41. A DISCOURSE — OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AS A COMFORTER.
A DISCOURSE — OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AS A COMFORTER.
Chapter I. The Holy Ghost the comforter of the church by way of office The Holy Ghost the comforter of the church by way of office — How he is the church’s advocate — John 14:16; 1 John 2:1-2; John 16:8-11 explained.
What remains to complete our discourses concerning the dispensation of the Holy Spirit, is the office and work that he has undertaken for the consolation of the church; and —
Three things are to be considered with respect to this head, of the grace of the gospel:
I. That the Holy Spirit is the comforter of the church by way of especial office.
II. What is in that office, or what the discharge of it consists in.
III. What the effects of it are towards believers.
It must be granted that there is some impropriety in that expression, by the way of office. An office is not simply (nor, it may be, properly) spoken of a divine person, who is absolutely so and nothing else. But a similar impropriety is to be found in most of the expressions which we use concerning God. For who can speak of him rightly or as he should? Only, we have a safe rule by which to express our conceptions, specifically, what he says of Himself. And he has taught us to learn the work of the Holy Ghost towards us in this matter by ascribing to him those things which belong to an office among men.
Four things are required for the constitution of an office:
1. A special trust;
2. A special mission or commission;
3. A special name;
4. A special work.
All these are required for an office properly so called. And where they are complied with by a voluntary susception507 in the person intended for this, an office is completely constituted. We must inquire how these things, in a divine manner, concur in the work of the Holy Spirit as he is the comforter of the church.
First. He is entrusted with this work, and of his own will he has taken it upon himself. For when our Savior was leaving the world, and had a full view of all the evils, troubles, dejections, and disconsolations which would befall his disciples, and knew full well that if they were left to themselves, they would faint and perish under them, he gives them assurance that the work of their consolation and support was entrusted and committed to the Holy Spirit, and that he would both take care about it, and perfect it accordingly. The Lord Christ, when he left this world, was very far from laying aside his love for and care of his disciples. He has given us the highest assurance that he continues the same care forever, the same love and grace towards us, which he had and exercised when he laid down his life for us. See Heb 4.14-16, 7.25-26.508 But inasmuch as there was a double work yet to be performed in our behalf, one towards God and the other in ourselves, he has taken a twofold way for its performance. He was to discharge that work towards God immediately in his human nature; for there neither is nor can be any other mediator between God and man. He does this by his intercession. Hence there was a necessity that, as to his human nature, "heaven must receive him until the times of the restitution of all things," Acts 3:21. This was true both with respect to himself and to us.
1. Three things with respect to himself, made the exaltation of his human nature in heaven necessary; for —
(1.) It was to be a pledge and token of God’s acceptance of him, and approval of what he had done in the world, John 16.7-8.509 For what could more declare or evidence the consent and delight of God in what he had done and suffered, than after he had been so ignominiously treated in the world, to receive him visibly, gloriously, and triumphantly into heaven? "He was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels," and in the issue, "received up into glory," 1 Timothy 3:16. In this, God set the great seal of heaven to Christ’s work of mediation, and the preaching of the gospel which ensued from that. And a testimony to this filled his enemies with rage and madness, Acts 7.55-58.510 His resurrection confirmed his doctrine with undeniable efficacy; but his assumption into heaven testified to his person with an astonishing glory.
(2.) It was necessary with respect to the human nature itself, so that after all its labors and sufferings, it might be "crowned with glory and honor." He was to "suffer" and "enter into his glory," Luke 24:26. Some dispute whether Christ in his human nature merited anything for himself or not. But not to enmesh ourselves in the subtleties of that inquiry,511 it is unquestionable that the highest glory was due him upon his accomplishment of the work committed to him in this world, which therefore he accordingly lays claim to, John 17.4-5.512 It was so —
(3.) With respect to the glorious administration of his kingdom. For just as his kingdom is not of this world, so it is not only over this world, or the whole creation below — the angels of glory, those principalities and powers above, are subject to him and belong to his dominion, Ephesians 1:21; Php 2:9-11. Among them, attended with their ready service and obedience to all his commands, he exercises the powers of his glorious kingdom. Those who would have him forsake his high and glorious throne in heaven, to come and reign among them on the earth, would only degrade him from his glory, without the least advantage to themselves — unless they suppose they are more fit attendants for his regal dignity than the angels themselves, who are mighty in strength and glory.
