firft the kingdom of God, and his righteousness. And this fignifies the greatest intention of mind, and earneftnefs of endeavour about the bufinefs of religion, in order to our attaining of eternal happinefs; fuch a ferioufnefs and earnestnefs of endeavour as earthlyminded men ufe about the things of this world. For after all these things (fays our Saviour immediately after the text) do the gentiles feek; Tà ébun étinta, which words fignify an intenfe care, and vigorous endeavour; but feek ye firft the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; that is, be ye, who profefs your felves Chriftians, as intent upon the bufinefs of religion, and the falvation of your fouls, as the heathen, who are in great meafure ignorant of God and an. other life, are about the things of this life.

And here are two things to be explained:

I. What is here meant by feeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and,

II. What by feeking them in the first place.

For the firft: A fincere and earnest seeking of the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, does imply in it thefe four things:

1. A fixed defign and refolution as to the end; that we do not only propound to ourselves the eter nal happiness and falvation of our fouls as our chief end, but that we be immoveably fixed upon it, and always have it in our aim and defign; that here we fet up our refolution, if it be poffible, to be happy for ever; that we have this end always in our eye, and be firmly resolved to do all that we can towards attaining of it.

Not that we are obliged always actually to think upon it; but to have it frequently in our minds, and habitually to intend and design it, fo as to make it the scope of all our endeavours and actions, and that every thing we do be either directly and immediate ly in order to it, or fome way or other fubfervient to this defign, or however not inconfiftent with it like the term and end of a man's journey, towards which the traveller is continually tending, and hath it always habitually in his intention, though he doth not always think of it every step that he takes, and

though

107 though he be not always directly advancing and moving towards it, yet he never knowingly goes out of the way. And though he bait and lodge by the way, and does many other things which do not directly fet him forward, yet they are all fubfervient to his journey, or in profecution of it; or at leaft no wilful deviations from it. Thus it fhould be with us, while we are fojourning in this world; our fixed aim and defign fhould be to get to heaven, and thither we fhould be continually tending in our defires and endeavours.

And if this refolution be deeply rooted and fixed in our minds, it will govern all our actions, and keep them fteady to their main end. Whereas, if we be uncertain and unrefolved upon our great end, and be divided between the happiness of the next life, and the prefent enjoyments of this, we shall be fickle and unfteady in all our motions. He that hath two ends, can purfue neither vigorously, but while he is moving towards the one, he leans and inclines to the other; and like a needle between two loadftones, is always in a doubtful and trembling condition inclines to both, but is conftant to neither: And this is the meaning of that aphorifm of St. James, the double-minded man is unftable in all his ways. He that is unrefolved as to his main end, hath two minds, and can profecute nothing vigorously: But if our mind be once fixed and refolved, that will determine and govern all our motions, and infpire us with diligence, and zeal, and perfeverance in the profecution of our end.

2. Seeking the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, implies inceffant care and diligence as to the means; that we make religion our bufinefs, and exercife ourfelves in the duties of it, both in publick and private, at proper times and feasons, with the fame ferioufnefs and application of mind, as men do in their callings and profeffions, for the gaining of wealth and preferment; efpecially on the Lord's day, which God hath taken to himself, and fet apart for the duties of his worship and fervice. Not that we are excufed from minding religion at other times; but that

thofe

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those who are preffed and straitened by the neceffary cares of this life, may be fure to mind it then, and may have no colour of excufe for the neglect of it at that time, which God hath allotted for that very purpose, and which it is unlawful to employ about our worldly affairs. God expects that we fhould ferve him at other times, that we should live in an habitual fenfe of him, and (as Solomon expreffeth it, Prov. xxiii. 17.) Be in the fear of the Lord all the day long; lo as to be careful not to offend or tranfgrefs in any thing, and fo as to redeem all opportunities for the exercife of piety and devotion; but this day he peremptorily challengeth to himself, and expects we should employ it in his fervice, and dedicate it to religion, to the contemplation of God and heavenly things, and the care of our immortal fouls, with the fame ferioufnefs and diligence, as we do upon other days labour for the bread which perifheth; and the lefs leifure we have upon other days for this purpose, the more entirely fhould we devote and confecrate this day to the purposes and duties of religion.

