child of God, Psal. xxiv. 6, Psal. xxvii. 8. Many, at this time, call
themselves Seekers.(484) They profess they seek a true church, and seek
ordinances purely dispensed, but find none. But the child of God, the good
Christian that seeks according to Christ’s appointment, seeks not these
things as if they were not, but he seeks God in ordinances, he seeks
Christ in the church, he seeks grace and glory, honour and immortality,
and eternal life. He is in the church, he hath the ordinances rightly
administered, yet he wants the most part, till he find Jesus Christ in all
these. Many seek corn, wine, or any worldly good thing, saying, “Who will
show us any good?” Fie upon such a lax and indifferent spirit, that hath
no discretion or sense of things that are good, that sees not one thing
needful, and no more good than is necessary. But the child of God is a
seeker different from these also, he seeks the favour and countenance of
God, Psal. iv. 6, 7. He seeks wisdom above all things, Prov. ii. 4. He
seeks but one good thing, because there is but one good thing necessary.
The seeking Christian is a wanter, one that hath nothing, and finds it so.
He wants, and knows he wants, else he would never seek. What wants he?
Nay, rather ask, what hath he? It may soon be told what he hath, but it is
hard to tell what he wants. Look what he hath, and ye find little or
nothing, and therefore ye may conclude he wants all things. The text tells
what he wants: (1) He wants righteousness; (2) He wants grace; (3) He
wants glory, and hath no right to it. Men seek not what they carry from
the womb. Therefore all men have come into the world with three great
wants. (1.) Ye want righteousness. Ye cannot stand before God in the terms
of strict justice. There is nothing ye have, or can do, but it is a
menstruous cloth, Isa. lxiv. 6. All your religion and prayers will never
commend you to God’s holy justice. The scripture hath passed this sentence
upon you all, “There is none righteous, no not one,” Rom. iii. 10. The
righteousness that the law of God requires is perfect, and complete, and
exact. Either lay down the whole sum, or if it want a farthing it is no
payment. Keep all the nine commands, but if ye break the tenth the nine
will not suffice. Now all of you have sinned and corrupted your ways, and
it is impossible to make up the want. As the redemption of the soul is
precious and ceases for ever, so the broken and dyvour(485) man having
become a bankrupt, shall never make up or pay his debt to all eternity. He
hath once broken the command, and all your keeping afterwards will not
stand for the obedience ye should always have given to it. Therefore
sinners of the posterity of Adam, and wretched men by nature, see this
great want and impossibility to recover it in yourselves. (2.) Ye likewise
want all grace by nature. There is no delusion more ordinary than this,
that the world thinks grace is very common. But believe it, Sirs, that
all men came from the womb without grace, get it as ye will. Look what
the scripture speaks of the whole race of Adam, “There is no fear of God
before their eyes,” Rom. iii. 18. They are without Christ, without hope,
and without God in the world, aliens from the covenants of promise, Eph.
ii. 1-3, 12. Let grace be as common as can be, yet all of you once wanted
it. Ye have it not by birth, nor by education, nor by baptism. Ye think
perhaps a baptized soul cannot be graceless, but know it for a truth that
ye have neither legal righteousness nor evangelical holiness. All of you
have wofully fallen from righteousness, and therefore ye lie, with Adam’s
posterity, without hope in the world Grace and truth must come from above
by Jesus Christ Grace and glory are the gifts of God. (3.) The sinner also
comes short of the glory of God, Rom. iii. 23. All sinners are born heirs
of hell and wrath, without the hope of happiness. There is none born with
a title to the kingdom of heaven, or any right to it. Man in his fall
lost his right to eternal life and immortality, and hath purchased a
doleful right to the Lord’s wrath and to hell fire. Ye think it strange
that any christened or baptized person should be damned, but the scripture
knows no difference. “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth
any thing, but a new creature, and faith which worketh by love.” Neither
to be a member of the visible church nor a pagan avails any thing, “for
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Now what have ye
since ye want righteousness? Ye want grace and ye want glory, and in the
place of these ye have unrighteousness, all sin, all God’s curses and
wrath, and this makes up complete misery. In a word, ye want God and
Christ, and this is all, and enough for all, Eph. ii. 12. Ye have, by
nature, more sibness(486) with Satan, and nearer relation to him, than to
God, and if ye want God, what can ye have beside? Your abundance is want.
As all things are theirs who are Christ’s, so nothing is theirs who are
not God’s. In short, there is not in all the creation such a miserable
creature as man, whom God hath magnified and exalted above the angels, and
the rest of the works of his hands. Now all men want these, but no man
knows this but the Christian, whose eyes Christ hath opened, and to whom
he hath given eye salve. Laodicea was blind and saw not, but she thought
she was rich enough, when she had nothing, Rev. iii. 17, 18. The man, who
will discourse well on all the miseries of this life, and human
infirmities, may be ignorant of these things. There is no man but knows
some want. But what is it he misses? Nothing but what concerns his
present being and well being in this world, and so the world may supply
it. But the Christian wants something this vain world will not make up.
“Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon the earth I
desire beside thee,” says the soul that hath found God. And whom want I in
heaven but thee? (Psal. lxxiii. 25, 26) says the soul that seeks God. He
wants God’s favour, and the light of his reconciled countenance, Psal. iv.
6. If ye ask him, what seek ye, what want ye in all the world? He
answers, “And now. Lord, what wait I for?” My heart and “my hope is in
thee,” Psal. xxxix. 7. None needed ask at Mary, “Whom seekest thou?” Any
body that knows her, knows her want. It is he, the Christ Jesus, and she
thinks all the world should want him, and seek him with her, and thinks no
body should be ignorant of him; for she speaks to the gardener, as if
there had been no other in the world, John xx. 15. But,
2dly. His wants put him to seeking, to diligence. He misses something,
and O it is a great something, infinitely more than he is worth in the
world! He wants being and well being. He thinks himself as good as lost,
and he comes at length to some point of resolution, with the lepers of
Samaria, (2 Kings vii. 3, 4.) “Why sit we here till we die? If we enter
into the city there is famine, if we sit still we perish, if we go out we
may find bread.” And so the poor soul, with Mordecai and Esther, comes to
this conclusion, “If I perish, I perish;” nothing but perishing as I am, I
will go and seek salvation in Jesus Christ, and it may be I will find it.
Who knows but he may turn again? Resolution is born a man at first, a
giant. It goes out to the utmost border of want the first day. Wanting
makes desire, and desire, attended with some hope, makes up resolution and
purpose, and when the soul is thus principled, then in the third
room,(487) it comes forth to action. Desire and hope give legs to the
soul for the journey, and now the wanting Christian ye shall find with his
hand in every good turn, his feet in every ordinance. Ye shall find him
praying, reading, and hearing. It is true, resolution is born a man, and
practice is born but a child, and scarcely will come up in many years to
the stature of resolution. Always(488) diligence and violence is the
qualification of his practice, (Heb. xi. 6, Matth. xi. 12) and this is
written upon his using of means, “How love I the Lord! I am sick of
love.” The Christian’s diligence in the use of means proclaims his
earnest desire to obtain, whereas many a man’s practice speaks but a
coldrife and indifferent spirit. That is a neutral who cares not whether
he obtain or miss. Some Christians have some missings of God, and
spiritual things, but alas! their want, and sight of want, makes them
twice miserable, because it puts not their hand to action. The slothful
and sluggard’s desire slays him, because his hands refuse to labour, Prov.
xxi. 25. O! but he finds many difficulties in the way. Though he have
half a wish, or a raw(489) desire after Christ, yet it never comes farther
than a conditional wish. A beggar may wish to be a king. He comes to no
purpose in it and therefore his way is called a hedge of thorns. Whereas
a seeking Christian finds a plain path where he goes, Prov. xv. 19. The
sluggard says, “There is a lion in the way, and a lion in the streets.”
He concludes upon the means and duties of religion before ever he try
them, Prov. xxii. 13, Prov. xix. 24. How lazy is he! He will not bring
his hand out of his bosom, when he hath put it in. Thus the lazy and
secure Christian is a brother to a great waster, his desire consumes him.
He hath no more religion than a spunk(490) of desire; and he sits down
with this spark of his own kindling, and the life of religion thrives not
upon his hand, Prov. xviii. 9, 12. His seeking must have violence with it,
Matth. xi. 12. But we may also observe concerning the Christian, that he
is,
3dly. Defined on this side of time as a seeker. In heaven he is an
enjoyer, and he seeks no more; for how can the ox low over his fodder? He
sits down to eat the fruit and sweat of his labour, and well may he
triumphantly say, as the ancient philosopher said, “I have found, I have
found.”(491) But here he is a seeker still. Whatever he miss, he is still
a seeker, and whatever he find, he is yet a seeker. He is named not from
his finding, but his seeking, not from his enjoyment or attainment, but
from his endeavour and aim. Though he find righteousness in Jesus, and
remission of sins, yet he is a seeker of grace; though he be justified,
yet he seeks holiness. There are many who would seek no more of God than
pardon of sin. Let him deliver them from hell, and they will trouble God
with no more requests. Doth not some of your own consciences speak, that
ye would seek no more from Christ than to be saved from an ill hour, and
to be found in him; whereas Paul was not content with this, but made an
holy gradation, as we read, Philip iii. 8, &c. He desired to know the
power of Christ’s resurrection, and to be made conformable to him by any
means; and now, when he is found in Christ, and justified, he counts not
himself well, or perfect and complete, or to have attained that which he
struggled earnestly for. Would not many be content with a Saviour, but
they love not to hear of a king to rule over them, nor of his laws to
regulate their lives by? They love an imputed holiness, as well as
righteousness. But the true seeker seeks grace within him. Though he be
justified, or freed from guilt and condemnation, and have the
righteousness of Christ to cover him, and though he should never come into
condemnation for sin, yet he seeks the death and destruction of it in his
soul, and the life of holiness implanted and perfected in his inward man.
