chapter x

. 40.) where he abode, or chiefly resided, for some time. Hence it was that they knew where to send to him. But what kind of message did they send? A very humble and suitable one. “LORD, Behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.” They might have said, LORD, he who loveth thee is sick. But they knew, that our love was not worth mentioning, and that we love JESUS only because he first loved us. Besides, here is no prescribing to our LORD what he should do, or what means he should make use of. They do not so much as say, We pray thee to come, or only speak the word, and our sick brother shall be restored. They simply tell JESUS the case, knowing it was sufficient barely to lay it before an infinitely compassionate Redeemer, and leave it to him to act according to his own sovereign good-will and pleasure. “LORD, Behold he whom thou lovest is sick.” Oh how sweet is it when the soul is brought to this! And with what a holy confidence may we pray to, and intercede with the holy JESUS, when we have reason to hope, that those we pray and intercede for, are lovers of, and are beloved of him! For his eyes are in a peculiar manner over the righteous, and his ears always open to their prayers. This was their message, and it soon reached JESUS CHRIST. And how does he receive it? We are told, verse 4. “When JESUS heard that, (that he whom he loved was sick) He said, this sickness is not unto death, but unto the glory of GOD, that the Son of GOD may be glorified thereby.” To whom these words were spoken is not certain. In all probability, JESUS spake them to the persons that delivered _Martha_’s and _Mary_’s message. And if so, it was no doubt a comfortable answer for the present, though it must afterwards puzzle them as well as the disciples how to explain it, when they found that _Lazarus_ was actually dead. “This sickness is not unto death,” not unto an abiding death, because he intended to raise him again, soon after his decease. It is like that expression of our LORD in St. _Mark_, “The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth;” which must not be understood in a literal, but metaphorical sense. And this and such-like instances, ought to teach us to weigh carefully our blessed LORD’s words, and to wait for an explication of them, by subsequent providences; otherwise we shall be in danger of misapplying them, and thereby bring our souls into unspeakable bondage. “This sickness is not unto death, but unto the glory of GOD, that the Son of GOD may be glorified thereby.” This is the end both of the afflictions and the deaths of GOD’s people. By all that happens to them he will be glorified one way or another, and cause every thing to work together for their good. And who then but would be content to be sick, or willing to submit to death itself, if so be the Son of GOD may be glorified thereby? This answer, no doubt, proceeded from love. For we are told,

Verse 5. that “JESUS loved _Martha_ and her sister, and _Lazarus_.” Oh happy family! Three in it beloved of JESUS, with a peculiar, everlasting love. “Very often it so happens, (to use the words of the pious Bishop _Beveridge_) that there is but one in a city, and two in a country of this stamp.” But here are two sisters and a brother, all lovers of, and beloved by the glorious JESUS. What shall we say to these things? Why, that our Saviour’s grace is free and sovereign, and he may do what he will with his own. They who are thus so highly favoured as to have so many converted in one house, ought to be doubly thankful! Such a blessing have not all his saints. No; many, very many, go mourning over their perverse and graceless relations all their lives long; and find, even to their dying day, that their greatest foes are those of their own houshold. Surely these three relations lived a heaven upon earth. For what can they want, what could make them miserable, who are assured of JESU’s love? But surely if JESUS loves this dear little family, the next news one might think we should hear, would be, that he went immediately and healed _Lazarus_; or at least cured him at a distance. But instead of that, we are told, verse 6. “When he had heard that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.” A strange way this, in the eye of natural reason, of expressing love; but not so strange in the eye of faith: for the LORD JESUS very often sheweth his love, by deferring to give immediate answers to our prayers. Hereby he tries our faith and patience, and exercises all our passive graces. We have a proof of this in the _Syrophenician_ woman, upon whom the blessed JESUS frowned, and spake roughly to at first, only that he might afterwards turn unto her and say, “O woman, great is thy faith.” Let not those then who believe, make too much haste; or immediately in their hearts repine against the LORD, because he may not answer their requests, in their own time and way. GOD’s time and way is best. And we shall find it to be so in the end. _Martha_ and _Mary_ experienced the truth of this, though undoubtedly our LORD’s seeming delay, to come and heal their brother, cost them great searchings of heart. But will the LORD JESUS forget his dear _Lazarus_, whom his soul loveth? “Can a woman forget her sucking child?” Indeed she may; but the LORD never faileth those that fear him. Neither is he slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness: for his very delays are answers. The vision is for an appointed time; in the end it will speak and not lie.

Though our LORD abode two days where he was, to try the faith of these sisters, yet after this, he said unto his disciples, verse 7. “Let us go into _Judea_ again.” With what a holy familiarity does JESUS converse with his dear children! Our Saviour seems to speak to his disciples, as though he was only their brother, and as it were upon a level with them; “Let us go into _Judea_ again.” How gently, according to what was predicted of him, does he lead those that are with young! JESUS very well knew the weakness of his disciples, and also what a dangerous place _Judea_ was: how gradually therefore does he make known unto them, his design of going thither! And how does he admit his disciples to expostulate with him on this account! “Master, say they, the _Jews_ of late sought to stone thee, and goest thou thither again?” They were amazed at our LORD’s boldness, and were ready to call it presumption; as we generally are prone to censure and condemn other zealous and enterprizing persons, as carrying matters too far; it may be for no other reason, if we examine the bottom of our hearts, but because they go before, and excel ourselves. The disciples, no doubt, thought that they spoke out of love to their LORD, and assuredly they did; but what a deal of self-love was there mixed and blended with it? They seem much concerned for their Master, but they were more concerned for themselves. However JESUS overlooks their weakness, and mildly replies, verse 9, and 10. “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of the world; but if any man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.” As though our LORD had said, My dear disciples, I thank you for your care and concern for me. _Judea_ is a dangerous place, and what you say of the treatment I met with from its inhabitants, is just and true: but be not afraid of going there upon my account. For as a man walketh safely twelve hours of the day, because he walketh in the light: so as long as the time appointed by my Father for my public administration lasts, I shall be as secure from the hands of my enemies, as a man that walks in broad-day is secure from falling. But as a man stumbleth if he walketh in the night, so when the night of my passion cometh, then, but not till then, shall I be given up into the hands of my spiteful foes. Oh what comfort have these words, by the blessing of GOD, frequently brought to my soul! How may all CHRIST’s ministers strengthen themselves with this consideration, that so long as GOD hath work for them to do, they are immortal! And if after our work is over, our LORD should call us to lay down our lives for the brethren, and to seal the truth of our doctrine with our blood, it would certainly be the highest honour that can be put upon us. “To you it is given not only to believe, but also to suffer,” says the apostle to the _Philippians_.

“These things (the evangelist tells us, verse 11.) said JESUS, and after that, (to satisfy them that he was not going into _Judea_ without a proper call) he saith unto them, Our friend _Lazarus_ sleepeth.” Our friend. Amazing! For what is a friend? As one’s own soul. How dear then, and near are true believers to the most adorable JESUS! “Our friend _Lazarus_.” Still more amazing! Here is condescension, here is unparalleled familiarity indeed. And what of him? “He sleepeth.” A figurative way of expression. For what is death to the lovers of JESUS CHRIST, but a sleep, and a refreshing one too? Thus it is said of _Stephen_ when he died, that “he fell asleep.” CHRIST indeed died, but believers only sleep. And “those that sleep in JESUS, (says the scripture) will GOD bring with him.” “Our friend _Lazarus_ sleepeth.” For though he be dead, I shall raise him from the grave so soon, that his dying will be only like a person’s taking a short sleep. “Our friend _Lazarus_ sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of sleep.” By this time, one would imagine, our LORD’s disciples should have understood him: But how unwilling are we to believe any thing that we do not like. “Then said his disciples, LORD, if he sleep he shall do well.” Oh fearful, and slow of heart to believe! How fain would they excuse themselves from going into _Judea_, for fear of a few stones! By this way of talking, how do they in effect impeach their blessed Master’s conduct, and under a pretence of preserving his person, foster, and as it were plead for their own (though perhaps undiscerned) cowardice and unbelief? That charity, which hopeth and believeth all things for the best, teacheth us to judge thus favourably of them. For, “Howbeit JESUS spake of his death: they thought that he had spoken of taking rest in sleep.” The great and compassionate High-priest knowing and remembering they were but dust, throws a veil of love over their infirmity; and at length, verse 14. “Saith unto them plainly (for if we wait on JESUS, we shall know his will plainly, one way or another) _Lazarus_ is dead.” And even then, lest they should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow, he immediately adds, verse 15. “And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe,” or have more faith, or have that faith which you already possess increased and confirmed. A plain proof this, that all JESU’s delays to answer prayer, are only to strengthen our faith.

