plain from the Scope of the whole Volume Epiftle, who were fo bufie to feduce XII. Chriftians to their impious ways, and

to tempt them to apoftatize from the Christian Religion to the Heathen Idolatry, for fear of Perfecuti

on.

And to encourage them who had hitherto continued in the Truth, and refifted the feducing Arts of those falfe Prophets,. ftill to perfevere in their holy Profeffion and Practice, he tells them what advantages they,. who have embraced the Truth, and lived according to it, have above those who seduce men to errors, or are feduced by them. Te are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. That

which gives Truth, and the Profeffors of it, the advantage over Error and Seducers, is, that Truth is from God, and the Spirit of God dwells in those who fincerely embrace and obey it.

Te

Te are of God, that is, Ye are taught Sermon by him, and inftructed in the Do- XIV. arine which is from God, and relish Divine Truth, which our Saviour calls favouring the things which are of God, in oppofition to the things of the world, the lufts and interefts of the World which fway and rule in those false Prophets and feducing Spirits. For fo it follows in the next verfe, They are of the world, they are acted by worldly lafts and interefts: therefore Speak they of the world, they teach things fuitable to their worldly affections and interests; and the world heareth them, they who are of the fame temper are feduced and led away by them.

So that the Apoftle's defign in these Words, is plainly to fhew the great advantage which Truth and the fincere Profeffors of it have above Error and the Teachers and Difciples of it

Te are of God. This phrafe is very frequently, and very peculiarly

ufed

ufed by St. John, it fignifies to belong Volume to God in a special and peculiar manXII. ner, and is the fame with being born

of God, and being the children of God. Chap. 3. 10. In this the children of God are manifeft, and the children of the devil: whosoever doth not righteoufnefs, is not of God. Where you fee to be of God, and to be the children of God, are the fame thing: and fo to be children of the Devil, and to be of the Devil, are by this Apoftle used in the fame fenfe, Chap. Chap. 3. 8. He that committeth fin is of the Devil. And, ver. 12. Čain who was of that wicked one, that is, a child of the Devil, as he had called fuch before, vèr. 10. And becaufe Children do resemble their Parents in nature and difpofition, therefore those who are of a Divine temper and difpofition, who relish 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 faid likewise to be of God, John 8. 47. He that is of God, heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. So here in

the

the Text, Te are of God; ye are of a temper and difpofition apt to relifh Sermon Divine things, ready to embrace the XIV. 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 in you; and this makes you victorious. Te have overcome them. H had fpokén immediately before of falfe Prophets and Anti-Chrift, by which he doth point out not one particular perfon, but the whole number and faction of falfe Teachers, as he tells us, Chap. 2. 18. That now there are many Antichrifts. Te are of God and have overcome them. This hath enabled you to refift thofe feducing Spirits, and made you too hard for them, that ye are of God, becaufe greater is be that is in you, than he that is in the world. The force of the reafonning is this; Te 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 D d Prin

Principle, than that Spirit of Error Volume and Seduction which is in the World, XII. that is, the Devil. Greater is he that is in 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 fincerely embrace and obey the Truth, are able to overcome all the Temptations of the World to Apoftacy from the Truth.

My work at this time fhall be to fhew what advantage good men, and those who fincerely embrace and obey the Truth, have to fecure them in the ways of Truth and Holiness, againft all the Temptations of the Devil and the World. I fay in the ways of Truth and Holiness, because there is a ftrict connexion between a hearty embracing of the Truth of God, and a fincere Obedience to it. And the Apoftle fpeaks of both, in oppofition to the Gnofticks, who did not only endeavour to feduce men to Apoftacy from the Chriftian Faith, but likewise from the practice of a

holy