Though he is sure of heaven, yet he would have God’s image upon his
spirit, and whole man.
4thly. Whatever degree of grace he have or attain, yet he is still a
wanter, and still a seeker. He counts not himself to have attained, or to
be already perfect, but presses forward to gain the mark and prize of
God’s high calling, Phil. iii. 13, 14. He stands at no pitch, but forgets
what is behind, and overlooks it, he thinks it not worthy to come in
reckoning. There is still so much before his hand, that he apprehends it
to be lost time to reckon what is passed. His aim is to perfect holiness
in the fear of God. He endeavours to be holy as God is holy, who is the
completest pattern of unspotted purity and uprightness, and to be holy in
all manner of conversation. He goes from strength to strength, till he
appear blameless before God; he seeks grace for grace, Psal. lxxxiv. 5-8.
And truly the man who seeks the exact copy or pattern, Jesus Christ, who
is gone before his people into heaven, and he who knows the spiritual
command in all its dimensions, he will not say “I have found,” but will
still want more than he hath, and seek what he wants. There are some
professors who have attained some pitch and degree, as it were, the first
day, and never advance further. They have gotten a gift of prayer, some
way of discharging duties, some degree in profession, and they want no
more. Look on them some years after, and ye would say, they have sought no
more. And truly he who seeks no more shall never be able to keep what he
hath already, as a fire must soon die away if ye add not new fuel to it.
Christians are not green in old age, because they have come to a pitch in
their religion, and stand there. No, religion should not come to its
stature hereaway.(492) This is but the time of its minority. Grace should
be still on the growing hand. The grace of God is but a child here. Heaven
and eternity make up the man. Glory is the man, who was once the child
grace.
5thly. The good Christian is still a seeker till Christ be all in all,
till he apprehend that for which he is apprehended. As long as he is in
this world he is a seeker. Whereof, ye will say? Not only of more grace
here, but of glory hereafter. Here he hath no continuing city, but he
seeks one to come, Heb. xiii. 14. He is a pilgrim on earth, embracing the
promises afar off, and seeking his country, even heaven itself, Heb. xi.
13, &c. All your present enjoyments in this world, your own houses and
lands, would not make you think yourselves at home, if ye were Christians
at the heart. Ye would miss consolation, ye would want happiness in the
affluence of all created things. And therefore, Christians, do ye want
nothing when all things go according to your mind? Is there no hole in
your heart that a world cannot fill up? This is not well. Ye ought to seek
a city, while ye are in your own country, and ye should never think
yourselves at home till ye be in heaven. The Christian gets some taste of
the fruits of the land, some clusters in the wilderness and house of his
pilgrimage, and this makes him long to be there. This inflames the soul’s
desire, and turns it all in motion to seek that which was so sweet. If
hope be so sweet, what shall the thing possessed be? If a grape brought a
savour and taste so refreshful, what must the grapes plucked from the tree
of life be, and the rivers of pleasures, which are at God’s right hand,
for evermore be? Sit not down then, Christians, upon your enjoyments,
whether they be worldly or spiritual, but aspire to high things.
Sermon XVI.
Matth. vi. 33.—“But seek ye first the kingdom of God,” &c.
II. The Christian’s chief employment should be to seek the kingdom of God,
and the righteousness thereof. “Seek first,” &c. Upon this he should first
and chiefly spend his thoughts, and affections, and pains. We comprehend
it in three things. _First_, He should seek to be clothed upon with
Christ’s righteousness, and this ought to take up all his spirit. This is
the first care and the chief concern. Did not this righteousness weigh
much with Paul, when he counted all things but loss and dung, that he
might be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness, but the
righteousness which is by faith in Jesus Christ? Phil. iii. 8, 9. Now this
righteousness is of more concernment than all the world beside. For it is
God’s righteousness, (Rom. x. 3, 4; 2 Cor. v. 21.) and this holds out a
threefold excellence in it. (1.) It is God’s righteousness, because he
alone devised it, and found it out. All the world could not have imagined
a way possible to save lost mankind, or ever one sinner of that wretched
number. Satisfaction to justice was needful, and there was none righteous
among Adam’s posterity. But here God himself in his everlasting counsel
hath found it out, and all hath flowed from his love. The mission of Jesus
Christ to be the propitiation for our sins, comes from this blessed
fountain, 1 John iv. 9, 10; Rom. iii. 24, 25. God hath been framing this
righteousness from all eternity, and even this world seems to be made for
this end. All God’s dispensation with Adam, his making a covenant of works
with him, his mutability and liableness to fall, and so governing all
things in his holy providence that he should fall from his own
righteousness, and involve all his posterity in the same condemnation with
himself,—all this seems to be in respect of God’s intention and purpose,
even ordained for this end, that the righteousness of Jesus Christ might
be commended to you, far more than all the dispensation of the law upon
Sinai, more than the curse and the command, the thunder and the lightning.