“Nevertheless, says our LORD, let us go unto him.” This was a sufficient hint, if they knew how to improve it, that he intended to do something extraordinary, though he would not tell them directly what he intended. For the LORD JESUS will keep those whom he loves, at his foot, and dependant on him. “Let us go unto him.” He still speaks as though they were his equals. Oh that Christians in general, Oh that ministers in particular, would learn of him their great exemplar, to condescend to men of low degree! Well, the secret is now out. JESUS has said unto them plainly, _Lazarus_ is dead. And what reception does this melancholy news meet with? With great condolance, especially from _Thomas_; for verse 16. “Then said _Thomas_, who is called _Didymus_, unto his fellow disciples, let us also go and die with him;” i. e. according to some, with _Lazarus_, with whom, it may be, _Thomas_ had contracted an intimate acquaintance. But granting it was so; shall I commend him for this passionate expression? I commend him not. Surely he spake unadvisedly with his lips; “Let us also go and die with him.” As though there was no comfort henceforward to be expected in the world, now his friend _Lazarus_ was gone. This was a great fault, and yet a fault that many of GOD’s children run into daily, by mourning for their deceased relations over-much, like persons that have no hope. But this infirmity ought not to be indulged. For if our friends and dear relatives are dead, JESUS, that friend of sinners, is not dead. He will be better to us than seven sons, and will abundantly supply the place of all creature-comforts. But I am more inclined to think that the word _him_, refers to JESUS his dear Master; and if so, he is so far from being blamed, that he spake like a good soldier of JESUS CHRIST. Let us also go, that we may die with him. If our dear master will go into _Judea_, and hazard his precious life, let us not any longer make such frivolous excuses, but let us manfully accompany him; and if the _Jews_ should not only be permitted to stone, but also to kill him, let us also go and die with him, we cannot die in a better cause. This was a speech worthy of a christian hero, and _Thomas_ herein hath set us an example, that we should follow his steps, by exciting and provoking one another closely to adhere to the blessed JESUS, especially when his cause and interest is in any immediate danger. This exhortation, it seems, had a proper effect. They all went, and as far as we know, chearfully accompanied their glorious Master.

How their thoughts were exercised on the road, we are not told. But I am apt to believe they were a little discouraged when they came to _Bethany_. For “When JESUS came, he found that _Lazarus_ had lien in the grave for four days already.” And what would it avail them, to come so many miles only to see a dead man’s tomb? But how wisely were all things ordered by the blessed JESUS, to manifest his glory in the most extraordinary manner, that not only his disciples might have their faith confirmed, but many also of the _Jews_ might believe on him. This _Bethany_, it seems, verse 18. “was nigh unto _Jerusalem_, about fifteen furlongs off;” or about two miles; and _Martha_ and _Mary_, being what we may call people of fashion, and devout likewise; many of the devout, and we may suppose many of the wealthy _Jews_ came from the metropolis, as well as other adjacent places, verse 19. to _Martha_ and _Mary_; not to pay an idle, trifling, but a serious, profitable visit, “to comfort them concerning their brother.” This was kind and neighbourly. To weep with those that weep, and to visit the afflicted in their distresses, is one essential branch of true and undefiled religion. And O how sweet is it when we visit surviving friends, that we have reason to think that their departed relations died in the LORD! And we can therefore give them comfort concerning them: For “blessed are the dead, that die in the LORD, even so saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labours.” This and such-like arguments, no doubt, these visitors made use of, to comfort _Martha_ and _Mary_. And indeed they stood in much need of consolation. For we have reason to suppose, from our LORD’s answer, “This sickness is not unto death, but the glory of GOD;” that they had entertained thoughts of the recovery of their brother. But who can tell what these two holy souls must feel, when they found their brother did not recover, but was dead, laid out, and now stinking in the silent grave! What hard thoughts, without judging them, may we suppose they entertained concerning JESUS! Think ye not that they were ready to cry out in the language of the prophet, “Thou hast deceived us, and we are deceived?” But man’s extremity is JESU’s opportunity. In the multitude of the sorrows that they had in their hearts, the news of CHRIST’s coming refreshes their souls. Somebody or another, commendably officious, privately informs _Martha_ of it. “Who, as soon as she heard that JESUS was come (without making any apology to the company for her rudeness) went and met him: But _Mary_ sat still in the house.” But why so, _Mary_? I thought thou hadst been most forward to attend on JESUS, and thy sister _Martha_ more prone to be cumbered about the many things of this life. Why sittest thou still? It may be the news was brought only privately to _Martha_ (for it is plain from verse 31st, that the _Jews_ who were in the house knew not of it;) and _Martha_ knowing how our LORD had chid her once, was resolved he should have no reason on the same account to chide her any more; therefore when the news was brought, she would not so much as stay to inform her sister, but went out to see whether it were true or not, and if so, as the eldest sister, she would invite the blessed JESUS in. How happy is it, when CHRIST’s reproofs for past neglects, excite our future zeal to come out and meet him! Such reproofs are an excellent oil. Or, it may be, the news reached _Mary_’s ears, as well as _Martha_’s, but being overcome with sorrow, she thought it too good news to be true, and therefore sat still in the house. O how careful ought believers to be, to cherish and maintain, even in the midst of tribulation, a holy confidence and joy in GOD! For the joy of the LORD is a believer’s strength. Whereas giving way to melancholy and unbelief, raises gloom and vapours in the mind, clouds the understanding, clogs us in the way of duty, and gives the enemy, who loves to fish in troubled waters, a very great advantage over us.

_Mary_, perhaps, through the prevalence of this, and being also naturally of a sedentary disposition, “sat still in the house,” while her sister _Martha_ got the start of her, and went out to meet JESUS. And how does she accost him? Why, in a language bespeaking the distress of a burdened and disordered mind. For she said unto JESUS, verse 21, “LORD, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” Here is a mixture of faith and unbelief. Faith made her say, “LORD, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” But unbelief made her confine CHRIST’s power to his bodily presence. Besides, here was a tacit accusation of the blessed JESUS of unkindness, for not coming when they sent unto him the message, “LORD, he whom thou lovest is sick.” Once she charged JESUS with want of care; “LORD, carest thou not, that my sister hath left me to serve alone?” Now she taxes him with want of kindness. “If thou hadst been here;” as much as to say, if thou hadst been so kind as to have come when we sent for thee, “my brother had not died;” and by saying thus, she does as it were lay her brother’s death to JESUS CHRIST. O how apt are even those whom JESUS loves in a peculiar manner, to charge him foolishly! How often does the enmity of our desperately wicked hearts rise against CHRIST, when we are under the afflicting hand of his providence! Are not the very best of us frequently tempted, in such circumstances, to say within ourselves at least, Why does GOD thus cruelly deal with us? Why did not he keep off this stroke, seeing it was in his power to have prevented it? How should we be ashamed and confounded before him upon this account? How should we pray and labour to be delivered from this remaining enmity of the heart, and long for that time, when mortality shall be swallowed up of life, and we shall never feel one single rising of heart, against a good and gracious, and all-wise and glorious Redeemer, any more? However, to do _Martha_ justice, she pretty well recovers herself, verse 22. “But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of GOD, GOD will give it to thee.” Whether these words imply an actual belief of our LORD’s divinity, is not certain. To me they do; because we shall presently find, that she did believe our LORD was the Son of GOD, and the Messiah which was to come into the world. Therefore when she said, she knew that whatsoever he asked of GOD, GOD would give it to him, she may be understood as referring to GOD the Father, under whom the LORD JESUS acted as Mediator, though equal to him in respect to his eternal glory and godhead. This mystery we may well suppose her acquainted with, because JESUS had been frequently preaching at her house, and consequently, had opened that mystery unto her. O what a blessed thing must it be to have such a Mediator! such an high-priest and intercessor at the Father’s right-hand, that whatever he asks the Father in our behalf, he will give unto us! JESUS takes this kindly at _Martha_’s hand, and passes over her infirmity. For if the LORD was exact to mark every thing that we say or do amiss, alas! who could abide? He only calmly says unto her, verse 23. “Thy brother shall rise again.”

