We are next to look to his work. "When he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." This passage may be understood, first, of the miraculous powers conferred upon the early Christians, when, by the preaching and miracles of the apostles, the world, whilst it rejected the Gospel, stood convicted of sin, in having crucified the Messiah these miracles proved the righteousness of Christ, who had now returned to his Heavenly Father, until the judgment of the last great day, when Satan, the prince of this world, shall be for ever cast out.

But the principal meaning of the words comes much nearer to ourselves. Miracles have ceased but the sanctifying influences of the Spirit will never cease. The Holy Spirit still works upon the minds and consciences of men, convincing them of their dangerous state as sinners in the sight of God, and moving them to forsake their sins, and to turn to God. The Holy Spirit leads them to see sin in every shape, and under every form, as hateful to a God of holiness and of purity. He makes no allowance for

little sins. As Jesus Christ taught his disciples and the multitude, in his sermon upon the mount, to look to the evil thought, and to the evil inclination, in anger and passion and unkindness; so does the Holy Spirit teach us to look at the corrupt root from which the corrupt tree springs. "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries;" these things from within defile the man. When, therefore, we are led by the good Spirit of God to see ourselves as we really are by nature and by practice, then by the same divine power we are led to seek the remedy where alone it can be found. They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick :" they are taught to know the nature and the extent of the disease, and they are then taught to look to Christ as the great physician of the soul, as able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.

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It appears from the text, and it is worthy of very deep and serious consideration, that our Lord Jesus Christ says, "He," i.e., the Holy Spirit, "shall convince the world of sin, because they believe not in me." If men had faith, they would they would soon have

repentance,* and they would then forsake their sins. Infidelity, then, is at the root of every evil. If we were to trace the evil tendency of our own conduct in any particular instance, we should find that unbelief was at the very bottom of the transgression. The chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees did not believe in Jesus Christ, and they acted accordingly: they spake against him, they persecuted him; they led him to the accursed death of the cross. They cried out, "Away with him; crucify him." It is unbelief which tempts us to trifle with religion; to undervalue its divine mysteries revealed in the word of God; to set up our own opinion in opposition to his plain commandments; and to take such liberties with the Lord of heaven and earth, as we durst not take with our fellow men. It is an evil heart of unbelief which leads us to depart from the living God. The Holy Spirit of God convinces us of this sin, and at the same time gives faith to the soul: then difficulties vanish. "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." You, who have never given religion a serious thought,-consider, by

God's help, its vast importance; read the merciful promises made by Jesus Christ to the believing Christian, "All that believe in him shall never perish, but have eternal life;--consider the fruits to be produced. They who believe in God must be careful to maintain good works. "The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, &c. " All things are possible to him that believeth.” The Lord bestows the gift of faith, and we are to improve it, and work with it; we are to bring forth fruit in due season, and if we do not, we shall be cut down as mere cumberers of the ground.

Observe, 2dly, the Holy Ghost is to convince the world of righteousness.

Of the righteousness of Christ, whereby he approved himself perfectly answerable to the will of his heavenly Father; and whereby he can justify all that believe in him, notwithstanding all their unworthiness, because, as having overcome sin and death, he ascends triumphantly to the glory of his Father.* When we lost paradise, with all its joys, in our first parents, we lost our righteousness. Our church declares us to be " very far gone from original righteous

* Bishop Hall's "Hard Texts."

ness," and, when we know ourselves, we find it to be so. The prophet has a strong expression, "Our righteousness is as filthy rags;" but so it is, when looked at by the eye of a God of spotless purity. It is full of imperfection. Here again examine your own hearts, as in the sight of God. The Spirit convinces of righteousness—we see the full meaning of the word, in the extent of Christ's righteousness, and the poverty of our own nay, the very ascension of Christ to heaven, and the sending of the Holy Spirit on the disciples on the day of Pentecost, proved the righteousness, the perfect innocence of Jesus Christ.* According to St. Peter's preaching on that day, (Acts ii. 32, 33,) "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear." And St. Paul opens his epistle (Romans i. 4) with this idea," And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the

* Doddridge.