The very condemnation of the scripture was all in God’s own mind and
revealed will also, as the means appointed to lead sinners to this
righteousness, Rom. x. 4. Therefore, how precious should that be to us,
that God keeps and preserves the world for?
(2.) By this righteousness alone, we can stand before God, and therefore
it is termed God’s righteousness; and is not this enough to make it lovely
in the eyes of all men? This is the righteousness without the law, though
it was witnessed both by the law and the prophets. This is the only
righteousness that justifies, when all men are found guilty before God,
Rom. iii. 19, &c. Now, what is it in this world can profit you, if ye want
this? Condescend(493) upon all your pleasures and heart-wishes, let you
have them all, and now, poor soul, pray what hast thou? Though thou hast
gained the world, thou losest thy soul, that thou should use the world
with? Let you then get what you so eagerly pursue in the world, what will
ye do when your soul is required by the hand of justice? “Then whose shall
these things be?” Luke xii. 20, 21. By all these things, a man neither
knows love nor hatred, as Solomon speaks of external enjoyments, Eccles.
ix. 1. But hear the way, O men! how ye may stand before God; here it is
only. Will it profit you to enjoy the world, and bless God? And when all
these things leave you, and ye leave them, what will ye do,—for riches
will not go to the grave with you? All that is here cannot help you in
that day, when ye must stand before the Judge of all flesh. If a man be
not found in Christ he is gone, and if he be found in him, then the
destroying angel passes by, death hath a commission to do him good, God is
become his friend in Jesus. If ye could walk never so blamelessly in this
world, all this will not come as righteousness in God’s sight, nor stand
before him. It is only the righteousness of Christ that can be a covering
to sinners. But,
(3.) This is God’s righteousness, because it is the righteousness of
Christ who is truly God, and so it is divine. This is the most excellent
piece in all the creation, that comes from Jesus Christ his life, death,
and resurrection. And let all men’s inherent holiness blush here and be
ashamed. Let all your prayers, good wishes, your religious obedience be
ashamed, let them evanish as the stars before the sun. The righteousness
of Christ is the bright sun that makes all the dim sparkles of nature,
civil honesty, and even religious education, disappear. Let even angels
blush before him, for they are not clean in his sight, but may be charged
with folly. Innocent Adam was also a glorious creature, but the second
Adam, the life-giving Spirit and the Lord from heaven, hath an infinitely
transcendent and supereminent excellency and prerogative beyond him, and
all the creation of God. Look then upon this Jesus how he is described, as
the “brightness of the Father’s glory and the express image of his
person,” (Heb. i. 1-3; Col. i. 15, &c.) and wonder that such a glorious
one should become our righteousness, that he should take our sins upon
him, (2 Cor. v. 21; 1 Pet. ii. 24) and make over his righteousness to us.
This is the righteousness of the saints in heaven, Rev. xix. 8. This is
the glory of the spirits of just men made perfect. Think ye, my friends,
that the glorious saints shall wear their own holiness upon their outside
in heaven? No, no, the righteousness of Christ shall cover them, and that
shall be the upper-garment that all the host of heaven must glory in. Now
this is the thing that the child newborn, if he had the use of reason,
should first cry for, before he ever get the breast, to be reconciled to
God in Christ. Would ye then spend your time and thoughts upon other
things, if ye knew what need ye have of his righteousness, and how
suitable it were to your need? Should not the beggar seek food and
clothing? Should not the sick man seek health, and the poor man riches?
Here they are all in Christ’s righteousness. Ye are under the curse of
God. This righteousness redeems from the curse. Ye are sinners, and none
of you righteous, no not one. But Christ was made sin for us, that we
might be made the righteousness of God in him. O sinners, wonder at the
change! Hath Christ taken on your sins, that his righteousness might
become yours, and will ye not do so much as seek it? But many a man
beguiles his own soul, and thinks he seeks this righteousness in the
gospel. Therefore ye would know what it is to seek his righteousness. If
ye seek it, ye want your own righteousness. And who of you have come this
length, to judge yourselves that ye be not judged? It is a great
difficulty to convince the multitude of sin. That general notion, that we
are all sinners, is but the delusion that many souls perish in. Never any
will deny themselves to seek another righteousness, till they be beaten
and driven out of their own. There is need of submission to take and
receive this righteousness, let be to seek it, And now tell me, can ye say
that ye have seen all in yourselves as dung and dross, that ye count all
things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus,
(Phil. iii. 8, 9.) that ye have seen all your own privileges and duties
loss, and are ye even sensible that prayer will no more help you than the
cutting off a dog’s neck? Ye that lay so much weight upon your being
baptized, and upon outward privileges, are ye void of righteousness? No,
ye seek to establish your own, and do not submit to the righteousness of
God. In a word, all who are ignorant of this righteousness of God in
Christ, ye all seek to establish your own. There needs more. But not one
of twenty of you can tell what this is, it is a mystery. Ask at any of
you, how ye shall be saved, ye will say, by prayer to God, and the mercy
of God. Ye cannot tell the necessity of Christ’s coming into the world.