Glad tidings these of great joy. This should comfort us concerning our deceased, pious relations, that ere long they shall rise again, and soul and body be for ever with the LORD. Howbeit JESUS spake here of an immediate resurrection, though he did not speak plainly: For CHRIST loves to exercise the faith and patience of his disciples, and frequently leaves them to find out his meaning by degrees. It is best for us in our present state, that it should be so. In heaven it will be otherwise. “Thy brother, (says CHRIST to _Martha_) shall rise again.” She might immediately have replied, When, LORD? But she fetches a circuit as it were, and labours to find out the mind of JESUS by degrees. “I know, says she, that he shall rise again at the resurrection of the last day.” These words seem to imply, that she had some distant thought of our LORD’s design to raise her brother now, and that she spoke thus only to draw our Saviour to speak, and tell her plainly whether he meant to do so or not. Those who are acquainted with JESUS, are taught an holy art by the blessed Spirit, in dealing with their blessed master. “I know, says she, he shall rise again at the resurrection of the last day,” (a notable proof this, by the way, that the pious _Jews_ believed the resurrection of the body). It is just the same as though she had said, LORD, dost thou mean that my brother shall rise again before that time? Our Saviour wisely keeps off from giving her a direct answer, but chuses rather to preach to her heart. “JESUS said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” On this _Martha_’s faith, if in exercise, might take hold. O glorious words! How encouraging to you poor sinners lying in your blood! Though you are dead in trespasses and sins, and might justly be condemned to die the second death, yet if you believe on the LORD JESUS you shall live. He adds, “And whosoever believeth in me shall never die;” never die as to their souls, never die eternally, and consequently never finally fall away from GOD. This is an encouraging soul-comforting declaration for you, O believers, who are thus kept, as it were, in a garrison, by the mighty power of GOD, through faith, unto salvation! “Believest thou this?” says CHRIST to _Martha_, verse 26. What avail all the many great and precious promises of the gospel, unless they are applied and brought home in particular to each of our souls? The word does not profit unless it is mixed with faith. We therefore do well, when we are reading CHRIST’s words, to put this question to ourselves; O my soul, believest thou this? And well would it be for us, if upon putting this question to ourselves, we could with the same holy confidence, and in the same delightful frame, say with _Martha_, verse 27. “Yea, LORD: I believe that thou art the CHRIST, the Son of GOD, which should come into the world.” This I think is a direct confession of our LORD’s divinity. How full was her heart when she spoke these words! I am persuaded it burnt within her. What a divine warmth had she contracted by talking with JESUS! How does she long that her sister might share in her holy joy! For when she had so said, verse 28. “she went away;” full of love, no doubt, and called _Mary_ her sister, as all will labour to call their near relations, who have felt the LORD JESUS to be the resurrection and the life themselves. But _Martha_ took care, in the midst of her zeal (as we should always do) to behave with prudence; and therefore “she called her sister secretly, saying, The master is come, and calleth for thee.” The master is come. She need say no more; _Mary_ knew very well whom she meant. For holy souls easily understand one another when talking of their master JESUS. The divine _Herbert_ used to delight (when speaking of JESUS) to say, “My Master;” perhaps he learned it of _Martha_, who said here, “The Master is come, and calleth for thee.” But what is this thou sayest, _Martha_? The Master is come, and calleth for thee? Surely a woman of thy exalted piety will not tell a deliberate lie, and in order to induce thy sister to come to JESUS, acquaint her that JESUS called her, when indeed he did not. Thou needest not put thyself to such an expence, or do so much evil, that good may come of it. Only mention JESUS to _Mary_, and let her know for a certainty that the Master is indeed come, and I am persuaded she will sit no longer. _Martha_ no doubt knew, and therefore I cannot judge her as some do, as though in her haste she said what was not true. For JESUS might bid her to call her sister, though it be not directly mentioned in this chapter. And it is very probable, that our LORD did enquire after _Mary_, because she used to take such great delight in sitting at his feet, and hearing the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth. “The Master is come (saith _Martha_ to her sister) and calleth for thee.” And so say I to all poor sinners. JESUS, your LORD and Master, your Prince and Saviour, is come, come unto this lower world, and is come this day in his word, and by me, who am less than the least of all his servants, and calleth for you. O that he may also come in the demonstration of the Spirit, and by his mighty power bow your stubborn hearts and wills to obey the call, as holy _Mary_ did.

For we are told, verse 29. “When she heard that, she rose quickly, and came to JESUS.” Sinners, when will you do so? Or why do you not do so? How know you whether JESUS will call for you any more, before he calls you by death to judgment? Linger, O linger no longer. Fly, fly for your lives. Arise quickly, and with _Mary_ come to JESUS. She obeyed the call so very speedily, that her haste was taken notice of by her visitors. “The _Jews_ then, who were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw _Mary_ that she rose up hastily (without any ceremony at all) and went out, followed her, saying, she goeth to the grave, to weep there.” How wisely does our LORD permit and order all this, to bring the _Jews_ out to behold the wonderful miracle that he was about to perform! Little did _Mary_ and the _Jews_ think for what end they were thus providentially led out. But when JESUS hath work to be done, he will bring souls to the place where he intends to call them, in spite of men or devils. But how does _Mary_ behave when she comes to JESUS? We may be assured, not without great humility. No wonder then we are told, verse 32. that “when she saw him, she immediately fell down at his feet (a place _Mary_ had been used to, and in an agony of grief, says, as her sister had done before her) LORD, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” Poor _Mary_! Her concern was great indeed. Though she was a holy woman, she could not well bear the loss of her brother. She knew very well, that the world would miss him, and no doubt he had been a kind and tender brother to her. But I am afraid she was sinfully overcome with overmuch sorrow. However, had we been there, the sight must have affected us. It seems to have affected the visitors, especially the blessed JESUS. He, instead of blaming her, for her tacitly accusing him of unkindness, and for not coming to her brother’s relief, pities and sympathizes both with _Mary_ and her weeping friends! “When JESUS saw her weep, and the _Jews_ also weeping, he groaned in his Spirit, and was troubled.” Troubled: Not with any sinful perturbation we may be assured: nothing of that nature could possibly be in his sinless soul. And, therefore, some have judiciously enough compared the trouble our LORD now felt, to some chrystal water shaken in a glass or bottle; you may shake it, but there will be no sediment: it will be chrystal water still. “He groaned in his spirit.” I do not see why this may not be understood of his praying in the spirit, which maketh intercession for the saints, with ἀλαλητοις στεναγμοις “groanings that cannot be uttered.” Methinks I see the immaculate Lamb of GOD, secretly, but powerfully agonizing with his Father; his heart is big with sympathy! At length, out of the fulness of it, he said, verse 34. “Where have ye laid him? They (I suppose _Mary_ and _Martha_) say unto him, LORD, come and see.” He came, he saw, “He wept,” verse 35. It is put in a verse by itself, that we might pause a while, and ask, why JESUS wept?

He wept, to shew us, that it was no sin to shed a tear of love and resignation at the grave of a deceased friend; he wept, to see what havock sin had made in the world, and how it had reduced man, who was originally little lower than the angels, (by making him subject to death) to a level with the beasts that perish: but above all, he wept at the foresight of the people’s unbelief; he wept, to think how many then present, would not only not believe on, but would be hardened, and have their prejudices increased more and more against him, though he should raise _Lazarus_ from the dead before their eyes. Well then may ministers be excused, who, whilst they are preaching, now and then drop a few tears, at the consideration of their sermons being, through the perverseness and unbelief of many of their audience, a savour of death unto death, instead of a savour of life unto life. Upon a like occasion JESUS wept. What an affecting sight was here! Let us for a while suppose ourselves placed amidst these holy mourners; let us imagine that we see the sepulchre just before us, and the _Jews_, and _Mary_, and the blessed JESUS weeping round it. Surely, the most obdurate of us all must drop a tear, or at least be affected with the sight; we find that it affected those who were really by-standers: for then said the _Jews_, verse 36. “Behold, how he loved him.” And did they say, Behold, how he loved him, when JESUS only shed a few tears over the grave of his departed _Lazarus_? Come then, O sinners, and view CHRIST dying and pouring out his precious heart’s blood for you upon an accursed tree, and then surely you must needs cry out, Behold, how he loved us!

