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
clearing of this do you not think that Jesus Christ saith true or that he is to be believed in what he speaks never an one surely but will say that Jesus Christ is to be believed and that they do believe that he speaks truth why then Jesus Christs invitation is to every one in this Congregation to come unto him and therefore why should any stand back and hold off from coming unto Christ If the Lord would perswade your hearts to come unto Christ it would be the happiest day that ever your eyes saw in this World if the Lord would perswade your hearts hereto you should find that Jesus Christ would be as good as his word that you shall drink of this water of life and partake of it for ever and ever and shall never see death eternal death Objection There is one thing more Possibly you will say I do not very well understand how I may come to Christ in a way of faith and believing how or which way doth the soul come to Christ in a way of faith and believing as that the soul shall certainly have of this water of life and that Christ will give of this water of life Answer To open this a little This same coming to Christ I would speak it as plainly as possibly I could and not as a riddle or fancy or notion 'T is an hearkening to Christ in a Word of Promise and the soul is therein to venture it self and rely on or upon him in that Word which he holds forth and when the soul doth venture and close with all this is now a coming unto Christ when the Lord gives out an invitation a gracious Promise which holds out mercy and eternal life and in the hearing of it the Lord perswades the soul of the truth and reality of it it is perswaded to trust in it to rely upon it and to expect an accomplishment and performance of it And because I would not speak it as mine own words alone I speak it as the Virgin Mary did when the Angel came to her Luke 1.38 Then said Mary Behold the Servant of the Lord be it unto me according to thy Word This was now a believing a trusting and a relying on the Word of the Lord she was a Virgin and the Angel answered her in that as she had no more to say but to rely upon the Word of Promise Behold the Handmaid of the Lord be it unto me according to thy Word whence was it it was from this speech the holy confidence and expectation of the fulfilling of that promise to her And so effectual calling is an hearkening unto the Lords call the soul being perswaded to receive the Word closing with returning answer to the Word then the soul is effectually called So also there is an ineffectual Call unto which the soul doth not answer but looks upon the Word of the Lord by his Servants as words of wind and words of course but as this same accepting of this gracious invitation and promise which he holds forth is effectual calling why so the neglecting of these I say is a refusing to hear him that speaks from Heaven Take heed that you do not refuse him that speaks from Heaven that is now when the Lord speaks in his invitation by gifts and outward calling this invitation being propounded and made and men make light of it is an ineffectual calling so now when upon the invitation of the call of the Lord in his promise there is an yielding obedience unto that call in faith it 's called the obedience of Faith Rom. 16.26 When the soul doth yield unto the Lord in the voice of the Promise close withal and receive and embrace it looking upon it as worthy of all acceptation receiving it with both hands as it were when the soul doth thus venture to rely upon the Word venturing it self upon the Lord in his Promise that if I perish I will perish there I will venture my self upon the Lords Word and Faithfulness This is effectual Calling 2 Tim. 1.12 I know saith Paul in whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he will keep that good thing which I have committed unto him against that day I have committed my soul concernments unto him and I trust them in his armes When the soul doth venture thus upon the gracious Word of invitation doth receive it and committeth it self unto the Lord in it this is a closing with Christ and the anwer of the heart unto the Lords call and this is a coming unto Christ So that when you venture upon the Lord in his Word you close with him in it it is soon said yea soon done the soul may come and close with Christ in the Promise and that soon too so pass from death unto life Therefore ask your own hearts in the Presence of the Lord seeing Jesus Christ doth make such a gracious Invitation for to come unto him and venture upon him in his Word whether it can be free and ready to say now Lord let it be according to thy Word to me say in this manner as in the presence of the Lord Lord upon this gracious invitation of thine in the Gospel I desire to rest and hope upon the faithfulness of thy Word and to accept thereof and trust in it Can you say it in the presence of the Lord you whosoever you are that seem to be afar off though possibly you might have had some glimmering hopes hoping sometimes that the Lord would be merciful to you and presently fearing your eternal condition Well I speak it to you that are old men and women and possibly old sinners that have lived in sin all your lives long and possibly are even hopeless in your selves and ready to cast out words of despair and so in a hopeless condition in your selves to you the Lord this day calls to come in unto him and to hearken to this invitation and if you now come unto him you shall have of the water of life And you young Men and Maids I would leave out none who are capable of partaking of this water of life consider the Question again Are you willing to be saved Let your hearts speak it out between the Lord and your own souls upon this Word of thy grace unto which thou hast invited me this gracious Promise I do now commit my soul to thee and rely upon this thy Word of Grace and rely upon thy faithfulness to accomplish it to me and have your souls thus answered unto the Lord let it be unto me according to thy Word let me say it in the name of the Lord unto you This day is salvation come unto thy soul this day hath Jesus Christ given eternal life unto thy soul this day the Lord hath taken thee into Covenant with himself and hath vouchsafed thee to be his And I speak it in the authority which Jesus Christ hath given me in his word even every one that thus comes to Christ