_Secondly_, Ye must see an impossibility to attain a righteousness, or to
stand before God another way. When ye miss this righteousness and are
convinced of sin, it is not the running to prayer will help or mend it.
When ye see the broken covenant, ye fall upon doing something, to mend
your faults, with some good turns, and some will make a few good works
answer all the challenges of sin. Alas! this is a seeking of your own
righteousness. Many a poor broken man seeks to make up his fortune. Poor
wretched sinners are building up the breach of the old covenant, putting
up props under an old ruinous house, seeking to establish it, and rear it
up again. But ye will never seek Christ till ye cannot do better, till ye
be desperate of helping yourselves without him. Now I appeal to your
consciences. Who among you was ever serious in this matter, to examine
your own condition, whether you were enemies or friends? Ye took it for
granted all your days. But never a man will betake himself to an imputed
righteousness, but only he that flies, taking with(494) his enmity, and is
pursued by the avenger of blood, and flies in to this righteousness as a
city of refuge.
_Thirdly_, Ye must seek this righteousness, and what is it to seek it? It
is even to take it and to receive it. It is brought to your door. It is
offered. And the convinced sinner hath no more to do but hearken, and this
righteousness is brought near unto him. Prayer to God, and much dealing
with him, is one of the ways of obtaining this righteousness. But coming
to Jesus Christ is the comprehensive short gate,(495) and therefore it is
called “the righteousness of faith,” and “the righteousness of God by
faith.” Now shall ye be called seekers of Christ’s righteousness, who will
not receive it when it is offered? Ye who have so many objections and
scruples against the gospel and the application of it, ye in so far are
not seekers, but refusers of the gospel, and disobedient. Christ’s
righteousness should meet with a seeker not a disputer. Any thing God
allows you to seek, certainly he allows you to take and receive it, when
it is brought unto you. And therefore, whoever have need of Jesus Christ,
not only refuse him not, but stay not till they find him come to them.
This is a noble resolution, I will give myself no rest till I be at a
point in this. Seek him as a hid treasure, as that which your happiness
depends upon.
(1) The kingdom of grace is worthy of all your affections and pains. That
despised thing in the world called grace is the rarest piece of the
creation, and if we could look on it aright, we would seek grace, and
follow after it. Grace extracts a man out of the multitude of men that are
all of one mass. Grace separates him from the rest of the world, and to
this purpose are these usual phrases in scripture, “Such were some of
you,” “Once ye were darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord,” “Among
whom ye had your conversation in times past, fulfilling the desires of the
flesh.” All men are alike by nature and birth, there is no difference.
Grace brought to light by the gospel makes the difference, and separates
the few chosen vessels of glory and mercy from the world, and now “they
are not of the world, as I am not of the world.” All the rest of men’s
aims and endeavours cannot do this. Learning makes not a man a Christian.
Honour makes not a man differ from a Gentile or Pagan. Riches make you no
better than infidels. Speak of what ye will, you shall never draw a man
entirely out of the cursed race of Adam, never distinguish him from
Gentiles before God, till the Spirit of regeneration blow where he
listeth. And this is grace’s prerogative, beyond all other things. All
other excellent gifts, even the gift of preaching, praying, all these are
common, so to speak, and in a manner befall to all alike. Your external
calling is but common, but he gives grace to all his chosen ones. But (2)
Grace puts a man in a new kingdom. It draws a man out of Satan’s kingdom,
and makes him a king, who before was a subject. The man was led captive by
sin and Satan at their pleasure. He served his own corrupt lusts and the
prince of this world. Sin reigneth in his mortal body, whatever his
passion and corruption did put him to, he could have no bridle, but as a
horse went on to the battle. And ye may see daily that there is scarce one
of an hundred that is master of himself. He is a servant of sin, but grace
makes him a priest and a king, Rev. i. 6, chap. v. 8, 10. He can now
command himself. Sin reigned before unto death, but now grace reigns
through righteousness unto eternal life, Rom. v. 20, 21. And O! but this
victory over a man’s self is more than a man’s conquering a strong city.
