1. The things which men, and the Lord Jesus Christ, require, are directly contrary to each other —
[Men have their maxims and habits, to which they wish all others to be conformed. Our blessed Lord, on the con- trary, says, " Be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds, that ye may know what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God11." But this is not all : he commands us, not only to " have no fel- lowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but also rather to reprove them1." Now, the separation alone is, of itself, suf- ficently displeasing to the world, because it forms a tacit reprehension of their ways : but, when to this is added a testi- mony borne against their ways as evil, they are irritated and incensed; and, in self-defence, they brand their opponents with every term of ignominy and reproach. Our blessed Lord found it so with respect to himself: " The world cannot hate you," said he to his unbelieving brethren ; " but me it hateth, because I testify of it that the works thereof are evilV And he has taught us to expect the same treatment on precisely the same ground : " If ye were of the world, the world would love his own ; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you1."]
2. There is no possibility of reconciling them —
[Our blessed Lord has placed this beyond a doubt: " No man can serve two masters : for either he will hate the one, and love the other ; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon"1." This is the very foundation of that separation from the world, which is the bounden duty of every one that calls himself " a servant of Christ." " What fellowship hath righteousness with un- righteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial ? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" " Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord11." In truth, this is nothing but what must commend itself to every considerate mind. St. Paul appealed respecting it to the whole Church of Rome, and, in fact, to the whole world : " Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey0?" It may be said, perhaps, that the services of God and Mammon are not so irreconcileable as we represent them ; since our Lord him- self has shewn us that they may be reconciled. In one place
h Rom. xii. 2. » Eph. v. 11. k Johnvii. 7.
1 John xv. 19. m Matt. vi. 24. n 2 Cor. vi. 14 — 17.
0 Rom. vi. 10.