But alas, though all were affected, yet, it seems, all were not well affected at seeing JESUS weep! For we are told, verse 37. that some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?” One would imagine, that Satan himself could scarce have uttered a more perverse speech: every word is full of spite and rancour. Could not this man, this fellow, this deceiver, who pretends to say, that he opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that this man, whom he seems to love so, should not have died? Is not this a sufficient proof that he is a cheat? Have we catched him at last? Is it likely that he really helped others, when he could not help his own friend?――――O how patient ought the servants of our LORD to be! And how may they expect to be censured, and have their good deeds questioned, and lessened, when their blessed Master has been thus treated before them! However, JESUS will do good, notwithstanding all these slights put upon him; and therefore, again groaning in himself, “he cometh to the grave; it was a cave, (or vault, as is customary in great families) and a stone lay upon it; JESUS said, verse 39. Take ye away the stone.” How gradually does our LORD proceed, in order to engage the people’s attention the more! Methinks I see them all eye, all ear, and eagerly waiting to see the issue of this affair. But _Martha_ now returning with the rest of the company, seems to have lost that good frame which she was in when she went to call her sister; “She saith unto him, (verse 39.) LORD, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been _either_ dead _or_ buried four days.” O the dismal effects of carnal reasoning! How naturally do we fall into doubts and fears, when we have not our eye simply directed to the blessed JESUS! _Martha_, instead of looking up to him, looks down into the grave, and poring upon her brother’s stinking corpse, falls into a fit of unbelief: “By this time he stinketh;” and, therefore, a sight of him will only be offensive. Perhaps she might think our LORD only wanted to take a view of her brother _Lazarus_; JESUS, therefore, to give her yet a further hint, that he intended to do something extraordinary, saith unto her, verse 40. “Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldst believe, thou shouldst see the glory of GOD?” Our LORD speaks here with some degree of warmth: for nothing displeases him more than the unbelief of his own disciples. “Said I not unto thee, if thou wouldst believe, thou shouldst see the glory of GOD?” When CHRIST first spoke these words unto her, we are not told; it might be, this was part of their conversation upon another occasion some time before: however, he checks her openly for her unbelief now: for those whom JESUS loves, must expect to be rebuked sharply by him, whenever they dishonour him by unbelief. The reproof is taken.

Without making any more objections, “They took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid.” And now behold with what solemnity the holy JESUS prepares himself to execute his gracious design! “And JESUS lift up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me; and I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by, I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.” Who can express with what fervor and intenseness of spirit, our glorious High-priest uttered these words! They are a thanksgiving arising from an assurance that his Father had heard him: for CHRIST, as Mediator, was inferior to the Father. “I knew that thou hearest me always (and so may every believer in his degree say too); but because of the people which stand by, I said it.”――Said what? We do not hear that JESUS said any thing by way of prayer before; and that is true, if we mean vocally, but mentally he did say something, even when he groaned in the spirit once and again, and was troubled. There is a way of praying, even when we do not, and cannot speak. “Why cryest thou,” said GOD to _Moses_; though we do not hear that he spoke one single word: but he cried in his heart. And I observe this for the comfort of some weak, but real christians, who think they never pray, unless they can have a great flow of words; but this is a great mistake: for we often pray best, when we can speak least. There are times when the heart is too big to speak: and the spirit itself maketh intercession for the saints, and that too according to the will of GOD, with groanings that cannot be uttered. Such was _Hannah_’s prayer for a son, “She spake not, only her lips moved:” and such was our LORD’s way of praying at this time. And perhaps the soul is never in a better frame, than when in a holy stillness, and unspeakable serenity, it can put itself as a blank in JESUS’s hand, for him to stamp on it just what he pleases.

And now the hour of our Saviour’s performing this long-expected miracle, is come. Verse 43. “When he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, _Lazarus_, come forth.” With the word there went an irresistible power: he spake, and it was done: he cried, and behold, “He that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with grave cloaths; and his face was bound about with a napkin.” What a sight was here! Methinks I see surprize sit upon each spectator’s face: as the body rises, their wonder rises too. See how they gaze! See how their looks bespeak the language of astonished hearts; and all with a kind of silent, but expressive oratory, ready to say, What manner of man is this? Surely this is the Messiah that was to come into the world. How did the hearts of _Martha_ and _Mary_, as we may very well suppose, leap for joy! How were they ashamed of themselves, for charging JESUS foolishly, and taxing him with unkindness, for not coming to prevent their brother’s dying! It is true, CHRIST suffered him to die, but behold he is now alive again! JESUS never denies us one thing, but he intends to give us something better in the stead of it. Think you not that _Martha_ and _Mary_ were now the most officious to obey our blessed LORD’s command, “Loose him, and let him go?” That same power that raised _Lazarus_ from the dead, might have also taken the grave-cloaths from him: but JESUS CHRIST never did, and never will work a needless miracle. Others could unloose his grave-cloaths, but JESUS alone could unloose the bands of death.

And now, perhaps, some may be ready to ask, What news hath _Lazarus_ brought from the other world! But stop, O man, thy vain curiosity! It is forbidden, and therefore useless knowledge. The scriptures are silent concerning it. Why should we desire to be wise above what is written? It becomes us rather to be wholly employed in adoring the gracious hand of that mighty Redeemer who raised him from the dead, and to see (now we have heard the history) what improvement we can make of such a remarkable and instructive transaction.

Would to GOD that my preaching upon the resurrection of _Lazarus_ to-day, may have the same blessed effects upon you, as the sight of it had upon some of the standers-by: For we are told, verse 45. “Then many of the _Jews_ who came to _Mary_, and had seen the things which JESUS did, believed on him.” A profitable visit this! The best, no doubt, that they ever paid in their lives. And this was in answer to our Saviour’s prayer, “But because of the people who stand by, I said it, that they may believe, that thou hast sent me.” One would imagine, that all who saw this miracle, were induced thereby, really to believe on him: But alas! I could almost say, that I can tell you of a greater miracle than raising _Lazarus_ from the dead. And what is that? Why, that some of these very persons who were on the spot, instead of believing on him, “went their way to the Pharisees, and told them what JESUS had done.” verse 46. It was so far from convincing them, that it only excited their envy, stirred up the whole hell of their self-righteous hearts, and made them, from that day forward, “take counsel together,” to execute what they had long before designed, to put the innocent JESUS to death. See how busy they are, verse 47. “Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? For this man doeth many miracles.” Envy itself, it seems, could not deny that. And need they say then, “What do we,” or what should we do? Believe in, to be sure, and submit to him; take up the cross, and follow him. No; on the contrary, say they, verse 48. “If we let him thus alone, (which they would not have done so long, had not GOD put a hook in the Leviathan’s jaws) all men will believe on him.” And suppose they did? Then all men would be blessed indeed, and have a title to true happiness. No, say they, “then the _Romans_ shall come and take away both our place and nation.” But were not the _Romans_ come already? Were they not at this time tributaries to _Cæsar_? But they were afraid of the church as well as the state: “They will come and take away our place,” our place of worship: and consequently, they look upon JESUS CHRIST and his proceedings, and adherents, as dangerous both to church and state.

This hath been always the method of Pharisees and high-priests, when they have been taking counsel against the LORD JESUS, and his dear anointed ones. But they need not have been afraid on this account: for our Saviour’s kingdom neither was, nor is of this world; and the only way to have preserved their place and nation, was to have countenanced, and as much as in them lay, caused all to believe on JESUS. How miserably were they out in their politics! The death of JESUS, which they thought would save, was the grand cause of the utter destruction both of their place and nation: And so will all politics formed against CHRIST and his gospel end at last in the destruction of those who contrived them.

O the desperate wickedness and treachery of man’s deceitful heart! Where are the scribes, where are the infidels, where are the letter-learned disputers of this world, who are daily calling for a repetition of miracles, in order to confirm and evidence the truth of the christian religion? Surely if they believe not _Moses_ and the prophets, neither would they believe, though one rose from the dead. Here was one raised from the dead before many witnesses, and yet all those witnesses did by no means believe on JESUS. For divine faith is not wrought in the heart by moral persuasion (though moral suasion is very often made use of as a means to convey it); faith is the peculiar gift of GOD: no one can come to JESUS unless the Father draw him: and, therefore, that I may draw near the close of this discourse, let me shut up all with a word of exhortation.

