“I propose, Thirdly, to specify some of the chief passages of scripture, that are misapplied by modern Enthusiasts, and to shew that they are to be interpreted chiefly, if not only, of the apostolical church; and that they very little, if at all relate, to the present state of Christians.” page 12.
“I begin, says your Lordship, with the original promise of the Spirit, as made by our Lord a little before he left the world.”
I must take the liberty to stop your Lordship on the threshold. I deny this original promise of the Spirit. I expect his assistance, in virtue of many promises, some hundred years prior to this.
If you say, “However this is the original or first promise of the Spirit, in the new Testament.” No, my Lord; those words were spoken long before: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.
Will you reply? “Well, but this is the original promise made by our Lord.” I answer, not so neither, for it was before this, Jesus himself stood and cried, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink, he that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. And this he spake of the Spirit, which they should receive who believed on him ([♦]οὗ ἔμελλον λαμβάνειν οἱ πιστεύσαντες εἰς αὐτὸν ). If I mistake not, this may more justly be termed, our Lord’s original promise of the Spirit. And who will assert, that this is to be interpreted chiefly, if not only of the apostolical church?”
[♦] “οῦ ἓμελλόν λαμβὰνειν ὁι πιστεὺοντες ἐις ἀυτὸν” replaced with “οὗ ἔμελλον λαμβάνειν οἱ πιστεύσαντες εἰς αὐτὸν”
6. Your Lordship proceeds: “It occurs in the 14th and 16th chapters of St. John’s gospel; in which he uses these words”——in what verses, my Lord? Why is not this specified?[¹] Unless to furnish your Lordship with an opportunity of doing the very things whereof you before complained, of “confounding passages of a quite contrary nature, and jumbling together those that relate to the [♦]extraordinary operations of the Spirit, with those that relate to his ordinary influences?”
[¹] I take it for granted, that the citation of texts in the margin, which is totally wrong, is a blunder of the printer’s.
[♦] “extraordinory” replaced with “extraordinary”
You cite the words thus; When the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth, and he will shew you things to come. (These are nearly the words that occur, chapter xvi. verse 13.)