LONDON Published by Order of the House of Commons LONDON Printed by Matth. Simmons for Henry Overton and Benjamin Allen and are to be sold at their shops in Popes-head Alley 1645. To THE HONOURABLE THE KNIGHTS BURGESSES OF THE HOUSE of COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT GOD hath promised his people to carry them on the Eagles Wing The onely desire and humble endeavour of your lowest servant in Christ hath been to work with God in this Sermon that your Soules Counsels Warres may be carried on by the Spirit of God who in the language of the Scriptures is not onely the Dove for Purity and Peace but also the True Eagle for Wisdome and Power Worthy Senatours if you knew this Spirit you would ask Him of your Saviour and Hee would be in you a Fountain of Counsell and Strength springing up to Everlasting Peace and Glory But have you not known The Spirit His sound hath gone forth into all your Eares All the Scriptures speak of Him as they doe of Jesus Christ Daniel was chosen by the King of Assyria to sway the great affaires of that vast Empire because the Spirit of the immortall God was found in him David was a Statesman Wiser then his Teachers David was a Souldier His fingers were skil'd in fighting his hands train'd up to Victory over Wild Beasts Giants Armies of Men was not the Spirit the Lamp of God which shone thus gloriously on David's Court and Camp which made his Throne so great Thy Word saith he was a Light to my Feet The Word of God is the Spirit of God saith St. Paul The Sword of the Spirit a which Spirit not Sword is the Word of God This made David when hee had sin'd cry Take not thine Holy Spirit from me When the Spirit of God once left Saul an evill Spirit came upon him which vex't him which haunted him to the losse of his kingdome and life together Honourable Fathers of your Countries I humbly move to know By what Title you sit there and rule over us Is it not as Powers on Earth But All power on Earth as well as in Heaven is given to Iesus Christ You are Substitutes and Vice-gerents to the Lord Iesus Look then to Iesus the Beginning and End of your Authority God hath laid the Government on his Shoulder What is his sufficiency for it The Spirit of the Lord resteth on him and this is A Spirit of Counsell and Might in him You who sit at the right hand of the Lord Iesus in this Common-wealth as the Lord Iesus sits at the right hand of his Father in that Kingdome which is over all pray that the same Spirit which was powred forth on him may be by him powred forth on you So shall you be Messiahs anointed ones and Saviours to this people Can You be able to rule over any spot of this earth when Jesus Christ was not fit for the government of the whole without the Spirit Do you put your whole trust in the promises of God and expect by them to be made partakers of every blessing Do you believe the promises made in the Word of God I hope I may say at least with as good confidence as Paul said it to Agrippa I know you believe them This is the promise The Spirit shall lead you into all truth You are now searching into the deep things of God which concern Religion Live in the Spirit and the Spirit shall bring all into your minde and shew you the things of Iesus Christ It behoves you to know the method of Satan the stratagems and dark deeps of the Devill himself in mysteries of State and Religion Walk in the Spirit hee shall lead you into their chambers as hee did Ezekiel and let you see what mischiefes they are there contriving in secret This is the promise The Spirit of God and of glory shall rest on his servants in their conflicts and sufferings Sit still in all humble resignation of your selves to the working of this Spirit that hee may rest on you so shall hee manage your counsels finish your wars and end all your sufferings with glorie I shall conclude my Epistle with an humble Petition to your Honours an hearty Prayer for you My humble Petition is that You would ever remember to converse as Doves among Doves with this Dove He is a tender Spirit take heed of grieving this Spirit where ever hee dwels For by him alone can your hopes be sealed to a day of full accomplishment My hearty Prayer is that as you sit debating in Parliament the appearances of the Holy Ghost may be among you as hee was with the Apostles sitting over them in the form of fiery tongues that when you fight in the field the Holy Ghost may be as a two-edged sword going forth from the mouth of the Lord Iesus into your enemy's hearts that you may never see upon the walls of your house that hand-writing which made Bel-shazzer tremble Your kingdome is divided but in stead of this that uniting and building Principle Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord This is the fervent constant prayer of Your Honours humble servant in Christ Peter Sterry A SERMON PREACHED Before the honorable House of COMMONS Novemb. 