delivered to them; then they obtained Abilities to execute the Office of Preaching, to which they were defigned; and Courage to undertake it. Then they began, as to poffefs an affured and rational Belief of Christ, fo to profefs and declare their Belief in him. So that the Reception of the Holy Ghost was to them, what Baptifm is to uş, an entrance into the Church of Christ according to what our Saviour had foretold to them after his Resurrection: Te shall be baptized with the Holy Ghoft not many days bence.

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These were the Advantages conferred upon the Faithful, by the coming of the Holy Ghost; but these were not all. The chief Design of his Coming was to lay the Foundations of propagating the Belief of Chrift through the whole World, and to offer the Benefits of his Death and Passion to all the Members of Mankind; to affert the Divinity of Chrift, to manifest the Truth of his Doctrine, to vindicate the Hohour of God, to convince the World of their Obligation to believe in him, and to confound the Oppofition of his Adversaries. To this grand Defign, the aforementioned Gifts bestowed upon the Apostles were fubfervient, being fuch as enabled them to Preach the Word, and confirm the Truth of it to all Nations under Heaven.

The Publication of the Gofpel had hitherto been referved, fhut up in dark Speeches

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Speeches and Parabolical Expreffions; confined to an Hundred and Twenty Disciples, which we read to have been the Number of them in the First of the Acts. But from this Day it was to be fet in a clear Light, communicated to all, without Obscurity or Reserve, and propagated to all Parts of the habitable World. The Perfon of our Saviour Chrift had hitherto appeared mean and contemptible; no Signs or Tokens of his glorious Kingdom were yet to be found; but now he was to be rescued from that Imputation by vifible and undeniable Effects of Divine Power; his Kingdom was to commence in the Hearts of Men; and become Glorious both from the Number and Piety of his Followers.

The Jews had without Controul dared to reject his Doctrine, vilify his Perfon, and put him to an ignominious Death; but now they were to be convinced by uncontestable Proofs from Heaven, that his Perfon was more than Human, his Doctrine Divine, and themselves guilty of the most Enormous Wickedness, in crucifying the Lord of Life. The Juftice of God the Fa ther had fuffered Afperfions, in not revenging the Sufferings, and rewarding the Labours of his Son: But now this was to be cleared, and the Jews convinced, that neither their Wickednefs fhould pafs unpunifhed, nor his Merits unrewarded. The Devil had triumphed in his fuppofed Con

quest

queft over Chrift, and his Imagination of having baffled the Defign of the Redemption of Mankind, by procuring the Author of it to be put to Death; but his arrogant Pretenfions were henceforth to be checked, his Hopes to be defeated, his Empire to be diffolved. All thefe Advantages were to flow from the Miffion of the Holy Ghoft; and all these our Lord fums up and promifes in the Words of my Text: And when he is come; he will reprove the world of fin, and of righteousness. and of judgment. In which words we may enquire,

I. In what Senfe all thefe Effects and Advantages are to be ascribed to the Miffion of the Holy Ghost.

II. How far thefe promised Effects and Advantages of his Miffion were performed.

As to the First, the word reproving, ny, which is ufed in the Text, in the Original is taken from judicial Proceedings, and fignifieth a Confutation of the adverse Party, by fuch Proofs and Teftimonies, as by an impartial Judge should be allowed to be valid. The Office therefore of the Holy Ghost was to be Paraclet, the Advocate of our Saviour upon Earth, to plead his Caufe, to produce thefe Proofs, to urge and propofe them to the World. There were indeed abundant Proofs before in the Nature of the Thing; but Proofs are not B 3

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convictive, till laid open, declared and propofed.

This was the Office of the Holy Ghost, in this he was to be the Advocate of our Saviour; and this he performed by pouring extraordinary Gifts upon the Apoftles, as on this Day; which might enable them with Power and Eloquence, with Courage and Succefs, to propofe thofe Proofs, and convince the world of fin, of righteousness, and of judgment. They were to be the Inftruments of this Reproof, this Conviction; not only by their Gifts received, and Labours performed as upon this day; but by all their Miracles, Sermons, and Preaching performed in the whole Courfe of their Ministry. All these Actions were equally directed to the fame End, the Conviction of the World, yet all in Vertue of thofe Abilities which they received upon this Day.

All their Gifts and Labours were folely owing to his Power, and derived from his Grant; their Knowledge to his Infpiration, their Courage and Conftancy to his Support, their Speaking to his Impulse, their Miracles to his Power, their Succefs to his Bleffing. So that all which they performed ought truly and properly to be ascribed to him. All the Miracles, Actions, and Prophecies of their Lord before the Miffion of the Holy Ghoft; all the Miracles and Labours of themselves after it, were to contri

contribute to the Conviction of the World; but all the Efficacy, the Application of this Conviction, was to proceed folely from the Abilities conferred on them, at the time of bis Miffion.

And thus the Holy Ghoft continueth his Office of Advocate, not only during the Apostles time, but in all Ages of the Church; fince thofe Gifts which he then began to difpenfe to the Apoftles, he still continueth to diffufe to the Faithful; and by the Efficacy of thefe Gifts it is, that the Church is maintained, the Faithful enlivened, the Conviction continued. He then convinced the World by the Preaching of the Apostles; and he now convinceth it, by the Preaching of their Succeffors acted with the fame Spirit, and by the reading of the Holy Scriptures, written by them through his Affiftance and Direction. His Gifts indeed conferred on them were far more eminent, because more neceffary; his Administration of the Church in their time more remarkable, because manifefting the Completion of many particular Prophecies of our Saviour. Upon which Account the Promises of this Text were then more eminently fulfilled. And that they were so, I come next in Order to confider.

Firft then, the Holy Ghoft by his coming, reproved or convinced the World of Sin; because they believed not on Chrift, as it follows in the 9th Verfe. By the World