C A r.VI [.g,25 TheSpirit bellowed on,&abidingwith Believers. 176 fuch an extent of this Promife, as tothe objeff ofit, and 'tis very weakly at- tempted tobe proved from Pauls accommodation, and interpretation ofthe verfe foregoing,and theRedeemerfhall come-to Sion, 6.e. in Rom: H. I 26. for it is moll evident, and indifputable , to any one who [hall but once calf an eye upon that place; that theApoffle accommodates, and applies thefewords to none, but only thofe who [hall be faved, being turned awayfrom ungodlinefjè to Chrill;which are only the feedbefore defcribed.And thofehe calls all Ifrael either in the fpirituall fence ofthe word,as taken for thechofen Ifrael ofGod, or elfe indefinitely forthat Nation,upon the account of thofeplentiful! fruits, which the Gofpell [hall find amongff them, when they fhallfeare the Lordand Hof. 3.5. his Goodneffe in the latter dales. 5. This then is aPromife equally made unto all Believers;. it is to all that are inCovenant; neitheris thereany thing that isof peculiar importance to any fort ofBelieversofany time, or age, or difpenfation,therein cgmprized. It equally refpeafeth all, to whom the Lord extends his Covenant of Grace. Certainly thegivingofthe Spirit ofGrace is not enwrapped in any Promife, that may beof private Interpretation: the concernment of all the Saints of God lying therein. It cannot butbe judged a needleffe labour to give parti- cularinftances, in a thing fo generally known in the word ;Though theEx- preflions differ, the matter ofthis Promife is thefame with that given toA- Gen.iy.r. brahám, the Holy Spirit being thegreatbleffingof the Covenant,and beffow- ed on all, and every one, and only on them, whom God hathgracioufly ta- ken into Covenant from the foundation of theWorld. ß:z5 Mr Goodwin then labours in the fier inwhat he farther objeCcs, Seii.6. That this Promife exhibiteth, and holdsforthfätne new Grace, or Favour, which Godhadnot vouchfafedformerly either unto theperfons, to whom thefail Promife is nowmade,or to anyother: butfor the.Grace orfavour offinal Perfeverance, it is nothing (at leaft in the opinion of our Adverfaries) hut what is common to all true Believers andwhat God hath conferreduponeneandother,on this Generation, from the beginningoftheWorld. Anf. The Emphafishere put upon it, clothnot denote it tobe anewPro- mife, but a great one,not that it was never givenbefore, but that it is now fo- lemnely renewed,for the Confolation and Eftablifhment ofthe Church. If wherever we find, afolemne Promife made and confirmed and ratified to.the Church wemuff thence conclude, that no Saints were before made par- takers ofthe Mercyofthat Promife, we muff alfo-in particular conclude, that no one ever had theirfinnespardoned, before the giving ofthat folemne Promife. jerein. 35.3 2. 6. We fay,that the.Graceof Perfeverance is Inch as Believers may ex- pea, not upon theaccount ofany thing in themfelves, nor ofthe dignity of the ffate,whereunto by Gracethey are exalted; but meerely on this bottome and foundation, that it is freely promifed of God; who hath alto difcovered the rife, and Fountaine ofhis Gracious Promife to lyein his Eternal! Love towards them, fo that they can lay no other clame unto it, then to any o- the Grace whatfoever. Whenwe have the Affurance given byany Promifeof God, to fay that what is Promifed ofhim, may be expeïíed ofcourfe, is an expreffion that fell from Mr Goodwin, when in the heate ofdifputatgon, his thoughtswere turned afide from the Confideration of what it is, tomixe thePromifes ofGod with Faith. 7. Whereas this isgiven in for the fence of the words, that Godwillad- vance the Difpenfation of his Grace andGoodneffe, towards, or amonghis People, tofuch anExcellencyand height,that, if they groove not extremely unworthy, they (hall have ofthe Spirit, and WordofGod abundantly ansong.fi them, andconje- quently
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