294 Of the comingof the Holy Ghoft, Vol. II. of the Holy Ghoft in fuch wonderful and miraculous Gifts, then at laft they were capable of underftanding and receiving this Truth, which could not fink into their Hearts before. 2. Another Truth which our Saviour here probably intended, was the abroga- ting theJemifh Difpenfation. And this likewife they muft needs be extreatnly pre.. judic'd againft; becaufe their Lawwas given by God, and looked upon by them, not as a temporary, but a perpetual Inftitution. And this Truthwe find that the Apoftles were afterwards inftru ted in, when the Holy Ghoft was come upon them. And therefore in the Council at Jerufalem, the Apoftles releas'd theGentiles from the obfervance of Mofes his Law, as a thing which they were perfectly in- ftruded in by the Holy Ghoft. AR: 15. 28. It bath feemedgood to the Holy Ghofl, and to us, &c. 3. Another Truth which our Saviour probably here intended, was, that the Salvation of the Mefas belonged to the Gentiles, as well as to the Yews. The yew, had a ftrong conceit oftheir own Privileges, and looked upon all the World, befides themfelves, as a company of Reprobates, that had no (hare or intereft in the PromifeofGod, or in thofe great Bleflìngs which their Mefjìas was to bring to the World. And we find that the Difciples had fo deeply imbib'd this preju- dice in their Education, that they wonder'd at our Saviour, when they foundhim talking with the Samaritan Woman. And tho' before hisAfcenfion he had given them an exprefs command to go and teach all Nations, yet it feems 'twas a good while before they underftood this Command in the latitude inwhich our Saviour in- tendedit. For 'tis plain from the Hiftory of the Afls, that till Peter was fent to Cornelius, and better inflruded in this matter by a Vifion from Heaven, they had not at all preach'd the Gofpel t9 the Gentiles, being perfuaded thatit was unlawful to do it : but by the command of our Saviour to go and teach all Nations, they underftood that they were to preach to the Terns difpers'd in all Nations. But after this Vifion to Peter, and when they faw that the Holy Ghoit fell upon the Gentiles, in the famemanner that it had done upon them, then and not before they were iuftruded,in thisTruth. That theft are all, or fome of the principal of thofeTruths which our Saviour here means, whenhe fays, that he had yet many things to fay unto hisDifciple , which they could not then bear, does I hope fufficrentlyappear; becaufethey were fuch Truths, as theDifciples were moft vehemently prejudic'd againft, and which afterwards they were fully inftru&ed in by the defcent of the Holy Ghoft, and not before. II. I (hall enquire what is the meaning of this Promife in the Text, that the Spirit ofTruth will guide them into all Truth. That thefe words are not to be understood in the greateft latitude which they are capable of; .Í think any one will grant. For certainly no Man ever fuppofed, that our Saviour here promifed that his Spirit fhould lead his Difciples into the knowledge of all natural Truths, andinftruft them in all the depths ofPhilofophy, and in the Myfteriesof all Artsand Sciences. Plain it is then, that Tome limitation muft be put upon thisgeneral and univerfal Promife of leading them into all Truth. All the difficulty is, how far it is to be limited, and what bounds are to be fet to this general Promife. Nov in all Reafon it ought to be limited by the Context; and if we go that way, which, is the only reafonable way of limiting general words, then the plain meaningofthis Promife will be this ; that becaufe our Saviour had forborn to re- veal feveral Truths to his Difciples, which they were not then capable of, he would fupplythis difficulty afterwards by his Holy Spirit, who after that he was rifèn from the dead, and afcended into Heaven, fhould defcend upon them, and inftru& them fully in thofeTruths, which he, in condefcenfion to their preju- dice and incapacity, had in his life time forborn to do ; that is, he would take a fitter Seafon to inftruft them fully by his Spirit, in all thofe Truths, which, whilft hewas upon Earth, they were not fo capable of receiving. Ihaveyet many things to fay unto you; that is, befides what I have already declared to you, there are. feveral other things,which ye are not now fo capable ofreceiving, which the
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