1. In withdrawing our affections from God as our portion. The world by the advantage of our distempered minds and appetites, sets up itself as our God; as our happiness or chief good; it proposes itself for a portion to us, and that both as a richer portion, and more suitable than God would be; it persuades us to take our portion in hand, and to take up with what’s before us, as our happiness, and not to be so unwise as to make an adventure for an unknown happiness, with the hazard of that present felicity and contentment which we taste and see to be so good.
God calls, “Come unto me, and I will give thee rest;” I will be thy portion and reward; come up to the other world, there’s an inheritance for thee. No, no, saith the world, stay with me, dwell here below; thou seest what thine entertainment is here, there thou knowest not what thou shalt find; here thou hast subsistence, here thou hast sunshine, here thou hast heart’s ease, here thou art full and aboundest; thou hast thy house full, and thy hands full, and thy belly full, and thy heart full: thou knowest what thou hast, thou canst taste, thou canst see how good this world is; the treasures of the other world, though they be called treasures of light, yet to thee they are but treasures of darkness, thou knowest not what they are; be content, dwell here below, where thou art well.
2. In withdrawing us from our allegiance to God as our sovereign. When it hath once drawn away the heart, it will with ease pull away the shoulder; if God’s crown be despised, his yoke will quickly be shaken off; we break our faith with God when once we are fallen in love with the world; if it become our treasure, we yield ourselves to it for servants; the strength of its temptations lies in the esteem we have of it, and the affection we bear it. What will the authority of the Lord do with us, when he hath lost our hearts, and we have chosen us another God? What cannot the world command us to, if we have once set it before us as our goal and prize? if it be our end, it will appoint us our means and way; no unrighteousness but will be right in our eyes, that will serve our worldly designs; farewell faith, truth, mercy, honesty, and all conscience of sin, further than we can make a gain of godliness: and by withdrawing us from our love and obedience to God, to this I might add thirdly, it exposes us to his wrath and displeasure; when we will need of him, he will none of us; when he is forsaken by us, he sets himself against us; by despising the riches of his goodness, we fall under his fury and fiery indignation. This is the state into which the world is leading us.
Richard Alleine. The World Conquered.
