3. The Holy Spirit Convinces of Judgment.
fore the Spirit has hunted the sinner out of all his false rests and hiding places, taken off the pitiful fig leaves of his own works, and driven him out of the trees of the garden, (his outward reformations) and placed him naked before the bar of a sovereign, holy, just, and sin-avenging God; then, then it is, when the soul, having the sentence of death within itself because of unbelief, has a sweet display of Christ's righteousness made to it by the Holy Spirit of God. Here it is that He begins more immediately to act in the quality of a Comforter, and to convince the soul so powerfully of the reality and allsufficiency of Christ's righteousness, that the soul is immediately set a hungering and thirsting after it.
Now the sinner begins to see, that though he has destroyed himself, yet in Christ is his help; that, though he has no righteousness of his own to recommend him, there is a fullness of grace, a fullness of truth, a fullness of righteousness in the dear Lord Jesus, which, if once imputed to him, would make him happy forever and ever. None can tell, but those happy souls who have experienced it, with what demonstration of the Spirit this conviction comes. O how amiable, as well as allsufficient, does the blessed Jesus now appear! With what new eyes does the soul now see the Lord its righteousness! Brethren, it is unutterable. If you were never thus convinced of Christ's righteousness in your own souls, though you may believe it doctrinally, it will avail you nothing; if the Comforter never came savingly into your souls--then you are comfortless indeed. But, what will this righteousness avail, if the soul has it not in possession?
3. The Holy Spirit Convinces of Judgment.
Thirdly, the next thing therefore the Comforter, when He comes, convinces the soul of, is judgment. By the word judgment, I understand that well-grounded peace that settled judgment, which the soul forms of itself, when it is enabled by the Spirit of God to lay hold on Christ's righteousness, which I believe it always does, when convinced in the manner before mentioned. "Of judgment, (says our Lord) because the prince of this world is judged"; the soul, being enabled to lay hold on Christ's perfect righteousness by a lively faith, has a conviction wrought in it by the Holy Spirit, that the "prince of this world is judged." The soul being now justified by faith, has peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and can triumphantly say, it is Christ that justifies me, who is he that condemns me? The strong man armed is now cast out; my soul is in a true peace; the prince of this world will come and accuse, but he has now no share in me. The blessed Spirit which I have received, and whereby I am enabled to apply Christ's righteousness to my poor soul powerfully convinces me of this: Why should I fear? Or of what shall I be afraid, since God's Spirit witnesses with my spirit, that I am a child of God (Rom 8:16)?
The Lord is ascended up on high; He has led captivity captive; He has received the Holy Ghost the Comforter, that best of gifts for men: and that Comforter is come into my heart: He is faithful that hath promised: I, even I, am powerfully, rationally, spiritually convicted of sin, righteousness, and judgment. By this I know the prince of this world is judged.
Thus, I say, may we suppose that soul to triumph, in which the promise of the text is happily fulfilled. And though, at the beginning of this discourse, I said, most had never experienced anything of this, and that therefore this preaching must be foolishness to such; yet I doubt not that there are some few happy souls, who, through grace, have been enabled to follow me step by step; and notwithstanding the Holy Ghost might not directly work in the same order as I have described, and perhaps they cannot exactly say the time when, yet they have a well-grounded confidence that the work is done, and that they have really been convinced of sin, righteousness, and judgment, in some way, or at some time or another.
And now what shall I say to you? O thank God, thank the Lord Jesus, thank the ever blessed Trinity, for this unspeakable gift: for you would never have been thus highly favored, had not He who first spoke darkness into light, loved you with an everlasting love, and enlightened you by His Holy Spirit, and that too, not on account of any good thing foreseen in you, but for His own name's sake.
Be humble therefore, O believers be humble. Look at the rock from whence you have been hewn. Extol free grace: admire electing love, which alone has made you to differ from the rest of your brethren. Has God brought you into light? Walk as becometh the children of light. Provoke not the Holy Spirit to depart from you: for though He hath sealed you to the day of redemption, and you know that the prince of this world is judged; yet as you backslide, grow lukewarm, or forget your first love, the Lord will visit your offenses with the rod of affliction, and your sin with spiritual scourges. Be not therefore high minded, but fear. Rejoice, but let it be with trembling. As the elect of God, put on not only humbleness of mind, but bowels of compassion; and pray, O pray for your unconverted brethren!
