at all, you must be sure to seek it, as our Lord here commands, in the first place, or before all things else, lest otherwise you seek it to no purpose, even so as never to find it.

out of the

But how difficult soever this work be, it is the most necessary work we have to do in this world, and therefore must needs be done first. It is the great work that we were made for: we were not made to scrape up dirt, nor to gape after popular air, nor yet to gratify our flesh with sensual pleasures; but we were made to serve and honour Him that made us, by seeking His Kingdom and glory: and therefore, except we do that, we spend our time in vain, and live to no purpose at all, but do as much as in us lies to frustrate the very end of our creation. And there is all the reason in the world that we should do that first, which is so absolutely necessary to be done, that, without that, whatsoever else we do will signify nothing, but we had as good sit still and be idle all the days of our life, and so go world without ever having done any good in it. Neither is it necessary only to our accomplishing God's end in making us, but it is necessary also to our attainment of true happiness, which the things of this world are not: for true happiness being seated only in the mind, nothing that is without us can contribute any thing towards it. But a man may be as happy without wealth, or honour, or health, or liberty, or life itself, as he can be with it. Nay, it is much to be observed, that the things of this world are so far from being able to make us happy, that we can never be perfectly happy so long as we have them; but we must of necessity leave not only all things in this world, but this very world itself, and go into the other, before we can have true and perfect happiness: whereas, on the other side, the Kingdom of God and His righteousness are so necessary, so indispensably necessary to our being happy, that it is as impossible for us to be happy without them, as it is to be miserable with them. For all true happiness consisteth only in the enjoyment of God, the supreme and only good: but we can never enjoy God any where but in His Own Kingdom; nor there, except we be first made righteous, and so, according to our capacity, like unto Him. And, therefore, as ever we desire to be truly, and really, and eternally happy, we must

N

CXII. Luke 10.42.

SERM. of necessity seek God's kingdom and righteousness, which our Saviour Himself elsewhere calls the one thing needful." And therefore it is no wonder that He here commands us to seek it first; all other things, in comparison of that, being superfluous and unnecessary.

It is true, whilst we are in the body, there are some things necessary to our being in it, though not our being happy; as meat, and drink, and clothing, which are the ordinary means whereby these houses of clay wherein we dwell are supported and defended from wind and weather. But though there may be some necessity of our having such things, there is none at all for our seeking of them with care and anxiety of mind: for we may have them without that far better than with it; as appears from the promise which our Lord here makes to those "who first seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness," that "all these things shall be added to them" which also suggests to us another great reason why we ought to seek the Kingdom of God in the first place; because if we do that, all things else that are any way needful for us shall be added to us.

II. "And all these things shall be added to you;" that is, if you first seek God's Kingdom, you shall not only find that, but all things that are needful for you while you are upon earth, gooroora, shall be added to you over and above what you first sought; they shall be given you, as the word intimates, like paper and packthread into the bargain. Concerning which promise there are two things much to be observed; first, the certainty, and then the extent of it.

The certainty of this promise appears from the power and faithfulness of Him that made it, even Christ Himself; Who, being of infinite power, can do what He will; and being of infinite truth and faithfulness, will do all He can for the fulfilling of it. And, therefore, He having passed His word, and made this promise to us with His Own mouth, we ought not, we cannot doubt but He will most certainly make it good; "for Heaven and earth shall pass away," but as He Matt.24.35. Himself saith, His "words shall not pass away." He hath said, that if you first seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things shall be added unto you: which being His Own words, if you do what He here re

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quires of you, He will most certainly do what He hath mised to you. If you first take care to serve and please God by walking in the ways of holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of your life, He will take care that you shall never want any thing that is truly good and needful for you.

Which you cannot but be fully confident of, if you do but consider also the extent of this promise, in that He doth not say, some, or many, or most, but "all these things shall be added to you;" that is, as He explains Himself in the verse before my text, "All these things which our Heavenly Father knoweth we have need of." For such things as we have no need of, and that in the judgment of God Himself, it is no matter whether we have them or no; but all such things as God Himself knows to be any way necessary for us, they are all contained in this promise which Our Lord here makes us, and which He had made before by His Holy Spirit in David, saying, "They that seek the Lord, shall not Ps. 34. 10. want any good thing." What is not good for us, although we have it not, yet we cannot be said to want it, because if we had it, it would do us no good; and therefore it is said. in the same place, that "there is no want to them that fear ver. 9. God," because they have all things that are any way needful or good for them. And what our Lord there promised by His Prophet He here repeats with His Own mouth, assiurng us, that all they who "first seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness," shall have all things necessary both for life and godliness added to them.

Here then you see the best course you can ever take whereby to secure to yourselves not only a sufficient maintenance, but a constant supply of all things that you can ever have any real occasion for in this word. Do but first. repent and turn to God, so as to be admitted into His kingdom, and partake of His righteousness, and then all such things will be immediately conferred and settled upon you. You have the word of Christ, of God Himself, for it; which you must needs acknowledge to be the best security in the world, and therefore ought to rest fully satisfied with it. Wherefore, as ever ye desire to be certain never to want any thing that is good for you, take this course which Christ

CXII.

SERM. Himself hath prescribed for it; which you will find to be the only certain course you can ever take, forasmuch as God hath never promised His blessing or success to any other means. I do not deny but that He often scatters the things of this world among the men of it, who may gather them up in great abundance, but this is more than He ever promised them, and, by consequence, they have no ground to expect it and whatsoever such men may have, they are still in want: they often want even what they have, and they always want God's blessing upon it, and therefore had as good, if not much better, be without it; whereas, by observing the method which our Lord here teaches, you will be certain to have whatsoever is good in itself, and likewise God's blessing upon it to make it good for you.

Wherefore, as ever ye desire to carry yourselves as becometh Christians indeed, you must be sure to do what Christ hath here commanded. Make it your great care and study to serve and honour God, and so to seek His Kingdom and righteousness in the first place. And when you thus sincerely perform what He hath required of you, you may be confident that He will likewise perform what He hath promised to you. He will defend and protect you from all evil, and give you whatsoever is really good for you either in this world or the next. You shall never want either food or raiment, nor yet His blessing upon it: which that you may be fully assured of, He Himself hath here engaged His Own word for it, saying to you all, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

SERMON CXIII.

THE SINFULNESS AND MISCHIEF of worlDLY ANXIETY.

PHIL. iv. 6.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving let your Requests be made known unto God.

ALTHOUGH the Commandments of God now seem grievous to us, and very difficult to be observed, yet certainly they were designed at first for our ease and pleasure; they being all so exactly adapted to our nature, so agreeable to the temper we were made of, that every act of obedience to them refresheth and delights our minds, as David long ago observed, calling the "Commandments his delights;" and Ps.119.143. saying, that "in keeping of them there is great reward." Ps. 19. 11. The same might be demonstrated by a particular induction of them, whereby it would be easy to shew, that nothing is forbidden us, but what is some way or other hurtful and prejudicial to us, nothing required of us, but what is really for our good, and conduceth to our present comfort, as well as to our future happiness. I shall instance at present only in that which is enjoined in my text.

We cannot but be all sensible how great a misery it is to live in continual fears and cares about the things of this life, and how happily they live who are free from them, so as never to be disturbed or disquieted in their minds about any thing here below; especially if this proceeds from such principles, and are grounded upon such a foundation as is firm and lasting and yet we not only may, but ought always to live thus for this is that which is here enjoined us by the Apostle,