and the Tabernacle of God is with Men. And now, as the Sun is never without its light and heat, and all its Vertues, and where-ever it goes, all thefe go along with it, being infeparable from it; fo where-ever the Lord God comes, He comes with all his Righteoufnefs, Wisdom, Power, Peace, Joy, and all his infinite and eternal things; and where God Himself is, there are all the things of God.

And thus God in his Faithful People, is greater than He that is in the World; that is, He is greater than Antichrift, and the Devil his Head. He is greater in His true word, than they in their pretended word; greater in His true Spirit, than they in their pretended Spirit; greater in his true Righteousness, than they in their pretended Righteousness; greater in his true Wifdom and Power, than they in their pretended Wisdom and Power, &c. Greater is He that is in You, than He that is in the World. Now for certain, the Lefs is overcome by the Greater, and feeing God and his Spirit in His Saints, is greater in Goodness, Righteoufnefs, Wisdom, and all things, than the Devil is in Antichrift and his Prophets; therefore the Faithful in whom God dwells, and manifefts Himfelf, must needs overcome Antichrift and the falfe Prophets, in whom the Devil dwells, and manifefts himself.

but not a

Now hence we may learn several things. And firft, we may learn that Antichrft can pre- Antichrift i. Use. vail against any Outward Form of Religion and prevails a Godliness, against any Humane Vertues and Gra-gainft forms, ces, and Works, and Prayers, or any thing that gainst God is of Man, or flows from Him, though in never fo in the great appearance of Holiness; as we by fad experience have seen, many Men of great feeming Religion, famous for Preaching, and Praying, and reputed Pillars in the Church when they have come L13

hither

Aleth.

overcome

hither into the University (where Antichrift and his Spirit have remained in their full ftrength, notwithstanding the great Confumption which Ged hath brought on them, by his word in other parts) how foon have they ceafed from that fenfe of the Gospel, which they once feemed to have had; and how fuddenly have they been intangled and overcome with the Spirit of the University, and of Antichrift, for Worldly Honour and Advantage fake? and fo, the highest and strongest formal Religion in the Church, Antichrift can foo prevail against.

But Antichrift can never prevail against God in the Saints, nor against the Righteousness, Wisdom, and Power of God in them, all which are contained in his true Prefence; nor against the Faith, Hope, and Love of Saints, which are the Works of God in them by his Spirit; against these Antichrist cannot prevail; For greater is He that is in Us, than he that is in the World.

So then, if thou haft any thing in thee that is truly of God, or rather, that is God Himself in thee, That Antichrift cannot overcome, by all his Arts and Power; but he will eafily overcome any thing else. Antichrift cannot prevail against Immanuel, which is God with Us, nor against the Mysterie of Godliness in us, which is God manifeft in the flesh; but every other thing, though it feem never fo Angelical, he prevails againft.

2. Vse. 2. We may learn hence, That it is not an easie Not cafe to thing to overcome Antichrift, and to get the Victo Antichrift, ry over that Beaft, and his Image, and his Mark, feeing he is and the Number of his Name, feeing Antichrifts the Temple of the Devil.coming is after the working of Satan (as the A poftle faith) and through Antichrift the Devil Himfelf fpeaks, works, and Acts, yet as an Angel of light, in all lying or falfe Power, Wisdom, and Righteoufnefs: and this he doth for the Damna

tion of Men, and to bring Them all, who have no true love to the Truth, to perish with Him、 felf for ever. And his Operation of Error is fo mighty and efficacious, that it cannot be refifted and overcome by any in all the World, but by those 7 who are born of God, and do partake of his Nature and Prefence in them. For the Power, wifdom, and Righteoufnefs of Antichrift and his Prophets, which is fo fuitable to the Nature of the world, and fo glorious in its Eye, cannot poffibly be overcome, but by the true Power, Wisdom, and Righteoufnefs of God, in his true Children or Prophets.