Help me, help me now, O children of God, and hold up my hands, as Aaron and Hur once held up the hands of Moses.
Pray whilst I am preaching, that the Lord may enable me to say. This day is the promise in the text fulfilled in some poor sinners' hearts. Cry mightily to God, and, with the cords of a holy violence, pull down blessings on your neighbour's heads.
Christ yet lives and reigns in heaven. The residue of the Spirit is yet in His hand, and a plentiful effusion of it is promised in the latter days of the church. And O that the Holy Ghost, the blessed Comforter, would now come down, and convince those that are Christless among you, "of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment!" O that you were once made willing to be convinced!
But perhaps you had rather be filled with wine than with the Spirit, and are daily chasing that Holy Ghost from your souls. What shall I say for you to God? "Father, forgive them, for they know not what to do" (Luk 23:34). What shall I say from God to you? Why? "that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself" (2 Co 5:19); therefore, I beseech you, as in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. Do not go away contradicting and blaspheming. I know Satan would have you be
gone. Many of you may be uneasy, and are ready to cry out, "What a weariness is it!" (Mal 1:13). But I will not let you go: I have wrestled with God for my hearers in private, and I must wrestle with you here in public. Though of myself I can do nothing, and you can no more by your own power come to and believe on Christ, than Lazarus could come forth from the grave; yet who know but God may beget some of you again to a lively hope by this foolishness of preaching, and that you may be some of that world, which the Comforter is to convince "of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment!"
Poor Christless souls! Do you know what a condition you are in? Why, you are lying in the wicked one, the devil; he rules in, he walks and dwells in you—unless you dwell in Christ and the Comforter is come into your hearts. And will you contentedly lie in that wicked one the devil? What wages will he give you? Eternal death! O that you would come to Christ! The free gift of God through Him is eternal life (Rom 5:15). He will accept of you even now, if you will believe in Him. The Comforter may yet come into your hearts, even yours. All that are now his living temples, were once lying in the wicked one as well as you. This blessed gift, this Holy Ghost, the blessed Jesus received even for the rebellious. I see you may be affected: but are your passions only a little wrought upon, or are your souls really touched with a lively sense of the heinousness of your sins--your want of faith, and the preciousness of the righteousness of Jesus Christ? If so, I hope the Lord has been gracious, and that the Comforter is coming into your hearts.
Oh, do not stifle these convictions! Do not go away, and straightway forget what manner of doctrine you have heard, and thereby show that these are only common workings of a few transient convictions, floating upon the surface of your hearts.
Beg of God that you may be sincere (for He alone can make you so) and that you may indeed desire the promise of the text to be fulfilled in your souls. Who knows but the Lord may be gracious? Remember you have no plea but sovereign mercy; but for your encouragements also, remember it is the world, such as you are, to whom the Comforter is to come, and whom
He is able to convince. Wait therefore at Wisdom's gates. The bare probability of having a door of mercy opened, is enough to keep you striving. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, the chief of them (1Ti 1:15). You know not but He came to save you. Do not go and quarrel with God's decrees, and say, if I am reprobate, I shall be damned; if I am elected, I shall be saved; and therefore I will do nothing.
What have you to do with God's decrees? Secret things belong to Him; it is your business to give "all diligence to make your calling and election sure" (2 Pe 1:10). If there are but few who find the way that leads to life, do you strive to some of them. You know not but you may be in the number of those few, and that you're striving may be the means which God intends to bless, to give you an entrance in. If you do not act thus, you are not sincere; and, if you do, who knows but you may find mercy? For though after you have done all that you can, God may justly cut you off, yet never was a single person damned who did all that he could. Though therefore your hands are withered, stretch them out; though you are impotent, sick, and lame, come lie at the pool. Who knows but by and by, the Lord Jesus may have compassion on you, and send you the Comforter to convince you of sin, righteousness, and of judgment?
