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
all Therefore let me be so understood in all that I have said that I mention these excellencies of this Servant of God not to cry up a piece of clay but for the glory of Christ who put all this treasure into an earthen vessel and to quicken us that are alive and remain to follow such an holy example and pattern as Christ hath shewn us in his grace bestowed upon him To conclude when we have considered the graces and excellencies of the Servants of Christ we should turn our eyes presently to Christ himself to admire him and prayse him He came from above and is above all greater than all both men and Angels We hath a name above every name The best Ministers must decrease go off the stage and ly in the dust but he must increase and be yet more glorious in the eyes of Angels and men The best Ministers are but under-shepherds to that good great chief Shepherd and Bishop of our souls It is he that brings the many sons to glory he is the one Mediator Saviour Redeemer and Head of the Church Ministers are but Stewards to this high Lord and King Labourers for this Lord of the harvest Vnder-rowers to Christ the Master Pilot of the Ship of the Church Blessed are those Servants that are faithful to him our high and most excellent Lord Jesus our good Lord and Master to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Martin Fynch Grimsby August 26 1674. Christ doth all for the Best SERMON I. JOHN 16.7 8 9 10. 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 unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you And when he is come he will reprove the world of Sin and of Righteousness and of Judgment Of Sin because they believe not on me Of Righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more OUr Lord Jesus Christ is now about to leave the World and to go from his Disciples and Servants he doth indeavour before his Departure to strengthen and establish their hearts both against those sufferings they were like to meet withal and also against that sorrow that now their hearts were filled withall upon the hearing of his departing and going away from them As for their sufferings you have that spoken to in the first 4 verses wherein he gives them a Reason why he speaks to them concerning their Sufferings Saith he These things have I spoken unto you that you might not be offended I tell you before hand of your Sufferings that you may not be offended What 's that Namely that you may not be so stumbled when you meet with Sufferings more than you did expect and so be ready to turn your backs upon the Gospel upon your Profession These things have I spoken unto you He had been speaking in the last verse of the former Chapter of their meeting with Tribulation in the the world And saith Christ These things have I spoken unto you before-hand that when they come you might not stumble and go back You see Brethren how tender Jesus Christ is of his Disciples and Servants he would not have them to be offended and therefore he tells them before-hand of their Sufferings and that is the way to prevent Offences and Stumblings and fallings back from our Profession by our Persecutions and Sufferings to understand and know before-hand what we are like to meet withall and therefore saith Christ I tell you of these things before that when they come to pass you mâ—y not be offended And then he tells them moâ—â— particularly what Sufferings they are like to mâ—et withall And saith he You are like to meet with the highest and greatest kind of Sufferings Sufferings of the highest nature both from the Ecclesiastical and Civil State the highest kind of Sufferings they possibly can inflict upon you for saith he You shall be brought into their Ecclesiastical Courts they shall Excommunicate and cast you out of their Synagogues and not only so but you shall have the Censure of their Civil Courts you shall have sentence of death passed upon you they shall put you to death and think they do God good service in so doing These things saith he you must look for And by the way take notice of this That Christ and his Servants are exposed to the greatest wrath malice indignation and hatred that this world can exercise on them The highest kinds of evil and punishment that this world can infl ct upon them are all little enough and then he gives the reason of it why they shall thus inflict such punishments on them and put them to such sufferings Verse 3. These things will they do because they have not known the Father nor me It is from their ignorance of God and Christ And truly so all Persecutors what they do against the Saints and People of God it is from their ignorance of Christ for did they know God and Christ they would not so persecute the Saints and Servants of Christ but these things will they do because they have not known the Father nor me But then the Disciples might ask Christ Why did he not speak of these things before and tell them what sufferings they were like to meet with To that Christ answers them Verse 4. I said not these things to you at the beginning because I was with you They were not then so liablâ— to Sufferings the time Christ was with them all their hatred and malice was then let out against Christ himself as long as Christ was personally present so the Disciples were free Christ preserved them but now saith he I go away now you shall be exposed to all these things and now I tell you of them that you may be prepared strengthened and fortified against them But as then for their sorrow about his going away he tells them of his going away from them that they should be deprived of his personal presence from verse 5. and so on but now I go my way to him that sent me And now Christ doth in a very gentle manner blame his Disciples that they did not enquire into the end and reason of his going away I go my way to him that sent me and none of you ask me Whither goest thou If they had but enquired whither Christ was to go and to what end he was to go away from them their hearts would not have been so full of sorrow if they had understood whither he was going namely that he was going to the Father he was going to Heaven to be glorified there and exalted there to sit at the right hand of God there to have all power given into his own hand to have power over all Creatures and things None of you ask me Whither goest thou Had they enquired after that had they understood that they would not have been so full of sorrow Objection But you will say Did
