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SERM." not come unto you; but if I depart, I will fend

CXCVIII. « him unto you.'

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Secondly, the happy confequence and effect of the coming of the HOLY GHOST: " and when he is "come, he fhall reprove the world of fin, and of 5 righteousness, and of judgment." I shall a briefly as I can explain both these.

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Firft, the neceffity of CHRIST's leaving the world, in order to the coming of the HOLY GHOST: nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is expedient for "you that I go away: for if I go not away, the "comforter will not come unto you; but if I de"part, I will fend him unto you." That it is the HOLY GHOST which is here spoken of, and that as a person and not as a quality, or power, or virtue, is plain from our SAVIOUR'S difcourfe all along this fermon, in which he is fpoken of under the notion of a perfon, and that in as plain and express terms as CHRIST himself is. As the FATHER" fent "CHRIST;" fo he is faid "to fend the HOLY "GHOST;" as CHRIST is faid "to depart," fo the HOLY GHOST is faid "to come;" CHRIST is called "an advocate," fo the HoLY GHOST is faid to be " another advocate;" CHRIST our advocate to plead our caufe with GOD, he CHRIST's advocate to plead his caufe with the world, chap. xiv. 16, 17. " And I will pray the "FATHER, and he shall give you another com

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forter, that he may abide with you for ever." And who is that?" even the SPIRIT of truth.' And chap. xv. 26. "But when the comforter is come, "whom I will fend unto you from the FATHER,

even the SPIRIT of truth." And in the verse immediately after the text," how beit, when he, "the

"the SPIRIT of truth, is come."

But exprefly, SER M. chap. xiv. 26. he is called " the HOLY GHOST: CXCVIII.

"but the comforter, which is the HOLY GHOST, "whom the FATHER will fend in my name, he "shall teach you all things."

All the difficulty is concerning the word παράκλητος, which our tranflation renders "the comforter." "Tis true indeed, that the verb wagaxaλ is of a very large and unlimited fignification; it fometimes fignifiesto comfort," very frequently "to preach, "teach, and exhort," and fometimes "to plead as "an advocate the cause of another." And this feems to be the proper notion of the word παράκλητος, in this place," the advocate or patron of a cause." one that pleads for the party accufed. And in this sense, and no other, CHRIST is called our wapáxλnTos, or "advocate with the FATHER," I John ii. 1. "If any man fin, we have an advocate with the "FATHER, JESUS CHRIST the righteous." And as CHRIST is "our advocate with the FA"THER" in heaven; fo the SPIRIT is CHRIST'S abvocate here on earth, and pleads his caufe with the world. And it is very obfervable, that this very word "paraclete," though it be not an hebrew, but a greek word, is frequently used both by the chaldee paraphraft, and other jewish writers, in this fenfe of an advocate. And that this notion of the word agrees beft with this place, I fhall clearly fhew, when I come to the fecond head of my difcourfe, namely, to fhew the happy confequence and effect of the coming of the HOLY GHOST, viz. the convincing of the world how injuriously they had dealt with CHRIST, and the clear vindication of his innocency, which is the proper office and work of an advocate. Having

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SERM.
CXCVIII.

Having thus fixed the notion of the word παράκλη της Tos in this place, we will now enquire what neceffity or expediency there was, that CHRIST fhould leave the world, in order to the coming of the HOLY GHOST" it is expedient for you that I go away: "for if I go not away, the advocate will not come "unto you; but if I depart, I will fend him unto "you."

And of this I fhall give an account in these two particulars :

I. From the method of the divine difpenfation, in the redemption and falvation of man by JESUS CHRIST.

II. From the rational suitableness, and congruity of this difpenfation.

I. From the method of the divine difpenfation, in the redemption and falvation of man by JESUS CHRIST. Thus the fcripture tells us, that God in his infinite wisdom had defign'd and order'd things, that the Son of GoD fhould come into the world, and live in a mean and abject condition; that he fhould be "defpifed and rejected of men," perfecuted and put to death; and that as a reward of all this fubmiffion and fuffering, he fhould be raised again from the dead, taken up into heaven, and placed “on "the right hand of the majefty on high;" and that in the triumph of his afcenfion, he fhould "captive" death and hell, and all the powers of darknefs; and being enter'd into the highest heavents, and "fet on the right hand of GoD," as an act of power and royalty, he fhould fend down his HOLY SPIRIT in miraculous gifts upon men, for the conviction of the world, that the doctrine which he commanded his apoftles to publish to all nations was from

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GOD. And therefore the apostle St. Paul tells us SERM. exprefly that the communication of thefe gifts of the CXCVIII. SPIRIT was the proper effect and confequent of our LORD's exaltation, and one of the first acts of royalty which he exercifed, after he was poffefs'd of his glorious kingdom, Eph. iv. 7, 8. where speaking of the various gifts of the SPIRIT, "unto every one of us, faith he, is given grace, according to the measure of the

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gift of CHRIST." For which he cites the prediction of David, Pfal. Ixviii. 18. "Wherefore he faith, when he afcended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” And “he gave fome apoftles and fome prophets, and fome evangelifts, and fome paftors and teachers." So that we plainly fee, that this was the difpenfation of GOD, and the method which his wisdom had pitched upon, that our LORD fhould firft leave the world, and be taken up into glory, and then fend down the HOLY GHOST, in the plentiful effufions of miraculous gifts. So this evangelift exprefly tells us in another place, which gives great light to this text, John vii. 39. "But this, (fays he) fpake he of the "SPIRIT, which they that believe on him fhould receive for the HOLY GHOST was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." Implying, that according to the divine difpofal, it was ordered firft, that CHRIST fhould be glorified, and being invested in his kingdom and glory, that then he fhould do acts of grace, and like a king at his coronation, fcatter and difpenfe his gifts among men, by fending down his HOLY SPIRIT among them. And accordingly we find St. Peter, Acts ii. after that the HOLY GHOST came down upon them, giving this account of it; ver. 32, 33. "This Jesus hath "GOD

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SERM." GOD raised up, whereof we all are witnesses: CXCVIII. « therefore being by the right hand of God exalted,

"and having received of the FATHER the pro

mife of the HOLY GHOST, he hath fhed forth "that which ye now fee and hear;" meaning the gift of tongues; fo that he refolves it into the difpenfation of GOD, who had thus defigned and ordered things. And therefore in the

Second place, I fhall fhew, that this difpenfation is very congruous and fuitable to the divine wisdom. For as it was convenient, that the Son of GoD fhould affume our nature, and come into the world, and dwell among us, that he might reform mankind, by the purity of his doctrine, and the pattern of his holy life; and likewife that he fhould fuffer death, for the expiation of fin, in fuch a manner, as might not only advance the mercy, but affert and vindicate the holiness of GoD, and testify his great hatred and displeasure against fin: fo likewife after he had thus abafed himself to the lowest degree of meanness and suffering, it was very suitable to the divine goodness, to reward fuch great fufferings with great glory, by raising him from the dead, and taking him up into heaven; but it was not fit, when he had left the world, that the great work for which he came into it, should be given over, and come to nothing, for want of effectual profecution, without any fruit and effect of fo much sweat and blood. And therefore, though "it hath pleased the LORD to bruise him, "and put him to grief," as the prophet expresseth it, yet the divine wisdom had fo order'd things, that after" he had made his foul an offering for fin, he "should see his feed, and prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD fhould profper in his

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