Come, ye dead, Christless, unconverted sinners, come and see the place where they laid the body of the deceased _Lazarus_; behold him laid out, bound hand and foot with grave-cloaths, locked up and stinking in a dark cave, with a great stone placed on the top of it! View him again and again; go nearer to him; be not afraid; smell him, ah! how he stinketh. Stop there now, pause a while; and whilst thou art gazing upon the corpse of _Lazarus_, give me leave to tell thee with great plainness, but greater love, that this dead, bound, entombed, stinking carcase, is but a faint representation of thy poor soul in its natural state: for, whether thou believest it or not, thy spirit which thou bearest about with thee, sepulchred in flesh and blood, is as literally dead to GOD, and as truly dead in trespasses and sins, as the body of _Lazarus_ was in the cave. Was he bound hand and foot with grave-cloaths? So art thou bound hand and foot with thy corruptions: and as a stone was laid on the sepulchre, so is there a stone of unbelief upon thy stupid heart. Perhaps thou hast lain in this state, not only four days, but many years, stinking in GOD’s nostrils. And, what is still more affecting, thou art as unable to raise thyself out of this loathsome, dead state, to a life of righteousness and true holiness, as ever _Lazarus_ was to raise himself from the cave in which he lay so long. Thou mayest try the power of thy own boasted free-will, and the force and energy of moral persuasion and rational arguments (which, without all doubt, have their proper place in religion); but all thy efforts, exerted with never so much vigour, will prove quite fruitless and abortive, till that same JESUS, who said, “Take away the stone,” and cried, “_Lazarus_, come forth,” comes by his mighty power, removes the stone of unbelief, speaks life to thy dead soul, looses thee from the fetters of thy sins and corruptions, and by the influences of his blessed Spirit, enables thee to arise, and to walk in the way of his holy commandments. And O that he would now rend the heavens, and come down amongst you! O that there may be a stirring among the dry bones this day! O that whilst I am speaking, and saying, “Dead sinners, come forth,” a power, an almighty power might accompany the word, and cause you to emerge into new life!

If the LORD should vouchsafe me such a mercy, and but one single soul in this great congregation, should arise and shake himself from the dust of his natural state; according to the present frame of my heart, I should not care if preaching this sermon here in the fields, was an occasion of hastening my death, as raising _Lazarus_ hastened the death of my blessed Master. For methinks death, in some respects, is more tolerable, than to see poor sinners day by day lying sepulchred, dead and stinking in sin. O that you saw how loathsome you are in the sight of GOD, whilst you continue in your natural state! I believe you would not so contentedly hug your chains, and refuse to be set at liberty.

Methinks I see some of you affected at this part of my discourse. What say you? Are there not some ready to complain, alas! we have some relations present, who are so notoriously wicked, that they not only hug their chains, but make a mock of sin, and stink not only in the sight of GOD, but man. Dear souls! you are ready to urge this, as a reason why JESUS will not raise them; and think it hard, perhaps, that JESUS does not come, in answer to your repeated groans and prayers, to convert and save them. But what JESUS said unto _Martha_, I say unto you, “Believe, and you shall see the glory of GOD.” Think it not a thing incredible, that GOD should raise their dead souls. Think not hard of JESUS for delaying an answer to your prayers: assure yourselves he heareth you always. And who knows, but this day JESUS may visit some of your dear relations hearts, upon whose account you have ♦travailed in birth till CHRIST be formed in them? You have already sympathized with _Martha_ and _Mary_, in their doubts and fears; who knows but you may also be partakers of that joy which their souls experienced, when they received their risen brother into their longing arms.

♦ “travelled” replaced with “travailed”

O Christless souls, you do not know what grief your continuance in sin occasions to your godly relations! You do not know how you grieve the heart of JESUS. I beseech you give him no fresh cause to weep over you upon account of your unbelief: let him not again groan in his spirit and be troubled. Behold how he has loved you, even so as to lay down his life for you. What could he do more? I pray you, therefore, dead sinners, come forth; arise and sup with JESUS. This was an honour conferred on _Lazarus_, and the same honour awaits you: Not that you shall sit down with him personally in this life, as _Lazarus_ did; but you shall sit down with him at the table of his ordinances, especially at the table of the Lord’s-supper, and ere long sit down with him in the kingdom of heaven.

Happy, thrice happy ye, who are already raised from spiritual death, and have an earnest of an infinitely better and more glorious resurrection in your hearts. You know a little, how delightful it must have been to _Martha_ and _Mary_ and _Lazarus_, to sit down with the blessed JESUS here below; but how infinitely more delightful will it be, to sit down, not only with _Mary_ and _Martha_, but with _Abraham_, _Isaac_, and _Jacob_, and all your other dear brethren and sisters, in the kingdom of heaven. Do you not long for that time, when JESUS shall say unto you, “Come up hither?” Well! blessed be GOD, yet a little while, and that same JESUS, who cried with a loud voice, “_Lazarus_, come forth;” shall with the same voice, and with the same power, speak unto all that are in their graves, and they shall come forth. That all who hear me this day may be then enabled to lift up their heads and rejoice, that the day of their compleat redemption is indeed fully come, may JESUS CHRIST grant, for his infinite mercy’s sake. _Amen_, and _Amen_.

SERMON XL.

The Holy Spirit convincing the World of Sin, Righteousness, and Judgment.

JOHN xvi. 8.

_And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment._

THESE words contain part of a gracious promise, which the blessed JESUS was pleased to make to his weeping and sorrowful disciples. The time was now drawing near, in which the Son of man was first to be lifted up on the cross, and afterwards to heaven. Kind, wondrous kind! had this merciful High-priest been to his disciples, during the time of his tabernacling amongst them. He had compassion on their infirmities, answered for them when assaulted by their enemies, and set them right when out of the way, either in principle or practice. He neither called nor used them as servants, but as friends; and he revealed his secrets to them from time to time. He opened their understandings, that they might understand the scriptures; explained to them the hidden mysteries of the kingdom of GOD, when he spoke to others in parables: nay, he became the servant of them all, and even condescended to wash their feet. The thoughts of parting with so dear and loving a Master as this, especially for a long season, must needs affect them much. When on a certain occasion he intended to be absent from them only for a night, we are told, he was obliged to constrain them to leave him; no wonder then, that when he now informed them he must entirely go away, and that the Pharisees in his absence should put them out of their synagogues, and excommunicate them; yea, that the time should come, that whosoever killed them, would think they did GOD service (a prophecy, one would imagine, in an especial manner designed for the suffering ministers of this generation); no wonder, I say, considering all this, that we are told, verse 6. Sorrow had filled their hearts: “Because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your hearts.” The expression is very emphatical; their hearts were so full of concern, that they were ready to burst. In order, therefore, to reconcile them to this mournful dispensation, our dear and compassionate Redeemer shews them the necessity he lay under to leave them; “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away:” As though he had said, Think not, my dear disciples, that I leave you out of anger: no, it is for your sakes, for your profit, that I go away: for if I go not away, if I die not upon the cross for your sins, and rise again for your justification, and ascend into heaven to make intercession, and plead my merits before my Father’s throne; the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, will not, cannot come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And that they might know what he was to do, “When he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”

The person referred to in the words of the text, is plainly the Comforter, the Holy Ghost; and the promise was first made to our LORD’s apostles. But though it was primarily made to them, and was literally and remarkably fulfilled at the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost came down as a mighty rushing wind, and also when three thousand were pricked to the heart by _Peter_’s preaching; yet, as the Apostles were the representatives of the whole body of believers, we must infer, that this promise must be looked upon as spoken to us, and to our children, and to as many as the LORD our GOD shall call.

My design from these words, is to shew the manner in which the Holy Ghost generally works upon the hearts of those, who, through grace, are made vessels of mercy, and translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of GOD’s dear Son.

I say, _generally_: For, as GOD is a sovereign agent, his sacred Spirit bloweth not only on whom, but when and how it listeth. Therefore, far be it from me to confine the Almighty to one way of acting, or say, that all undergo an equal degree of conviction: no, there is a holy variety in GOD’s methods of calling home his elect. But this we may affirm assuredly, that, wherever there is a work of true conviction and conversion wrought upon a sinner’s heart, the Holy Ghost, whether by a greater or less degree of inward soul-trouble, does that which our LORD JESUS told the disciples, in the words of the text, that he should do when he came.

If any of you ridicule inward religion, or think there is no such thing as our feeling or receiving the Holy Ghost, I fear my preaching will be quite foolishness to you, and that you will understand me no more than if I spoke to you in an unknown tongue. But as the promise in the text, is made to the world, and as I know it will be fulfilling till time shall be no more, I shall proceed to explain the general way whereby the Holy Ghost works upon every converted sinner’s heart; and I hope that the LORD, even whilst I am speaking, will be pleased to fulfil it in many of your hearts. “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.”

