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from feveral Places in the New Teftament. And here indeed, in thefe extraordinary Manifeftations of himself for the Propagation of the Christian Doctrine, did the Holy Spirit moft vifibly and illuftrioufly fhew himself a Patron of the Caufe of Chrift.

To reckon up the feveral Powers of this Nature that were beftowed upon the first Chriftians, will be a hard Task at this Diftance of Time. Nine of them St. Paul has joined together in one Text: To one, fays I Cor. 12. he, is given the Word of Wisdom by the Spirit; to another the Word of Knowledge by v. 9. the fame Spirit; to another Faith by the fame Spirit; (that is, fuch Faith as our Saviour fpeaks of, when he fays, If ye have Faith as a Grain of Muftard-feed, ye Jhall fay unto this Mountain, Remove hence to yonder Place, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impoffible to you, Mat. 17. 20.) To another the Gifts of Healing by the fame Spirit; to another the Working of Miracles, to another Prophecy, or foretelling Things to come; to another difcerning of Spirits, or knowing People's Hearts; tn another divers Kinds of Tongues; to another the Interpretation of Tongues. All thefe, faith he, worketh that one and the felf fame Spirit, dividing to every Man feverally as he will. Thefe were the Pf.68. 18. Gifts which our Lord Jefus, when he afcended up on high, received for Men. These were the Gifts that his Vicegerent, and our Advocate upon Earth, beftowed

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upon the

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Apostles, and they to others, both Clergy and Laity, both Men and Women, fo long as there was Occafion for them.

What now was the Refult; what was the Success of these ftrange Things? Why, it is notorious to all the World; a Religion that had nothing of any external Charms in it; a Religion, whofe principal Article was to believe in a crucified Saviour; and the principal Reward of owning it was, in this World, only a Crown of Martyrdom; a Religion that was preached only by poor and contemptible Perfons, Men of no Learning, no Education; a Religion that was oppofed with the greatest Malice and Violence imaginable, and against which the whole Power of the Empire did fet its felf, endeavouring by all manner of Arts, all manner of Cruelties, to extirpate it out of the World; yet this Religion, through the uncontroulable Power of the Spirit, broke thro' all Oppofition, bore down all before it, spread like Lightning thro' all Places, and gained Entertainment where-ever it came, till, at laft, it became the Religion of the Empire, and Kings and Princes were Nurfing Fathers

to it.

Thus powerful an Advocate did the Holy Ghoft fhew himself for the Chriftian Caufe; and thus effectually did he make good what our Saviour had foretold of him, that he fhould convince the World of Sin, of Righteoufnefs, and of Judgment.

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2. But all this while we do not deny, nay we earneftly contend, that the Holy Ghoft is ftill with us, as well as he was with the Apoftles. He ftill is the Church's Advocate, now that Chriftianity is planted, and there is no need of thofe extraordinary Affiftances we before fpoke of: Present ftill he is with his Church, and ever will be, to all Purposes that are needful, either for the Glory of God, or the Prefervation of the Church, or the Salvation of any Man's Soul.

Now, tho' I dare not be nice and particular in giving an Account of this Matter, yet thefe four Things I dare fay we may always expect and promife to our felves from him, even to the End of the World. I fhall be very brief in fpeaking to them.

First of all, We may be fure that as by his Power and Influence the Church of Chrift was firft effectually planted in the World; fo he will always take care that the Church built upon the Foundation of Chrift and his Apoftles, fhall in all Times and Ages be continued and preferved: And in order to that, that there fhall be always a Succeffion of Paftors and Minifters in the Church, who shall always teach all neceffary fundamental Truths, and be furnished with fufficient Powers and Abilities for the Discharge of their Function, viz. for the begetting Souls to Jefus Chrift; and by the Administration of the Word and Sacraments, putting them

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into a Way of obtaining everlasting Salvation. Lefs than this we cannot fuppofe to be contained in thefe Promifes of Christ, that the Gates of Hell fhall never prevail Mat. 16. against his Church, and that he, by his Spirit, will be with his Apofiles and their Succeffors to the End of the World. But then Ch. 28. it is to be remember'd always, that it doth not follow from hence, either that any particular Church is fecure from Error, or from other great Failings; or that any particular Church fhall always continue to be a Church. Because a particular Church, or a particular Nation, may fo reject the Guidance of the Holy Spirit, and by their grievous and often repeated Tranfgreffions fo affront God, as to provoke him at laft to give them up, and to remove their Candlestick from them, as Rev. 2.5% St. John expreffes it. The Promife of the perpetual Prefence or Advocatefhip of the Holy Spirit is only made to the Church of Chrift in general, not to any particular. Church or Member of that Body; and it is only fo made to the Church in general, as to import that that Church fhall never fail from the Earth; but not at all that it shall never fall into Errors or Corruptions.

Secondly, As the Holy Ghoft, for making good the Promises of Chrift, will take care that there fhall always be a Church; (viz. feveral Societies of Men agreeing in the common Faith under their lawful Pators, wherein fo much Chriftian Truth shall

be taught as is neceffary to Salvation); fo the fame Spirit will always take care to be present in the Ordinances and Administrations of the Church, both for the enlightening the Understandings of Men to receive and embrace all neceffary Truths, and inclining their Wills to practife accordingly. I dare not fay of any Sort of Men in the World that have the Effentials of Chriftianity among them, but that the Holy Spirit is always at hand, by his inward Power and Virtue, to accompany the outward Means which God hath been pleafed to bestow or continue amongst them.

Thirdly, I fay this further; the Holy Spirit of God never did, nor ever will fail to direct and govern the Lives and Actions of all Believers that mean honestly, and heartily devote themselves to the Service of

Jefus Chrift. He will not fail to inspire their Minds with good Thoughts, to give them Grace and Strength to refift the Temptations of the Devil; to affift them in their Prayers and Devotions; and whereas they know not what they should pray for as they Rom. 8. ought, to make Interceffion for them with Groanings which cannot be uttered (for which Reafon chiefly, as fome learned Men have conceived, he hath the Name of Paraclete or Advocate given him in Scripture, namely, as the Interceffor for the Saints; tho' I am apt to think, with St. Chryfoftom, that this Text is rather to be understood of the

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