S 2 he Advantage.; of Truth, 'Vol. II, .1 lhould now have proceeded to theSecond Advantage which the Spirit of Truth hath above the Spirit of Sedu&ion, namely, that the Motives to perfwade Men to adhere to Truth and Holinefs, are more powerful and operativé upon the Minds of Men, than the Motives to the contrary. And then, Thirdly, That thofe who embrace and obey the Truth of God, have a greater Affiftance, and are a&ed by a more powerful Spirit and, Principle, than any is in the World. And this feems to me more efpecially the meaning of that in the Text, Te are of God, littleChildren, andhave.overcome them: lecau/egreater i.e he that is in you, than he that is in the World. But theft I (hall not nowenter upon. SERMON CLXXIX- The Advantages of Truth, in Oppofition to Error, I JOHN IV. q., 1. The Te are of God, little Children, and have overcome them : becaufe greater is Sermo second non he that is in you, than he that is in the Wor They ld. are of the World : sun Text. therefore fpeak, they of the World, and the World heareth them. IProceed to the Second Advantage which the Spirit of Truth hath above the Spirit of Error and Sedu &ion, namely, that the Motives which good Men have ro perfwade them to adhere to Truth and Holinefs are more powerful, than the Motives to the contrary. They who embraced the Chriftian Religion did firmly believe the eternal Rewards and Punithments of another World ; and this Principle of Faith being fix'd and rooted in them, made them Vi&orious over all the Temptations of the World, over all the Allurements and Terrors of it 5 be- caufe they were fully perfwaded of the Happinefs and Mifery of another World; the Happinefs of thofe who continued ftedfaft in the Faith and Obedience of the Gofpel, and the dreadful Mifery and Punifhmentof thofewho difobeyed theGofpel of Chrift, or apoflatized from the Profeffìon of it. Hence it was that theywere not to be moved by anyTemporal Confiderations, either of Eafe and Advantage, or of Trouble and Perfecution'in this World. Their eternal Intereft lay fo near their Hearts, and they were fo fully poffeft with the belief of the everlafting Re- wards and Punithments of another Life, that they overlook'd the Goods and Evils of this Life 5 and all Temporal, Confiderations, put into the Scales againfi their everlafting Intereft, were of no weight and moment with them. And this our Apoftle very particularly infifts upon in this Epiftle, Ch. S. 4, 5. Whatfoever is Zorn of Godovercometh the World ; the Children of God are Vi&orious over the Temptations of the World ; and then he tells us what it is that makes them fo, and this is the Viílory that overcometh the World, even our Faith. Who it he that overcometh the World, but he that lelieveth that lefts is the Son of God The believing that 5tefus is the Son of God, infers the belisf of bis Do&rine, and confequently of that eminent part of it, the eternal Recompence of another World, which whafoever firmly believes, will be able to refift and overcome all the Temp- rations of this World. For by the belief of the Chriftian Religion, and Faith in the Sonof God, we are fully aflut'dof the reality and certainty of the mighty Re. wards and Punifhments of another World, tho' they be future and at a diftance 5 ánd a firm perfwafion of thefe things, makes them in fome fort prefent to us as to their Efficacy and Operation : for to a Wife and Confiderate Man, a great Good, or a great Evil, which he believes will certainly befall him, according as he ma- naged), his Affairs well or ill, tho' it be at force diftance, is of greater force than
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