2. The presence of the human nature of Christ in heaven was necessary with respect to us. The remainder of his work with God on our behalf was to be carried on by intercession, Hebrews 7:25-27. And because this intercession consists in the virtual representation of his oblation, or of himself as a lamb slain in sacrifice, it could not be done without his continual appearing in the presence of God, Hebrews 9:24. The other part of the work of Christ respects the church, or believers, as its immediate object; so in particular, does his comforting and supporting them. This is that work which in a particular manner is committed and entrusted to the Holy Spirit, after the departure of the human nature of Christ into heaven. But two things are to be observed concerning it:
1. That because this whole work consists in the communication of spiritual light, grace, and joy to the souls of believers, it was no less the immediate work of the Holy Ghost while the Lord Christ was upon the earth, than it is now that he is absent in heaven. Only, during the time of his life here below, in the days of his flesh, his holy disciples looked at him as the only spring and foundation of all their consolation, their only support, guide, and protector, as they had just cause to do. They had no insight yet into the mystery of the dispensation of the Spirit; nor was he yet so given or poured out as to evidence himself and his operation to their souls. Therefore, they looked at themselves as utterly undone when their Lord and Master began to acquaint them with his leaving. No sooner did he tell them of it than "sorrow filled their hearts," John 16:6. Thus he immediately lets them know that this great work of relieving them from all their sorrows and fears, of dispelling their disconsolations, and supporting them under their trouble, was committed to the Holy Ghost. And this work would be performed by Him in so eminent a manner, that Christ’s departure from them would be to their advantage, John 16:7. This is why the Holy Spirit did not then first begin, really and effectively, to be the comforter of believers upon the departure of Christ from his disciples; rather, he is then first promised to be so, on a double account:
(1.) Of the full declaration and manifestation of it. Things are often said to be, in the Scripture, when they appear and are made manifest. We have an eminent instance of this in John 7.38-39.513 Up to then, the disciples had looked for everything immediately from Christ in the flesh, for the dispensation of the Spirit was hidden from them; but now this dispensation also was to be manifested to them. Hence the apostle affirms that "though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet from here on we know him no more," 2 Corinthians 5:16 — that is, so as to look for grace and consolation immediately from him in the flesh, as it is evident the apostles did before they were instructed in this unknown office of the Holy Ghost.
(2.) Of the full exhibition and eminent communication of him to this end. This was in every kind reserved for the exaltation of Christ, when he received the promise of the Spirit from the Father, and poured it out upon his disciples.
2. The Lord Christ does not hereby cease to be the comforter of his church; for what he does by his Spirit, he does by himself. He is with us to the end of the world by his Spirit being with us; and he dwells in us by the Spirit dwelling in us; and whatever else is done by the Spirit is done by him. And this is so, upon a threefold account: for —
(1.) The Lord Christ as mediator, is God and man in one person, and the divine nature is to be considered in all his mediatory operations. For the one who works them is God, and he works them all as God-man, for which they are theandrical.514 And this is proposed to us in the greatest acts of his humiliation, which the divine nature in itself is not formally capable of. So "God purchased the church with his own blood," Acts 20:28. "Being in the form of God, he thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," Php 2:6-8. Now, in this respect the Lord Christ and the Holy Spirit are one in nature, essence, will, and power. As he said of the Father, "I and my Father are one," John 10:30; so it is with the Spirit — he and the Spirit are one. Hence all the works of the Holy Spirit are his, by him. As his works were the works of the Father, and the works of the Father were his, all the operations of the holy Trinity, as to things external to their divine subsistence being undivided, so the work of the Holy Spirit in the consolation of the church is his work also.
(2.) Because the Holy Spirit in this condescension to office, acts for Christ and in his name. So the Son acted for and in the name of the Father, wherever he ascribed what he did to the Father in a specific manner: "The word," he says, "which you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me," John 14:24. It is his originally and eminently, because as spoken by the Lord Christ, he was said to speak it by him. So those acts of the Spirit by which he comforts believers, are the acts of Christ, because the Spirit speaks and acts for him and in his name.
