I. What we are to understand by the friendship of the world —
[The " world " must be understood in its largest sense, as comprehending not only the people, but also the pleasures, riches, and honours of the world3. To draw the precise limits of that which is here called " the friendship" of the world, is not so easy. Nevertheless we may ascertain this with as much accuracy as is necessary on the present occasion.
If we love any one person above all others, and strive to please him habitually, not only in common with others, but even in direct opposition to them, we certainly must be acknowledged to have a considerable degree of friendship for him. Let us inquire then,
1. Which do we love more, the world, or God?
2. Which do we strive to please when their commands are irreconcileable with each other?
If conscience testify that the world have in these respects a decided preference, we are, beyond all doubt, the friends of the world.]
II. In what respects it is enmity with God —
[This may seem a strong expression ; but it does not exceed the truth. For the friendship of the world is, in fact, a denial of God's excellency , since it declares that the world
is a better portion than he It is a contempt of his
authority, seeing that when he says, " My son, give me thy heart," it makes us reply with Pharaoh, " Who is the Lord, that I should serve him ? I know not the Lord, neither will
I obey his voice" It is also a violation of our most
solemn engagements ivith him. He is our Husband; and we bound ourselves to him in baptism to " renounce the world, the flesh, and the devil," and to be his, even his only. But by receiving the world to our bosom, we suffer that to invade his property, and, as the text intimates, are guilty of spiritual adultery Moreover it is (as far as our influence ex- tends) a banishing of the very remembrance of him from the earth. God himself testifies respecting the friends of the world, that " he is not in all their thoughts :" and it is certain that, while they can converse readily on every worldly subject, they like not to hear or speak of his name: and if there were not a few who stand forth as his witnesses upon earth, his very name would soon be blotted out of our remem- brance ■
If the friends of the world would view their conduct in this light, they would see an extreme malignity in the practices which they now maintain and justify: and they would tremble
a 1 John ii. 15, 16.