2. The great work of the Spirit of God in the Ministry is to convince of this Righteousness; It is to make us see that all humane Righteousness,1 all moral duties, no, nor the graces God bestoweth on his people, are the Righteousness God looks for, Joh. 16.9, 10. The Spirit of God is there said to reprove or convince the world of sin, especially of that great sin of Unbelief, and then of Righteousness, which Christ procureth by going to his Father, Observe that, It's the work of Gods Spirit thus to convince, So that all Moral Philosophy and the wisest directions of the most civil men will leave us in a Wilderness; They cannot tell us what is true Righteousness, and how we come to be accepted of by God; Therefore this is revealed by the Gospel only; If we would know what is that Righteousness which we may trust to, which may be as a Screen between Gods justice and us; Neither Aristotle nor Plato among the Heathens, no, nor Bellarmine and Suarez among the Papists will inform us rightly; Because in the matter of Justification and the doctrine of Righteousness they have too much consulted with Aristotle, as if the Scripture spake of such a Righteousness as the Heathens do; No, this tells us, It's a Righteousness of Christ imputed to us without works, this it doth again and again; Seeing then all natural reason would never persuade us herein, it must necessarily be the Spirit of God that will convince us in this, and therefore though you hear ten thousand Sermons of this Subject, your hearts will never be convinced of your own sinfulness and Christs Righteousness till you are overpowered by Gods Spirit; Oh then pray to God that he would make thy heart readily to yield to it, yea, and rejoice in it.
2. The great work of the Spirit of God in the Ministry is to convince of this Righteousnesse; It is to make us see that all humane Righteousnesse,1 all moral duties, no, nor the graces God bestoweth on his people, are the Righteousnesse God looks for, Joh. 16.9, 10. The Spirit of God is there said to reprove or convince the world of sinne, especially of that great sinne of Unbelief, and then of Righteousnesse, which Christ procureth by going to his Father, Observe that, It's the work of Gods Spirit thus to convince, So that all Moral Philosophy and the wisest directions of the most civil men will leave us in a Wildernesse; They cannot tell us what is true Righteousnesse, and how we come to be accepted of by God; Therefore this is revealed by the Gospel only; If we would know what is that Righteousnesse which we may trust to, which may be as a Skreen between Gods justice and us; Neither Aristotle nor Plato among the Heathens, no, nor Bellarmine and Suarez among the Papists will inform us rightly; Because in the matter of Justification and the doctrine of Righteousnesse they have too much consulted with Aristotle, as if the Scripture spake of such a Righteousnesse as the Heathens do; No, this tels us, It's a Righteousnesse of Christ imputed to us without works, this it doth again and again; Seeing then all natural reason would never perswade us herein, it must necessarily be the Spirit of God that will convince us in this, and therefore though you hear ten thousand Sermons of this Subject, your hearts will never be convinced of your own sinfulnesse and Christs Righteousnesse till you are overpowerd by Gods Spirit; Oh then pray to God that he would make thy heart readily to yield to it, yea, and rejoyce in it.
- 12. The work of the Spirit in the Ministry is to convince of sin.