(3.) All those things, those acts of light, grace, and mercy, by which the souls of the disciples of Christ are comforted by the Holy Ghost, are the things of Christ — that is, they are special fruits of his mediation. So says our Savior himself about him and his work: "He will glorify me; for he will receive from mine, and will show it to you," John 16:14. All that consolation, peace, and joy, which he communicates to believers, indeed, all that he does in his whole work towards the elect, is but the effectual communication of the fruits of the mediation of Christ to them. And this is the first thing that constitutes the office of the Comforter: this work is committed and entrusted to him in a special manner which, in the infinite condescension of his own will, he takes upon himself.
Secondly. It further evinces the nature of an office in that he is said to be sent to the work; and mission always includes commission. The one who is sent is entrusted and empowered as to what he is sent about. See Psalms 104:30; John 14.26, 15.26, 16.7.515 The nature of this sending of the Spirit, and how it is spoken of him in general, has been considered before, in our declaration of his general adjuncts, or what is affirmed about him in the Scripture; and it need not be insisted on here again. It is now mentioned only as an evidence to prove that, in this work of his towards us, he has taken upon himself that which has the nature of an office. For that which he is sent to perform is his office, and he will not fail in the discharge of it. It is, in itself, a great principle of consolation to all true believers, and an effectual means of their support and refreshment, to consider that not only is the Holy Ghost their comforter, but he is also sent by the Father and the Son to be such a comforter. Nor can there be a more uncontrollable evidence of the care of Jesus Christ over his church, and towards his disciples in all their sorrows and sufferings, than this: that he sends the Holy Ghost to be their comforter.
Thirdly, He has a special name given to him, expressing and declaring his office. When the Son of God was to be incarnate and born in the world, he had a special name given to him: "He will be called Jesus." Now, although in this name there was a sign of the work he was to do — for he was called Jesus, "because he was to save his people from their sins," Matthew 1:21 — yet it was also that proper name by which he was to be distinguished from other persons. So the Holy Spirit has no other name than that of the Holy Spirit, which is characteristic of the third person in the holy Trinity, as declared before.
Both the names Jesus and Christ, though neither of them is the name of an office (as someone has dreamed of lately), yet they respect the work which he had to do, and the office which he was to undergo. And without these, he could not have rightly been called such. So too, the Holy Ghost has a name given to him which is not distinctive with respect to his personality, but denominative with respect to his work, and this is the Paraclete.
1. This name is used only by the apostle John, and that is in his Gospel only, from the mouth of Christ, John 14:16; John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:7. And the apostle uses it once himself, applying it to Christ, 1 John 2:1-2, where we render it "an advocate." 516 The Syriac interpreter retains the name Paraclita;517 this is not, as some imagine, from the prior use of that word among the Jews, which cannot be proved. Nor is it likely our Savior made use of a Greek word barbarously corrupted; ha-menachem 518 was the word he employed to this purpose. But looking at it as a proper name of the Spirit with respect to his office, he would not translate it. As this word is applied to Christ (which it is in this one place, 1 John 2:1), it respects his intercession, and it gives us light into the nature of it. That it is his intercession which the apostle intends is evident from its relation to his being "our propitiation;" for the oblation of Christ on the earth is the foundation of his intercession in heaven. And in this he undertakes our patronage, as our advocate, to plead our cause, and in a special manner, to keep evil away from us. For the intercession of Christ in general respects the procurement of all grace and mercy for us, everything by which we may be "saved to the uttermost," Hebrews 7:25-26. And yet his intercession for us as an advocate respects sin only, and the evil consequents of it. For in 1 John 2:1 he is said to be our advocate, and in this place alone he is said to be so only with respect to sin: "If any man sins, we have an advocate." Therefore, his being so in particular respects that part of his intercession in which he undertakes our defense and protection when accused of sin: for Satan is the accuser,519 Revelation 12:10. And when he accuses believers of sin, Christ is their paracletos, their patron and advocate. For according to the duty of a patron or advocate in criminal causes, partly he shows what is false in the accusation (aggravated above the truth, or proceeds upon mistakes); and partly he shows that the crimes charged do not have that malice in them which is pretended. But principally, Christ pleads his propitiation520 for them — that so far as they are really guilty, they may be graciously discharged. As for this name, as applied to the Holy Spirit, some translate it as Comforter, some as Advocate, and some retain the Greek word Paraclete. It may be best interpreted from the nature of the work assigned to him under that name. Some would confine the whole work intended under this name to his teaching, for which he is principally promised. For "the matter and manner of his teaching, what he teaches, and the way he does it," they say, " is the ground of all consolation to the church." And there may be something in this interpretation of the word, taking "teaching" in a large sense, for all his internal, divine, spiritual operations. So we are said to be "taught by God" when faith is worked in us, and we are enabled to come to Christ thereby. And all our consolations are from such internal divine operations. But take "teaching" properly, and we will see that it is but one distinct act of the work of the Holy Ghost (as promised here) among many. But —
