Serin. PLXXVIII. in Oppofition to Error. g 1 5 the things which are of God, in oppofition to the things of the Work; die Lulls and Interefts of the World which fway and rule in thole falfe Prophets and fe- ducing Spirits. For fo it follows in the next verfe, They are of the World, they are affect by worldly Lulls and Interefts : therefore (peak they of the World ; they teach_ things fuitable to their worldly Affeaions and Interefts; andtheWorldheareth them, they who are ofthe fame temper, are feduced arid led away by them. So that the Apóftle's deign in thefe Words, is plainly to thew the great ad- vantage which Truth and the fincere Profeflbrs of it have above Error and the Teachers and Difciples of it. Te are of Gad. This Fhrafe is very frequently, and very peculiarlyufedby St. john, it lignifies to belong to God in a fpecial and peculiar manner, and is the fame'. with being barn of God, and being the Children of God. Chap. 3, t o. In this the Chil- dren ofGodare manifefi, and the Children of the Devil: whofoever loth not Righte- oufnejs, is not ofGod Where you fee to be ofGod, and to bé the Children of God, are the fame thing : and fo to be Childrenof the Devil, and to be of the Devil, are by this Apoftle ufed in the fame fenfe, Chap. 3. 8. He that committeth Sin is of Devil. And, ver. ia.. Cain who was of that wicked one, that is, a Child of the Devil, as he had called fuch before, ver. so. And becaufe Children do refemble their Pa- rents in Niture and Difpofiiion, therefore thole who- are of a Divine Temper and Difpofirion, who relifh the things of God, and are apt to embrace the Truths of God when they are duly propounded to them, are ready to be taught of God,are faìd likewife to be of God. John 8. 47. He that is of God, heareth God's words : ye therefore hear them not, becaufe ye are not of God. So here in the Text, Te are of God;' ye are of a Temper and Difpofitionapt to relifh Divine things, ready to em- brace the Truths of God, and ye have entertained them, and are his Children, and are led by his Spirit, and have the Spirit of God dwelling inyou; and this makes you Vihtorìous. Te have overcome them. He had fpoken immediately be. fore of fatfe Prophets and Anti.Chrifl, by which he doth point out not one parti- cular Perfon, but the whole number and faftion offake Teachers, as he tells us, Chap. a. 18. That now there are many Antichrijis. Te are ofGod andhave overcome them. This hath enabled you to refill thole (educing Spirits, and made you too hard for them, that ye are of God ; becaufe greater is he that is ik you, than he that is in the world. The force of the reafoning is this ; 're are of God, that is, ye are taught of God, and have received his Doctrine, and are born again by the word of God, and are his Children, and being his Children, ye have his Spirit; and the Spirit of Truth and of God is a ftronger Principle; than that Spirit of Error and Seduction which is in the World, that is, the Devil. Greater is he that ;Sin you, than he that is in the world The Spirit of Truth is more powerful than the Spirit of Error and Seduction ; and confequently, they that are of God, who fin- cerely embrace and obey the Truth, are able to overcome all the Temptations of the World CO Apoftacy from the Truth. My work at this time (hall be to thew what advantage good Men, and thofe who fincerely embrace and obey the Truth, have to fecure them in the ways of Truth and Holinefs, againft all the Temptations of the Devil and the World. I fay in the ways of Truth and Holinefs, becaufe there is a ftrift connexion between a hearty embracing of the Truth of God, and a fincere Obedience to it. And the Apoftic (peaks of both, in oppofition to the Geoflickr, who did not only endea- vour to feduce Men to Apoftacy from the Chri[tian Faith, but likewife from the prat ice of a Holy Life. Now to fecure Men againft Temptations to both thefe, they who are of God, who fincerely embrace and obey the Truth, have a great ad- vantage, becaufe that Spirit and Principle which rules and fways in them, is more powerful than that Spirit which rules in the World and in the Children ofDifobe- dience. Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world ; and that in thefe Three Réfpe &s. Firfl, Divine Truth carries greater evidence along with ir. Secondly, The Motives to perfwade Men to adhere to Truth and Holinefs, are more operative and powerful. U u u z Thirdly, 1:
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