which is hard to be believed yet nevertheless I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that the Lord do with-hold his Presence sometimes from his own Ordinances to his own Servants Yet once more 8. Eightly and lastly which is still yet higher It may be expedient sometimes for the Saints and Servants of Christ to be deprived of seeing the face of God and enjoying the Sense of Gods favour which in Truth is the most desirable thing in the World it is eâ—en a Heaven upon Earth a beginning of Heaven to see the face of God and to enjoy the sence of the favour and loving-kindness of God Saith David In thy favour is life my life lay in that nay saith he Psal 63.3 Thy Loving-kindness is better than Life and yet I tell you sometimes it is expedient for the Servants of God to be deprived even of the sence of the favour and loving-kindness of God sometimes the Lord sees it expedient for him to go away in that sence and therefore you find sometimes how David complains Psal 13.1 2. How long O Lord how long wilt thou hide thy face from mee for ever And so Isa 14.8 For a little moment I hid my face from thee It was expedient for them that God did with-hold or hide his face or the sense of his Loving-kindness from them Nay Brethren shall I say further if it were possible for a Saint to enjoy or to see the face of God in Heaven as the Angels and Saints do yet as long as they are upon the Earth it is expedient sometimes for them to be deprived of that too You know Moses was in the Mount with God but it was expedient for Moses to come down from the Mount again so long as he was clothed with flesh it was expedient for Moses to come out from the immediate Presence of God And you know what Paul saith That he was wrapt up into the third Heavens and saw things unlawfull and impossible to utter yet it was expedient for Paul that he should be deprived of seeing and enjoying that Vision till he came to lay down the body And thus now you have seen the first thing propounded The Demonstrations of this Truth by some particular Instances That it is expedient sometimes for the Saints and Servants of Christ to be deprived of those Comforts that are nearest and dearest to them in the World as Christ tells his Disciples here Nevertheless I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away that they should be deprived of his personal Presence I had intended to have gone on further to have made it appear to you by the grounds of it There are five or six Grounds whereby it doth certainly appear that it is most expedient sometimes for the Servants of Christ to be deprived of their nearest and dearest Comforts they have in the World and then to come to the third thing but I would not willingly trespasse only remember this every one of you here before the Lord We do not know how soon any of us may be deprived of those things that are looked upon as our nearest and dearest Comforts when it comes to be our lot remember what Christ saith It is expedient for you that I go away it is expedient for you to be deprived of this and the other Comfort of your Estates of your Accomodations Liberty and Ordinances and though now you may enjoy Communion with God yet it may be expedient for you to be deprived of it remember that And if any of you be deprived of your near Relations as Children remember what Christ hath here spoken It is expedient for you that I go away it is expedient for you that the Lord hath taken away such a Child such a Son or such a Daughter though it be an only Child yet it is expedient for you that it be taken away But I would not proceed any further at present SERMON II. John 16.7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth 't is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send him unto you OUR Lord Jesus Christ as you heard is now comforting his Disciples against his departure Christ had cast out a word that he was to go away from them and the word went to their very hearts Because I have said these things unto you sorrow hath filled your hearts Now Christ goes about as I said to comfort them against their sorrow upon his departure from them and he gives this as a ground of Comfort to them namely That it was expedient for them that he should go away from them Expedient they thought it was impossible How could that be What To lose the Bodily presence of Christ to be deprived of that Yes saith he I tell you the truth It is expedient for you that I go away Why How can it be expedient It is expedient Because if I go not away the Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send him unto you I will see that he shall come unto you Therefore saith he It is expedient that I go away Doct. The Point or Truth propounded from hence was this That it is expedient sometimes for the Disciples and Servants of Jesus Christ that their nearest and dearest Comforts that they have in this World should go away from them Jesus Christ his presence was most dear and precious to the Disciples there was nothing in the World more dear and precious to them they would have laid down their lives for him not only Peter said so but so said all the Disciples now yet Christ told them it was expedient for them that he should go away I gave you the Demonstrations of this Point the last time I instanced in 7 or 8 things wherein it was sometimes expedient for the Saints and Servants of Christ to be deprived of their nearest and dearest Comforts in this Life which I shall not now mention because I would finish this Point at this time II I shall now proceed to the second thing propounded which is to give the Grounds and Reasons of it Why it is expedient for the Saints and Servants of Christ thus to be deprived sometimes of their nearest and dearest Comforts in this World This is a hard saying the Disciples were hard to believe it that it could be expedient for them that Christ should go away from them And so for a Soul to be deprived of the Light of Gods Countenance that they cannot meet with God in holy Duties and Ordinances these are hard things to believe that they can be expedient for them Now to give you some Reasons why it is expedient sometimes for the Saints and Servants of Christ to be deprived of their nearest and dearest Comforts in this World 1. Though they cannot think so yet notwithstanding Because their Heavenly Father knows it to be expedient for them Their heavenly Father who is infinitely wise and