The word, which we translate _reprove_, ought to be rendred _convince_; and in the original it implies a conviction by way of argumentation, and coming with a power upon the mind equal to a demonstration. A great many scoffers of these last days, will ask such as they term pretenders to the Spirit, how they feel the Spirit, and how they know the Spirit? They might as well ask, how they know, and how they feel the sun when it shines upon the body? For with equal power and demonstration does the Spirit of GOD work upon and convince the soul. And,

_First_, It convinces of sin; and generally of some enormous sin, the worst perhaps the convicted person ever was guilty of. Thus, when our LORD was conversing with the woman of _Samaria_, he convinced her first of her adultery: “Woman, go call thy husband. The woman answered, and said, I have no husband. JESUS said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: for thou hast had five husbands, and he whom thou now hast, is not thy husband: in this saidst thou truly.” With this there went such a powerful conviction of all her other actual sins, that soon after, “she left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, and see a man that told me all things that ever I did: is not this the CHRIST?” Thus our LORD also dealt with the persecutor _Saul_: he convinced him first of the horrid sin of persecution; “_Saul_, _Saul_, why persecutest thou me?” Such a sense of all his other sins, probably at the same time revived in his mind, that immediately he died; that is, died to all his false confidences, and was thrown into such an agony of soul, that he continued three days, and neither did eat nor drink. This is the method the Spirit of GOD generally takes in dealing with sinners; he first convinces them of some heinous actual sin, and at the same time brings all their other sins into ♦remembrance, and as it were sets them in battle-array before them: “When he is come, he will reprove the world of sin.”

♦ “remembrace” replaced with “remembrance”

And was it ever thus with you, my dear hearers? (For I must question you as I go along, because I intend, by the Divine help, to preach not only to your heads, but your hearts). Did the Spirit of GOD ever bring all your sins thus to remembrance, and make you cry out to GOD, “Thou writest bitter things against me?” Did your actual sins ever appear before you, as though drawn in a map? If not, you have great reason (unless you were sanctified from the womb) to suspect that you are not convicted, much more not converted, and that the promise of the text was never yet fulfilled in your hearts.

Farther: When the Comforter comes into a sinner’s heart, though it generally convinces the sinner of his actual sin first, yet it leads him to see and bewail his original sin, the fountain from which all these polluted streams do flow.

Though every thing in the earth, air, and water; every thing both without and within, concur to prove the truth of that assertion in the scripture, “in _Adam_ we all have died;” yet most are so hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, that notwithstanding they may give an assent to the truth of the proposition in their heads, yet they never felt it really in their hearts. Nay, some in words professedly deny it, though their works too, too plainly prove them to be degenerate sons of a degenerate father. But when the Comforter, the Spirit of GOD, arrests a sinner, and convinces him of sin, all carnal reasoning against original corruption, every proud and high imagination, which exalteth itself against that doctrine, is immediately thrown down; and he is made to cry out, “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” He now finds that concupiscence is sin; and does not so much bewail his actual sins, as the inward perverseness of his heart, which he now finds not only to be an enemy to, but also direct enmity against GOD.

And did the Comforter, my dear friends, ever come with such a convincing power as this into your hearts? Were you ever made to see and feel, that in your flesh dwelleth no good thing; that you are conceived and born in sin; that you are by nature children of wrath; that GOD would be just if he damned you, though you never committed an actual sin in your lives? So often as you have been at church and sacrament, did you ever feelingly confess, that there was no health in you; that the remembrance of your original and actual sins was grievous unto you, and the burden of them intolerable? If not, you have been only offering to GOD vain oblations; you never yet prayed in your lives; the Comforter never yet came effectually into your souls: consequently you are not in the faith properly so called; no, you are at present in a state of death and damnation.

Again, the Comforter, when he comes effectually to work upon a sinner, not only convinces him of the sin of his nature, and the sin of his life, but also of the sin of his duties.

We all naturally are Legalists, thinking to be justified by the works of the law. When somewhat awakened by the terrors of the LORD, we immediately, like the Pharisees of old, go about to establish our own righteousness, and think we shall find acceptance with GOD, if we seek it with tears: finding ourselves damned by nature and our actual sins, we then think to recommend ourselves to GOD by our duties, and hope, by our doings of one kind or another, to inherit eternal life. But, whenever the Comforter comes into the heart, it convinces the soul of these false rests, and makes the sinner to see that all his righteousnesses are but as filthy rags; and that, for the most pompous services, he deserves no better a doom than that of the unprofitable servant, “to be thrown into outer darkness, where is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.”

And was this degree of conviction ever wrought in any of your souls? Did the Comforter ever come into your hearts, so as to make you sick of your duties, as well as your sins? Were you ever, with the great Apostle of the _Gentiles_, made to abhor your own righteousness which is by the law, and acknowledge that you deserve to be damned, though you should give all your goods to feed the poor? Were you made to feel, that your very repentance needed to be repented of, and that every thing in yourselves is but dung and dross? And that all the arguments you can fetch for mercy, must be out of the heart and pure unmerited love of GOD? Were you ever made to lye at the feet of sovereign Grace, and to say, LORD, if thou wilt, thou mayest save me; if not, thou mayest justly damn me; I have nothing to plead, I can in no wise justify myself in thy sight; my best performances, I see, will condemn me; and all I have to depend upon is thy free grace? What say you? Was this ever, or is this now, the habitual language of your hearts? You have been frequently at the temple; but did you ever approach it in the temper of the poor Publican, and, after you have done all, acknowledge that you have done nothing; and, upon a feeling experimental sense of your own unworthiness and sinfulness every way, smite upon your breasts, and say, “GOD be merciful to us sinners?” If you never were thus minded, the Comforter never yet effectually came into your souls, you are out of CHRIST; and if GOD should require your souls in that condition, he would be no better to you than a consuming fire.

But there is a fourth sin, of which the Comforter, when he comes, convinces the soul, and which alone (it is very remarkable) our LORD mentions, as though it was the only sin worth mentioning; for indeed it is the root of all other sins whatsoever: it is the reigning as well as the damning sin of the world. And what now do you imagine that sin may be? It is that cursed sin, that root of all other evils, I mean the sin of _unbelief_. Says our LORD, verse 9. “Of sin, because they believe not on me.”

But does the christian world, or any of you that hear me this day, want the Holy Ghost to convince you of unbelief? Are there any infidels here? Yes, (O that I had not too great reason to think so!) I fear most are such: not indeed such infidels as professedly deny the LORD that bought us (though I fear too many even of such monsters are in every country); but I mean such unbelievers, that have no more faith in CHRIST than the devils themselves. Perhaps you may think you believe, because you repeat the Creed, or subscribe to a Confession of Faith; because you go to church or meeting, receive the sacrament, and are taken into full communion. These are blessed privileges; but all this may be done, without our being true believers. And I know not how to detect your false hypocritical faith better, than by putting to you this question: How long have you believed? Would not most of you say, as long as we can remember; we never did disbelieve? Then this is a certain sign that you have no true faith at all; no, not so much as a grain of mustard-seed: for, if you believe now, (unless you were sanctified from your infancy, which is the case of some) you must know that there was a time in which you did not believe on the LORD JESUS CHRIST; and the Holy Ghost, if ever you received it, convinced you of this. Eternal truth has declared, “When he is come, he will convince the world of sin, because they believe not on me.”

None of us believe by nature: but after the Holy Ghost has convinced us of the sin of our natures, and the sin of our lives and duties, in order to convince us of our utter inability to save ourselves, and that we must be beholden to GOD, as for every thing else, so for faith (without which it is impossible to please, or be saved by CHRIST) he convinces us also, that we have no faith. “Dost thou believe on the Son of GOD?” is the grand question which the Holy Ghost now puts to the soul: at the same time he works with such power and demonstration, that the soul sees, and is obliged to confess, that it has no faith.

This is a thing little thought of by most who call themselves believers. They dream they are christians, because they live in a christian country: If they were born _Turks_, they would believe on _Mahomet_; for what is that which men commonly call faith, but an outward consent to the established religion? But do not you thus deceive your own selves; true faith is quite another thing. Ask yourselves, therefore, whether or not the Holy Ghost ever powerfully convinced you of the sin of unbelief? You are perhaps so devout (you may imagine) as to get a catalogue of sins; which you look over, and confess in a formal manner, as often as you go to the holy sacrament: but among all your sins, did you ever once confess and bewail that damning sin of unbelief? Were you ever made to cry out, “LORD, give me faith; LORD, give me to believe on thee; O that I had faith! O that I could believe!” If you never were thus distressed, at least, if you never saw and felt that you had no faith, it is a certain sign that the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, never came into and worked savingly upon your souls.