2. The work of a Comforter is principally ascribed to him; for —
(1.) It is evident from the whole context and the occasion of the promise, that under this name he is principally intended as a comforter. It was with respect to the troubles and sorrows of his disciples, with their relief in this, that the Spirit is promised under this name by our Savior. "I will not," he says, "leave you orphans," John 14:18; — "Though I go away from you, yet I will not leave you in a desolate and disconsolate condition." How will that be prevented in his absence, the one who was the life and spring of all their comforts? He says, "I will pray the Father, and he will give you another," verse 16, "to be your comforter." So he renews again his promise of sending the Spirit under this name, because "sorrow had filled their heart" upon the apprehension of his departure, John 16:6-7. Therefore, he is principally considered as a comforter. And as we will see afterward, this is his principal work, most suited to his nature, as he is the Spirit of peace, love, and joy. For the one who is the eternal, essential love of the Divine Being, as existing in the distinct persons of the Trinity, is most fit to communicate a sense of divine love, with delight and joy, to the souls of believers. Hereby he sets up the "kingdom of God" in them, which is "righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost," Romans 14:17. And in nothing does he so evidence his presence in the hearts and spirits of any, as he does by disposing them to spiritual love and joy. For, "shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts," as in Romans 5:5, he produces a principle and frame of divine love in our souls, and fills us with "joy unspeakable and full of glory." 1 Peter 1:8 Therefore, the attribution of this name to him, The Comforter, evidences that he performs this work in the way of an office.
(2.) Nor is the meaning of an Advocate to be omitted, seeing that what he does as such, also tends to the consolation of the church. And we must first observe that the Holy Spirit is not our advocate with God. This belongs to Jesus Christ alone, and it is a part of his office. The Spirit is said, indeed, to "make intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered," Romans 8:26; but he does not do this immediately, or in his own person. He "makes intercession for us" in no other way than by enabling us to make intercession according to the mind of God. For making intercession formally is utterly inconsistent with the divine nature and with his person; he has no other nature than that which is divine. He is therefore incapable of being our advocate with God; the Lord Christ alone is such; and that is on account of his precedent propitiation made for us. But the Spirit is an advocate for the church — in, with, and against the world. Such an advocate is one that undertakes the protection and defense of another as to any cause in which he is engaged. The cause in which the disciples of Christ are engaged, in and against the world, is the truth of the gospel — the power and kingdom of their Lord and Master. This is what they testify to; this is opposed by the world; and this (under various forms, appearances, and pretenses) is what they suffer reproaches and persecutions for in every generation. In this cause, the Holy Spirit is their advocate, justifying Jesus Christ and the gospel against the world. And he does this in three ways:
[1.] By suggesting to and furnishing the witnesses of Christ with pleas and arguments to the conviction of gainsayers.521 It is promised that he would do so, Matthew 10:18-20, "You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought of how or what you will speak: for in that same hour it will be given to you what you will speak. For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaks in you." They were to be "given up," — that is, delivered up as malefactors — to kings and rulers, for their faith in Christ, and the testimony they gave to him. In this condition, the best of men are apt to be concerned about their answers, and the plea they are to make in defense of themselves and their cause. Our Savior, therefore, gives them encouragement, not only from the truth and goodness of their cause, but also from the ability they would have in pleading for it to the conviction or confusion of their adversaries. And he tells them this would come to pass, not by any power or faculty in themselves, but by the aid and supply they would receive from this Advocate, who in them would speak by them. This was that "mouth and wisdom" which he promised to them, "which all their adversaries would not be able to gainsay or resist," Luke 21:15; — a present supply of courage, boldness, and liberty of speech, above and beyond their natural temper and abilities, immediately upon their receiving of the