it is his very Being his very Essence for he is a God of Truth and in comparison of him all men in the World are liars Let God be true and every men a liar Rom. 3.4 He is so infinitely true that he is Truth it self and it is impossible for him to lie as the Apostle saith Tit. 2. God must cease to be God if any untruth should be found in him and yet now mark Unbelief doth cast so great a reproach upon God as to say God is a liar You have it expresly 1 John 5.10 11. He that believeth not on the Son of God hath made God a liar because he believeth not the record that God hath given of his Son Now what is the record that God hath given of his Son Verse 11. This is the Record that God hath given to us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son Here is the Record that God from Heaven doth hold forth in the Gospel here is eternal life and Salvation to be had through Jesus Christ to every one that doth believe this is the great Truth that the Gospel doth hold forth now such as do not receive this Truth and Testimony Unbelievers that remain in their unbelief they go on every day to make God a liar Question But you will say how do we by unbelief make God a liar Answer How briefly thus When a Soul goes on notwithstanding God holds forth this Record that here is Eternal Life to be had by believing on Christ this is the great Truth that God doth bear witness to in the Gospel now when people do no more regard this so great Truth though it be daily held forth to them yet they regard it no more than they do the Words of one that they know to be an arrant Liar Now one that is known to be a liar if he should promise a man never so much he would make no great matter of it he promiseth to furnish him with mony at his need but he doth not trust to it he knows he is a liar and therefore he is fain to provide for himself as well as he can Thus it is God doth promise eternal life to the soul that doth accept of Jesus Christ if you will believe on Christ here is eternal life for you this is the great Truth that God doth bear witness to in the Gospel now this Gospel is preached and published and proclaimed Now when people have no more regard to this great Truth of the Gospel than they have to the words of a liar then they make God a liar they say this is a lie let God say what he will I will not believe a word of it but we will look for salvation another way we will shift for our selves as well as we can by our own duties and services we will find the life in our own hands so long as any poor soul goes on in a course of unbelief he goes on continually to say that God is a liar O Brethren would it not make your ears tingle and your hearts ake to hear a man go up and down the streets saying God is a liar I will not believe one word that he saith you would say if the man were in his wits it is pity that he is suffered to live thus to blaspheme the true God Why truly this is the case and course of every one that lives under the Gospel under this Record that God doth bear concerning Jesus Christ and eternal life to be had in him and yet they go on in a course and state of unbelief and make nothing of all this they do proclaim and say that God is a liar and I do not believe one word that he saith what desperate and horrible blasphemy is this It may be you make no great matter of this but notwithstanding thus it is the Holy Ghost saith He that believeth not the Record that God hath given of his Son he makes God a liar And is not this a great sin to strike at the very Being of God for if God be not a God of Truth he must cease to be God That is the second Demonstration That Unbelief as it is a sin so it is the greatest of sins But then 3. Unbelief appears to be a great sin Because it is that whereby people do despise with the greatest despite the greatest kindness and favour that God can shew to poor creatures they do as it were spurn and kick away the kindness of God with a spurn of the foot God in the Gospel doth hold forth the greatest kindness and favour that can be shown to poor sinners he offers to them life and salvation peace and pardon and reconciliation Now for persons not to regard this O! it is a despising with the greatest despite the highest kindness and favour that God can shew to poor sinners I pray do but consider three or four things that you may see what a high contempt it is of the greatest kindness that can be shown to poor creatures 1. Consider but the State and Condition of those to whom God doth offer and tender his Grace in the Gospel What are they to whom God proclaims his Gospel and offers pardon and reconciliation and peace and life and salvation Who are they A company of poor condemned creatures that are under the sentence of eternal death and condemnation poor hopeless and helpless undone creatures We are all under a sentence of eternal death continually so long as we are in a state of unbelief The soul that sinneth it shall dy God hath pronounced this sentence upon every sinners head Now that God should offer and tender and shew himself ready to shew kindness unto poor undone creatures poor condemned creatures condemned to eternal death and for such poor creatures to slight this kindness Is not this a sin and provocation with a witness Is it not a great kindness for a King to shew such favour to a poor condemned creature that is ready to the Gallows if the King should send him his pardon It would be counted a kindness and a favour indeed Truly Brethren we are all condemned creatures sentenced to eternal death now that God should be pleased to have any intendment of good will and favour towards such as we are especially if you consider the state of Angels that fell and are under a sentence of eternal condemnation that God should leave them hopeless and helpless for ever pass by them and shew favour to poor sinful mankind here is a favour and kindness indeed We might all have perished and God had lost nothing at all he had been infinitely glorious and just for ever And then again 2. Consider how God hath set his infinite Wisdom on work to contrive and find out a way to manifest his goodness and favour to poor sinners which all the Angels in Heaven could never have done that there should be a way found out to save sinners that have infinitely offended and wronged the justice of
