discourses detached men from the world more effectually than yours, although you preach the doctrines of a future life, of paradise, and of eternity. Zeno would tell us, I influenced my disciples to contemn pain, to despise a tyrant, and to trample on punishment. I did more towards elevating man above humanity with that philosophy, of which you have such unfavorable ideas, than you do with that religion on which you bestow such fine encomiums. What then! Shall the advantages, which advance the Christian revelation above the speculations of the Pagan world, advance at the same time the virtues of the Pagans above those of Christians? and shall all the ways of salvation, which are opened to us in the communion of Jesus Christ, serve only to render salvation inaccessible to us? God forbid! Let us assimilate our religion to the economy under which we live. May knowledge conduct us to virtue, and virtue to felicity and glory! God grant us this grace! To him be honour and glory for ever. Amen. SERMON XII. The Superior Evidence and Influence of Christianity, 1 JOHN iv. 4. Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. THAT appearance, which is recorded in the second book of Kings, chap. vi. 8, &c. was very proper to embolden the timid servant of Elisha. The king of Syria was at war with the king of Israel. The wise counsel of the prophet was more advantageous to bis prince than that of his generals was. The Syrian thought, if he could render himself master of such an extraordinary man, he could easily subdue the rest of the Israelites. In order to insure success, he surrounded Dothan, the dwelling place of the prophet, with his troops in the night. The prophet's servant was going out early the next morning with his master, when on seeing the numerous Syrian forces, he trembled, and exclaimed, Alas! my master, how shall we do? Fear not, replied Elisha, they that be with us, are more than they that be with them. To this he added, addressing himself to God in prayer, Lord, open his eyes that he may see! The prayer was heard. The servant of Elisha presently saw the sufficient ground of his master's confidence; he discovered a celestial multitude of horses, and chariots of fire, which God had sent to defend his servant from the king of Syria. How often, my brethren, have you trembled at the sight of that multitude of enemies which is let loose against you? When you have seen yourselves called to wrestle, as St. Paul speaks, "not only against flesh "and blood, but against principalities, against pow"ers, against spiritual wickedness in high places ;" against the sophisms of error, against the tyrants of the church, and, which is still more formidable, against the depravity of your own hearts: how often in these cases have you exclaimed, "Alas! how shall we do? "Who is sufficient for these things?" 2 Cor. ii. 16. "Who then can be saved?" Matth. xix. 25. But take courage, Christian wrestlers! "they that "be with you are more than they that are against you. O Lord! open their eyes, that they may see! May they see the great cloud of witnesses," Heb. xii. 1., who fought in the same field to which they are called, and there obtained a victory! May they see the blessed angels who encamp round about them, to protect their persons, and to defeat their foes! May they see the powerful aid of that Spirit which thou hast given them! “ May they see "Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith," Psalm xxxiv. 7. 1 John iii. 24. and Heb. xii. 2. who animates them from heaven, and the eternal rewards which thou art preparing to crown their perseverance! and may a happy experience teach them that truth, on which we are going to fix their attention, "Greater "is he that is in them, than he that is in the world." Amen. Two preliminary remarks will elucidate our subject: 1. Although the proposition in my text is general, and regards all Christians, yet St. John wrote it with a particular view to those persons to whom he addressed the epistle from which we have taken it. In order to ascertain this, reflect on the times of the apostles, and remark the accomplishment of that prophecy which Jesus Christ had some time before delivered. He had foretold, that there would arise in Judea "false Christs, and false prophets, who would “shew great signs and wonders, insomuch that (if it "were possible,) they would deceive the very elect," Matt. xxiv. 24. This prophecy was to be accomplished immediately before the destruction of Jerusalem; and to that period learned men assign the publication of this epistle. St. John calls the time in which he wrote, the last time, chap. ii. 18. that is to say, in the Jewish style, the time in which the metropolis of Judea was to be destroyed: and adds the sign by which Christians might "know, that it "was the last time; as ye have heard that Antichrist "shall come, even now are there many Antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” Remark those words, as ye have heard: the apostle meant, by them, to remind his readers of the prophecy of Jesus Christ. I do not pretend now to inquire what seducers Jesus Christ particularly intended in this prophecy. Simon the sorcerer may be placed in the class of false Christs. There is a very remarkable passage to this purpose in the tenth verse of the eighth chapter of Acts. It is there said, that this impostor had so "bewitched the people of Samaria, that all, from "the least to the greatest, said, This man is the great 66 power of God.” What means this phrase, the great power of God? It is the title which the ancient Jews gave the Messiah. Philo, treating of the divine essence, establisheth the mystery of the Trinity, as clearly as a Jew could establish it, who had no other guide than the Old Testament. He speaks first of God; then of what he calls the logos, the word, (the same term is translated word in the first chapter of the gospel of St. John,) and he calls this word the great power of God, and distinguisheth him from a third person, whom he denominates the second power. Moreover, Origen says, Simon the sorcerer took the title of Son of God, a title which the Jews had appropriated to the Messiah. ers. As there were false Christs in the time of St. John, so there were also false prophets, that is, false teachThese St. John bath characterised in the chapters which precede my text; and the portraits drawn by the apostle are so exactly like those, which the primitive fathers of the church have exhibited of Ebion and Cerinthus, that it is easy to know them. A particular investigation of this subject would divert our attention too far from our principal design; and it shall suffice at present to observe, that these impostors caused great mischiefs in the church. Simon, the sorcerer, indeed, at first, renounced his inposture; but he soon adopted it again. Justin Martyr informs us, that, in his time, there remained some disciples of that wretch, who called him the |