26. 1645. being the publike Fast JOHN 16. 8. When he shall come he shall convince the world of sin c. I Will at once open to you the publike scope of this place and the private sense of my Text as it lies imbodied in the Context Our tender-hearted Saviour is now cheering the hearts of his Disciples drooping with the sad presages of their dear Master's death The Lord Jesus sweetly gives them for a revivall of their fainting spirits a gracious promise of his own Spirit This Promise is threefold The Spirit 's 1. Personall Comming 2. Particular Comforts 3. Universall Convictions Pardon me if I be somewhat larger in the Explication of these For this also will serve my purpose which is to set before you the Spirit of the Lord Jesus that Spirit by which we know those things which Reason cannot reach and live not a as Men {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but as b Partakers of the Divine Nature The first Promise is the Personall comming This hath two parts The Person comming Comming of that Person Part 1st The first part is the Person comming It appears to be a Person of whom our Saviour speaks by those demonstrative particles Hee Him It appeares to be some great One a Divine Person by those workes which are to be done by him To comfort hearts To convince a world To be in stead of Christ nay to be a better Comforter then
have annext three Rules 1. Rule Every principle of truth is to be confin'd to its own compasse to its own object To seek out spirituall things by the sent and sagacity of reason were to plough with an Oxe and an Asse Sensus non fallitur circa proprium objectum Sense is not deceived in judging of its own proper object If sense and reason make no other report but this This is the state of things according to our principles this is the appearance of things to us Sense and reason may be admitted for true witnesses But if they will be wise beyond what is written in their book and say This is the only absolute true appearance of things because this is the appearance which things make to us Now sense and reason become blind guides and will lead you into the ditch 1 Cor. 2. 12. Spirituall things are spiritually discern'd By proportion sensuall things are sensually discern'd rationall things are rationally discern'd You cannot reach the things of reason by the hand of sense though it be stretch't out like Jeroboam's towards the Prophet You cannot understand spirituall things Rationally that is upon the grounds of Reason 2. Ru. Right Appearances of things to one Principle of truth may be directly contrary to those which are right Appearances of the same things to another Principle of truth The greatest lights of this world Angels and Invisible things are meere darknesse to the eye of sense The light of this life is darknesse in the language of the Scripture Darknesse it selfe is as the light before the face of God 1 Cor. 2. 14. The wisdome of the Spirit is foolishnesse to the Naturall man The Apostle distinguisheth betweene two men {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Man whose Principle is Rationall soul and Man whose Principle is the Spirit That which is Wisdome to one is Foolishnesse to the other 3. Ru. Lower Principles of Truth cannot comprehend the Higher but they are comprehended and judged by these So Philosophers say that Reason corrects the errors of Sense 1 Cor. 2. 15. The spirituall man judgeth all things but he is judg'd or discern'd by none ver. 9. Eye hath not seen eare hath not heard neither can the heart of mā receive the things of the Gospel See here both Principles of Sense and Reason The senses are too superficial the large heart of Man the vast spirit of Reason in him is too narrow to take in any thing of the spirit But the spirit understands them with all their wayes and workings {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} distinctly and critically These three Principles of truth are as three Circles upon the face of the water one within another the lesser are infolded in the greater but cannot extend themselves to the wide compasse of the greater circle unlesse they break and vanish in themselves that they may become one with it If any man be wise let him become a foole that he may be wise The soule shuts the windowes of sense when she would have the room fill'd with the light of Reason Reason's selfe must first be cast cast into a deep sleep and die before she can rise again in the brightnesse of the Spirit I have dispatch'd the first Distinction Dist. 2d All three Persons in the Trinity are Truth but with their severall and distinct Idioms or Characters The Father is the onely True God Joh. 17. 3. The Son is Truth Joh. 14. 6. The Spirit is Truth Joh. 5. 5. But 1. The Father is Truth in the Root therefore hee is call'd the Father of Lights Jam. 1. 17. 