not some of the Disciples ask him before whither he went John 13.36 Simon Peter said unto him Lord whither goest thou Jesus answered Whither I go you cannot follow me now but you shall follow me hereafter Lord saith he why cannot I follow thee now Why then doth Christ say here none of you ask me whither goest thou when Peter expresly asked the Question before Answer To this I answer The Question that Peter put to Christ whither he went was not so much to understand his Exaltation and Glory and the End of his going away as out of presidence of his own strength and ability to follow Christ but now Christs meaning is when he saith None of you ask me whither goest thou that is you do not understand the end of my going away from you you do not know wherefore I go to my Father and therefore Sorrow hath filled your hearts and then he blames them for being so sad and sorrowful for his going away Verse 6. Because I said these things to you Sorrow hath filled your hearts if they had known that Christ was now going to the Father to be exalted at the right hand of God they would not have been so sorrowful no saith Christ John 14.28 If ye had loved me ye would have rejoyced because I said I go to the Father for my Father is greater than I. Now observe and take notice of this That it is displeasing unto Christ to see any of his Disciples and Servants to be immoderately sorrowfull upon any account though it was upon the account of his departing from them and their losing his Presence yet notwithstanding Christ would not have them immoderately sorrowful he blames them for it and now sayes he because I said these things to you Sorrow hath filled your hearts And further he comes to lay down some Comforts and Antidotes against their Sorrow here in the Text the 7th verse wherein by way of Comfort he tells them 1. That it was expedient for them that he should go away It is expedient for you not only expedient for me that I go to the Father to be exalted in Heaven but it is expedient for you also saith Christ Expedient for you That is one Ground of Comfort to allay their Sorrow And not only so But 2. He doth assert it and affirm it very confidently he would have them fully perswaded of it Because it was hard for them to believe that Christ should leave them and go away from them that they should be deprived of his personal presence was there any thing harder for them to grapple with than that could there be any thing more expedient for them than that he should stay with tnem but saith Christ I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away You may be confident and perswaded of it nevertheless I tell you the Truth And. 3. He doth further amplify this Comfort about his going away by telling of them What Benefit they would have by his going from them Therefore that may sustain and support their Hearts and Spirits Why what shall they get by it saith Christ you shall have something that shall be equivalent to my bodily presence you shall have that that is more expedient for you you shall have the presence of the Comforter the Holy-Ghost and this he doth express both negatively and affirmatively If I go not away the Comforter will not come to you but if I depart I will send him unto you You shall be sure to have the Comforter if I go away when I come to sit at the right hand of my Father I will send the Comforter and you cannot have the Comforter so fully now my presence is with you as you shall have after I am ascended up to Heaven to be glorified And 4. He doth more particularly set out the Benefits they shall have by the presence of the Comforter and amongst other things he saith the Comforter shall be with them to give them success in their Ministry shall make their Ministry effectual and powerful for to convince To convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment Thus you see the Scope of these Words they are spoken by Christ by way of Comfort to his Disciples whose hearts were filled with Sorrow at the hearing of his going away from them Nevertheless I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send him unto you and when he is come he shall reprove the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment I have formerly as you may remember spoken concerning the glorious effects of the Gospel from that Scripture Acts 26.18 Now here you have laid down the Cause whereby the Gospel came to be so efficacious and effectual namely by the presence of the Comforter by the assistance of the Holy Ghost with the Ministry of it You may observe and take notice of it That after Christs Ascension into Heaven immediately their Ministry was more powerfull and more effectual in one Sermon than it was in all the time they were with Christ in his bodily presence three thousand at one Clap were brought in by one Sermon so powerful was the Holy Ghost with them in their Ministry But briefly then before I come to speak to the eighth Verse which principally I aimed at in pitching upon this Scripture I shall take up one Note or Observation which may be of Use and Concernment to us from the 7th verse and that is this Doct. That it is a most certain Truth that it is expedient for the Disciples and Servants of Christ sometimes to be deprived of the nearest and dearest Comforts that they have in this World Brethren the Presence of Christ was the nearest and dearest Comfort that they had in this World yet saith Christ It is expedient for you that I go away from you and that you be deprived of my bodily Presence and because it was a hard thing for them to believe what to be deprived of his Presence that was so dear to them therefore he adds this I tell you the Truth it is true what I say it is no Lye Nevertheless I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away It was expedient that Christ should go away and lay down his Life that he should rise again from the dead and ascend into Heaven and sit on the right hand of God and have all Power and Glory put into his hand and therefore it was expedient for them that they might enjoy all the Fruits of his Death and Resurrection and Ascension and Glorification and Exaltation it was expedient for them in all these respects but more particularly that they might have the Holy Ghost sent down to them Me-thinks Brethren Jesus Christ here comes to his Disciples and speaks to them as a tender-hearted Husband to his dear Wife when he is about to undertake
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