Holy Ghost. And their very enemies saw the effects of it, to their astonishment. Upon the plea they made before the council at Jerusalem, it is said that "when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled," Acts 4:13. They saw their outward condition, that they were poor, and of the lowliest of the people. And yet they carried it with courage and boldness before this great Sanhedrin, with whose authority and unusual appearance in grandeur, all persons of their sort tended to be abashed and to tremble at them. The Sanhedrin found them ignorant and unlearned in that skill and learning which the world admired, yet they pleaded their cause to their confusion. They could not help, therefore, but discern and acknowledge that there was a divine power present with them, which moved them above themselves, their state, their natural or acquired abilities. This was the work of this Advocate in them, who had undertaken the defense of their cause. So when Paul pleaded the same cause before Agrippa and Felix, one of them confessed his conviction, and the other trembled in his judgment-seat.522
Neither has the Spirit been lacking as to the defense of the same cause, in the same manner, in succeeding generations. The story of the church is filled with instances of persons who were lowly in their outward condition, timid by nature, and unaccustomed to dangers, unlearned and low in their natural abilities; those who, in the face of rulers and potentates, in the sight of prisons, tortures, and fires provided for their destruction, have pleaded the cause of the gospel with courage and success, to the astonishment and confusion of their adversaries. Nor will any disciple of Christ in the same case, lack similar assistance in some due measure and proportion, who expects it from the Advocate in a believing way and depends on it. We have examples of this every day in those who are moved above their own natural temper and abilities, to their own admiration.523 Being conscious of their own fears, despondencies, and disabilities, it is a surprise to them to find that all their fears have disappeared and their minds have been enlarged, when they have been called to trial for their testimony of the gospel. We are, in such cases, to make use of any reason, skill, wisdom, or ability of speech which we have, or any other honest and advantageous circumstances which present themselves to us, as the apostle Paul did on all occasions. But our dependence is to be solely on the presence and supplies of our blessed Advocate, who will not allow us to be utterly defective in what is necessary to the defense and justification of our cause.
[2.] He is the advocate for Christ, the church, and the gospel, in and by his communication of spiritual gifts, both extraordinary and ordinary, to those who believe; for these are things, at least in their effects, that are visible to the world. Where men are not utterly blinded by prejudice, love of sin and of the world, they cannot help but discern something of a divine power in these supernatural gifts. Therefore, they openly testify to the divine approbation of the gospel, and the faith that is in Christ Jesus. So the apostle confirms the truths that he had preached by this argument, that with and by it, or in the confirmation of it, the Spirit (as to the communication of gifts) was received, Gal 3.2.524 And he is the church’s advocate in this, justifying their cause openly and visibly by this dispensation of his power towards them and in their behalf. But because we have treated the nature and use of these spiritual gifts separately and at large, I will not insist on the consideration of them here.525
[3.] By internal efficacy in the dispensation of the word. In this also, he is the advocate of the church against the world, as he is declared in John 16:8-11 : "When he has come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and you see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." What is ascribed to him with respect to the world is expressed by the word elegzei 526 — "he will reprove" or convince. Elegcho 527 is used variously in the Scripture. Sometimes it means to manifest, or bring to light: Ephesians 5:13, "For all things that are reproved," or discovered, "are made manifest by the light."528 And it has the same sense in John 3.20.529 Sometimes it is to rebuke and reprove: 1 Timothy 5:20, "Those who sin rebuke before all." So also in Revelation 3:19 and Titus 1:13. Sometimes it is to so convince that the mouth of an adversary is stopped, so he will have nothing to answer or reply: John 8:9, "Being convicted by their own conscience;" so that, not having a word to reply, they deserted their cause. Thus Titus 1:9, "To convince gainsayers," is explained in verse 11, by epistomizein,530 "to stop their mouth," namely, by the convincing evidence of truth. Elegchos 531 is uncontrollable evidence, or an evident argument, Hebrews 11:1. Therefore, elegchein in Titus 1:9 means, "by undeniable argument and evidence, to so convince the world, or the adversaries of Christ and the gospel, that they will have nothing to reply." This is the work and duty of an advocate who will absolutely vindicate his client when his cause will bear it. The effect of this is twofold — for all persons, upon such an overpowering conviction, react in one of these two ways:
1st. They yield to the truth and embrace it, finding no ground to stand upon in its refusal; or,
2dly. They fly into a desperate rage and madness, being obstinate in their hatred against the truth, and destitute of all reason to oppose it.
