Well then, may this teach us,
1. The necessity of true conversion —
[" The carnal mind," says the Apostle, that is, the mind of every man by nature, " is enmity against God : for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can bek." " A new heart, therefore, must be given us, and a new spirit must be put within us1." We must become altogether " new crea- tures ; old things passing away, and all things being made newm." This, as our Lord tells us, is so necessary, that " except it take place we can never enter into the kingdom, no, nor ever see itn." To speak of this as necessarily attendant on baptism, is contrary to fact; for there are thousands who are baptized, as there were thousands circumcised amongst the Jews, who have never experienced this change. But this change must be wrought in us, if ever we would behold the face of God in peace. " That which is born of the flesh, is flesh ; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit0." The former being altogether carnal, is incapable of enjoying a spiritual kingdom : it is the latter which alone can fit us for the exercises and en- joyments of the heavenly world. You well know, that if a man had no taste for music, he could not, for any length of time, feel pleasure in the melodies which, to a lover of music, afford the highest gratification. So neither can we, without a taste for the employments of heaven, or, in other words, without " a meetness for heaven," ever hope to participate in the blessed- ness of the just.]
2. The importance of separation from the world —
[The world wonder at the saints, for standing aloof from them; and often impute it to pride: as though the Lord's people said to them, " Stand off; I am holier than thoup." But the godly, in associating with the world, do not meet on equal terms. All the sacrifice must be on their part. The world will propose to them to join in every vanity : but if, in return, they were asked to join in reading the word of God and prayer, for the sake of spiritual edification and comfort, they would regard the proposal almost as a symptom of insa- nity. And, if you were to wait till such a proposal were made, or even approved, by them, you would wait till the sun had ceased to run its course. It is not for nought that the Apostle says, " Come out from among them, and be ye separate*1." There is abundant occasion for it : for friendship with them is constructively nothing less than enmity itself against Godr."
k Rom. viii. 7. ' Ezek. xxxvi. 26. m 2 Cor. v. 17.
n John iii. 3, 5. ° John iii. 6. p Isai. lxv. 5.
i 2 Cor. vi. 17. r Jam. iv. 4.