There is no bands in their Death their Strength is firm they are not in trouble as other men They have their Strength and Health and Liberty and their Bones are full of Marrow and their Eyes stand out with fatness and they have more than heart can wish But saith he As for me I have infirmities upon me I am chastised every Morning as duly as the Sun rises every day and all the day long I am afflicted Brethren the Lord sees that it is expedient sometimes that his Servants should be deprived of their Health and Strength 5. To give another Instance To instance in near Relations as to enjoy the comfort of Yoke-fellows to enjoy the comforts of Children Christian-friends and acquaintance these are great Comforts and great Blessings As I remember the Psalmist speaks Psal 128.3 4. He is speaking what a mercy and blessing it is to enjoy Children Thy Children shall be like Olive Plants round about thy Table and thus shall the Man be blessed that feareth the Lord. And saith Solomon Eccles 9.9 Live joyfully with the Wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity These things are great Comforts But yet it is expedient sometimes for the Servants of Christ to be deprived of these Comforts for Children to be deprived of Parents and for Parents to be deprived of Children which are accounted by Parents somtimes their dearest Comforts in this World yet God sees it expedient for them sometimes to be deprived of them by Death Son of Man saith God to Ezech. 24.16 Behold I will take away the desire of thine Eyes with a stroke that is his Wife and she died in the evening Sometimes some are taken away by some suddain accident as all Jobs Children were sometimes they are deprived of them by Persecution they are made to forsake Father and Mother Wife and Children and all for Christ's sake We have forsaken all saith Peter to Christ Mat. 19. latter end And sometimes they are deprived of the Comforts of them by having their Affections from them as Job complains of the Wife of his bosom that she was a stranger to him And the Psalmist Psal 88.8 Said Thou hast put away my acquaintance far from me Brethren it is expedient for us sometimes to be deprived of these Comforts and Relations and verily if our Relations that are taken away from us if they could speak when they are dead Children would say to Parents Father and Mother It is expedient for you that we go away Though it be a dear Babe yet It is expedient for you that I go away Though it be an only Child yet It is expedient for you that I go away And so for other Relations still remember this that it is expedient for the Servants of Christ sometimes to be deprived of their nearest and dearest Relations Christ was as near and dear to the Disciples as any Relation in the World can be near and dear to us yet saith Christ It is expedient for you that I go away 6. To instance in another thing The Ordinances and Institutions of the Lord. They are dear and pretious to the hearts of the Saints and Servants of God they are pretious things and should be dear to every one of us Saith Job Chap. 12.12 I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food He had rather lose his meat and drink than miss of the Word of God And saith David Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me Come let us go up to the House of the Lord. The Ordinances of the Lord they are and ought to be dear unto all the Saints and Servants of God yet for all that I may say it is expedient sometimes for the Servants of Christ to be deprived of the Ordinances of Christ David found this by experience he was deprived of the Ordinances Psal 42.4 saith he When I remember these things I pour out my soul in me for I had gone with the multitude I went with them to the House of God with the voice of joy and praise but now saith he My soul is cast down And so Psal 63.1 saith he I dwell in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is He meant where there are no Ordinances He could not wait upon God in his Ordinances It was expedient for David to be deprived of the Ordinances I remember a passage of the Church Cant. 3. saith she By night on my Bed I sought him whom my soul loveth I sought him but I found him not She could not find Christ she could not enjoy the Ordinances of Christ nor Christ in the Ordinances and truly this hath been and may be the case of the dear Servants of Christ to be deprived of the Ordinances that are near and dear to them Heb. 11.37 38. You see there how those of whom the world was not worthy that they were glad to shift for their lives to run up and down in Mountains and Caves and Dens of the Earth to hide themselves and so were deprived of Ordinances and Communion with Saints and it was expedient for them 7. To instance in another thing yet higher 'T is expedient sometimes for the Saints and Servants of Christ to be deprived of Communion with Christ in holy Duties and Ordinances I may say in this case because possibly it is not easy to be believed as Christ said to the Disciples in the Text Nevertheless I tell you the truth 't is sometimes expedient for the Saints and Servants of Christ to be deprived of Communion with Christ in his Ordidances though this is most dear and precious to them Exod. 20.24 saith God In all places where my Name shall be recorded thither will I come and meet with my People and bless them that is in his Ordinances where his Name is recorded and I say sometimes it is expedient even for the very Saints and Servants of Christ to be deprived of the presence of Christ in his Ordinances of Communion with Christ in his Ordinances sometimes not to see Christ nor to meet with Christ in holy Duties and Ordinances Cant. 3.1 2 3. By night on my Bed saith the Spouse I sought him whom my soul loveth I sought him but I found him not By night on my Bed I sought him I sought him in the Ordinances that is the Bed where Christ hath Communion with his Saints and Servants yet saith the Spouse I sought him on my Bed but found him not And I remember Job hath an expression Chap. 23.8 9. Behold I go forward but he is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him on the left hand where he doth work but I cannot behold him he hideth himself on the right hand that I cannot see him Saith Job I went forward and I went backward I went from Ordinance to Ordinance but I found him not The Lord may see this expedient for his dear Servants and Children even to be deprived of Communion with himself in his own Institutions
