314 DOCTRINE OF THE saints' rEKSEVEKANCE. [CHAP.
promise to lie in his eternal love towards them ; so that they can lay no more claim unto it than to any other grace whatsoever. When we have the assurance given by any promise of God, to say that what is promised of him may be expected of course, is an expression that fell from Mr Goodwin when, in the heat of disputation, his thoughts were turned aside from the consideration of what it is to mix the promises of God with faith.
7. Whereas this is given in for the sense of the words, " That God will advance the dispensation of his grace and goodness to- wards or among his people to such an excellency and height that, if they prove not extremely unworthy, they shall have of the Spirit and word of God abundantly amongst them, and consequently abun- dance of peace and happiness for ever," it is most apparent that not any thing of the mind of God in the words is reached in this gloss; for, —
(1.) That condition, " If they prove not extremely unworthy," is extremely unworthily inserted, the promise being an engagement of God to keep and preserve them to whom it is made, by his Spirit, from being so. The Spirit is given and continued to them for that very purpose.
(2.) It is supposed to be given to all the nation of the Jews, when it is expressly made to the church and seed in covenant.
(3.) It carries the mercy promised no higher than outward dispensa- tions, when the words expressly mention the Spirit already received.
Evident it is that the whole grace, love, kindness, and mercy, of this eminent promise, and consequently the whole covenant of grace, is enervated by this corrupting gloss. Do men think, indeed, that all the mercy of the covenant of grace consists in such tenders and offers as here are intimated? that it all lies in outward endear- ments, and such dealings with men as may seem to be suited to win upon them? and that, as to the real exhibition of it, it is wholly sus- pended upon the unstable, uncertain, frail wills of men? The Scrip- ture seems to hold out something farther of more efficacy.^ The design of these exceptions is indeed to exclude all the effectual grace of God, promised in Jesus Christ, upon the account that the things which he promiseth to work in us thereby are the duties which he requireth of us.
In sum, these are the exceptions which are given in to this testf- mony of God concerning the abiding of the Spirit with them on whom he is bestowed and for whom he is procured, to whom he is sent by Jesus Christ. And this is the interpretation of the words, " 'As for me,' for my part, or as much as in me lieth, 'this is my cove- nant,' I will deal bountifully and graciously ' with them,' the whole nation of the Jews. ' My Spirit that is in thee,' that they ought to take > Jcr. xxii. 31-34, xxxii. 38-40; Ezek. xi. 19, 20.
VII.] THE MEDIATION OF CHRIST. 315
care that they entertain and retain, and not walk so extremely un- worthily that he should depart from them/' The residue of the words, wherein the main emphasis of them doth lie, is left untouched.
The import, then, of this promise is the same with that of the promises insisted on before, with especial reference to the Holy Spirit, procured for us and given unto us by Christ. The stability and establishing grace of the covenant is here called the " cove- nant,'' as sundry other particular mercies of it are also. Of the co- venant of grace in Christ, the blessed Spirit to dwell in us and rest upon us is the main and principal promise. This, for our conso- lation, is renewed again and again in the Old and New Testament, As a Spirit of sanctification, he is given to men to make them be- lieve ; and as a Sjm'it of adoption, upon their believing. In either sense, God, even the Father, who takes us into covenant in Jesus Christ, affirms here that he shall never depart from us ; which is our first testimony in the case in hand. With whom the Spirit abides, and whilst he abides with them, they cannot utterly forsake God nor be forsaken of him; for they who have the Spirit of God are the children of God, sons and heirs : but God hath promised that his Spirit shall abide with believers for ever, as hath been clearly evinced from the text under consideration, with a removal of all exceptions put in thereto.
The SECOND witness we have of the constant abode and resi- dence of this Spirit, bestowed on them which believe, is that of the Son, who assures his disciples of it: John xiv. 16, " I will," saith he, " pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever," As our Saviour gives a rule of interpretation expressly of his prayers for believers, that he did in them intend not only the men of that present generation, but all that should believe to the end of the world, (John xvii. 20, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word"): so is it a rule equally infallible for the interpretation of the gracious promises which he made to his disciples, that are not peculiarly appropriated to their season and work (in which yet, as to the general love, faithfulness, and kindness, manifested and revealed in them, the concernments of the saints in all succeeding ages do lie) ; they are proper to all believers as such. For whom he did equally intercede, to them he makes promises alike. They belong no less to us, on whom, in an especial manner, the ends of the world are fallen, than to those who first followed him in the regeneration. Let us, then, attend to the testimony in this place (and as he shall be pleased to increase our faith, mix it therewithal), that the Spirit he procureth for us and sends to us shall abide with us for ever; and whilst the Spirit of the Lord is with us we are his. Doubtless, it is no easy task to raise up any pretended plea against the evidence given in by