Sermon XCIII.
[CXLIII. Ben.]
On the words of the Gospel, John xvi. 7, “I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I
go away,” etc.
1. The medicine for all the wounds of the soul, and the one propitiation for the offences
of men, is to believe on Christ; nor can any one be cleansed at all, whether from original sin
which he derived from Adam,4240 in whom all men have sinned, and become by nature
children of wrath; or from the sins which they have themselves added, by not resisting the
concupiscence of the flesh, but by following and serving it in unclean and injurious deeds:
unless by faith they are united and compacted into His Body, who was conceived without
any enticement of the flesh and deadly pleasure, and whom His Mother nourished in her
womb without sin, and “Who did no sin, neither was deceit found in His Mouth.”4241 They
verily who believe on Him, become the children of God; because they are born of God by
the grace of adoption, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ our Lord. Wherefore, dearly Be-
loved, it is with good reason that the same Lord and our Saviour mentions this one sin only,
of which the Holy Ghost convinces the world, that it believeth not on Him. “I tell you the
truth,” He saith, “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 depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He shall come,
He will convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. Of sin, because
they believe not on Me. Of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye shall see Me no
more. Of judgment, because the prince of this world is already judged.”4242
2. Of this one only sin then He would have the world to be convinced, that they believe
not on Him; to wit, because by believing on Him all sins are loosed, He would have this one
imputed by which the rest are bound. And because by believing they are born of God, and
become children of God; “For,” saith he, “to them gave He power to become the sons of
God, to them that believe on Him.”4243 Whoso then believeth on the Son of God, in so far
as he adhereth to Him, and becometh himself also by adoption a son and heir of God, and
a joint-heir with Christ, in so far he sinneth not. Whence John saith, “Whosoever is born
of God sinneth not.”4244 And therefore the sin of which the world is convinced is this, that
they believe not on Him. This is the sin of which He also saith, “If I had not come, they had
not had sin.”4245 For what! had they not innumerable other sins? But by His coming this
4240 Ps. li. 5.
4241 1 Pet. ii. 22.
4242 John xvi. 7–11.
4243 John i. 12.
4244 1 John iii. 9.
4245 John xv. 22.
On the words of the Gospel, John xvi. 7, ‘I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away,’ etc.
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On the words of the Gospel, John xvi. 7, ‘I tell you the truth; it is expedient…