But is it not odd, that the Holy Ghost should be called a Comforter, when it is plain, by the experience of all GOD’s children, that this work of conviction is usually attended with sore inward conflicts, and a great deal of soul-trouble? I answer, The Holy Ghost may well be termed a Comforter, even in this work; because it is the only way to, and ends in, true solid comfort. Blessed are they that are thus convicted by him, for they shall be comforted. Nay, not only so, but there is present comfort, even in the midst of these convictions: the soul secretly rejoices in the sight of its own misery, blesses GOD for bringing it out of darkness into light, and looks forward with a comfortable prospect of future deliverances, knowing, that, “though sorrow may endure for a night, joy will come in the morning.”

Thus it is that the Holy Ghost convinces the soul of sin. And, if so, how wretchedly are they mistaken, that blend the light of the Spirit with the light of conscience, as all such do, who say, that CHRIST lighteth every man that cometh into the world, and that light, if improved, will bring us to JESUS CHRIST? If such doctrine be true, the promise in the text was needless: our LORD’s apostles had already that light; the world hereafter to be convinced, had that light; and, if that was sufficient to bring them to CHRIST, why was it expedient that CHRIST should go away to heaven, to send down the Holy Ghost to do this for them! Alas! all have not this Spirit: it is the special gift of GOD, and, without this special gift, we can never come to CHRIST.

The light of conscience will accuse or convince us of any common sin; but the light of natural conscience never did, never will, and never can, convince of unbelief. If it could, how comes it to pass, that not one of the heathens, who improved the light of nature in such an eminent degree, was ever convinced of unbelief? No, natural conscience cannot effect this; it is the peculiar property of the Holy Ghost the Comforter: “When he is come, he will reprove (or convince) the world of sin, of righteousness, and judgment.”

We have heard how he convinces of sin: we come now to shew,

_Secondly_, What is the righteousness, of which the Comforter convinces the world.

By the word _righteousness_, in some places of scripture, we are to understand that common justice which we ought to practise between man and man; as when _Paul_ is said to reason of temperance and righteousness before a trembling _Felix_. But here (as in a multitude of other places in holy writ) we are to understand by the word righteousness, the active and passive obedience of the dear LORD JESUS; even that perfect, personal, all-sufficient righteousness, which he has wrought out for that world which the Spirit is to convince. “Of righteousness, (says our LORD) because I go to the Father, and ye see me no more.” This is one argument that the Holy Spirit makes use of to prove CHRIST’s righteousness, because he is gone to the Father, and we see him no more. For, had he not wrought out a sufficient righteousness, the Father would have sent him back, as not having done what he undertook; and we should have seen him again.

O the righteousness of CHRIST! It so comforts my soul, that I must be excused if I mention it in almost all my discourses. I would not, if I could help it, have one sermon without it. Whatever infidels may object, or _Arminians_ sophistically argue against an _imputed righteousness_; yet whoever know themselves and GOD, must acknowledge, that “JESUS CHRIST is the end of the law for righteousness, (and perfect justification in the sight of GOD) to every one that believeth,” and that we are to be made the righteousness of GOD in him. This, and this only, a poor sinner can lay hold of, as a sure anchor of his hope. Whatever other scheme of salvation men may lay, I acknowledge I can see no other foundation whereon to build my hopes of salvation, but on the rock of CHRIST’s personal righteousness, imputed to my soul.

Many, I believe, have a rational conviction of, and agree with me in this: but rational convictions, if rested in, avail but little; it must be a spiritual, experimental conviction of the truth, which is saving. And therefore our LORD says, when the Holy Ghost comes in the day of his power, it convinces of this righteousness, of the reality, compleatness, and sufficiency of it, to save a poor sinner.

We have seen how the Holy Ghost convinces the sinner of the sin of his nature, life, duties, and of the sin of unbelief; and what then must the poor creature do? He must, he must inevitably despair, if there be no hope but in himself. When therefore the Spirit has hunted the sinner out of all his false rests and hiding-places, taken out the pitiful fig-leaves of his own works, and driven him out of the trees of the garden (his outward reformations) and placed him naked before the bar of a sovereign, holy, just, and sin-avenging GOD; then, then it is, when the soul, having the sentence of death within itself because of unbelief, has a sweet display of CHRIST’s righteousness made to it by the Holy Spirit of GOD. Here it is, that he begins more immediately to act in the quality of a Comforter, and convinces the soul so powerfully of the reality and all-sufficiency of CHRIST’s righteousness, that the soul is immediately set a hungering and thirsting after it. Now the sinner begins to see, that though he has destroyed himself, yet in CHRIST is his help; that, though he has no righteousness of his own to recommend him, there is a fulness of grace, a fulness of truth, a fulness of righteousness in the dear LORD JESUS, which, if once imputed to him, will make him happy for ever and ever.

None can tell, but those happy souls who have experienced it, with what demonstration of the Spirit this conviction comes. O how amiable, as well as all-sufficient, does the blessed JESUS now appear! With what new eyes does the soul now see the LORD its righteousness! Brethren, it is unutterable. If you were never thus convinced of CHRIST’s righteousness in your own souls, though you may believe it doctrinally, it will avail you nothing, if the Comforter never came savingly into your souls, then you are comfortless indeed. But

What will this righteousness avail, if the soul has it not in possession?

_Thirdly_, The next thing therefore the Comforter, when he comes, convinces the soul of, is judgment.

By the word _judgment_, I understand that well-grounded peace, that settled judgment, which the soul forms of itself, when it is enabled by the Spirit of GOD to lay hold on CHRIST’s righteousness, which I believe it always does, when convinced in the matter before-mentioned. “Of judgment (says our LORD) because the Prince of this world is judged;” the soul, being enabled to lay hold on CHRIST’s perfect righteousness by a lively faith, has a conviction wrought in it by the Holy Spirit, that the Prince of this world is judged. The soul being now justified by faith, has peace with GOD through our LORD JESUS CHRIST, and can triumphantly say, It is CHRIST that justifies me, who is he that condemns me? The strong man armed is now cast out; my soul is in a true peace; the Prince of this world will come and accuse, but he has now no share in me: the blessed Spirit which I have received, and whereby I am enabled to apply CHRIST’s righteousness to my poor soul, powerfully convinces me of this: why should I fear? or of what shall I be afraid, since GOD’s Spirit witnesses with my spirit, that I am a child of GOD? The LORD is ascended up on high; he has led captivity captive; he has received the Holy Ghost the Comforter, that best of gifts for men: and that Comforter is come into my heart: he is faithful that hath promised: I, even I, am powerfully, rationally, spiritually convicted of sin, righteousness and judgment. By this I know the Prince of this world is judged.

Thus, I say, may we suppose that soul to triumph, in which the promise of the text is happily fulfilled. And though, at the beginning of this discourse, I said, most had never experienced any thing of this, and that therefore this preaching must be foolishness to such; yet I doubt not but there are some few happy souls, who, through grace, have been enabled to follow me step by step; and notwithstanding the Holy Ghost might not directly work in the same order as I have described, and perhaps they cannot exactly say the time when, yet they have a well-grounded confidence that the work is done, and that they have really been convinced of sin, righteousness and judgment in some way, or at some time or another.

And now, what shall I say to you? O thank GOD, thank the LORD JESUS, thank the ever-blessed Trinity, for this unspeakable gift: for you would never have been thus highly favoured, had not he who first spoke darkness into light, loved you with an everlasting love, and enlightened you by his Holy Spirit, and that too, not on account of any good thing foreseen in you, but for his own name’s sake.

Be humble therefore, O believers, be humble: look to the rock from whence you have been hewn: extol free grace; admire electing love, which alone has made you to differ from the rest of your brethren. Has GOD brought you into light? Walk as becometh children of light. Provoke not the Holy Spirit to depart from you: for though he hath sealed you to the day of redemption, and you know that the Prince of this world is judged; yet if you backslide, grow luke-warm, or forget your first love, the LORD will visit your offences with the rod of affliction, and your sin with spiritual scourges. Be not therefore high-minded, but fear. Rejoice, but let it be with trembling. As the elect of GOD, put on, not only humbleness of mind, but bowels of compassion; and pray, O pray for your unconverted brethren! Help me, help me now, O children of GOD, and hold up my hands, as _Aaron_ and _Hur_ once held up the hands of _Moses_. Pray, whilst I am preaching, that the LORD may enable me to say, This day is the promise in the text fulfilled in some poor sinners hearts. Cry mightily to GOD, and, with the cords of holy violence, pull down blessings on your neighbours heads. CHRIST yet lives and reigns in heaven: the residue of the Spirit is yet in his hand, and a plentiful effusion of it is promised in the latter days of the church. And O that the Holy Ghost, the blessed Comforter, would now come down, and convince those that are Christless amongst you, of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment! O that you were once made willing to be convinced!

