James says, "Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God; whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." Jas. iv, 4. By this we can see that a love for the world and a gratification of the carnal mind with its lusts and appetites hinders our growth in grace, destroys our peace and interrupts our communion with God, and hinders us from making that spiritual improvement which is so necessary to our peace and salvation. It destroys our confidence in God and in our brethren. It makes us faithless and unbelieving; and in short we become "enemies of God." To grow in grace these connections must be dissolved; our early contracted habits must be forsaken however near and dear they may be to us. It will take all to win Christ. We must "crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts." Says John, "Love not the world neither the things that are in the world: if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him." If the love of God is not in us can we grow in grace? Then let us beware how we live. Let us be sure we do not love the things in the world; for John adds that "all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but it is of the world, and the world passeth away and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever." 1 John ii, 15, 17. What is the love of the world? It is an indulgence in worldly pleasures, such as going to balls, theatres, circuses, concerts, shows or parties of pleasure, or in joining in any worldly amusements; for going to or joining in any of these things is to indulge in the spirit of the world, which is contrary to the Spirit of Christ; and for any to indulge themselves in any of these worldly amusements shows conclusively that they are still in the possession of the carnal mind, which, says Paul, is at enmity with God, and is not subject to his law, neither indeed can be. Says the compassionate Redeemer in the last prayer he offered up whilst on earth for the welfare of his church, "I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil." They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. John xvii, 15, 16. Says Paul, God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world. Gal. vi, 14. If we are not of the world, as the Son of God says of his followers, we should not be running after worldly amusements and seeking every way to gratify the carnal mind. Those who do gratify the inclinations of the carnal mind, show by their works that they are not the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ; for if we are truly his people, the world will be by him crucified unto us, and we will show it in our daily walk and conversation. We shall act as though we were pilgrims and sojourners here, instead of dwellers on the earth. The Christian has enough to do amid the perils of these last days, when Satan is working with power, and signs, and lying wonders, and is going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, and when evil men and seducers are waxing worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived; in such times as these the Christian has enough to do to look unto Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. We must be decided. The times demand the decision. Our minds must not be divided between the service of the world and the service of God. We should not stand halting between two opinions. We cannot serve two masters. We cannot have the spirit of the world and the Spirit of Christ, and if we have not the Spirit of Christ we are none of his. Solemn indeed is the time in which we are living. See the awful judgments that hang fearfully over the world. The unmingled wrath of God in the seven last plagues, is soon coming as a destruction from the Almighty. The decree will soon go forth, He which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still. There will be no such thing as reversing this sentence. How many will come up to that day and cry there bitterly, and bewail their misspent lives. Brethren, renounce the world and the spirit of the world for the Spirit of Christ. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 2 Cor. vi, 17, 18. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Chap. vii, 1. And now little children, abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to him be glory both now and forever. Amen. Hastings, July 27th, 1856.