Comforter, was fent to convince the world of fin, as abfolutely requifite towards a faving faith in Chrift, I hope that you have come, with prepared hearts, anxious to learn in what fenfe he will convince the world of righteoufnefs and of judgment. In difcuffing thefe alfo, we may pursue our former method, taking our bleffed Saviour's own reafon affigned, as a clue to explain the meaning of his expreffions. Let us confider then, 2dly, His convincing the world of righteoufnefs, because Chrift was going to his Father, and his difciples were to fee him no more: 3dly, His convincing the world of judgment, because the Prince of this world is judged. I fhall not occupy your time by repeating my arguments, to fhew, that, by "the world," we are to understand all perfons, that is, all who do not refift and finally reject his convictions; and by his convictions, we are to understand, such as are inward, fpiritual, experimental, heart-felt. This has been fhewn to be neceffarily the cafe in the former inftance, and as the fame word applies to the two latter, the convictions muft, by all the rules of grammar and common fenfe, be of the fame nature. 66 2dly," He fhall convince the world of righte"oufnefs, because I go to my Father, and ye fee me no more." He should first convince them of fin, of a nature altogether finful, because they believe not in Chrift; and then should in like manner, convince them of righteousness, because be he went to his Father, and they fhould fee him no more. Of whofe righteoufnefs, it may be afked? Not of their own: for this could not exist with the univerfal prevalence of their finful corrup tions. Of the righteousness of Christ, in which they should obtain an intereft? Yes. Thus, and thus alone would he truly deserve the name of the Comforter; for in no other way could he diffufe comfort in their diftreffed fouls- And this will be found perfectly to agree with the reason affigned by our Lord for the former conviction. Having internally convinced them of fin, fo as to leave them without hope in themfelves, because they believe not in Chrift, he fhould convince them, in the fame experimental manner, of the righte ousness of Chrift, in which they fhould obtain an intereft by faith. We fhall, however, fee this more fully hereafter. But, why" of righteousness, " because I go to my Father, and ye fee me no "more?" The answer is easy. Had he not "finish❝ed the work which his Father gave him to do*;" had he not fulfilled all righteousness +;" had he not made "reconciliation for iniquity, and "brought in everlasting righteoufnefs," he would not have left the world, and have gone to his Father. But now, this is the name whereby he "fhall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUS"NESS." He "was delivered for our offences, "and was raifed again for our juftification;" and now" ever liveth to make interceflion," at the * John xvii. 4. Jer. xxiii. 6. + Mat. iii. 15. + Dan. ix. 24. || Rom. iv. 25, the throne of his Father, for all who will cordially embrace his free offers of mercy. He is thus ftill occupied in promoting the great work of our redemption in heaven, while his Holy Spirit is carrying forward the fame glorious work, by his convictions, on earth. But, let us preceed to confider, 1. The righteousnefs of Chrift. 2. The conviction of it by the Holy Ghost. 1. Let us confider the righteoufnefs of Chrift. We find, in the prophetic writings, the attribute of righteoufnefs particularly afcribed to him. Befides his being called more than once, in exprefs terms, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, we obferve him characterised as "God's righteous fervant," the righteous Branch of David *. "Righteouf"nefs was to be the girdle of his loins, and faith"fulness the girdle of his reins t." He was to "do no violence, neither was any deceit to be in "his mouth." And how holy and blameless a "life did he pafs on earth! Did he not go about continually doing good? Did not friends, enemies, Pilate, Herod, his fellow-fufferers, the Centurion at his crofs,-- all unite their teftimony to his innocence? He hath done all things well (." "Never man fpake like this man." "fault in him." No, nor yet Herod. "This man hath done nothing amifs a." "I find no "Certainly, "this was a righteous man." Such were the atteftations which they feverally bore to his righte ousness. Nay, when Satan himself came, had he any thing in him t, any thing whatever in his pure and spotless breaft, which could give him any power? And did not our dear Lord repeatedly challenge his very worst enemies to point out the leaft degree of wickednefs in his whole conduct? "Which of you convinceth me of fin?" "If I have done evil, bear witnefs of the evil." When asked by Pilate alfo, "What evil hath he "done" they could only reply, by a fenfelefs and brutal clamour, "Crucify him, crucify him." "For, fuch an High Prieft became us, who is holy, harmlefs, undefiled, feparate from fin"ners; who needeth not daily, as thofe high "priefts under the law, to offer up facrifice, firft "for his own fins, and then for the people's: For this latter he did once, when he offered up "himself. For the law maketh men high priests "which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, "which was fince the law, maketh the Son, who is "perfected for evermoret." Oh! wonderful to relate, "Meffiah the Prince was cut off, but not for him"He made his foul an offering for "our fin "He bore our griefs, and carried our · "forrows a." "He was wounded for our tranf"greffions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the "chaftifement of our peace was upon him, and "with his ftripes we are healed. felf f." All we, like "fheep, *Luke xxiii. 47. + John xiv. 30. Heb. vii. 26, &c. Dan. ix, 26. || Ifa, liii, 10. a Ifa, liii. 4, 5, 6. "fheep, have gone aftray; we have turned every "one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid "on him the iniquities of us all." Thus HE "made reconciliation for iniquity, and brought "in everlasting righteousness. *. He, "who "did no fin, was made a fin offering for us, "that we might be made the righteoufnefs of God "in him t". But, let us endeavour to obtain clear and dif tinct ideas of the righteoufnefs of Chrift. It is reprefented as twofold; it is a righteoufnefs of obedience, and a righteoufnefs of fuffering. It is twofold alfo in another refpect. It is "the righte"oufnefs of GOD;" and the righteoufnefs of MAN. Without his obedience, the law would never have been performed, from which one jot or one title was in no wife to pafs away until all should be fulfilled. Without his fuffering, the penalty of the law broken by all the defcendants of fallen Adam, would never have been paid. Without his DIVINE nature, neither his obedience nor his fufferings could ever have been so perfect or fo meritorious, as to have fufficed for the juftification of the whole human race. Without his HUMAN nature, man could have had no more intereft either in his obedience, or his fufferings, than if he never had obeyed or fuffered at all. The whole is thus briefly reprefented by the apostle. 1. Being in the form of God, he though it not robbery to be equal with God: "2. But 66 Dan. ix. 24. 2 Cor. v. 21. Phil. ii. 6, &c. |