But perhaps you had rather be filled with wine than with the Spirit, and are daily chasing that Holy Ghost from your souls. What shall I say for you to GOD? “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” What shall I say from GOD to you? Why? That “GOD was in CHRIST reconciling the world unto himself:” Therefore I beseech you, as in CHRIST’s stead, be ye reconciled to GOD. Do not go away contradicting and blaspheming. I know _Satan_ would have you be gone. Many of you may be uneasy, and are ready to cry out, “What a weariness is this!” But I will not let you go: I have wrestled with GOD for my hearers in private, and I must wrestle with you here in public. Though of myself I can do nothing, and you can no more by your own power come to and believe on CHRIST, than _Lazarus_ could come forth from the grave; yet who knows but GOD may beget some of you again to a lively hope by this foolishness of preaching, and that you may be some of that world, which the Comforter is to convince of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment? Poor Christless souls! do you know what a condition you are in? Why, you are lying in the wicked one, the devil; he rules in you, he walks and dwells in you, unless you dwell in CHRIST, and the Comforter is come into your hearts. And will you contentedly lie in that wicked one the devil? What wages will he give you? Eternal death. O that you would come to CHRIST! The free gift of GOD through him is eternal life. He will accept of you even now, if you will believe in him. The Comforter may yet come into your hearts, even yours. All that are now his living temples, were once lying in the wicked one, as well as you. This blessed gift, this Holy Ghost, the blessed JESUS received even for the rebellious.

I see many of you affected: but are your passions only a little wrought upon, or are your souls really touched with a lively sense of the heinousness of your sins, your want of faith, and the preciousness of the righteousness of JESUS CHRIST? If so, I hope the LORD has been gracious, and that the Comforter is coming into your hearts. Do not stifle these convictions! Do not go away, and straightway forget what manner of doctrine you have heard, and thereby shew that these are only common workings of a few transient convictions, floating upon the surface of your hearts. Beg of GOD that you may be sincere (for he alone can make you so) and that you may indeed desire the promise of the text to be fulfilled in your souls. Who knows but the LORD may be gracious? Remember you have no plea but sovereign mercy; but, for your encouragement also, remember it is the world, such as you are, to whom the Comforter is to come, and whom he is to convince: wait therefore at wisdom’s gates. The bare probability of having a door of mercy opened, is enough to keep you striving. CHRIST JESUS came into the world to save sinners, the chief of them: you know not but he came to save you. Do not go and quarrel with GOD’s decrees, and say, if I am a reprobate, I shall be damned; if I am elected, I shall be saved; and therefore I will do nothing. What have you to do with GOD’s decrees? Secret things belong ♦to him; it is your business to “give all diligence to make your calling and election sure.” If there are but few who find the way that leads to life, do you strive to be some of them: you know not but you may be in the number of those few, and that your striving may be the means which GOD intends to bless, to give you an entrance in. If you do not act thus, you are not sincere; and, if you do, who knows but you may find mercy? For though, after you have done all that you can, GOD may justly cut you off, yet never was a single person damned who did all that he could. Though therefore your hands are withered, stretch them out; though you are impotent, sick, and lame, come, lie at the pool. Who knows but by and by the LORD JESUS may have compassion on you, and send the Comforter to convince you of sin, righteousness, and of judgment? He is a GOD full of compassion and long-suffering, otherwise you and I had been long since lifting up our eyes in torments. But still he is patient with us!

♦ duplicate word “to” removed

O Christless sinners, you are alive, and who knows but GOD intends to bring you to repentance? Could my prayers or tears effect it, you should have vollies of the one, and floods of the other. My heart is touched with a sense of your condition: May our merciful High-priest now send down the Comforter, and make you sensible of it also! O the love of CHRIST! It constrains me yet to beseech you to come to him; what do you reject, if you reject CHRIST, the LORD of glory! Sinners, give the dear Redeemer a lodging in your souls. Do not be _Bethshemites_; give CHRIST your hearts, your whole hearts. Indeed he is worthy. He made you, and not you yourselves. You are not your own; give CHRIST then your bodies and souls, which are his! Is it not enough to melt you down, to think that the high and lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity, should condescend to invite you by his ministers? How soon can he frown you to hell? And how know you, but he may, this very instant, if you do not hear his voice? Did any yet harden their hearts against CHRIST, and prosper? Come then, do not send me sorrowful away: do not let me have reason to cry out, O my leanness, my leanness! Do not let me go weeping into my closet, and say, “LORD, they will not believe my report; LORD, I have called them, and they will not answer; I am unto them as a very pleasant song, and as one that plays upon a pleasant instrument; but their hearts are running after the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.” Would you be willing that I should give such an account of you, or make such a prayer before GOD? And yet I must not only do so here, but appear in judgment against you hereafter, unless you will come to CHRIST. Once more therefore I intreat you to come. What objections have you to make? Behold, I stand here in the name of GOD, to answer all that you can offer. But I know no one can come, unless the Father draw him: I will therefore address me to my GOD, and intercede with him to send the Comforter into your hearts.

O blessed JESUS, who art a GOD whose compassions fail not, and in whom all the promises are yea and amen; thou that sittest between the cherubims, shew thyself amongst us. Let us now see thy outgoings! O let us now taste that thou art gracious, and reveal thy almighty arm! Get thyself the victory in these poor sinners hearts. Let not the word spoken prove like water spilt upon the ground. Send down, send down, O great High-priest, the Holy Spirit, to convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. So will we give thanks and praise to thee, O Father, thee O Son, and thee O blessed Spirit; to whom, as three Persons, but one GOD, be ascribed by angels and archangels, by cherubims and seraphims, and all the heavenly hosts, all possible power, might, majesty, and dominion, now and for evermore. Amen, Amen, Amen.

SERMON XLI.

_Saul_’s Conversion.

ACTS ix. 22.

_But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very CHRIST._

IT is an undoubted truth, however paradoxical it may seem to natural men, that “whosoever will live godly in CHRIST JESUS, shall suffer persecution.” And therefore it is very remarkable, that our blessed LORD, in his glorious sermon on the mount, after he had been pronouncing those blessed, who were poor in spirit, meek, pure in heart, and such like, immediately adds (and spends no less than three verses in this beatitude) “Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness sake.” No one ever was, or ever will be endowed with the forementioned graces in any degree, but he will be persecuted for it in a measure. There is an irreconcileable enmity between the seed of the woman, and the seed of the serpent. And if we are not of the world, but shew by our fruits that we are of the number of those whom JESUS CHRIST has chosen out of the world, for that very reason the world will hate us. As this is true of every particular christian, so it is true of every christian church in general. For some years past we have heard but little of a public persecution: Why? Because but little of the power of godliness has prevailed amongst all denominations. The strong man armed has had full possession of most professors hearts, and therefore he has let them rest in a false peace. But we may assure ourselves, when JESUS CHRIST begins to gather in his elect in any remarkable manner, and opens an effectual door for preaching the everlasting gospel, persecution will flame out, and _Satan_ and his emissaries will do their utmost (though all in vain) to stop the work of GOD. Thus it was in the first ages, thus it is in our days, and thus it will be, till time shall be no more.

Christians and christian churches must then expect enemies. Our chief concern should be, to learn how to behave towards them in a christian manner: For, unless we take good heed to ourselves, we shall imbitter our spirits, and act unbecoming the followers of that LORD, “who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatned not; and, as a lamb before his shearers is dumb, so opened he not his mouth.” But what motive shall we make use of to bring ourselves to this blessed lamb-like temper? Next to the immediate operation of the Holy Spirit upon our hearts, I know of no consideration more conducive to teach us long-suffering towards our most bitter persecutors, than this, “That, for all we know to the contrary, some of those very persons, who are now persecuting, may be chosen from all eternity by GOD, and hereafter called in time, to edify and build up the church of CHRIST.”

The persecutor _Saul_, mentioned in the words of the text, (and whose conversion, GOD willing, I propose to treat on in the following discourse) is a noble instance of this kind.

I say, a persecutor, and that a bloody one: For see how he is introduced in the beginning of this chapter; “And _Saul_ yet breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the disciples of our LORD, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to _Damascus_ to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound to _Jerusalem_.”

“And _Saul_ yet breathing out.” This implies that he had been a persecutor before. To prove which, we need only look back to the 7th chapter, where we shall find him so very remarkably active at _Stephen_’s death, that “the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was _Saul_.” He seems, though young, to be in some authority. Perhaps, for his zeal against the christians, he was preferred in the church, and was allowed to sit in the great council or Sanhedrim: For we are told,