15 Love 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.



Ver. 15. Love not the world] You fathers, and you young and strong men, let me caution you (before I speak again to the little children, 1Jn_2:18), to beware of worldliness. A man may be very mortified, and yet very apt to dote on the world.



If any man love the world] Have it he may, and use it too, as the traveller useth his staff (which either he keeps or casts away, as it furthers or hinders his journey), but love it he must not, unless he will renounce the love of God. {See Trapp on "Mat_6:24"} {See Trapp on "Col_3:2"} Aristotle in his Politics teacheth, by the example of Thales, that philosophers may be rich; but he excellently addeth áëëá ïõ ôïõôï åóôé ðåñé ïõ óðïõäáæïõóé , howbeit this is not their chief study; it is but a by-business with them. (Polit. i., cap. ult.)



The love of the Father is not in him] The sunbeams extinguish the fire; so doth the love of the world the love of God. But some not so much as roving at God, make the world their standing mark.