234 / 504
Cnr.V11.4: 28,29.
loh:
14.16.
Explained and vindicated.
178
that he
did in.them
intend
not only the
men
of
that
prefent Generation
but
all
that
Mould
believe
to
4he
end
of
the World, loh.
r
7.20.
(
I
pray not
for
there
alone, but
for
them alfo,
who
(hall
believe on me through
their
word,)
fo
is
it
a
Rule
equally infallible for
the interpretation
of
the
gracious Promifes,which
he made
to
his
Difciples,
that are not
peculiarly
appropriated
to
their
feafon
and worke,
(in
which
yet,
as
to the
generali
Love, Faithfulneffe,
and
Kind-
.
neffe, manifefted
and revealed
in
them,the
concernements
of
the
Saints
ir,
all
fucceeding
ages
does
lye) they
are
proper
to
all
Believers,as
fuch.
For
whom
he did equally intercede,
to
them he
makes Promifes alike.
They
belong
no
leffe
to
us, on whom
in
an efpeciall manner
,
the
ends
of
theWorld are fallen,
then to
thofe,who
firfl;
followed him in
the
Regeneration.. Let
us
then attend
to
the
Teftimony
in
this
place
,
(
and
as
he
(hall
be
pleafed
to
increafe our
Faith,
mix
it therewithall)
that the
Spirit
he procureth for
us
, and
fends to
us
,
(hall
abide with
us
for ever
:
and
whileft
the
Spirit
of
the
Lord
is
with
us,
we are
his.
Doubtleffe
it
is
no
eafy
taske
to
raife up any
pretended
plea a-
gainft the evidence
given in
by
this
Witneffe,the
Amen,
the great
and
faithfull
witneffe
in
Heaven: He tells
us,
that
he will fend
the
Spirit
to
abide
with
us
for
ever;
and therein
fpeaks
to
the
whole
of
the
cafe in
hand, and
Queftion
under debate.
All
we fay,is,
that
the
Spirit
of
God
(hall
abide with
Believers
for ever; Chrift
faies
fo
too
:
and
in
the
iffue
what ever
becomes
of
us,
he
will
appeare
to
be one, againft whom
there
is
no
riling up.
4.27.
Againft this
Teftimony it
is
obje
&ed
by Mr
Goodwin.
Cap i
T.
Seer.14.Pag.
234.
This Promife
(faith he)
concerning
the abiding
of
this
other
.Co
mforter
for
.
ever,
muß
be
conceived
to
be
made,
either
to
the Apoßles,
perfonally confidered,
or
elfe
to
the
whole
body
of
the Church,
ofwhich
they were
principall
members
:
If
the
firß
of
thefe
be
admitted, then
it
will notfollow,
that,
becaufe
the
Apoßles had
the
perpetual)
ref
dance
of
the
fpirit
with them, and in them,
therefore
every
par-
ticular
Believer
bath
the like:
no more
then
it
willfollow,
that,becaufe the
Apo/iles
were
infallible
in
theirjudgments,
through
the teachings
of
the
fpirit
in
them;
therefore
every
Believer
is
infallible
upon
the fame
account alfo
;
If
the
latter
be
ádmitted, neitherwill
it
follow,
that
every
Believer , or every member
of
the
Church,
muß
needs
have the
refidence
of
the
fpirit
with
them
for
ever
:
There are
principallpriviledges appropriated
to
Corporations, which
every
particular
member
of
them cannot claime: the Church
may
have the
refidence
of
the
fpirit of
bad
with
her
for
ever, and
yet
every
prefent member
thereof
loofe
his
intere
f
and
part
in
him;yea
the
abiding
of
the
fpirit
in
the
Apofiles
themfelves,
was not
abfolutely
promifed.
Ioh.
r 5.10.
Anf.
a.
The
defigne
of
this difcourfe
is
to
prove,
that
this
Promife
is
not
made
to
Believers in
generali
,
or
thofe,
who through
the word
,
are brought
to
believe
in Chrift
in all
Generations
to the
end
of
the World: and
confe-
quently
that
they have no Promife
of
the
Spirits
abidingwith them
:
for
that
is
the thing oppofed ;
and this
is
part
of
the
Do&rine, that
tends to
their
Confolation and improvement
in Holineffe.
What
thankes
they
will give
to
the
Authors
of
fuch
an eminent
difcovery,
when it
(hall
be determined that
they have deferved well
ofthem,and
the
Truths
of
God,I know not:
efpecial-
ly
when
it
(hall
be confidered
that
not
only this,
but
all
other
Promifes
uttered
by
Ch
rift
to
his Apoftles
(as
we
had
thought)
not
for
their
own be-
hoofe alone,but alto
forthe
ufe
of
the
Church
in all ages,
are
tyed
up
in their
tendency
and ufe
to
the
men
of
that
Generation, and
to
the employment,
to
which
they
,
to
whom he fpoke, were
deigned;
But
let
us fee
whether
thefe
things are
fo
or
no.
I
fay,
2.
There
is
not
any neceffary caufe
of
that
difjun&ive propofition, The
Promife
of
the
perpetuall
refidence
of
the
Spirit
is
made,either
to the
Ape
files
perfonally