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
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
whereof we all are witnesses Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost having received all Power and Authority and Dominion and Government over all Principalities and Powers c. By this means he convinced them of Judgment for the Prince of this World is judged Christ is exalted at the Right hand of God and they had nothing to say against what the Apostle spake but their hearts were pricked and now Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved Thus you see the intendment and scope of Christ in these Words is to comfort the Hearts of his Disciples against his going away and now saith Christ I will send the Comforter unto you and when he is come he shall so assist you in your Ministry that you shall be able to Convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment your Ministry shall be made effectual operative and saving and this he delivereth as an Antidote against their sorrow for his going away from them And here is the Point that I shall briefly take up to speak to at this present if the Lord please Doct. That it is a matter of unspeakable Joy and Consolation unto the faithful Servants of Christ that their Ministry is made effectual through the power of the Spirit of Christ for the saving of poor Souls Christ gives them this very thing as an Antidote as a Comfort and Cordial against their sorrow which their hearts are filled with for his going away from them saith he the Comforter shall come to you and be with your Ministry and make your Ministry effectual and powerful and saving to the Souls of many persons in the World and this he gives as an Antidote against their sorrow And truly I might have said it is a matter of the greatest Comfort that any thing in the World can afford to the faithful Servants of Christ that their Ministry is made effectual to the furtherance of the Salvation of Souls he speaks of it you see as a Comfort suitable to their sorrow that is able to weigh down their sorrow that though they were so filled with sorrow at Christs departure from them yet saith Christ you shall have that that is as comfortable to you as my bodily presence can be you shall have the co-working of the Spirit with you in your Ministry to make it effectual for the furtherance of the salvation of poor Souls For the opening of this Point I shall speak to these four things that are implyed and wrapt up in it 1. That the Ministry of the Gospel is the Means of the conversion and salvation of Souls This is implyed here They shall go out to preach and this should be for their Comfort that they should be instrumental for the conversion and salvation of Souls 2. That it is through the power of the Spirit that the Ministry of the Gospel comes to be effectual for the conversion and salvation of Souls Therefore saith Christ I will send the Comforter to you the Holy Ghost and he shall convince the World of Sin he shall make the Word that you preach efficacious to further the salvation of Souls 3. That as the Ministry of the Gospel alone of it self cannot so neither will the Holy Ghost work efficaciously and savingly to the conversion and salvation of Souls without the Ministry of the Gospel Christ doth not say the Spirit alone shall work effectually and convertingly and savingly no but with your Ministry It was therefore spoken for their Comfort the Spirit shall come along with your Ministry and shall work effectually and convincingly and savingly 4. It is matter of exceeding great and unspeakable Consolation and Joy to the faithful Servants of Christ that their Ministery through the Operation of the Spirit is made efficacious and effectual for the convincing and converting and saving of any Soul Briefly to run over these things 1. That the Ministration of the Gospel is the ordinary Means of the Conversion and Salvation of Souls And therefore hence it is that the Gospel is called sometimes the Word of Salvation Acts 13.26 To you is this Word of Salvation sent the Word of Salvation that is the Gospel and sometimes 't is called the Gospel of Salvation Ephes 1.13 The Gospel of your Salvation saith he and sometimes 't is called Salvation it self Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation If we neglect the Gospel we cannot escape damnation The Gospel is called Salvation beause 't is the Instrument and the means of conversion and salvation And hence it is that people are said to be begotten and born again unto God by the Gospel Saith Paul to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4.15 Though you have ten thousand Instructors in Christ yet you have not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel I have begotten you saith he to be Children of God by the Gospel So Paul writing to Philemon concerning Onesimus at the 10th verse saith he Receive him for I have begotten him in my bonds Paul was then a prisoner and Onesimus ran away from his Master Philemon and came to Paul and he was an instrument to beget him again to God by the Gospel so saith the Apostle to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 15.1 2. The Gospel by which you are saved And so the Apostle James calls it the Word of Truth whereby Souls are begotten to God Cap. 1.8 And so Peter also saith Ye are born again by the incorruptible seed the Word namely the Word of the Gospel So that the Holy Ghost doth testify to us that the Gospel is the Means of the Conversion and Salvation of Souls Question And why so I pray Whence is the Gospel the means of the Conversion and Salvation of Souls Answer In a word it is from hence namely Because God hath so ordained it and appointed it It pleased God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.21 by the foolishness of Preaching to save those that believe God hath appointed and ordained the Gospel and the preaching of it to be a means for the Conversion and Salvation of Souls It pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching not that the Apostle calls it foolishness but he speaks after the manner of the World after the account and esteem that the World had of the preaching of the Gospel As now Cannot we as well read a Chapter at home and edify our selves at home by reading of a Chapter or reading some good Sermons better than we can Hear And thereforeâ— is it not a simple weak foolish thing for us to spend our time so But saith the Apostle count it foolishness if you will It pleased God to ordain by this way of foolishness as the World counts it It pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe 'T is that that God ordains and appoints and institutes for that end and that 's the reason it is a means of
