11. Thus they dare not attempt to be _eminent_ in the sight of God, for fear of being little in the eyes of the world.
From this quarter arises the greatest difficulty of humility, because it cannot subsist in any mind, but so far as it is dead to the world.
You can make no _stand_ against the assaults of pride, humility can have no place in your soul, ’till you stop the power of the world over you, and resolve against a _blind obedience_ to its laws.
For indeed, as great as the power of the world is, it is all built upon a _blind obedience_.
Ask who you will, _learned_ or _unlearned_, every one seems to know and confess, that the general temper and spirit of the world, is nothing else but _humour_, _folly_, and _extravagance_.
Who will not own, that the wisdom of _philosophy_, the piety of _religion_, was always confined to a small number? And is not this expresly owning, that the _common spirit_ and _temper_ of the world, is neither according to the wisdom of _philosophy_, nor the piety of _religion_?
Therefore you should not think it a _hard saying_, that in order to be _humble_, you must withdraw your obedience from that _vulgar spirit_ which gives laws to _fops_ and _coquets_, and form your judgments according to the wisdom of _philosophy_, and the piety of _religion_.
12. *Again, to lessen your regard to the opinion of the world, think how soon the world will disregard you, and have no more thought or concern about you, than about the _poorest animal_ that died in a _ditch_.
*Your friends, if they can, may bury you with some distinction, and set up a monument to let posterity see that your _dust_ lies under such a _stone_; and when that is done, all is done. Your place is filled up by another; the world is just in the same state it was; you are blotted out of its sight, and as much forgotten by the world as if you had never belonged to it.
*Think upon the _rich_, the _great_, and the _learned_ persons, that have made great figures, and been high in the esteem of the world; many of them died in your time, and yet they are sunk, and lost, and gone, and as much disregarded by the world, as if they had been only so many _bubbles of water_.
Think again, how many poor souls see heaven lost, and lie now expecting a miserable eternity, for their homage to a world, that thinks itself every whit as well without them, and is just as merry as it was when they were in it.
Is it therefore worth your while to lose the _smallest degree_ of virtue, for the sake of pleasing so _bad a master_, and so _false a friend_ as the world is?
Is it worth your while to bow the knee to such an _idol_ as this, that so soon will have neither _eyes_, nor _ears_, nor a _heart_ to regard you, instead of serving that great, and holy, and mighty God, that will make all his servants partakers of his own eternity?
Will you let the fear of a false world, that has no love for you, keep you from the fear of that God, who has only created you, that he may love and bless you to all eternity?
13. Consider our blessed Lord’s words, _They are not of this world, as I am not of this world_. This is the state of Christianity, with regard to this world. If you are not thus out of, and contrary to the world, you want the distinguishing mark of Christianity; you don’t belong to Christ, but by being out of the world as he was out of it.
We may deceive ourselves, if we please, with softening comments upon these words; but they are and will be understood in their first simplicity and plainness, by every one that reads them in the same spirit that our blessed Lord spoke them. And to understand them in any lower meaning, is to let carnal wisdom explain away that doctrine, by which itself was to be destroyed.
Christianity has placed us out of, and above the world; and we fall from our calling, as soon as we fall into the tempers of the world.
Now as it was the spirit of the world that nailed our blessed Lord to the cross; so every man that has the Spirit of Christ, that opposes the world as he did, will certainly be crucified by the world some way or other.
For Christianity still lives in the same world that Christ did; and these two will be utter enemies, till the kingdom of darkness is entirely at an end.
Had you lived with our Saviour as his true disciple, you had then been hated as he was; and if you now live in his Spirit, the world will be the same enemy to you now, that it was to him then.
14. _If ye were of the world_, saith our blessed Lord, _the world would love its own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you_. John xv. 19.