We have an instance of the former way in those Jews to whom Peter preached on the day of Pentecost. Reproving and convincing of them beyond all contradiction, "they were pricked in their heart, and said, Men and brethren, what will we do?" and with this, they came over to the faith, Acts 2:37; Acts 2:41. Of the latter, we have many instances in the dealings of our Savior with that people. For whenever he had convinced them, and stopped their mouths as to the cause in hand, they called him Beelzebub, cried out that he had a devil, took up stones to throw at him, and conspired for his death, all with demonstrations of desperate rage and madness, John 8:48; John 8:59; John 10:20; John 10:31; John 10:39. So it was in the case of Stephen, and the testimony he gave to Christ, Acts 7:54-58; and with Paul, Acts 22:22-23 — this was an instance of bestial rage that is not to be paralleled in any other case; but it has often fallen out this way in the world. This work of the Holy Ghost, as the advocate of the church, has ever had, and still has, the same effects on the world. Many, being convicted by him in the dispensation of the word, are really humbled and converted to the faith. So God "adds daily to the church those who will be saved." Acts 2:47 But most of the world, by that same work, is enraged against Christ, the gospel, and those by whom it is dispensed. While the word is preached in a formal manner, the world is well enough contented that it should have a quiet passage among them; but wherever the Holy Ghost produces a convincing efficacy in its dispensation, the world is enraged by it. This is no less an evidence of the power of their conviction, than the other reaction is of a better success. The subject-matter concerning which the Holy Ghost manages his plea by the word against the world, as the advocate of the church, corresponds to the three heads of "sin, righteousness, and judgment," John 16:8; their special nature is declared in verses 9-11.
(1st.) What sin it is in particular that the Holy Spirit will so plead with the world about, and convince them of, is declared in verse 9: "Of sin, because they do not believe in me." There are many sins which men may be convinced of by the light of nature, Rom 2.14-15;532 and more that they are reproved for by the letter of the law; and it is also the work of the Spirit in general to make these convictions effectual. But these do not belong to the cause which he pleads for the church against the world; nor is it such that any can be brought to conviction about by the light of nature or the sentence of the law; but it is the work of the Spirit alone, by the gospel.
And, in the first place, this sin is unbelief — specifically, not believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the promised Messiah and Savior of the world. Jesus testified to this concerning himself; his works evinced him to be such; and both Moses and the prophets bore witness to it. And so he tells the Jews that if they did not believe that he was the Son of God, the Messiah and Savior of the world, "they would die in their sins," John 8:21; John 8:24. But in this unbelief, in this rejection of Christ, the Jews and the rest of the world justified themselves. They not only did so, but they despised and persecuted those who believed in him. This was the fundamental difference between believers and the world, the crux of that cause in which they were rejected by the world as foolish, and condemned as impious. And in this, the Holy Ghost was their advocate. For by such undeniable evidences, arguments, and testimonies, he so convinced the world of the truth and glory of Christ, and the sin of unbelief, that they were everywhere either converted or enraged by it. Some of them, upon this conviction, "gladly received the word, and were baptized," Acts 2:41. Others, upon the preaching of the same truth by the apostles, "were cut to the heart, and conspired to slay them," Acts 5:33. The Spirit still continues in this work. And it is an act of the same kind by which he still in particular, convinces anyone of the sin of unbelief, which cannot be done except by the effectual internal operation of his power.