2. The Son is Truth in the Image He is the Image of the Invisible God Coloss. 1. 15. 3. The Spirit is Truth in the Irradiation or Discovery therefore the Spirit is the witnessing Truth 1 Joh. 5. The Spirit is the testifying Truth Ioh. 15. 26. Nazianzen delivers the Doctrine of the Trinity to us from that place of Scripture Psal. 36. 9. In thy light shall we see light 1. The Father is Light in the Fountain Thy Light 2. The Son is Light in the Face or Fulnesse See Light 3. The Spirit is Light in the Flowing or Emanation of it In light The Father is the Light from which is all we see The Son is Light which we see The Spirit the Light by which we see Sin is spiritually discern'd Privations and Habits Perfections and Defects are judg'd by the same faculty The eye discerns light and darknesse Sin is a privation or the absence of Divine Grace Holinesse is frequently exprest by light sin by darknesse Holinesse is a spirituall beauty sin deformity Both are perceiv'd by the same Spirit VSES An Admonition You have dedicated this day and many such dayes to a holy sorrow I know some I beleeve many I hope most of you carry broken hearts in your bosomes thorough these dayes Indeed very nature in you cannot but relent and reason it selfe tremble to see those things which your eyes see Three Kingdomes stand before you this day like those three crosses on Mount Golgotha all laden with broken and bleeding carkasses These three doth your God take as one Text that hee may preach sin to your soules from it that he may convince you of sin by it Behold Scotland comes with her thousands of slain men England with her ten thousands Ireland with her millions besides innumerable multitudes which no man can reckon up of families persons now undone now famishing These come crying to every one of us Our bloods be upon your heads if you weep not for us before our God this day whilest we bleed and dye Sure your hearts doe break at the representation of these things which your selves know to bee at this present farre more sad in Fact then they can be made by any Relation You that are the Fathers of your Countries over all this Nation doe you not often look back upon your severall Countries with a tender and dropping eye Do you not find as much reason and sweetnesse as once David did to sigh and say within your selves Lord we have sin'd wee should have kept this people as their shepheards but we have procur'd their woe Alas what have these sheep done But now is it not pitie that broken hearts should be worthlesse and uselesse that God should say of our Mourning as Solomon sayes of Mirth what doth it Yet so it will be if it be your Reason onely and not the Spirit which by your sufferings convinceth you of your sins If your convictions and contritions be Rationall and no more your groanes will be to God as the unpleasing cry the howling of wild beasts when they are pinch'd with famine or caught in a toyle He that sacrificeth with a heart thus broken will be as if he offer'd a Dog's Heart Doth it not much concern you to know whether your convictions be from a Rationall or Spirituall Principle Are you not eager to
first comes from heaven and that immortall Spirit If you see your sins this day and weep for them though it be only by the Owle-light of your own reason as the Philosopher himself styles it you shall not lose your reward though you may lose your soules But what will it profit you to save three Kingdomes by your sorrows and in the mean time to carry in your own bosomes dying perishing soules of which every single one is more worth than all the world 'T is dreadfull to expresse but I will speak it for your sakes If God should please to put the choice into my hands I had much rather that all these three Kingdomes should be consum'd at once in this very moment with fire from heaven by an outward destruction then that any one the meanest most miserable soule in them should perish everlastingly Draw then water out of that Well of salvation the Spirit and powre it forth before the Lord If the Spirit be the Spring your tears will quench both flames those that burn outwardly and inwardly so you shall at once save these nations and your own soules A Caution If it be the work of the Spirit to convince of sin then it is his work more especially to convince of spirituall Duties and spirituall Truths Take heed of measuring divine things by the modell of Reason Take heed of rejecting what Reason cannot receive St. Paul gives you a full account of the Jews case and ruine in a few words Rom. 10. 