This victory is more than all the triumphs and trophies of the world’s
conquerors. For they could not conquer themselves, the little world, but
were slaves to their own lusts. Some men talk of great spirits that can
bear no injury. Nay, but such a spirit is the basest spirit. The noble
spirit is that spirit which can despise these things, and be above them.
Grace puts men upon a throne of eminence above the world. The Spirit of
God makes a man of a noble spirit. (3) Grace translates a man from Satan’s
kingdom to God, and makes him a subject, a free born subject, of God or
Christ’s kingdom, and therefore Christ is the “King of saints,” Rev. xv.
3. Our Lord and Saviour hath an “everlasting kingdom,” 2 Pet. i. 11. We
were subjects of the powers of darkness, but grace makes the translation
into the kingdom of God’s own dear Son, Col. i. 13. Now what an
unspeakable privilege is this, to be one of Christ’s subjects, who is our
dear Saviour and King! Surely we must all be great courtiers. David, the
great king of Israel, had this for his chief dignity, his style of honour,
“the servant of the Lord,” as kings use to write down themselves; and this
was his title, “servant of God.” Paul gloried much in this, “Paul, an
apostle and servant of Jesus Christ.” And surely all the families of
heaven and earth may think it their highest honour to get liberty to bow
their knees to Jesus, the “King of kings, and Lord of lords,” the
first-born of God’s creation. The converted man is turned from the power
of Satan to God. Mark but the emphasis of these two terms. Mark the whence
or from,—that it is from Satan, the great destroyer of mankind, the first
transgressor and deceiver. And how great is his power, tyranny, and
dominion! He had us all in chains reserved for the day of judgment. But to
what a happy change grace turns us, _from_ him! But the term _to_, which
is more admirable, it is to God, to Christ, to true religion, to God
himself most High. And O! but this must be a more wonderful and excellent
change than our conversion from darkness to light, from hell to heaven.
These are but shadows of this glorious conversion. (4) Grace makes a man
likewise a “partaker of the divine nature,” 2 Pet. i. 4. This is the image
and glory of God. This is the imitation and resemblance of God’s spotless
holiness and purity, “Be ye holy, as I am holy,” 1 Pet. i. 15, 16. Every
creature hath some dark characters of God. Some things speak his power,
some things his wisdom, but this he hath called his own image. And so the
Christian is more like unto God than all the world beside. This is the
magnifying of a man, and making him but “a little lower than the angels,”
Psal. viii. 3, 4. Therefore God loves grace better than all the creation.
Holiness is a great beauty, and God requires to be worshipped in the
beauties of it. Albeit grace be often clouded with infirmities, and
sometimes is reckoned despicable, because of the vessel it is in, yet it
is precious as the finest gold, and more precious than any rubies. It is
like gold in ashes, not the less excellent in itself, though it appear not
so. But sin is the devil’s image and likeness, and therefore Satan is
called the father of sinners. “Ye are of your father the devil, and the
lusts of your father ye will do.” O but sin hath an ugly shape! It is the
only spot in the face of the creation which God’s soul abhors. For he
loves righteousness, and hates iniquity, Psal. xlv. 6, 7. But there is one
thing more, (5) That may commend grace to all your hearts. Grace is the
way to glory. It gives title and right to, or at least declares it. It is
inseparably joined with it. Grace is glory in the bud, and glory is the
flower of grace, grace is young glory, and glory is old grace. Without
holiness it is impossible to see God’s face in peace. No man can come unto
heaven without grace. Glorification is the first link of the chain, Rom.
viii. 30. But sanctification must intervene first. No unclean thing can
enter into heaven, but he that gives grace, gives glory, Psal. lxxxiv. 11.
Heaven cannot receive many of you, because ye have not holiness. But it
may commend holiness unto you, that it ministers an abundant entrance
“into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” As
much as eternity is beyond the poor span of your time, so much is grace
and holiness, whereon depends your everlasting condition, preferable to
all things of this present vain world. O! but the children of men have
many vain pursuits of the creature, that when it is had is nothing and
vanity. Ye labour to secure an inch of your being, and to have contentment
here in this half day, and never look beyond it to many millions of ages,
when ye are to continue. Your honour, your pleasure, your gain, your
credit, many such things like these can have no influence on the next
world. These cannot go through death with you. Only grace and holiness,
begun here, are consummated in glory, and make the poor man, that was
miserable for a moment, eternally happy.
Sermon XVII.
Matth. vi. 33.—“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”
The perfection even of the most upright creature, speaks always some
imperfection in comparison of God, who is most perfect. The heavens, the
sun and moon, in respect of lower things here, how glorious do they
appear, and without spot! But behold, they are not clean in God’s sight!
