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SERMON VI.

WHIT SUNDAY.

JOHN xvi. 8-11

" And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, 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: of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged."

HOLY Scripture assigns to each of the persons of the Godhead his several office or mode of operation in the gracious work of man's redemption. "The Father gave his only begotten Son." * "Of him are we in Christ Jesus," + and by him accepted unto salvation for Jesus' sake. The Son "took our nature upon him." In that nature, dying upon the cross, made a full, perfect, and sufficient satisfaction for our sins; rose again for our justification;" ‡

*

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John iii. 16.

† Rom. iv. 25.

+ 1 Cor. i. 30.

ever liveth to make intercession for us," * and hath all things in his hands to bestow upon any of us who shall, by faith, take him to be our Saviour. It is the office of the Holy Ghost to make the whole effectual. He brings us to Christ, and keeps us with him, that so at last we may be actually saved by him. "And no man can say that Jesus is the Lord;" no man can subdue the reluctance of his own corruption to Christ's humbling and holy doctrine; no man can heartily believe in Christ, truly love him, or acceptably obey him, "but by the Holy Ghost."+ So that if the Holy Ghost had not been given, all things indeed might, in every other respect, have been ready for man's recovery to God; but the promulgation of the gospel of peace would, nevertheless, have been wholly vain and fruitless, because man's own heart would never have been ready to close with the Redeemer. This our Lord expresses generally, in the latter part of the preceding chapter, where he says, "The Spirit of truth, he shall testify of me:"† and again, in the chapter before us--" He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you." § But in the text, he declares the same doctrine with more particu

*

Heb. vii. 25.

† John xv. 26.

† 1 Cor. xii. 3.
§ John xvi. 14.

larity. He addresses the apostles not simply as individuals, but in their apostolic character, as chosen to publish the gospel to all nations, and intimates what the promised Spirit should do to give effect to their ministrations, or in order to the salvation of mankind through Christ preached by them. "When he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, 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; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged."

This is a passage of great importance; and it relates immediately to the occasion of this day's festival-the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost. Nevertheless, the meaning of it is far from being obvious to common readers. It may be well, therefore, to attempt some explanation of it.

"When He, the Holy Ghost, is come," says our Lord, "he will reprove the world." The world, I take it, means here, mankind in general. To reprove the world is an expression not so clear: for though any body can see at once what might be meant by reproving mankind of or concerning sin, it is not so easy to affix a determinate meaning to reproving of

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righteousness. However, if you will consult the larger editions of your English Bibles, you will find that though the word reprove appears in the text, our translators have explained it in the margin by the word convince; and indeed the word in the original is the very same which, in a great many passages, is rendered convince : * as for instance; our Lord says, "Which of you convinceth me of sin?"† St. Paul instructs Titus, To convince the gainsayers;"‡ and St. James speaks of being "convinced of the law as transgressors."§ And in all these places, and in many more which might be quoted, the word is the same as that used in the text. I take it, therefore, as it is expounded in the margin. When the Holy Ghost is come, in order to cause Christ and his gospel to be effectually received and honoured by the world, and so to bring men to salvation by Christ, he will convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; or in other words, will bring mankind to perceive and acknowledge the truth concerning these three points.

Let us now take the three separately, and in order; looking, as we go along, to the remaining clauses of the text, which state the special

methods by which, or the special instances in which, each particular of this work of conviction is to be accomplished.

I. First then, the Holy Ghost shall convince the world of sin. This is one lesson which mankind shall learn from his teaching. This is one subject upon which he shall give them right views. He will cause them to see what an odious, detestable, vain, and pernicious and base thing sin, which the world delights in, really is in itself. He will give them new views of it, which shall lead them to loathe instead of loving it; and he will enlighten their consciences, so that they shall perceive; and subdue their pride, so that they shall own how deeply they themselves are implicated in the guilt of it: for he will bring their transgressions to their recollection, and will shew them also what an awful guilt, and what a hateful baseness there is in very many things in which they have hitherto allowed themselves without remorse, and consequently, how richly they have merited the threatenings which God's word denounces against sinners, and into what fearful peril they have brought their souls.

But especially the Holy Ghost will bring men to a lowly opinion of themselves, and to a sight of their guilt and danger as sinners, by