unbelief So Heb. 3.17 18 19. saith the Apostle there But with whom was he grieved fourty years was it not with them that had sinned why what was their sin was it not unbelief and to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief so that God doth punish unbelief 2 Thess 1.8 Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that obey not the Gospel Now what is obedience to the Gospel but believing on Christ which is the great Command of the Gospel They shall be punished with everlasting vengeance that do not obey the Gospel Therefore those things do evidently demonstrate that not believing on Christ is a sin That is the first But 2. Unbelief is not only a sin But it is a very great sin It is one of the greatest sins one of the special sins of all other sins It is the Saying of a Reverend Holy Man saith he The Sin of Vnbelief it is a greater sin than Adultery than Blasphemy than Murder than Sodomy nay saith he 't is greater than all these sins put them all together And methinks Christ here in the Text expressing and making mention of this one sin above all other sins that the Spirit shall convince the World of doth evidence the greatness of this sin when Christ saith He shall convince the World of sin he doth not say he shall convince the World of Murder or Adultery or Sodomy or Blasphemy but of Vnbelief he only mentions this to imply that this is the most provoking sin of all and so Christ speaks John 15.22 If I had not come and spoken to them they had not had sin they had had no guilt of sin at all in comparison of this sin of unbelief if Christ had not come and preached the Gospel to them they had not had sin that is no guilt at all in comparison of this guilt of not believing on Christ this is the sin of all sins this not believing on Christ when he is preached and set forth And how doth that appear To make it a little out that not believing on Christ when the Gospel is preached and Christ is tendered and held forth that now not to believe on Christ is a very great and special sin one of the greatest of all other sins Though for the generality those that do look upon unbelief as a sin yet they look upon it but as a small matter and they are but little humbled for the sin of unbelief they can be humbled for other sins and acknowledge other sins but as for this sin of unbelief it is very rarely laid to heart in any manner as it ought to be because people do not look at this sin of unbelief as the great sin as the sin above all other sins Now a little to demonstrate this that if the Lord please by his Spirit to go along and concur with it we may be convinced of the greatness of this sin or else 't is not all I can say can convince us of the greatness of this Sin 1. It appears from hence that the sin of unbelief is a great sin namely From the greatness of the Punishment that God doth inflict upon men for this sin God doth punish all sin but now as for the Sin of unbelief God doth visit that and punish that with the greatest punishment and that argues 't is a great sin God is a righteous and just God and he never punisheth a sin beyond what it deserves saith the Apostle Rom. 2.6 He renders to every man according to his works Now he renders to unbelievers to them that do not yield obedience of faith to the Gospel that are not brought by the Gospel to believe on Christ he doth render vengeance with a witness unto them as the Apostle saith 2 Thess 1.8 Christ shall come in flaming fire Christ will appear all in a light fire to render vengeance upon them that obey not the Gospel he doth not say to render vengeance upon them that are adulterous or unclean though he will render vengeance to them but here will be the vengeance of all vengeance to them that live under the Gospel and have been intreated and perswaded to accept of Christ and do refuse it he shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance to them Mat. 11.22.24 Christ is there upbraiding those places where he had been preaching the Gospel and they had not received it Verse 21. Wo unto thee Chorazin Wo unto thee Bethsaida Wo unto thee Capernaum Those were the places that had been lifted up to heaven in regard of the means of Salvation Christ came himself and preached the Gospel to them but now saith Christ Wo unto you I tell you it shal be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of Judgment than for you You know Sodom was given to most desperate and abominable wickedness the sin of Sodomy had its name from Sodom and God did visit the sin of Sodom with an exemplary Judgment from Heaven fire and brimstone from Heaven and Sodom went down into Hell Ay but saith Christ their Hell will be a lighter Hell a lesser Hell a more tolerable Hell than the Hell of those that have lived under the Gospel under the preaching of the Gospel where Christ hath been revealed and held forth and yet have not yielded obedience of faith I tell you saith Christ It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of Judgment than for those places And I remember what Christ spake in the Parable Luke 12.46 about that Servant that said in his heart My Lord delayeth his coming and thereupon fell to eating and drinking and abusing his fellow-servants The Lord of that Servant will come in a day that he looketh not for him and in an hour when he is not aware and will cut him in sunder and will appoint him his portion with unbelievers he doth not say he will appoint him his portion with murderers and unprofitable Servants but amongst unbelievers as if the portion of unbelievers was the greatest portion of wrath of all others he will appoint him his portion with unbelievers Brethren from the very vengeance and punishment that God doth visit and punish unbelief withall we may easily conclude and gather that unbelief is one of the greatest sins 2. That unbelief is such a great sin and Oh! that the Lord would open our Eyes that we may see it and be made sensible of it it appears though people are least sensible of it Because it is that which doth cast the greatest reproach upon God of all other sin It casts the greatest reproach upon the God of truth it strikes at the very Being of God though people do not consider it I say unbelief or not believing on Christ it strikes at the very Being of God he is a God of Truth Truth is the very essential Property of God