How far are the angels above us who dwell in clay! They appear to be a
pure mass of light and holiness, yet even these glorious beings cannot
behold this light without covering their faces. These God may charge with
folly. “God is light,” saith the apostle, 1 John i. 5. This is his
peculiar glory, for “in him there is no darkness at all.” Is there any
thing more excellent and divine than to seek God, and find him, and enjoy
him? Yet even that holds forth the emptiness of the creature in its own
bosom, that cannot be satiated within, but must come forth to seek
happiness. Nay, even the greatest perfection of the creature speaks out
the creature’s own self indigence most, because its happiness is the
removal from itself unto another, even unto God the fountain of life.
Now the enjoyment of this “kingdom of God” mentioned in the text, holds
forth man’s own insufficiency for well being within himself. But seeking
this kingdom declares a double want, a want of it altogether. Not only
hath he it not in himself, but not at all, and so must go out and seek it.
God is blessed in himself, and self sufficient, and all sufficient to
others. Without is nothing but what has flowed from his inexhausted
fulness within, so that, though he should stop the conduit, by withdrawing
his influence, and make all the creatures to evanish as a brook, or a
shadow, he should be equally in himself blessed. “Darkness and light are
both alike to thee,” says David in another sense, Psal. cxxxix. 11, 12.
And indeed they are all one in this sense, that he is no more perfected
and bettered, when all the innumerable company of angels, and the spirits
of just men made perfect, follow him with an eternal song, nor(496) before
the mountains and hills were, when nothing was brought forth. Many
thousand more worlds would add nothing to him, nor diminish anything from
him. It is not so with man, he is bounded and limited, he cannot have well
being in his own breast. He was indeed created with it in the enjoyment of
God, which was his happiness, so that he had it not to seek, but to keep,
he had it not to follow after, but to hold it still fast. But now, alas!
he hath lost that, and become miserable. Once all Adam’s posterity were
void of happiness. By catching at a present shadow of pleasure, and
satisfaction to his senses, he lost this excellent substance of
blessedness in communion with God. Now, how shall this be recovered again?
How shall this pearl of great price be found?
Certainly we must agree upon two principles, and according to them walk,
ere we come within reach of this. It is a great question that is of more
moment than all the debates among men,—how shall man’s ruin be made up,
and the treasure be found? If ye think it concerns you, I pray you hearken
to this, and condescend(497) upon these two grounds, that the question may
be right stated. One is, we have all lost happiness, fallen from the top
of our excellency into the lowest dungeon of misery. We are cast down from
heaven to hell. There needs not much to persuade you of the truth of this
in general. But alas! who ponders it in their hearts? And until ye
think more seriously upon it, ye will never be serious in the search for
reparation of it. All of you by your daily experience find that ye are
miserable creatures. Ye have no satisfaction nor contentment. Ye are
compassed about with many infirmities and griefs. But this is but an
appendix of your misery. All the calamities of this life are but a
consequent, a little stream of that boundless ocean of misery that is yet
insensible to you. Therefore enter into your own hearts, and consider what
Adam once was, and what ye now are, nay, what ye will all quickly be, if
God prevent it not. We are born heirs of wrath and hell. It is not only
the infinite loss of that blessed sight of his face for evermore, which an
eternal enjoyment of creature pleasures could not compensate the want of,
one hour; but it is the kingdom of darkness, and the devil that we are all
born to inherit. Let this then once take root in your heart, that ye are
in extreme misery, and that a remedy must be provided, else ye must
perish. Now when this principle is established, ye must agree upon this
also. “But out of myself I must go. Blessedness I must have. It is not in
me. While I look in, there is nothing but all kind of emptiness, and,
which is worse, all kind of misery. Not only the common lot of creatures
(that none is sufficient to its own well being) is incident to me, but I
have lost that being which I had in another, which was my well being, and
do now possess, or shall shortly possess, all misery.” Now, are ye settled
upon these two? I am not happy, I must go out of myself to find it. It is
not in me, in my flesh dwells no good thing, in my spirit and flesh both,
is nothing good. Ask then this great question, Whither shall I go? What
shall I do to find it? All men know they must seek it. But Christ tells
where they shall seek it, and whither they shall go. The word of the
gospel is for this very purpose to answer this question. If we were
sensible that we had lost happiness, certainly we would be earnest in this
question, where shall it be recovered? What shall I seek after? And no
answer would satisfy but the gospel itself, that directs unto the very
fountain of life, and holds “forth the kingdom of God” as the true
happiness of men to be sought. “Seek ye first,” says Christ, “the kingdom
of God,” and the righteousness thereof. Here only is a solid answer. Seek
me, for I am eternal life, I am the life and the light of men. Oh! that
your souls answered, with David, “Thy face, Lord, I will seek.” Peter had
sought and found, and thought himself well, so that he answers Christ with
great vehemency, when he said unto his disciples, “Will ye also leave me?”
