The first attempt of this nature which we meet with in his Lordship’s charge, is page the 12th. His words are these: “That I may proceed in a regular manner, with regard to those passages of scripture that I shall select on this occasion, I chuse to begin with the original promise of the Spirit, as made by our LORD, a little before he left the world. It occurs in the 14th and 16th chapters of St. _John_’s gospel; in which he uses these words: ‘When the Spirit of truth is come, (whom CHRIST had just before promised to send from the Father, chapter 14th, verse 16th) he will guide you into all truth, and he will shew you things to come.’ And again, ‘the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you.’ It is very clear (proceeds his Lordship) from the bare recital of these words, that as they were spoken to the apostles, so they peculiarly belong to the apostles themselves, or to the inspired persons in the primitive church.”
But granting that these words do belong _peculiarly_ to the apostles, does it therefore follow, that they do not at all belong to their successors, or in common to all believers upon whom the ends of the world are come? Were not the apostles then representatives of the whole church? And may not what was spoken to them, in a proper degree be said to be spoken to us and to our children, and to as many as the LORD our GOD shall call? Does not his Lordship confess, page 13th, “that in one of these passages it is added, that the Father will give you another comforter, that he may abide with you for ever?” And does not his Lordship allow, page 14th, “that in the largest sense in which this may be understood, it is synonymous with CHRIST’s promise to his disciples at his ascension, that he would be with them _always_, even to the end of the world;” that is, as himself explains it, “by the perpetual presence of the Holy Spirit, as the guardian of his church ’till the end of the world?” But how can CHRIST be with his church by the perpetual presence of his Spirit, or how can the Holy Spirit “be the guardian of his church ’till the end of the world,” unless it is by opening and bringing all things to our remembrance, whatsoever JESUS hath said to us in his revealed will, guiding us thereby into all truth, and teaching us all things necessary to eternal salvation?
This promise, it is true, as his Lordship observes, page the 15th, “was fulfilled in a most solemn manner by the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, and others with them, at the feast of Pentecost, that is recorded so particularly in the second chapter of the _Acts_ of the Apostles.” And it is as true, (as his Lordship intimates page 16th) “that St. _Peter_ makes an application of the prophecy of _Joel_, to the miraculous effusion of the Spirit on that memorable occasion.
But does not his Lordship by intimating, that this promise of our LORD was wholly compleated on the day of Pentecost, prove too much? for does it not then follow, that no one after the day of Pentecost was to expect the Holy Ghost to bring all things to their remembrance, to teach them all things, and shew them things to come? How then could this promise be fulfilled in the apostle _Paul_, who was converted some time after? or how could this remain in the primitive church in the inspired persons, or abide with the church for ever to the end of the world? And supposing the apostle _Peter_ does make an application of the prophecy of _Joel_ to the miraculous effusion of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, _Acts_ the 2d, verses 16th, 17th, &c. does it therefore follow, that this promise of our Saviour extends no farther than that day? Does he any where intimate any such thing through his whole discourse? Or is it any new thing for prophecies to have several fulfilments? Is not that prophecy, “Out of _Egypt_ have I called my son,” which was originally spoken concerning GOD’s _Israel_, applied by the evangelist _Matthew_, chapter 2d. verse 15th, to the Son of GOD himself? And therefore granting that this promise was in an extraordinary degree fulfilled in the day of Pentecost, how does it follow, that it is not now, and will be in an ordinary way, fulfilling to the end of the world? And consequently, may not this promise of our LORD be pleaded by all his disciples, for the indwelling of his blessed Spirit, and his inward teaching, by the instrumentality of his revealed will, _now_ as well as formerly (especially since his Lordship, page 15th, clears us from pretending to the operations of the miraculous kind) without being censured for so doing as _modern enthusiasts_.