42 SERMONS UPON JOHN' XVII. [SeR. XXXVI.
the Spirit shall convince the world ' that the prince of this world is condemned/ and that Christ is the prince and saviour, and he must be owned and exalted, and his kingdom set up everywhere. Thus when poor men were to bait the devil, and hunt him out of his territories, and oppose themselves against the tradition of the nation, there is a mighty Spirit set up, and he shall convince the world ; those that are not really and heartily gained, he shall convince them of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.
[1.] 'Of sin, because they believe not in me.' The Spirit shall convince them that Christ is the Son of God, the great prophet and true Messiah ; and so it is a sin to reject him and his doctrine ; that unbelief is a sin as. well as the breach of the moral law ; and that the Lord Jesus Christ is to be owned as a mediator, as well as God as a lawgiver. All will grant that a breach of the law of God is a sin ; but the Spirit shall convince that a transgression against the gospel is a sin, as well as against the law.
[2.] ' Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye shall see me no more.' That Christ did not remain in the state of the dead, but rose again, and ascended, and liveth with the Father in glory and majesty ; and therefore that he was not a seducer, but that righteous one ; and so, however he was rejected by men, yet he was owned and accepted by God, and all his pretensions justified, and so might suffi- ciently convince the world that it is blasphemy to oppose him as a malefactor, and his kingdom and interest in the world : there needeth no more to persuade men that he was that holy and righteous one.
[3.] ' Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.' The devil is the prince of this world: Eph. vi. 12, ' The ruler of the darkness of this world ;' and he was condemned by virtue of Christ's death, and judgment executed upon him by the Spirit : John xii. 31, ' Now shall the prince of this world be cast out.' He was foiled and vanquished by Christ, and by the power of the gospel ; was to be vanquished more and more, by silencing his oracles, destroying his kingdom, recovering poor captive souls, translating them out of the kingdom of darkness into a state of holiness, liberty, light, and life ; the usurped power he had over the blind and guilty world is taken from liim ; now his judgment shall be executed,
4. The way and means whereby this should be brought about, by the coming of the Spirit, or the sending the comforter. When he came, the disciples and messengers of Christ had large endowments, whereby they were enabled to speak powerfully and boldly to every people in their own tongue, fxnd to endure their sufferings and ill-usage with great courage and fortitude, and to work miracles, as to cure diseases, cast out devils, to confer extraordinary gifts, to silence Satan's oracles, and to destroy the kingdom and power of the devil, and to establish a sure way of the pardon of sins, and bring life and immor- tality to light, preacliing that truth which should establish sound holiness, and helping to restore human nature to its rectitude and integrity. And by this means he should convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.
5. Consider the effects, suitable both to his promise and prayer. The Acts of the Apostles are a comment on this. Many of the elect
VeR. 21.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 43
were converted. At the first sermon after the pouring out of the Spirit, all that heard the apostles discoursing that Jesus was appointed to be Lord and Christ, were ' pricked in their hearts/ and convinced, Acts ii. 37, 38. This was not conversion, for they cried out, ' What shall we do ? And Peter said, ' Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.' Three thousand were con- verted by this sermon, and five thousand at another time, Acts iv. 4, when they preached boldly in the name of Jesus ; yet others were only convinced, pricked in heart, though they had not yet attained to evangelical repentance ; some that remained ' in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity ; ' yet they admired the things the apostles did, and desired to share with them in their great privileges : Acts viii. 18, 19, 'When Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he ofifered them money, saying. Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.' Yea, and some that were upon the benches and thrones, and sat as judges, were almost persuaded to be chris- tians by a prisoner in a chain; as Felix: Acts xxiv. 25, 'As Paul reasoned of righteousness, and temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled.' And Agrippa : Acts xxvi, 28, ' Almost thou per- suadest me to be a christian.' Some were forced to magnify them, who had not a heart to join with them : Acts v. 13, ' And of the rest durst no man join himself to them, but the people magnified them.' Some would have worshipped them, who were yet pagans : Acts xiv. 11, 'And when the people saw what Paul had done, they said, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.' Some were astonished at what was done by the apostles : Acts viii. 13, ' Then Simon himself believed also ; and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the signs and miracles which were done.' Some marvelled at their boldness : Acts iv. 13, * Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled, and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.' What ! is this cowardly Peter, that was foiled with the weak blast of a damsel ? Nay, their bitterest enemies were nonplussed in their resolutions, when they had to do with them, and were afraid to meddle with them : Acts iv. 16, 'What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.' So far the bridle of conviction was upon the reprobate world.