Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-02-09

"a ie1 MAKE MS arrangements 70 aLsehu Tue
= - County Convsntion.
s''- JosEPn P. ELLIOTT, Chairman.
- - WOrldlIness.
gi.ssso FIRSTLY. -asst .7.TI
The New Testament often cautions
against worldliness, and the danger Of
conformity to surrounding seduc.ions.
.RThatmany Of these iniunctions imme-
diately concern the time Of their utter
: .ance 10 undisputed. or indisputable. The
communities in which the early be-
levers struggled were idolatrons; they
were divided into classes who had no
; G1 0tssps1t or sympathy for each other;
they were intolerant and licentious, and
their entire habits of life and opinion
80 E we're Inconsistent with the inculcatons
49, II Christianity. Accordingly, the neces-
sity of avoiding contact with the ire.
svr4 constable social habits and thought
prevalent in those days, and applicable
to other days since, was frequently re-
peated Certainly they were often no
- more directed at the ordinary inter-
or relaxations of Christian so
ciety, than was Panrs fervent desire
that each of the brethren was even as
I.amr--free from any home ties or the
E0ie bonds of family affection, in those
.tronbloua times, when HE and liber-
ssod ~ were equally uncertain even
for q day. He feared the strength
Az. OF these natural sentiments might be-
come the occasion of seduction, apoata-
- cy, or guilty acquiescence in heather
Fart habits and opinions slha
isa. - Covetousness, vain-g loriousness, the
I'D love of occupying the CHEZ front seats
q IN the churches, praying to Ge seen of
men, observations holiness in forms and
Phariseeish are the kinds of worldliness
persistently insisted on as the most i'm
sssis sidio1s, dangerous and prevalent varie-
ties of excessive love of the world.
They are those which exclude all poes;-
bility of Christian simplicity and hon,
E0 est straiRhtfoFwardness of the walk and
conversation. They destroy and indi.
cate complete absence Of the love of
the beauty of holinesss, of righteous
ness and truth on their own merits, and
.fTas the attributes of God These wrong
full dispositions show a devotion Of the
.es ~ heart to filthy lucre, or To- what may be
gained BY the appearance of goodness
here ia the estimation Of men
.ets' and to mere selfish aggrandizs-
ment, escape from wretchedness
uT and hope of reward or honor hereafter,
which Ia cause Of offense to outsiders.
These despicable exhibitions Of motives
~ Z too often beget the sneers of the world,
aslsez and are mockery of its author, The
aat-f genuine Christian loves right and truth
under praise or censure, storm or sun
~ shine, in ignominious or in high places;
whether bis love procures one or the
other, or neither; whether he 10 M
.s1nnoEiced or prominent; whether he be-
lieves be Coca to heaven or hell for it,
bis lore of righteousness and truth,
a0isich % love of God, endureth forever.
'-- The history Of the Churches is suf6.
cient proof of the wisdom of the reiter
lated warnings concerning self-conceited
vsDlPharisseism, tEs necessity of "eharity :"
towards all descriptions of men ire
spectiVe of their opinions or even con.
duct, and of the danger of worldliness
at within the circle of the brethren, and not
so much IN their inevitable and indis-
pensihle contact and association With
general society. '
.ST II In tie Churches the display OF devo-
ton to the emoluments of Office, the
Iuxzry of power, and the praise of men,
has been unsurpassed by any men out
e aide. These tendencies are not yet ex-
tinct, and from them originated the in
~ Vulnerable orders and ranks of the eler-
~. The priesthood was set apart as too
holy for common. associations Thsir
sacred persons and Office would
DO sullied, il was deemed, by
ordinary society. They were-they
ara no longer the friends "of
publicans and sinners" Friends do not
hold themselves aloof They are not
80 afraid Of contact with their friends,
whether saints or sinners The great
high priest was not; but since, it has
been 90 radically different that the
W. various degrees Of priesiship and saint
ship can scarcely kiss the hem of the
garments Of those Of higher ORDERS"
ALI history proves, as the Scriptures
DO, and rs Nature asserts, that the holi.
ness which cannot sustain itself In the
s-eommon atmosphere Of free society ia
-z-iis worthless. Werepeat, that which cannot
ansfaln itself, whether material or moral
in the common air, 10 meant by Nature
.e3 10 die cannot live and be of general
benefit Exclusiveness and preteutious
-A-apisty, az under the old dispensation, and
ssrr aa We were warned, has been the prolific
-canss Of corruption Of all sorts. IRVINE
to- exclude the world, the devil and al
sera his angela entered. Attempting to wal
ont the temptations Of the world. th,
Aesh and the devil, the would b,
dollhouse saints became the slaves O
all three. The condition Of thos,
saintly nurseries OF iaiquity, luxury
and all uncharitableness, slightly i
comparison, mixed with ostentatiou
aims giving, was improved at last solel
by the reformed conscience of a fs1
areusing the irresistible indignation q
the world of sinners. Alas for saint
pretention, hot-house piety, and assrmr
tons of exclusive Christian priv
leges and methods of finding on
the will and favor of God Such ha
been, and such like must ever be, ever
effort to exclude the world, the lesl
and the devil by forms, by retiremen
by exclusion from contact with the bod
by pharisaical confidence and the disp
sit;on to despise the word of God, az
TO misunderstood His word. We cann
in this world escape from the flesh az
the devil any more than we can bic
from the knowledge of the Suprem
Conceal ourselves in the bowels of Il
80 = earth, search lite uttermost bound
slas seek the most secret locality, al
s vet you have not Hed from n
ss world'a influence, from the Resh Ar
che devil. When we succeed in hidi,
from HIM, then we may expect TO al
.ssa ont evil and its spirits from Sain
hse houaes. or from exclusive sanity asse
= hlies Jesus, in his most retired hoV
-s OF meditation in the Wilderness
not escape the solicitations of evil, q
III 10 not .supposable we shall be mi
Es9a sHsi