I am well aware of the practical difficulty of maintaining the distinction. In many things the world conforms to the Church, as the Church does to the world; and the line is so shaded off on both sides, that it is almost beyond man’s power to trace it. The state of things is very much like two dissolving views at the time when they are passing from one to the other. There is a faint sketch of both, but no clear outline to either. Then, again, the last thing that we desire is to see our young people assuming to themselves a spiritual superiority, and saying to others, ‘Stand aside, for I am holier than thou.’ But still the distinction is drawn by God in His Word, and we are guilty of thorough conformity to the world if we set it aside. Happily, we are not called to decide where each individual stands; and I know few things more painful than to hear persons discussing whether individuals are converted or not. But still the existence of the distinction in its broad outlines must lie at the basis of a great deal of our practical conduct, and must not be allowed to disappear from our guiding principles. If we are in Christ, adopted as His own holy family, we must not be afraid of acknowledging Him, or ashamed of being identified with His people. DRESS. We are conformed to the world _when we adopt the dress and appearance of the world_. I do not mean to say that Christians are called to make themselves eccentric in their appearance, or altogether to ignore the changing fashions of the country. I do not believe that worldliness is avoided by having a stereotyped dress like nuns or Quakers. The principle by which, I think, we ought to be guided, is never to be either in the advance of the fashion, or the extreme of it; but, when it has become the costume of the country, to adopt it in moderation. There is no risk of eccentricity if a person abstains from a new fashion until it has become so common as to be a part of the national costume, and if it is then adopted in great moderation there will be nothing at any time to attract attention.