Love Not The World.


"LOVE not the world, neither the things

that are in the world." This is a divine

command. But why is this restriction laid

upon us? Is it because our Heavenly Father

is arbitrary, and wants to deprive us of 

enjoyment?

Does he hold us in check unnecessarily?

 and is it for his good, and the benefit

of the heavenly host? The Scriptures

teach us that he withholds no good thing

from his children. His far-seeing eye discovers

all the dangers that are hidden beneath

a fair exterior, where poor mortals may

think there is great happiness in store. He

would not have us love the world; for there

is no union between it and Heaven. Christ

says, "If any man love the world, the love

of the Father is not in him." We cannot love

both at the same time. There are dangers

in the world which the unsuspecting youth

does not see. Its vanities and follies are not

in harmony with Heaven are not in keeping

with its law. Its glitter and show promise

happiness to those in pursuit of it; but

its promise is never kept, and all realize it

sooner or later.

A few days since, I was walking on the

banks of a beautiful stream, and I noticed

the leaves and every light substance that

fell upon the water floated down stream.

There was nothing to stay their progress.

There was nothing above them to cling to,

and there was not weight enough in themselves

to secure a foothold on the bottom.

Thus I thought it is with those who place

themselves in the arms of the world. Once

there, they float on and on with the current,

possessing no power in themselves to stand

still or turn and face the current. On they

must go until the broad waves of fashion

sweeps them into the broad sea from whence

there is no escape.

I observed also that numerous companies

of flies, bright-winged bugs, &c., were flying

about over the water; and as one chanced to

light on the surface, fish, unseen by it,

caught it in its mouth and made a meal of

it. Poor, innocent fly! The ripples sparkled

in the sunlight; the stream was very

beautiful, and thousands of its comrades were

merrily humming by its side. It did not

know that danger even death lurked beneath

such a beautiful surface. Did the

other insects take warning and flee from the

enchanted spot? No! They heedlessly

passed on.

Thinking myself much wiser than the insects

that hovered over the eddying stream

and wrecklessly lighted on its surface, I had

no thought that there was danger for me; I

had no fear of the fishes or the dangers to

which they were exposed. The hum of the

waters charmed me and lured me on to the

brink. As my eyes were steadily fixed

on the scene before me, I thought not there

was danger for me, until the crumbling bank

whereon my feet were placed gave way, and

I was fast sliding down, down, into the

stream. But, unlike the less fortunate fly, I

found something to cling to, and so extricated

myself, having well learned the fact that it

will not do to follow wherever fancy may

lead. I thought as I saw it would not do to 

venture so near to danger that it is just so

with those who are charmed with the pleasures

of the world. It will not always do to

even stand and look on; for the feet may be

upon a slippery foundation.




 YI