LOVE NOT THE WORLD.

If you value your success in the Christian life, keep a wide gulf between you and this world.  By the expression the world I mean its amusements, its revelry, its praise, its fashions, its society, its spirit.  The present-day amusements or entertainments offered by secret orders and sects and by others are very destructive to spiritual life.  Unless you are willing to walk alone with Jesus and let the blessedness of his companionship suffice for you, you had as well quit the race now.  Mingle with worldly people, only to tell them of God’s love.

To love and enjoy the society of the world is to have a heart destitute of grace.  Therefore keep away from the world.  Beware of it.  It is a bitter foe to grace.  It is an enemy to God; and if you befriend it, you make yourself an enemy to God.  “Whosoever is a friend to the world is an enemy to God,” so says the Bible.  To be a friend to the world is to help it along in any sense—­to encourage its spirit; to add to its pleasures, to its levity, its fashion, its foolishness; or to abet it in any way.  You go into the world, only for the purpose of saving people from the world, and thus you are the world’s enemy; and so you must continue to be, or miss heaven.

HAVE A CARE.

The world has many gaudy wings—­
  Have a care! 
She flits among the flow’rs and sings—­
  Many a snare. 
    Beware
Of the hidden poisonous stings.

Earth’s pleasures are a golden cup—­
  Have a care! 
She bids you take one little sup—­
  Many a snare. 
    Beware
Of the hidden sting in the cup.

Earth’s riches have a charm most rare—­
  Have a care! 
She bids you seek a goodly share—­
  Many a snare. 
    Beware—­
She will sting with many a care.

Vain worldly fame’s a painted flow’r—­
  Have a care! 
She dwells in an enchanted bow’r—­
  Many a snare. 
    Beware—­
She’ll chide you in an evil hour.

The world is but an empty show—­
  Have a care! 
Of true joys a dangerous foe—­
  Many a snare. 
    Beware—­
Her greatest gain’s oft deepest woe.

AFFINITIES.

By the term affinity I mean that enamored feeling which arises in the hearts of those of opposite sex for each other.  This Satan may take advantage of; and in this awful snare many a soul has gone down into the darkness; many a heaven-born and happy soul has received its awful blight, and gone down to an eternity of woe.  Some one may ask, “Is not marriage honorable? and does not God join hearts together in love?” He certainly does; but when he does and all is kept in God’s order the parties in love will not suffer any loss of spirituality.  Courtship can be carried on in the will and order of God, and the parties engaged have a constant growth in grace.  But so many times they become silly-headed and allow their love for each other to carry them out of God’s order, and consequently they will soon be graceless-hearted.