Not but that our whole life, and all the actions of it, fhould be under the government of religion, and directed by the laws and rules of it; and it fhould be our continual care and endeavour to pleafe God in all things, and we should take as much pains, and be as heartily concerned to be good men, as the men of the world are to grow rich and great in this world; nay fo much more, by how much it is a better and nobler defign to improve in grace and virtue, than to profper and thrive in our temporal eftate; and we do not in good earnest feek the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, if this be not our great study and endeavour, to fubdue our lufts and govern our paffions, and in a word, to reform whatever is amifs in the inward frame and temper of our minds, and in our outward converfation. And indeed nothing does require greater diligence, and attention, and care, than for a man to become truly and thoroughly good, to be meek, and humble, and patient, and contented, and refigned to the will of God in every condition; to be peaceable, and charitable,and placable, and ready

to

109 to forgive; these are great and difficult things, and whatever we think, not the work of a wifh, or the effect of a fudden refolution before the receiving of the holy facrament, no, nor the fruit of frequent and fervent prayers, without the hearty concurrence of our own care and endeavour, to render our lives fuch, as we pray God by his grace to affift and enable us to be.

3. Seeking the kingdom of God and his righteouf nefs, does further imply zeal and earnestnefs in the purfuit of this defign: And this is a degree above diligence; for zeal is an ardour and fervency of mind in the profecution of a thing for which you are greatly concerned, and which we vehemently defire to obtain; it is the hottest and most intenfe degree of our affection towards any thing, of our defire and love, mixed with anger at every thing that ftands in our way, and hinders us from obtaining what we seek after; fuch an heat as ambition does commonly infpire men withal, in the pursuit of power and preferment. Such ought to be the temper of our minds, and the edge of our fpirits, in feeking the kingdom of God, as does ufually poffefs men in fecking the kingdoms of this world, and the glory of them. must remember that it is a kingdom which we seek for, and afpire after; not like the unftable and tottering kingdoms of this world, but a kingdom which cannot be fhaken, as the Apostle calls it.

We

So that the greatness of the defign, and the excellency of what we feek after, will justify and warrant the highest degree of a difcreet zeal and fervour in the profecution of it; and therefore no wonder that the fcripture in this matter ufeth words that import the greatest vehemency and earneftnefs, bidding us to ftrive to enter in at the ftrait gate, to labour, and watch, to run, and wrestle, and fight, and, in a word, to give all diligence to make our calling and election Sure.

Laftly, Seeking the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, does imply patience and perfeverance in our. endeavours after them, and that we never cease our purfuit of them, till we have obtained them; and this, VOL. V. K

not

notwithstanding all the difficulties and difcouragements, the oppofition and perfecution that we meet with for righteousness fake: For this we must expect and reckon upon before hand, to encounter many difficulties, and find many difcouragements in the ways of religion; for ftrait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life, as our Lord himfelf hath told us: Nay, we must count to be grievously perfecuted for righteousness fake, and, if God fee it good for us, to pafs through many tribulations, before we fhall enter into the kingdom of God; and therefore we had need to be armed with a great deal of patience, and a very firm and obftinate refolution, to enable us to bear up, and to hold out against all thefe; for this is a neceflary qualification for our feeking the kingdom of God, and his righteousness. So our Lord hath told us, Matth. x. 22. He that endureth to the end, fhall be faved; if we hope to receive the crown of life, we must be faithful to the death, Rev. ii. 10. And to the fame purpofe St. Paul declares, Rom. ii. 7. that they only fhall be made partakers of eternal life, who by patient continuance in well-doing, feek for glory, and honour, and immortality.

You fee what is meant by feeking the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; it remains briefly to be fhewn, in the fecond place, what is meant by feeking thefe firft; feek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; that is, let this be your main and principal defign, fo as to take place of all others in your efteem and affections, in your aim and endeavour; in comparison of this, mind nothing elfe, not the comforts and conveniencies, no, not the neceffaries of life, what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, and wherewithal ye shall be cloathed. These you see our Saviour inftanceth in before the text, as not to be regarded and taken care of, when they come in competition with the kingdom of God, and his righteouf nefs. And our Saviour tells us elsewhere, that not only none of the comforts and neceffaries of life are to be valued against him, and his religion, but that even this temporal life itself, as dear as it is to us, is to be parted withal, and given up, rather than to quit the pro

feffion