The Southern herald., 1918-01-11


Father Is not In
him; in other words, we cannot love
God and love the world at the same
time. OF course, there is a proper re-
gard for the world which we may
have; regard for the beauty and per-
fection Of Gods works, for the achieve
ments Of science or the acquisition Of
wealth, or personal influence, but 1t
is where the regard for these things
intrenches upon our love for the Au-
thor and Giver Of them that Its wrong
fulness and calamity appear.
Suppose you were to receive two let
terS from different friends, each say
ing that he would visit you at the
same day and hour. And suppose they
were so unc0ngenial to each other that
1t would be embarrassing and lnjudi-
clOus to permit them to meet what
would you do? To one or the other
you must excuse yourself, Which shall
1t be? Other matters aside, 1t will be
the one you love least.
So there comes time in the life Of
each Of us when we hear the Father
of our spirits knocking at our door and
asking to come in and be our guest.
The god Of this world Is already In the
enjoyment of our hospitality, but now
we must decide whom we shall choose.
The Word tells us that we are not
to love the world because all that is
In the world is not of the Father. And
now 1t IS explained just what Is meant.
Three things are named: "the lust of
the flesh, the lust Of the eyes and the
pride of life" "Lust" In this case
refers to any passion or propensity Of
the heart for forbidden things, or even
for proper things when indulged in
overmuch.
The ''lust Of the flesh" pertains to
the qualification Of the grOsser bodily
appetItes; the '1ust Of the eyes," the
covetous desire for the things of 9TH
ers, and the pride Of life" points TO
arrogance and boastIng.
Nor are these three great principles
Of worldly4nindedness named at ram
dom, for at least twice before do they
appear together In the Bible, first in
the temptation Of Eve in the garden
Of Eden and second in the temptation
Of Christ In the wilderness.
But not only are these things lncom-
patible with the love of the Father,
but they are further argued against on
the ground of their fleetness, for "the
world passeth away and the lust there
Of"
- mysterious curse wastes down and
wears out all mans workmanship. and
1t is the same even with the physical
creation. Seas and shores are cOntinu-
ally changing places, and fountains
and rivers are drying up. Many ages
pass before the eye In the course Of
half-hour's reading of history, and the
duratien of an Alexander or a Caesar
Is but the affair of few moments.
Not only does the world pass away
but the lust thereof. We slcken Of the
world in time. The evil days come,
and the years draw nigh when we say:
II have no pleasure In them" Daniel
Webster, In the sunset hours of his
distinguished life, said to his blogra-
pher: II care no more about politics
than jackdaw that sits on top of st.
Paui's," and then he quoted Cowper's
lines:
He sees that this great roundabout,
The world, with all it's motley rout,
Church. army, physio, law,
Its customs, and its businesses,
Are no concerns at all Of his,
And says, What says he?-"Caww
"oh, who wishes to seize and hold
that as an object Of his suprerse de-
sire which is doomed to death and per-
petual defeatl Is there not more
excellent wayi Is there nothing we
can love and lean upon when these
things Of earth are vanishing ike a
spectre from our sighti Yea, answers
the apostle; "He that doeth the viii
Of God abldeth forever"