yet if we have not really come to Christ we fall short of what we might have expected to have met with I thought to have prest the invitation on poor souls that they might come and drink of the water of life but the time is past Thirsty Sinners invited to Christ SERMON IX 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 THE Point or Truth that was before us from these words was this namely That such as being thirsty and come unto Jesus Christ shall certainly have a full and free supply Or as you may take it in the words of Christ If any man be a thirst let him come to Jesus Christ and drink This Jesus Christ did speak and cryed it in the hearing of many thousands saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink You have heard what it is to thirst and what this thirst is it is a thirst of the soul which Jesus Christ here speaks of If any man thirst it implyes these three things 1. There is a sence even an afflictive sence of something that it sees a necessity of As it is with the thirst of the Body if one be truly thirsty he doth not only want water or want drink or moisture but is sensible of it and is afflicted with the sense of it So now this same thirsty soul it hath a sence of spiritual want and is afflicted with the sense of it You may see David cryes out saying I am in a place where no water is And Psal 63. My soul thirsteth for God And the Prophet Isaiah saith The needy seek water and their tongue fails for thirst There is an afflictive sense upon the soul from the want of some spiritual good 2. There is not only a sense of want but there is also an ardent and vehement desire of a supply And 3. The Soul is not only lodging and desiring but is unsatisfied with any thing short of that it desires Several other particulars were insisted upon and I came to a third which now I shall desire to speak to through the Lords assistance Viz. That such as do come to Christ shall have a full supply Every soul that doth come to Christ shall be filled He that comes to me shall not only have a taste but shall have a full supply Let him come unto me and drink He shall not only have a full suyply but a free supply Christ doth not require any thing at all Whosoever he be that comes unto me he shall drink he shall be freely supplyed Rev. 22.17 Let him that is a thirst come And whosoever will let him come and take of the waters of Life freely And Isa 55.1 Ho every one that is a thirst come ye to the Waters He shall be made to drink and be supplied with all spiritual heavenly and eternall Blessings Jesus Christ he is a full supply and though we may have a Notion that in Jesus Christ there is a full supply yet we have a Principle and Notion in us that we have some supply in our selves A Popish Principle Christ may supply us in part but some from our selves and therefore we have a Notion as if we should go unto Christ with money in our hands to buy it of him Therefore a little to clear these things viz. To demonstrate 1. That Jesus Christ will certainly give a full supply 2. That there is a full supply that Christ will give out not a part only but a full supply to all that come to him First That Jesus Christ will give out a full supply of all spiritual Blessings Whatsoever good things the soul can stand in need of or can possibly desire Jesus Christ will give out a full supply unto all them even every of them that comes to him 1. The first Demonstration is taken from The Incomprehensible Fullness that is in Jesus Christ He is a full Fountain not as a Pail or a Bucket drawn from a Well but he is a full Fountain now from out of a fountain â—here is a full supply to be had a man may drink as much as ever he will as much as ever he can hold Now Christ is a full Fountain see what is said concerning Christ Zech. 13.1 In that day there shall be a Fountain set open to the house of David and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness And so Coloss 1. It pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell even all fulness Now if Christ be a fountain a full fountain there is fulness of supply to be had in him Now all fulness of blessings are in Jesus Christ he is a fountain of all spiritual things that are needful for the salvation of a poor soul and there is a fulness of Spirit in Christ John 3.34 For God giveth not the Spirit by measure to him And so Coloss 2.9 't is said It pleased the Father that the fulness of the God-head dwelt in him as Mediator the fulness of the Deity the fulness of the Spirit 2. And then as there is a fulness of the God-head dwelling in him as Mediator and a fulness of the Spirit so there is also a Fulness of all gifts and of all graces in Jesus Christ John 1.14 He is the only begotten Son of the Father full of Grace and Truth And so in him are hid the treasures of wisdom and knowledge they are all hid in Christ he is the fountain of them and the Apostle hath another full expression Ephes 3.8 Vnto me who am less than the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ Unsearchable riches that can never be drawn dry The fulness of the Spirit the fulness of all Grace dwelleth in him 3. Thirdly There is a Fulness of Righteousness and Satisfaction in Jesus Christ so as to make a poor sinner to be accepted as righteous before God and discharge it of all sins as the Angel told Daniel Chap. 9.24 To make an end of Sins and to bring in an everlasting Righteousness a righteousness that will serve to all eternity for all from the beginning to the end of the World and though the Saints are striving after a measure and fulness daily yet notwithstanding there is a fulness in Jesus Christ the blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sin there is merit enough and vertue enough 1 John 2.5 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole World There 's righteousness and satisfaction and merit enough for all And 4 Then there is a Fulness of power to give out and to communicate unto others See John 5.26 27. For as the Father hath Life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have Life in himself and