Thus of the incarnation St. Paul says that our Lord ‘came _into the world_ to save sinners.’ (1 Tim. i. 15.) So our Lord speaks of His lifetime here as a time spent in the world: ‘While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name.’ (John, xvii. 12.) So, ‘When Jesus knew that the hour was come that he should depart out of the world, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.’ (John, xiii. 1.) And this I have no doubt is the meaning of His prayer (John, xvii. 15), ‘I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.’ He did not desire that they should die, or be removed from the scene of life’s labour, but that they should be preserved in it as a holy and consecrated people. In the same sense St. John says, ‘The world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever’ (1 John, ii. 17); and again, ‘Whoso hath this world’s goods, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?’ (3.) But there is a third sense of the term ‘the world,’ and one of more frequent occurrence in Scripture than either of the other two. It is used for _the body of unconverted persons as contrasted with the children of God_. In this contrast there are many points clearly marked in Scripture. (1.) The two classes are separated by the gift of God, as we learn from the words of our Lord in John, xvii. 9: ‘I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.’ (2.) Believers enjoy a fellowship with God to which the world are strangers. ‘How is it,’ said Judas (John, xiv. 22), ‘that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.’ (3.) The world has no real knowledge of the Father, of Christ, or of His people. They may think they know Him, and may really know a great deal about Him; but as for that knowledge which our Lord declares to be life eternal, they are perfect strangers to it, for His language is, ‘Oh righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.’ (John, xvii. 25.) In like manner said St. John, when speaking of the Father’s boundless love in 1 John, iii. 1, ‘Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God! therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.’ (4.) The world has its origin in this world, and belongs to it; but believers have their life from God.