Serra. CXLIV. as anAdvocatefor Chrifi: takes occafion to convince the Jews, of their great fin in rejecting the Meg 'as, and putting him to Death, ver. 32, 33. This 7efus, faithhe, bath God raifed up where- of we all are xvitne f es ; wherefore -being by the right hand ofGod exalted, and ha- ving received of the Father, theproinife of the Holy Moll, he hath fedforth this, which ye vow fee and hear. From whence he concludes, ver. 36. Therefore let all the houfe vp Ifael know affirredly, that God hath made the fame jefirs, whomye bevel crucified, both Lord andChryl. That is, by this you may be convinced, that he whom you crucified , as a falfe Prophet was the true Meffias. Upon this we find, ver. 37. that when the Jews heard this, they were pricked at their hearts, and fold unto Peter, and the refi of the Apoflles, Men and Brethren, What jhall we do to befaved ? Thus you fee the firft effe&which our Saviour fore. told ofthe coming ofthe Holy Ghoft, fulfilled in a moft eminent manner ; for up= on this Sermon three thoufand of the Jews being convinced of their greatfin, in not believing on him, were baptized in his name. II. He (hallconvince the world of rightecufnefs; that is, of the Innòcencyofthat holy and juft Perfon, whom they had condemned as a Malefador. OfRighteouf- nef, becaufe Igo to the Father ; that íS, this fhall be an Evidence to the World of my innocency of thofe Crimes, with which. I was charged ; that I am taken up into Heaven, and feated at the right hand of God, where I shall remain for ever, out of the reach of their Malice and Injury. Becaufe I go to the Father; and ye feeme no mere; that is, I fhall be there, where their Malice cannot reach nie. For fo he tells the Pharifees, when they came to apprehend him, John 7: 33. 34- Tet a little while am I withyou, and then Igo unto him that fens me : Te fliallPeek me, and(ball not find me; andwhereI am, thitherye cannot come. And this vindicationof his Innocency was begun by the Miracles which imme- diately follow'd his Death, upon which The CenturionglorifiedGod, laying, Cor- tainly this was the Son ofGod, as St. Matthew hath it; or, as St. Luke, This was a Righteous Man, Luke 23. 47. And not only the Centurion, but all the People, ver. 48. And all the People that came together to that fight; beholding the things which were done, Piste their Breafls, and returned. But the great vindicationof his Innocency was his Refurre&ion, which delivered him from that unjuft Sen- tence of Death which was paft upon him, by railing him up to life again. And this is particularly afcribed to the Holy Ghoft, Rom. t. 4.. Andwas mightily demon- flrated to be the Son of God, by the fpirit ofholinefs, in his refürre£tion from the dead. Efpecially if we confider, that he was afterwards taken up vifibly into Heaven, and there invefled with Royal Power and Dignity;, of which he gave plentiful Evidence, in the miraculous Gifts of theHoly Ghoft, poured forth upon the Apoftles: which was a ftanding Demonftration to the World of his Innoten cy and Righteoufnefs, lince God had taken him up to himfelf, and fet him at his own right band, and committed all power to him, in Heaven and Earth. III. Hefhall convince the world ofjudgment, becaufe the Prince ofthis world it judged. He that ufurped the Authority of God in the World, and by his Inftru- ments had procured Chrift to be condemned as a Counterfeit King, is himfelf dethroned and condemned ; The Prince of this Worldis judged. He that thought to have dethroyed the Son ofGod, by putting him to Death, isby this verymeans deftroyed himfelf. So the Apoftle tells us, Heb. 2. 74. that Chrii/I throug4s his &death, that is, upon occafion of his Death, and his Refurre&ion from the bead confequent upon tr, bath deflroyed him that bad the power of Death, that is the Devil. But molt remarkably was the Prince of this world judged and cafe out, when after he had fo long ufurped the Name and Worfhip of God in the World, he was by that mighty Power ofthe Spirit of God, which accompanied the Preaching of the Gofpel, thrown out of his Kingdom; and wherever the Dottrine ofChrift came, the Idolatry of the World was not able to Rand before it, but fell down, like Dagon before the Ark. And that this is the meaning of Judgment here, is plain from the fame Evangelift, Chap, 12. 31, 32. Nom is the Judgment of this world; now fhall the Prince of this world be call out. Andif,I be lifted upfrom the earth, I will draw all men unto me; Where our Saviour explains the Judgment of P this 289
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