1. For the first, it is said, John 16.8, 9. that the first thing that the Spirit doth when he comes to make the Apostles Ministry effectual is this, it shall reprove, or convince the world of sin; it doth not first work faith, but convinceth them that they have no faith, as in verse 9. and consequently under the guilt and dominion of their sin; and after this, he convinceth of righteousness, which faith apprehends, verse 10. It is true that the word conviction here, is of a large extent, and includes compunction and humiliation for sin, yet our Saviour wraps ⟨p. 7⟩them up in this word; because conviction is the first, and therefore the chief in order here: the Lord not speaking now of ineffectual, but effectual and through conviction expressed in deep sorrow and humiliation. Now the Text saith, the Lord begins thus not with some one or two, but with the world of Gods elect, who are to be called home by the Ministry of the word; which our Saviour speaks (as any may see who consider the scope) purposely to comfort the hearts of his Disciples, that their Ministry shall be thus effectual to the world of Jews and Gentiles; and therefore cannot speak of such conviction as serves only for to leave men without excuse for greater condemnation; (as some understand the place) for that is a poor ground of consolation to their sad hearts. Secondly, I shall hereafter prove that there can be no faith without sense of sin and misery, and now there can be no sense of sin without a precedent sight or conviction of sin; no man can feel sin, unless he doth first see it; what the eye sees not, the heart rues not. Let the greatest evil befall a man, suppose the burning of his house, the death of his children, if he doth not first know, see, and hear of it, he will never take it to heart, it will never trouble him; so let a poor sinner lye under the greatest guilt, the sorest wrath of God, it will never trouble him until h• ⟨p. 8⟩sees it and be convinced of it, Act. 2.37. When they heard this, they were pricked; but first they heard it and saw their sin, before their hearts were wounded for it; Gen. 3.7. they first saw saw their nakedness before they were ashamed of it. Thirdly, the main end of the law is to drive us to Christ Rom. 10.4.
1. For the first, it is said, Iohn 16.8, 9. that the first thing that the Spirit doth when he comes to make the Apostles Ministery effectuall is this, it shall reprove, or convince the world of sinne; it doth not first work faith, but convinceth them that they have no faith, as in verse 9. and consequently under the guilt and dominion of their sin; and after this, he convinceth of righteousnesse, which faith apprehends, verse 10. It is true that the word conviction here, is of a large extent, and includes compunction and humiliation for sin, yet our Saviour wraps ⟨p. 7⟩them up in this word; because conviction is the first, and therefore the chiefe in order here: the Lord not speaking now of ineffectuall, but effectuall and thorow conviction exprest in deep sorrow and humiliation. Now the Text saith, the Lord begins thus not with some one or two, but with the world of Gods elect, who are to be called home by the Ministery of the word; which our Saviour speaks (as any may see who consider the scope) purposely to comfort the hearts of his Disciples, that their Ministery shall be thus effectuall to the world of Jews and Gentiles; and therefore cannot speak of such conviction as serves onely for to leave men without excuse for greater condemnation; (as some understand the place) for that is a poore ground of consolation to their sad hearts. Secondly, I shall hereafter prove that there can be no faith without sense of sinne and misery, and now there can be no sense of sinne without a precedent sight or conviction of sin; no man can feel sin, unlesse he doth first see it; what the ey sees not, the heart rues not. Let the greatest evill befall a man, suppose the burning of his house, the death of his children, if he doth not first know, see, and hear of it, he will never take it to heart, it will never trouble him; so let a poor sinner lye under the greatest guilt, the sorest wrath of God, it will never trouble him untill h• ⟨p. 8⟩sees it and be convinced of it, Act. 2.37. When they heard this, they were pricked; but first they heard it and saw their sin, before their hearts were wounded for it; Gen. 3.7. they first saw saw their nakednesse before they were ashamed of it. Thirdly, the maine end of the law is to drive us to Christ Rom. 10.4.