3. While they sought after righteousnesse by the Law they fell short because they were ignorant of the righteousnesse of God Feare lest you also fall after the same example of unbelief lest you fall short of the knowledge of spirituall things because you seek it by Reason and know not the Spirit of God It is true all grant that some some say that all truths which come by revelation of the Spirit may also be demonstrated by Reason But if they be they are then no more Divine but humane truths They lose their certainty beauty efficacy they become like the Name of Jesus in the mouth of those counterfeit Exorcists which made them not the Devil's Masters but his scorne Spirituall truths discovered by demonstrations of Reason are like the Mistresse in her Cook-maid's clothes They differ from themselves in their own true shape as those little plump boyes with wings the pictures of Angels in Churches differ from the Angels in Heaven Spirituall things are foolishnesse to the naturall man 1 Cor. 2. chap. No visible shape is so lovely so full of Majesty as that of Man No shape is so deformed ridiculous as the resemblance of man in a beast in the Ape So heavenly things lose their majestie become weak and contemptible when they are represented by Reason only For they are not the things themselves but an apish mimicall imitation of them The Philosopher gives us this rule that wee should seek for sutable demonstrations in every sort of truths and not leape from one kinde to another The Apostle gives us this rule to compare spirituall things with spirituall Spirituall Conclusions with spirituall Principles You will reap both pleasure and profit from this Observation that the true Protestant differs from all sorts of men and Religions by making the three Persons in Trinity according to their severall properties the foundation of all truth 1. He distinguisheth himself from the Atheists by worshipping the Father as the Fountain of truth 2. He dissents from Mahumetans Indians Infidels while he sets up Christ in himself for the only Image of truth 3. By seeking and imbracing the discovery of truth in the Spirit hee differs from all sorts of Christians especially three 1. The Papists a Faction of policy These perswade us to receive the testimony not of the Spirit but of the Church for a Touchstone of truth And this Church is the Popes private Consistory or Generall Councel Thus the Church's Authority not the Demonstration of the Holy Ghost shall be the light of Faith to Truth Thus not content with an Antichrist they set up their Consistory or Councel for an Anti-spirit But wee need no visible Judge on earth to determine upon our consciences What is Scripture what is the sense of Scripture We have an invisible Judge and Witnesse in our own breasts He that believeth hath the testimony in himself 1 Joh. 5. chap. 10. v. for he hath the Spirit 2. The Arminians a Sect of Moralists who give the over-perswading power of the Spirit to strength of Rhetorick and Reason inward or outward 3. A Party of wit and worth so farre as the wit and worth of man can go if they would submit the wit and worth of man to the Power and Wisdome of God The Socinians the Principles of Reason are the pillars of Religion and truth to these men But Reason is a pillar of a Cloud the Spirit only is the pillar of Fire which hath light in it Reason is that Gladius versatilis that sword in that hand of the Cherubim that kept Paradise a sword that turns every way It may keep men from the tree of Life but can never bring them to it Our faith is not in the wisdome of man but power of God 1 Cor. 2. chap. 5. verse Now Worthy Senators give me leave to make my particular addresses to your selves You have commanded me to speak before you how farre so ever I finde my self below a sufficiencie for it I must speak I would not seek to work upon you by art or cunning if I had any skill in these things My earnest desire is with all humilitie and lowlinesse to speak the things of God as a man on whom the earliest glimmerings of the Spirit have scarce yet dawned I have believed so I will speak to you those things on which I fasten the immortalitie of mine own deare soule Pardon mee Honourable Patriots if I speake twice to you once as private Christians a second time as publike persons and Magistrates First As Private Christians If the words of a weak worthlesse man may have place in your large hearts I beseech you to lay up within you and to ponder frequently upon this short word which I am now about to speak Remember Remember not to trust to the strength and wisdome of that Living soule which dwels in the Breast of Man But Have all your dependance upon that Spirit of the Immortall God which comes forth from our Lord Jesus Christ I speak this to You who are Princes of Reason in whom the Spirit of Man is at a High pitch Your Saviour died that he might send you this Spirit He left you in his fleshly presence that you might have this Spirit with you O wait for him constantly till he come Wait upon him diligently when he is come Saint Hierom thought hee ever heard the last Trumpet sounding in his eares How well should I think my selfe rewarded for all the pains of this day if I