SERM.

THE Kingdom of God and his Righte- VI. oufnefs being then thus to be fought, we are next to confider that they are alfo to be fought before all Things, as well on account of their inherent Excellence, as of their benign Influence. Our Rule in the Text is, Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteoufnefs. Let this be your main Em-. ployment; and if not your fole, yet your principal Care: Let not the Comforts or Conveniencies of this Life, nor any Advantages the prefent World can afford, be in the leaft regarded, when, they come in Competition with the Duties God has enjoined and the Rewards he will beftow, and the Reafon why the Preference is so entirely given to thofe is, because they are in Fact infinitely the more valuable.

THE moft exalted Degrees of earthly Wealth and Grandeur, are as nothing when compar'd with the Riches of God's Grace, and the Glories of his Kingdom, and if any think that the former deferve to rival the latter in their Efteem, let the wife Preacher convince them of their Folly; who in the Beginning of his Ecclefiaftes, as elegantly, as truly proves, all temporal Enjoyments

P 4

SERM. to be no other than Vanity itself, and in VI. the End fums up all in favour of Virtue

and Piety as the Foundation of folid Happinefs, Let us hear, fays he, the Conclufion of the whole Matter, Fear God and keep his Commandments (b). If you would secure the most desirable Event of Things, let the Ser vice of God be your chief Study; let Religion be your firft Care, This is the one Thing needful, and ought to be attended to not only above, but before all other Confiderations whatever.

As for all other Things which Mortals moft eagerly court and pant after, What can they profit? How mean, empty, and pitiful they are; how precarious and fleeting, how fhort-lived and perifhing, and withal how fatal and deadly? Such is the encroaching Quality of the World, that where once it gets Footing it will never reft, till it gets alfo the Afcendant, it will never leave till it banifhes the Love of God, and all Regard to his Favour,---it will never be content till it has drawn off the Mind from the most valuable Objects of Eternity, and fixed it on the vain and worthlefs Things of this Life.

(b) Ecclef. xii. 13.

}

WERE

WERE these Advantages of the Body as really excellent and fubftantial as our Appetites and Paffions would infinuate, yet if the Effects of them are so very terrible to the Soul, and deftructive of its true Happinefs,---if they retard its Progress towards Heaven, and too often prevent its ever reaching God's everlasting Kingdom, Is it poffible for Men to justify their Conduct, eyen to that felf-love which fo much governs them, whilst they forfeit for the Sake of prefent Gratifications, all Right to future Glory?

AND to fet their Imprudence in a still more glaring Light, as they ruin their eternal Interefts by not feeking first the Kingdom of God and his Righteoufnefs, fo do they likewise prejudice their temporal, by forfeiting his Protection, and calling down his Judgments upon them for their Difobedience and Contempt. They are commanded to take one Courfe, and they perverfly purfue another: God requires them to turn their Hearts, and raise their Affections towards his Service and the Bleffednefs which attends it, but they will keep them groveling on the Creature, and relish nothing

beyond

SERM.
VI.

SERM. beyond carnal Pleasure. What Wonder is it VI. then, that he fhould baulk them in their low Views, that he fhould fruftrate thofe Projects they criminally form,---that he fhould give them Difappointment where they look for Succefs,---that he fhould pour down Ruin upon them inftead of Profperity. Whereas, would we but deign to think our Saviour wifer than ourfelves, to receive our Directions from him, and walk in the Way which he has marked out for us; how beneficial would the Event prove? As we fhould find unutterable Delights at our Journey's End, fo should we meet with proper Accommodations on the Road thither, and to be affured of this, we may reft ourselves, not on bare human Probability, but on Chrift's Divine Teftimony, who has promised, that if we feek first the Kingdom of God and bis Righteoufnefs, all thefe Things shall be added unto us, no earthly Goods fhall be with-held which God fees to be either needful or convenient for us: Befides the immenfe Rewards of everlafting Glory, which will be the certain Refult of our defiring them with Vehemence and purfuing them with Vigour, God will never leave us nor forfake us; and though her has not tied himself down to the Sorts and Degrees of worldly Emoluments, yet

we

VI.

we have his Engagement for the neceffary SERM. Supports of Life: He will afford us Subfiftance, if not abundance,---he will administer a Supply of Conveniencies, if not of Superfluities:

BUT even this we are not to depend upon without all Poffibility of Failure; when. it is promifed, only in general, and will be bestowed no otherwife than according to the Conftitution of Nature and the fettled Method of Providence: No miraculous Act of Power is to be waited for on our Behalf and whilst we are under God's peculiar Care, we must not think to be exempt from the common Calamities of Mankind, nor from the many times unavoidable Sufferings of the Righteous. There is however this Matter of Comfort to all who fet their Hearts upon the Things above, and piously feek them according to God's Appointment, that whatever Share they poffefs of the Things below, it is rendered truly a Bleffing, and whatever Evils of Life be the Portion of their Cup, their Bitterness is fweetened and their Load fanctified, fo as to leave no room for Difquiet or Impatience: They feel inward fpiritual Joy in the midst of Af fliction, and having Food and Raiment, learn therewith to be content: In Peace and Satisfaction