"And after six days, Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun, and his garments became white as snow." --St. Matt, xvii., 12. (From the Gospel for the Transfiguration). A wise general, in order to excite the ardor of his soldiers, and to render them forgetful of the dangers to which they are exposed, pictures to them on the eve of battle the spoils and glory to be acquired, if they fight bravely. In like manner, our Lord, in order to cheer up and console his disciples, who began to be dismayed at the prospect of that death He was about to suffer, imparted to them a foretaste of the joys of paradise, and a "vision" of the splendor of his divinity. {159} "_He was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun; and his garments became white as snow._" Peter, as soon as he recovered from his ecstasy of delight, exclaimed: "_Lord, It is good for us to be here_." But, to prepare His disciples for this anticipation of heaven, He brought them into a high mountain apart; indicating thereby that such privileges can only be obtained by separation from the world in solitude. This is not only true relative to these high and special favors, but equally true in order to persevere in the practice of a Christian life. Separation from the world is an indispensable duty of a Christian. This truth, so plain in Holy Writ, is nevertheless liable to be misconceived, for which reason we must make the following distinction: There is a world we are not required as Christians to separate from. There is a world we are under the strictest obligations to separate from. The condemnation of the world by our Lord and his apostles is too plain and frequent not to have met the eye of any one who has the slightest acquaintance with the New Testament. {160} "_You are from beneath,_" said the Saviour to the Jews, "_I am from above. You are of this world: I am not of this world_," [Footnote 51] "_Love not the world,_" says the beloved disciple and apostle, "_nor the things which are in the world. If any man love the world the charity of the Father is not in him._" [Footnote 52] St. Paul, teaching the Romans, says: "_Be not conformed to the world._" [Footnote 53] "_The friendship of the world,_" says St. James, "_is enmity with God._" [Footnote 54] "_The whole world_," says St. John, "_is seated in wickedness._" [Footnote 55] [Footnote 51: St. John viii., 23.] [Footnote 52: 1 John ii., 15.] [Footnote 53: Romans xii., 2.] [Footnote 54: St. James iv., 4. ] [Footnote 55: 1 John v., 19.]