He is a God full of compassion and long-suffering, otherwise you and I had been long since lifting up our eyes in torments. But still He is patient with us! Oh Christless sinners, you are alive, and who knows but God intends to bring you to repentance? Could my prayers or tears effect it, you should have valleys of the one, and floods of the other. My heart is touched with a sense of your condition. May our merciful High Priest now send down the Comforter and make you sensible of it also! O the love of Christ! It constrains me to beseech you to come to Him; what do you reject, if you reject Christ—the Lord of glory! Sinners, give the dear Redeemer lodging in your hearts, your whole hearts. Indeed He is worthy. He made you and not you yourselves. You are not your own; give Christ then your bodies and souls, which are His (1Co 6:19-20)! Is it not enough to melt you down, to think that the high and lofty One who inhabiteth eternity, should condescend to invite you by His ministers? How soon can He frown you to hell? And how know you but He may this very instant, if you do not hear His voice? Did any yet harden their hearts against Christ and prosper? Come then do not send me sorrowful away; do not let me have reason to cry out, Oh "my leanness, my leanness" (Isa 24:16)!
Do not let me go weeping into my closet, and say, "Lord they will not believe my report; Lord, I have called them, and they will not answer; I am unto them as a very pleasant song, and as one that plays upon a pleasant instrument; but their hearts are running after the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life." Would you be willing that I should give such an account of you, or make such a prayer before God? And yet I must not only do so here, but appear in judgment against you hereafter--unless you will come to Christ. Once more, therefore, I entreat you to come. What objections have you to make?
Behold, I stand here in the name of God, to answer all that you can offer. But I know no one can come, unless the Father draw him (Joh 6:44): I will therefore address me to my God, and intercede with Him to send the Comforter into your hearts.
O blessed Jesus, who are a God whose compassions fail not, and in whom all the promises are yea and amen (2Co 1:20); thou that sittest between the cherubims, show thyself amongst us. Let us now see thy outgoings! O let us now taste that thou art gracious, and reveal thy mighty arm! Get thyself the victory in these poor sinner's hearts. Let not the word spoken prove like water spilt upon the ground. Send down, send down, O great High Priest, the Holy Spirit, to convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. So will we give thanks and praise to thee O Father, thee O Son, and thee O blessed
Spirit; to whom as three Persons, but one God, be ascribed, by angels and archangels, by cherubim and seraphim, and all the heavenly hosts, all possible power, might, majesty, and dominion, now and forever more. Amen, Amen, Amen.
Christ the Saviour 1 Tim. 1:15; Rom. 5:12
When Adam by transgression fell, and conscious, fled his Maker's face, linked in clandestine league with hell, he ruined all his future race: the seeds of evil once brought in, increased and filled the world with sin.
But lo! the Second Adam came, the serpent's subtle head to bruise; he cancels his malicious claim, and disappoints his devilish views; ransoms poor prisoners with his blood, and brings the sinner back to God.
To understand these things aright, this grand distinction should be known: though all are sinners in God's sight, there are but few so in their own.
To such as these our Lord was sent; they're only sinners who repent.
What comfort can a Saviour bring to those who never felt their woe?
A sinner is a sacred thing; the Holy Ghost has made him so.
New life from him we must receive, before for sin we rightly grieve.
This faithful saying let us own, well worthy 'tis to be believed, that Christ into the world came down, that sinners might by him be saved.
Sinners are high in his esteem, and sinners highly value him.
—Joseph Hart (1712-1768)
Person and Power of the Spirit
John 6:31; 16:13
Holy Ghost, we look to thee; Raise the dead; the captive free; From the mighty take the prey, Teach the weak to watch and pray.
Now, dear Lord, the heavens rend; Make some haughty rebel bend; Life, and light, and truth impart, To some careless sinner's heart.
If it be thy holy will, Now thy gracious word fulfill; Quicken souls, and make them cry, "Jesus, save me, or I die."
[Nor thy mourning saints forget; Thy sweet unction still repeat; Daily lead us unto Christ, As our Prophet, King, and Priest.] Thine it is the church to bless, And to comfort in distress; Trembling, helpless souls to guide, Safe to Jesus' wounded side.
Out of self to Jesus lead!
For and in us intercede;
Guide us down to death, and there Banish all our guilt and fear.
There and then support the mind; May we be to death resigned; And with an immortal song, Haste to join the heavenly throng.