ing, what shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or wherewithal fhall we be clothed? and then it follows in direct oppofition to this inordinate and folicitous eare about worldly things, but feek ye firft the kingdom of God and his righteousness; that is, be not fo folicitous about the conveniencies and neceffaries of this life, as about the happiness of the other, and the means to it. And this fenfe of this phrafe of the kingdom of God, is fo very frequent in the New Teftament, that I fhall not need to give particular inAtances of it.

2. What is meant by righteoufnels: Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteoufnefs. Righteouf nefs, in the ftrictest and most proper fenfe of the word, fignifies the particular virtue of juice; and very frequently in the Old Teftament it is ufed for chari ty to the poor, or almfgiving, Pfal. xxxvii. 25. 26. I have been young, and now am old, yet have I not Jeen the righteous forfaken, nor his feed begging bread; he is ever merciful, and lendeth; and Pfal. cxii. 9. He bath difperfed, he hath given to the poor, his righteoufnefs endureth for ever. But righteoufnefs in its largeft and most extended fenfe, comprehends all the virtues of a good man; and fo it fignifies here in the text, and in many other places of fcripture.

So that the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, comprehends the whole bufinefs of religion, our last end, which is eternal life and happiness in another world; and the way and means to this end; which is righteoufnefs, or that univerfal goodness which God requires of us, and whereof he himself is a pattern and example to us; for which reafon it is called bis righteoufnefs. And in this fenfe of our laft end, and the way and means to it, the kingdom of heaven, and righteoufness, are used in another place, even of this fermon of our Saviour's upon the mount, Matth. v. 20. Except your righteoufnefs fhall exceed the righteoufness of the fcribes and Pharifees, ye all in no cafe enter into the kingdom of heaven; where righ teousness is made the neceffary means and condition of eternal life. I proceed in the

Second place, to explain what is meant by fecking

firft the kingdom of God, and his righteoufnefs. And this fignifies the greatest intention of mind, and earneftnefs of endeavour about the bufinefs of religion, in order to our attaining of eternal happiness; 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 feck; à un êzi?nteï,, which words fignify an intenfe care, and vigorous endeavour; but feek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteoufnefs; 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 a great measure ignorant of God and another life, are about the things of this life.

And here are two things to be explained:

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

2. What by feeking them in the first place.

For the first: A fincere and earneft fecking of the kingdom of God, and his righteoufnefs, 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 eternal happinefs 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 upour refolution, if it be poffible, to be happy for ever; that we have this end always in our eye, and be firmly refolved 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 fcope of all our endeavours and actions; and that every thing we do be either directly and immediately 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 tho'

he

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 fo journing 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 thall 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 loadstones, 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 doubleminded man is unftable in all his ways. He that is un

refolved 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 righteoufnefs, implies inceffant care and diligence as to the means; that we make religion our bufinefs, and exercise ourfelves in the duties of it, both in public and private, at proper times and feafons, 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

those who are preffed and ftraitned by the neceflary 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 purpofe, and which it is unlawful to employ about our worldly affairs. God expects that we fhould ferve him at other times, that we fhould 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; fo 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 himfelf, and expects we fhould 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 perisheth; and the lefs leifure we have upon other days for this purpose, the more entirely fhould we devote and confecrate this day to the purpofes 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 should be our continual care and endeavour to please God in all things; and we fhould 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 estate; and we do not in good earnest feek the kingdom of God, and his righteoufnefs, if this be not our great ftudy 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

to forgive; thefe 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 righteousness, does further imply zeal and earnestnefs in the pursuit of this defign: and this is a degree above diligence; for zeal is an ardor and fervency of mind, in the profe cution 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 to wards 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 feek after; fuch an beat as ambition does commonly inspire men withal in the purfuit of power and preferment. Such ought to be the temper of our minds, and the edge of our fpirits, in fecking the kingdom of God, as does ufually poffefs men in feeking the kingdoms of this world, and the glory of them. We must remember that it is a kingdom which we feek 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,

So that the greatnefs 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 greateft vehemence and earneftness, 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 fure.

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.