IHOLY SPIRIT, AIrD 14Is WORK. stances in the dealings ofour Saviour with that people: for This he testified concerning himself, this his works evinced him to be, and this both Moses and the pro- phets bare witness unto: hereon he tells the Jews, that if they believed not that he was he, that is, the Son of .God, the Messiah and Saviour of the world, they should die in their sins; John viii. 5, 21, 24. But in this un- belief, in this rejection of.Christ, the Jews and the rest of the world justified themselves, and not only so, but despised and persecuted them who believed in him. This was the fundamental difference between believers and the world, the head of that cause wherein they were rejected by it as foolish, and condemned as im- pious. And herein was the Holy Ghost their Advo- cate: for he did by such undeniable evidences, argu- ments, and testimonies, convince the world of the truth andglory of Christ, and of the sin of unbelief, that they were every where either converted or enraged thereby. So some ofthem, s ponthis conviction, gladly received the word, andwerebaptized, Acts ii. 4l. Others, upon the preaching of the same truth by the apostles, were cut to the heart, and tools counsel to slay them, chap. 33. In this work he still continueth. And it is an net of the same kind whereby he yet in particular convinc- eth any of the sin of unbelief; which cannot be done but by the effectual, internal 'operation of his power. 2. He thus convinceth the world of righteousness, ver. W. Of righteousness, Because Igo to my Father, andye see me no more. Both the personalrighteousness of Christ, and the righteousness of Isis office, are in- tended. For concerning both these the church bath a contest with the world, and they belong unto that cause wherein the Holy Spirit is their Advocate. Christ was looked on by the world as an evil doer, accused to be a glutton, a wine-bibber, a seditious person, a seducer, a blasphemer, a malefactor in every kind; salience his disciples were both despised and destroyed for believing in such an one. And it is not to be declared how they were scorned and reproached, and what they suffered on this account. In the mean time they pleaded and gave testimony unto his righteousness, that he did no sin, nor was guile found in his mouth, that he fulfilled all righteousness, and that he was the Holy one of God. 'And herein was the Holy Ghost their advocate, con- vincing tine world principally by this argument, that af- ter all he did and suffered in this world, as the highest evidence imaginable of God's approbation of him, and when he had at any time convinced them, and stopped their mouths as to the cause in hand, they called him Beelzebub, cried out that he had a devil, took up stones to throw at him, and conspired his death, with all de- monstration of desperate rage and madness, John viii. 48, 58. chap. x. 30, 31, 39. So it was in the case of Stephen, and the testimony he gave unto Christ, Acts vii. 56, 57, 58. and with Paul, Acts xxii. 22, '23. an instance of bestial rage not to be paralleled in any other case; but in this it hath often fallen out in the world. And the same effectsthis work of the Holy Ghost, as the Advocate of the church ever had, and still bath upon the world. Many being convinced by him in the dispensation of the word, are really humbled and converted unto the faith. So God adds daily to the church such as shall be saved. But the generality of the world are enraged by the same work against Christ, the gospel, and those by whom it is dispensed. Whilst the word is preached in a formal manner, the world is well enough contented that it should have a quiet passage among them. But wherever the Holy Ghost puts forth a convincing efficacy in the dispensa- tion 'of it, the world is enraged by it; which is no less an evidence of the power of their conviction, than the other is of a better success. The subject-matter concerningwhich the Holy Ghost manageth his plea by the word against the world, as the Advocateof the church, is referred unto the three heads ofsin, righteousness, and judgment, ver. 8. theespecial nature of them being declared, ver. 9, 10, 11. 1. Whatsin it is in particular that the Holy Spirit shall so plead with the world about, and convince them of, is declared, ver. 9. Ofsin, because they believe not on me. There are many sins whereof men may be con- vinced by the light of nature, Rom. ii. 14, 15. more that they are reproved for by the letter of the law. And it is the work of the Spirit also in general, to make these convictions effectual. But these belong not unto the cause which he hath to plead for the church against theworld ; nor is that such as any can be brought unto conviction about by the light of nature, or sentence of the law; but it is the work of the Spirit alone by the gospel. And this, in the first place, is unbelief, par- ticularly not believing in Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, the promised Messiah and Saviour of the world.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=