April 10

When he is come, he will reprove the world of sin. - John 16:8.

LET us here notice the Author and medium of this discovery and method. As to the Author, we have here our Saviour’s own declaration that it is the Spirit of the blessed God. All that is really good in the souls of the children of men is from him. From him comes the first pulse of life, the first breath of life, the first desire after holy things, the first instance of real dedication to God. It is he “that works in us to will and to do of his own good pleasure.”

Now, as to the medium, or the instruments, we would observe that these are principally the law and the gospel. The law is one of the principal instruments, for “by the law is the knowledge of sin.” “Sin is the transgression of the law.” “I had not known lust,” says the apostle, “unless the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” “I was alive,” said he, “without the law; but when the commandment came sin revived, and I died.” When he speaks of his being without the law, he does not mean without the law itself, (for he had it,) but without the knowledge of it; and therefore when he saw the spirituality of it,-when he saw that it required a perfection of obedience in its principles, in its extent, and in its duration, and found that it reached to the heart as well as to the life,-that it ranked lust with adultery, and anger and malice with murder,- when he found that “cursed is every one that continueth not-in all things written in the book of the law to do them,”-what was the consequence?

Why, says he, “sin revived.” It seemed dead before; it now awakened. Sins that he had forgotten before now rushed into his remembrance as if they had been recently committed. Things which once appeared innocent now appeared criminal; things which once seemed to him meritorious, and deserving of reward, now appeared deserving only of condemnation. “Sin revived, and I died” as to all persuasion of my safety for eternity or acceptance with God. Or, as Watts expressed it,-

“My hopes of heaven were firm and bright;

But, when the gospel came

With a convincing power and light,

I found how vile I am.”

The law is always to be used so; and for this purpose the gospel teaches us the nature of our disease by showing us the nature of our remedy. It teaches us the desperateness of our disease by the vastness of the remedy that has been employed. Oh, says the awakened and enlightened dinner, what must have been my bondage if such an infinite price was necessary for my redemption! Oh, how deep must my guilt and depravity have been if such a sacrifice was necessary for my pardon and renovation! And then,-what adds to this,-Oh! what a wretch! that after all I should have neglected, I should have despised, this remedy! Oh, how ungrateful and vile! after all this love to turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven! That I should disregard such a Deliverer, and crucify him afresh, and put him to an open shame!

Observe the mode in which it is accomplished. This is gradual. The thing does not take place all at once: it is effected by degrees. Usually, indeed, it begins with a charging home of one single sin upon the conscience of the man,-the sin to which he has been peculiarly addicted, and by which his conscience, therefore, is now alarmed. But the thing does not terminate here. From one evil the man is led on to the discovery of another. From the life he is led to the heart; from the stream he is led to the foul fountain. The Christian, therefore, is making progress in this discovery continually. It is increased by the various events and by the various dispensations of Providence. Little do we know of ourselves, indeed, until we are enlightened, until we meet with our own proper trial. We little imagine that there is so much mud in us, until the waves become excited and throw up the mire and dirt.

The Christian is often brought to feel wonder as well as distress. Oh, says he, I little imagined that I was so impatient till I was required to wait. I little thought I was so proud till I was called to stoop. But so it is: “behold, I am vile.” The Christian, therefore, often supposes that he is worse, because he is wiser than he was. Because he sees more of his inward corruptions he thinks there are more. “I have heard some people,” says Mr. Newton, “pray that God would show them all the wickedness of their hearts. I have said to myself, It is well that God will not hear their prayer, for if he did it would drive them to madness or despair, unless at the same time they had a proportionate view of the work and the ability and the love of their Lord and Saviour.” No one could bear all the discovery at once; and therefore it is revealed by degrees; therefore he shows us our vileness by little and little as we are able to bear it.