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378 A SERMON ON JAMES iv. 4.

It is liberty and free-will, which confound all those atheists, who would reduce every thing, even GOD himself, to mere matter. For let matter be refined as far as imagination can stretch it, it can never come from under the law of necessity : all its motions are prescribed, and must proceed exactly according to its mechanism ; and cannot vary in the least tittle.  But the freedom of will, to act this way or the contrary, exceeds all rules of mechanism, and is an image of GOD, which cannot be impressed upon matter. and when the devil, or man by his instigation, would shrowd their sin under this seeming necessity, it is to throw it upon GOD. But their own consciences fly in their faces, and tell them that they might have helped it, and therefore that their sin lieth at their own door. 

SERMON IX.
On JAMES iv. 4.

Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses, know ye not the friendship of the world is enmity with GOD? Whosoever therefore desireth to be a friend of the world, is an enemy of GOD.

1. THERE is a passage in St. Paul's epistle to the Romans, which has been often supposed to be of the same import with this. Be not conformed to this world, ch. xii. v. 2. But it has little or no relation to it; it speaks of quite another thing. Indeed the supposed resemblance arises merely from the use of the word world in both places. This naturally leads us to think, that St. Paul means by conformity to the world, the same which St. James means by friendship with the world : whereas they are entirely different things, as the words are quite different, in the original : (for St. Paul's word is [[αίών 
 ?]]; St. James's is, χόδμος) However the words of St. Paul contain an important direction to the children of GOD. As if he had said, Be not conformed.

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A SERMON ON JAMES iv. 4. 379

formed to either the wisdom, or the spirit, or the fashions of the age: of either the unconverted Jews, or heathens, among whom ye live. You are called to shew, by the whole tenor of your life and conversation, that you are renewed in the spirit of your mind, after the image of him who created you, and that your rule is, not the example or will of man, but the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of GOD.
2. But it is not strange, that St. James's caution against friendship with the world should be so little underflood, even among Christians. For I have not been able to learn that any author, ancient or modern, has wrote upon the subject: no, not (so far as I have observed) for sixteen or seventeen hundred years. Even that excellent writer Mr. Law, who has treated so well many other subjects, has not, in all his practical treatises, wrote one chapter upon it. No, nor said one word, that I remember, or given one caution against it. I never heard one sermon preached upon it, neither before the university or elsewhere. I never was in any company, where the conversation turned explicitly upon it, even for one hour.
3. Yet are there very few subjects of so deep importance; few that so nearly concern the very essence of religion, the life of GOD in the soul, the continuance and increase, or the decay, yea, extinction of it. From the want of instruction in this respect, the most melancholy consequences have followed. These indeed have not affected those who were still dead in trespasses and sing; but they have fallen heavy upon many of those, who were truly alive to GOD. They have affected many of those called Methodists in particular, perhaps more than any other people. For want of understanding this advice of the apostle, (I hope, rather than from any contempt of it) many among them are sick, spiritually sick, and many sleep, who were once thoroughly awakened. And it is well if they awake any more till their souls are required of them. It has appeared difficult to me, to account for what I have frequently observed: many who were once greatly alive to GOD, whose conversation was

Transcription Notes:
Please note the difference shape of f and s in this printing. When it occurs at start and middle of words, 's' is shaped like 'f' without the crossbar. (S at word-end is like a modern 's'.) F is printed as the modern f. ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-10 20:52:03 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-11 09:10:57 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-11 09:19:37 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-11 16:54:05