C A PM I.4,29. TheSpirit be&wedon,&abidingwith Believers. 182 Paid him infuch a way,that ifthey were true to their own intereft,they might retain him, and have hisabode with themfor ever.7urne the words any way, with any to- lerable congruity, either to thefcope of the. place, manner of Scripture expreon, principles of Keafon, andtheDoíCtrineof Perfeverance will be found to haveno- thing in them. Ant 1. This is the nJPe ov gdetueeov,that when all Medicines will not heale, muff ferve to lkinne the wound given our Adverfaries caufe , by the Sword oftheWord. ThePromife is made unto Believers indeed , but on fuch and fuch conditions, ason theaccount whereof, it may never be accomplifht to- wards them. 2. This noway lutes Mr Goodwin interpretation ofthe place formerly mentioned and inffted on: If it be,as was laid , only a Promile of fendinghis Spirit into the World, for the end by him infinuated, doubtieflè the word Iva, mutt denote the Event of the thing, and not only an Intention, that might faileofAccomplifhment. For let all , or any individualls , behave themfelves how they will, it is certaine, as to the Accomplifhment and event, that theSpirit ofGod thanbe continued in the World , in the fence pleaded for.But it is not what is congruous tohisown thoughts, but what may oppofe ours, (that is,theplaineand obviousfenceofthe words) that he isconcerned tomake ufe of. It being not thefence oftheplace, but an efcaping our Ar- gument from it that lies in his defigne, he cares not how manycontrary and inconfiftent Interpretations he gives of it: heec nonfuccefflt,aliii aggredie- mur via. Theword lva denotes, (as isconfeffed) the intention ofChrift in fen- ding theSpirit: that is,that he intends to fend him toBelievers fo as that he fhould abide with them for ever: Now betides the impofìibilityin generali, that the intentionofGod, oi oftheLord Chrift , as God and man, fhould be fruftrate, whence in particular fhould it come to pafle he fhould faile in this his intention? Iwill fendye theholy fpirit to abide withyouforever,t hat is, Iin- tend tofendyou the Holy Spirit, that he mayabide withyoufor ever; what now fhould hinder this? Why,it is given them, upon condition that they be true to their own intereh, andtake care toretainehim; what is that I pray ? Why that theycontinue in Faith, Obedience,Repentance, and clofe walking with Gods buttowhat end is it that he ispromifed unto them? Is it not to teach them, to worke in them Faith, Obedience, Repentance, and dolewalking with God, to Sam ifae them throughout, and preferve them blameleile to the end, making themmeet for the inheritance with the Saints in Light ? In cafe they Obey; be- lieve &c. the Holy Ghoft is promifed unto them, to abide with them to caufe them to Obey, Believe, Repent di-c. 4- TheIntention ofChrift for the fending of the Spirit, and his abiding forever, with them to whom he is fent, is but one and the latne. And if any fruftration ofhis intention do fall out, it may molt probably interpofe,as to his fendingofthe Spirit, not to theSpirits continuance with then to whom he is fent; which is aflèrted abfolutely upon the account ofhis fending hits. He-fends him `t'va t tvr : his abode is theend of his fending: which, ifhe be fent, (hall beobtained. Upon the whole doubtleffe it will be found, that the Do- trine of Perfeverance findes fo much forits eftablifhment in this place of Scripture, and Promife ofour Saviour, that by no Art or cunning it will be prevailed withall, to let goe itsintereft therein. And though many attempts be made to turne and wreft this Teftimony ofour Saviour feverall wayes, and thofecontrary too, and inconfiftent with one another, yet it abides to leoke ftraight forwards to the proofe andconfirmationoftheTruth,that lyes not only in the wombe and fenceof it , but in the very mouth and literal! expreffionofit allo. I fuppofeit is evident to all, that Mr Goodwin knowesnot what to fay to it, nor what fence to fixe upon. At firft it is made to. theApo- flies
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