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
if the Lord call us to part with any thing that is near and dear to us near and dear Yoke-Fellows Husband or Wife or an only Son well here is the Cordial and Antidote that Christ gave know saith he That it is expedient for you that this near Comfort go away from you it is for your advantage profit and benefit Brethren I pray let me ask you this Question Do you think that any creature comfort that you enjoy in this World can be nearer and dearer to you than the personal presence of Christ was to the Disciples Yet saith Christ It is expedient for you that I go away truly so I may say as to every Comfort that God takes from us It is expedient for us that this comfort be taken from us It may be you cannot see it now but you may see it afterward it is that which your heavenly Father knows to be expedient for you and he is wiser than we This may be a Cordial and Antidote both for the time past and for the time present and to come the time past when we call to remembrance O the comfort that sometimes we had the comfortable enjoyment of such a Relation such a Husband or such a Wife or such a Child our hearts are ready to bleed afresh at the remembrance of it Now here is a Cordial and Antidote that Christ himself prescribes I tell you the truth saith Christ It is expedient for you O I cannot tell how to think it can be expedient for me to lose such a Husband such a Wife such a Child yea saith Christ I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that such a comfort be taken away from you So for the time present if God take away a near Relation or Wife or such a Child remember that Christ hath said it is expedient for you that this Child should go that this Comfort that this Relation should go away from you And Brethren if we do believe that it is expedient for us why then should we be excessive in our grief and sorrow I pray tell me if a Physician come unto you and by reason of your distemper prescribe you some bitter Pill or bitter Potion to take or a strong vomit or he prescribe a great deal of blood to be taken from you these things are somewhat hard but he tells you it is expedient for you and you will yield to it you will take the Vomit or Purge though never so grievous to you you will take the Pill though never so bitter to you and if he will draw so much blood from you let him take it So the Lord is pleased to deal as a wise Physician he prescribes sometimes a bitter Pill for us to swallow down O to lose such a Yoke-Fellow or such a Child this is a strong vomit a bitter purge this is like the drawing of a mans blood from his heart but our heavenly Father knows what is most expedient for us I tell you the Truth saith Christ it is expedient for you that I go away it is expedient for you that I take so much blood from you that I put you upon the swallowing of this bitter pill And remember and lay up this Antidote against a time of need we know not how suddenly any of us here before the Lord may be called to part with our nearest and dearest Comforts we know not how the Lord may deal with us well remember this Antidote and lay it up for the time to come remember and say Well it is expedient for me that this and that Comfort be taken away from me and you have heard the Reasons O remember these words of our Lord Jesus which he spake to his Disciples to comfort them against their griefs and sorrow for being deprived of the greatest comfort they had in this World Nevertheless I tell you the Truth it is expedient for you that I go away Conversion of Souls great Joy to the Ministers of Christ. SERMON III. JOHN 16.8 And when he is come he will reprove the world of Sin and of Righteousness and of Judgment IN this Chapter as you have heard our Lord Jesus Christ doth fore-warn and fore-arm his Disciples against Persecution and Sufferings which they were like to meet withal and this he speaks of in the first four Verses and then he doth endeavour to comfort their hearts against that sorrow that had possessed them for his going away from them Saith he Now I go my way to him that sent me and because I have said these things unto you sorrow hath filled your hearts Christ endeavours to comfort their hearts against their great sorrow and this in the general he proposeth for their Comfort Namely saith he 'T is expedient for you that I go away 'T is not only expedient for me but it is expedient for you that I go away But they could hardly think so And then he gives them this Reason saith he If I go not away the Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send him unto you But then they might be ready to say Lord Suppose the Comforter do come will that make recompence for our loss of thy presence What if the Comforter do come what if we have the presence of thy Spirit yet thy presence might seem to be more comfortable to us Now Christ lays in further for that saith he If the Comforter come that will be still better for you than my bodily presence is for if he come he will be with you to assist you in your Ministry He will accompany the Ministration of the Gospel in your mouth he will make your Ministration to be succesful and effectual for convincing and converting Thus now Christ doth lay in against their sorrow that they might have upon his departure from them that though he went from them yet they should have that from the promise that should countervail all that comfort and joy that they had by his bodily presence And this seems to be the very scope and intendment of these words When he is come saith he He will so work with your Ministry that it shall Reprove or Convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgement Before I come to the Point because the words seem to have some difficulty in them and because there seems to be some variety in the Interpretation of them I shall briefly give you a hint of what I apprehend to be the most proper meaning of these words As now 1. What doth he mean by Reproving He shall reprove the World 2. What doth he mean by the World And then 3. How he shall Reprove the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgement I. The word here translated Reprove hath a three-fold acceptation in Scripture 1. Sometimes it signifies to Reprove as here 't is translated And so I remember Titus 1.13 This Witness is true Wherefore rebuke them sharply or reprove them sharply 'T is the same Word So here 't is translated