296
THE WATCHMAN
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY TIIE
SOUTHERN PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
Price, $1.00 per Year Single Copy, 5 Cents
. BUTLER
G. | . S. N. HASKELL } Associate
L. A. SMITH } Editors
E. J. BURNHAM | Editors
ENTERED AT THE POST OFFICE AT NASHVILLE, TENN.,
AS SECOND CLASS MATTER, APRIL 12, 1906.
—
Nashville, Tennessee, May 7, 1907.
‘““LOVE NOT THE WORLD”
OVE 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. For 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 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 2:15-17. This scripture is one of those
powerful passages in which “the ax is laid
unto the root of the trees.” Tow few that
call themselves Christians realize the
grand truths couched in this language.
ever
Mr. Webster, in giving definitions of the
word “world,” gives this one as No. 8: “The
earth and its affairs as distinguished from
heaven; concerns of this life as distinguished
from those of the life to come; the present
existence and its interests; hence secular af-
fairs; engrossment, or absorption in the af-
fairs of this life; worldly corruption, the un-
godly, or wicked part of mankind.” He then
gives this very text that we have quoted as
an illustration of his meaning. The definition
seems to be quite appropriate.
The God of This World
It 1s very evident that the Lord, when in-
spiring this scripture, had in view the world as
at present constituted under the dominion of
the “god of this world ”— Satan. The rebel
angel, through his cunning, lied to our first
parents, and defrauded them by getting from
them the dominion which God had given them.
They became his servants. “Know ye not.
that to whom ye yield vourselves servants
to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey?”
Rom. 6:16. Every unconverted person, then.
is a willing servant to Satan. And as the
great mass of mankind are unconverted people,
Satan rules in the hearts of men. This is why
Inspiration represents the people of God as
being “pilgrims and strangers” in a world of
sin.
Satan himself, in the great temptation in the
wilderness, offered his dominion in this world
to Christ if he would fall down and worship
him. Of course if Christ had done this, Satan
would not have fulfilled his promise; for he is
a “liar, and the father of it.”
THE WATCHMAN
The World in Rebellion against God
We see, then, that this world, as at present
constituted, is in rebellion against its liber-
ator. This is why wickedness exists in high
places. War, bloodshed, sin in every form,
lust, depravity, fashion, pride, and vanity
abound everywhere. Every one who loves this
world and its spirit as at present constituted
is a subject of Satan, and is a rebel against
the government of God. So God says to us
in this scripture, “Love not the world,” or
those things which constitute this rebel world.
If any man loves such a world as this, then
“the love of the Father is not in him.” The
“We cannot serve God
It is simply impossible. We
can love God, or we can love mammon (i. e.,
the personification of worldly riches); but we
cannot possibly love both at the same time, any
more than one can ride two horses which are
going in opposite directions. Never was a
man agile enough to do that feat.
Multitudes of people, however, are trying to
do it, but they find in the end that it is im-
possible.
‘“The Lust of the Flesh”
The apostle proceeds to further elucidate the
subject: “For all that is in the world, the
lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eves, and
the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is
of the world.” Tere the word sums up the
constituent parts of what is spoken of as the
“world.” It embraces three great depart-
ments or branches: 1, “The lust of the flesh; ”
2, “The lust of the eyes;” 3, “The pride of
life.” Tt will be difficult to find any worldling
who 1s not sinning in one or the other of these
divisions, and he may be sinning in all three
at the same time,
1. “The lust of the flesh” is the gratifica-
tion of lust and passion. Lust is unlawful
desire, those things condemned by the law
line must be drawn.
and mammon.”
of God. The whole world is under the thrall-
dom of lust and fleshly longings. Appetites
are not held in proper control. Multitudes
go down into untimely graves as the result of
ungovernable appetites and passions. The
world is corrupted, and the image of God is
defaced in men, because of their excesses. The
majority of mankind are heathens outright,
and in the corruption and bondage of unmen-
tionable sins. Christendom is in but little bet-
ter condition, that is, those who are not gen-
uine Christians.
There is a godly seed left, and they are no
doubt to be found more or less in all Chris-
tian churches. Were it not for these, the
world would perish in its own corruption.
God illustrates this principle in his conversa-
tion with Abraham just before the wicked
Sodom and its neighboring cities were to be
destroyed. If a very few righteous men could
be found, he would spare the city; but because
they could not be found, the people perished
miserably in fire and brimstone.
In the vast array of wickedness now seen, in
the terrible catalogue of crimes now filling
the public prints, we see the Sodom spirit
stalking abroad. This world is rapidly draw-
ing to its close.” “Likewise also as it was in
the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank,
they bought, they sold, they planted, they
builded; but the same day that Lot went out
of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from
heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus
shall it be in the day when the Son of man is
revealed.” Luke 17:28 - 30.
‘“The Lust of the Eyes’’
2. The “lust of the eyes” is another great
department of sin. It may not be so extensive
as the preceding, but it is Satanic in its origin
and contrary to the word of God. It is just
as truly an exhibition of selfishness and pride
of heart as is the preceding sin. The prin-
ciple of the human heart that makes persons
love outward adorning, to deck themselves
out in every form of finery, is of the god of
this world. Gold and precious stones and
very fashionable attire show that the heart
is not submitted to the Lord. This outward
adorning is condemned in the word. 1 Peter
3:3-7. The adornment of the “hidden man
of the heart,” “the ornament of a meek and
quiet spirit,” “is in the sight of God of great
price.”
When we stop to consider the vast amount
of money worse than wasted, thrown away on
fine dressing and in other gratifications of the
eve, any candid, godly person can easily per-
ceive that here is a vast field of worldliness
that belongs with the god of this world.
‘“The Pride of Life”
3. “The pride of life” doubtless embraces
the principle actuating the great mass of men
im public life, men and women whose main
ambition is to be leaders among men, longing
for exalted station and to be admired and
adored. O what a pressure, rush, and effort is
manifested in these channels! Every form of
iniquitous practice is used to bear down others
and to raise up self. This selfish longing for
power in this world where the great rebel
leader has his realm, is worldly, sensual, devil-
ish. It 1s in most cases precisely the same
principle which prompted Lucifer, Son of the
Morning, to seek his own exaltation in the
heavenly courts above. Satan inspires this
spirit in multitudes of men to-day, and those
who follow him in such principles will share
in his reward in the lake of fire.
The Conclusion of the Whole Matter
The principles seen in Jesus Christ, just the
opposite of those illustrated by John, will char-
acterize all of his followers.
“The world passeth away, and the lust
thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abid-
eth forever.” Here we have in epitome the
whole conclusion. There is no escape from-
the premises. “Depart, ye cursed, into ever-
lasting fire, prepared for the devil and his an-
gels.” All who follow him in motive and
spirit will share in his final reward. Thus
sin will be stamped out eternally from God’s
universe, but those who follow Christ in deed
and in truth will live as long as God shall
live. “Come, ye blessed of my Father, in-
herit the kingdom prepared for you.” Which,
dear reader, will you choose? Make the de-
cision intelligently, and in the fear of God.
G. I. B.