1

1

di fmayed at

3. Hence alfo let us learn, not to be difmayed 3. Use. at Antichrift, and his Prophets, who have in all A- Not to be ges, got fuch Reputation, Power, and Glory to the fulness Themselves in the world, because of their feeming of Antichrift Learning, Righteoufnels, and Religion; feeing of feeing the Chrift in Us, and in all his poor People, is infi- Chrift is nitely more mighty than They are, and the Devil greater. in them; and nothing can prevail against Us, except firft it can prevail againft Chrift. Wherefore if we in our felves are never fo weak, and through our weakness never fo fearful and trembling, yet let us not be difcouraged, or faint, feeing our might is not in our felves, but in Chrift, who dwells in Us, and who is infinitely greater than He that dwells in the World. He that dwells in us through Faith, is greater than he that dwells in Them through Unbelief; and in His ftrength, let us abide by his Word and Doctrine, even to Suffering and Death, if need be; and in all thefe Evils we fhall overcome Them, by whom we feem to be overcome, as alfo Chrift our Head did.

And thus much for the fourth General thing.

L14

The

The filth
General

Point: To

wit, with

whom Anti

The Fifth Point.

The Apostle fhews with whom Antichrift and his

chrift doth Teachers should prevail, to wit, with the Worldly prevail. and Carnal People, ver. 5.

The World

hears them,

Who are the world.

Grounds.

I.

Because they

are of the world.

They are of the World, therefore fpeak they of the
World, and the World hears them.

The World hears them.

Antichrift and his Prophets prevail with the World, and Worldly People, and do obtain their favour, love, and applaufe; and they are their Auditors, and delight in them and their Doarine.

Now by the World here is meant, fuch People, who though they have an outward Chriftianity and Religion, yet inwardly remain in their Natural Condition and Corruption, without any true renewing through Faith and the Spirit. And all fuch People, notwithstanding their feeming Religion and Righteoufaefs, do love themselves, and This World, and the Things of it, better than Jefus Chrift and his Truth. And these here are called the World; and this World, or thefe worldly Chriftians, do hear and entertain the Teachers of Antichrift and their Doctrine.

Two Grounds of which, the Apostle here gives us (to wit, Why thefe People cleave to these Teachers.)

1. The first is, Because these Teachers are of the World.

2. Because they fpeak of the World.

1. They are of the World,

That is, though by their Breeding and Profeffion, their Degrees and Ordination, they seem to be fet at a great distance from the Common people, and Bo be nearer the Kingdom of God, and the Know

ledge

1

1

ledge and Poffeffion of it, than the Common Peo-
ple of the World; yet for all this, They indeed,
and in truth, are still of the World; and all their
liberal Education, their manner of Life, their Study,
Knowledge, Learning, Languages, Sciences, Degrees,
and Ordination, doth not at all change their in-
ward evil Nature, Mind, Will, Affections, nor the
corrupt Difpofition and Principle in which they
were born; but notwithstanding all these things,
they are still the very fame throughout, as when
they came firft into the world, being deftitute
of a New Birth and Heavenly Nature: Nay, by
all these things they are more taken into the Spi-
rit of the World, into the corruptions and evils
of it, into the pride, luft, covetousness, and ambition
of it, by how much, through fuch Indowments
and Accomplishments, they think Themselves bet-
ter than other Men; and fo, notwithstanding their
Accademical Degrees, and Ecclefiaftical Orders,
they are not lefs, but more of the World, even
fully of the World.

And hence we may learn, That it is not Study, Ufe. Parts, Breeding, Learning, nor any Natural Indowments, or acquired Accomplishments, that will deliver any man out of this world (or corrupt state of Mankind) or that can change his Nature, or give him the leaft Place or Interest in the Kingdom of God; but only a new Birth, and true faith in Jefus Chrift, whereby we are made the Children of God, without which Mca are still of the World notwithstanding all their other Improvements,

And this very thing manifefts, that Univerfities cannot be the fountains of the Miniftry of the Gospel, feeing all the Education in it, Philofophical, Moral, and Theological, cannot change mens Natures, or deliver them from their Corruptions, or tranflate them one hairs breadth out of this

prefent