(2dly.) He thus convinces the world of righteousness: John 16:10, "Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and you see me no more." Both the personal righteousness of Christ and the righteousness of his office are intended. For concerning both these, the church has a contest with the world; and they belong to that cause in which the Holy Spirit is their advocate. Christ was looked at by the world as an evil-doer; accused of being a glutton, a wine-bibber, a seditious person, a seducer, a blasphemer, a malefactor, in every kind — for which his disciples were both despised and destroyed for believing in such a one; and there is no declaring how they were scorned and reproached, and what they suffered on this account. In the meantime, they pleaded and gave testimony to his righteousness: that "he did no sin, nor was guile found in his mouth;" 1 Peter 2:22 that "he fulfilled all righteousness," Matthew 3:15 and was the "Holy One" of God.Acts 3:14 And in this, the Holy Ghost was their advocate, convincing the world principally by this argument: that after all he did and suffered in this world, as the highest evidence imaginable of God’s approbation of him and what he did, he had gone to the Father, or was assumed into glory.533 The poor blind man whose eyes were opened by Christ, pleaded this as a forceful argument against the Jews: that Christ was no sinner, that God had heard him, and so he had opened the man’s eyes. They could not bear his evidence and conviction; rather, it turned them to rage and madness, John 9:30-34. How much more glorious and effectual this evidence must be of Christ’s righteousness and holiness, and of God’s approbation of him: that after all he did in this world, he went to his Father, and was taken up into glory! For such is the meaning of these words, "You will see me no more;" that is, "An end will be put to my state of humiliation, and of my converse534 with you in this world, because I am to enter into my glory." Undeniable testimony was given by the Holy Ghost, to the conviction of the world, that the Lord Christ then went to his Father, and was so gloriously exalted. This argument is thus pleaded by Peter, Acts 2.33.535 This is enough to stop the mouths of all the world in this cause: that he sent the Holy Ghost from the Father to communicate spiritual gifts of all sorts to his disciples — there could be no higher evidence of his acceptance, power, and glory with the Father. And the Spirit still continues the same testimony, in the communication of ordinary gifts in the ministry of the gospel.
Respect may also be had to the righteousness of his office (and I would not exclude this sense). There has ever been a great contest about the righteousness of the world. The Gentiles pursued it by the light of nature, and the Jews by the works of the law. In this state, the Lord Christ is proposed as the "Lord our righteousness," as the one who was to "bring in," and had brought in, "everlasting righteousness," Daniel 9:24, which is "the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes," Romans 10:4. The Gentiles rejected this as folly — Christ crucified was "foolishness" to them; and to the Jews it was a "stumbling-block" 1 Corinthians 1:23 — that which everted536 the whole law. Generally, they all concluded that he could not save himself; and therefore it was not probable that others would be saved by him. But in this also, the Holy Spirit is the advocate of the church. For in the dispensation of the word, he so convinces men of the impossibility of attaining a righteousness of their own, that they must either submit to the righteousness of God in Christ, or die in their sins.
(3dly.) He "convinces the world of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." 537 Christ himself was judged and condemned by the world. In that judgment, Satan, who is the prince of this world, had the principal hand; for it was effected in the hour and under the power of darkness. No doubt he hoped that he had carried his cause when he prevailed to have the Lord Christ publicly judged and condemned. And the world sought by all means to justify and make good this judgment. But the whole of it is recalled again by the Holy Ghost, pleading it in the cause and for the faith of the church; and he does it so effectively, that the judgment is turned on Satan himself.
Judgment, with unavoidable conviction, was passed on all that superstition, idolatry, and wickedness which Satan had fired the world with. He had borne witness of himself, under various marks, shades, and pretenses, to be "the god of this world," 2 Corinthians 4:4 the supreme ruler over all; and accordingly he was worshipped the world over. But he is now laid open by the gospel and manifested to be an accursed apostate, a murderer, and the great enemy of mankind.
Therefore, taking the name Paracletus in this sense of an advocate, it is a proper name for the Holy Ghost in some part of his work in and towards the church. And whenever we are called to bear witness to Christ and the gospel, we abandon our strength and betray our cause if we do not use all means appointed by God to that end, to engage the Spirit in our assistance. But it is as a comforter that he is chiefly promised to us; and by this name, he is expressed as such to the church.
Fourthly, He has a specific work committed to him, suitable to this mission or commission and name, which will appear in the declaration of the particulars in which it consists. For the present, we only assert, in general, that it is his work to support, cherish, relieve, and comfort the church, in all trials and distresses. And this is all that we intend when we say that it is his office to do so.