It Is a Blessing to Die to the World Before Dying in It

If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.—1 John 2:15.

The voice of carnal reason cries, "God hath created passions within us, therefore gratify them." At this bar, inconsistency is pronounced upon scripture; but the voice of inspiration proclaims, "The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, are not of the Father;" therefore teaches, crucify them. Let no disciple of Jesus think this a hard saying. Nay, but the soul can find no happiness but in the love of God. If other objects attract our affections to seek happiness in them, as they stand in competition with, so they will keep us from the sense of the love of God; where the treasure is, there will the heart be. When the love of God lives in the heart the love of the world dies. If the love of the world gains the affections the love of the Father subsides. We can no more love two such contrary objects with a supreme love than we can exist in time and eternity, in heaven and on earth at one and the same time; one will necessarily give place to the other in experience and enjoyment. The carnal gratifications of the flesh, vain indulgences of pleasing the eye, with whatever promotes the pride of nature; the riches, pleasures, honors of this perishing world, are all contrary to the love of God in the heart, which is the essence of all true holiness and real happiness. These things war against the soul. Alas! awful instances we see of many professors being bewitched and ensnared by the enchanting allurements of the world to forsake Jesus and the hope of the gospel. Melancholy complaint of Paul: "Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world."—2 Timothy 4:10. Saints are delivered from this evil world; they are redeemed from vain conversation by Jesus: they are forbid by his Spirit to be conformed to the world. O, it is a blessed thing to die to the world before we die in it. The men of this world are declared enemies to God's children; it is our wisdom ever to be on our guard against them; though it is our duty to behave with all kindness and courtesy, to do them all the good in our power, yet let us beware that they do us no harm. "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and not be burnt?"—Proverbs 6:27. Close intimacy with carnal friends exposes to danger; alluring smiles from them often wound deep where open opposition could do no harm. What is all the gain of the world to the happy sense of God's love? He who buys a fine suit of clothes, though ever so cheap, infected with the plague, hath no great bargain.

The brightest things below the sky
Give but a flatt'ring light;
We should suspect some danger nigh,
Where we possess delight.

Our dearest joys and nearest friends,
The partners of our blood,
How they divide our wav'ring minds,
And leave but half for God!