Peter saith, Leave thee, Lord, “to whom should we go but unto thee, for
thou hast the words of eternal life? And we believe and are sure, that
thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” John vi. 66, &c. It were
all the absurdity in the world to leave thee, or to go to any other thing
for life itself. Shall not death be found, if I leave life? It were
madness not to seek thee, but what shall it be called to leave thee, when
I have found and tasted thee to be so good? Every man misses happiness and
justification within himself, and so is upon the search after it. But is
it not strange, that all the experiences of nations and generations
conjoined in one, cannot hold forth even a probable way of attaining it?
Gather them all in one, the sum and result is, “We have heard the fame
thereof with our ears,” but “it is hid from the eyes of all living,” as we
read more fully, and should apply, what Job said of wisdom, to the true
happiness of man, Job xxviii. 12, to the end of that chapter. Certainly
there is some fundamental and common mistake among men. They know not what
was once man’s happiness, and so it is impossible they can seek the right
remedy. Look upon us all, what do we seek after? It is some present thing,
some bodily and temporal thing, that men apprehend their happiness lies
in, and so whether they attain it or not, or being attained, it doth not
answer our expectation, and thus still are we disappointed, and our base
scent becomes a vain pursuit, whether we overtake it or not. Every man
proposes this within himself as the principle of his life and
conversation, what shall I seek after? What shall I spend most of my time
and affections upon, to drive at? And alas! all men, save those whose eyes
the Spirit openeth, err in the very foundation. One man propones honour to
himself, another pleasure, and a third riches, and the most part seek all
of them, some accommodation and satisfaction in a present world. And
almost every man conceives he would be blessed, if he had that which he
wants, and sees another have.
Now while men’s designs are thus established, all must be wrong. The ship
is gone forth, but it will never land on the coast of happiness. And thus
we see men seek many things. They are divided among many thoughts and
cares, because no one thing is found that can satisfy, and so we have put
ourselves upon an endless journey to go through all the creatures. Neither
one nor all together have what we want, and neither one nor all can be had
or possessed with assurance, though we had it. But the gospel comes to lay
a right foundation, and frame a right principle within us. “Seek ye first
the kingdom of God.” Here is the principal design that should be driven at
and if men would make it, and follow it, O how should they be satisfied
with the fulness of that kingdom, the vast dimensions of it, the
incorruptibleness of it!
Now there is one of two you must fall upon, either many things, or one
thing. All that a man can seek after is here ranked. On the one side is
many things, “all these things,” that is, food, raiment, honour, pleasure,
and such like, that concern the body, or men’s condition here in this
world, and these things a man hath need of, verses 31 and 32, “Therefore
take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or,
wherewithal shall we be clothed? (for after all these things do the
Gentiles seek) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of these
things.” Nay, there is but one thing that is set up against all these many
things, namely, “the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Now without
all controversy the more unity be, there will be the more satisfaction. If
all other things be equal, it is a kind of torment to have so many doors
to go to for help. If a man could have all in one, he would think many
things a great vexation and burden. If any one thing had in it as much as
to answer all our necessities, that one thing would be of great price,
beyond many things, having but so much virtue among them all. I shall
suppose then, that there were real satisfaction and happiness to be found
in the affluence and conjunction of all created things here, that there
was some creature that could answer every necessity of men, yet, I say,
would ye not exchange all that variety and multitude, if ye could find one
thing that did all that to the full, that so many did but no more? Then
certainly ye would choose a variety in one thing beyond the scattered
satisfaction in many things. But when it is not to be found in all these
things, and though it were, yet all these are not consistent together,
then of necessity we must make another search. I say then, in the name of
Jesus Christ, that if ye seek satisfaction in this present world, ye shall
be disappointed. Ye may be all your days sowing and ploughing, but ye
shall not see the harvest. Ye shall never reap the fruit of your labour,
but in the end of your days shall be fools, and see yourselves to have
been so, when ye thought yourselves wise. I shall also suppose that ye
have attained what ye have with so much vexation toiled for, that ye had
your barns and coffers full, that all the varieties of human delights were
still attending you, that ye were set upon a throne of eminency above
others, and in a word, that ye had all that your soul desired, so that no
room was left empty for more desire, and no more grief entered into your
hearts. Are ye blessed for all that? No certainly, if ye do but consider
that with all ye may lose your own souls, and that quickly, and that your
spirits must remove out of that palace of pleasure and delight into
eternal torment, and then count, are ye blessed or not? What gained ye? It
is madness to reckon upon this life, it is so inconsiderable when compared
with eternity. A kingdom, what is it, when a man shall be deprived for
evermore of the kingdom of God, and inhabit the kingdom of darkness under
the king of terrors? Do ye think a stageplayer a happy man that for an
hour hath so much mirth and attendance, and for all his lifetime is kept
in prison without the least drop of these comforts? Will not such a man’s
momentary satisfaction make hell more unsatisfying, and add grounds of
bitterness to his cup? For it is misery to have been happy.
Nay, but this is a fancied supposal. All this, how small soever it be, was
never, and never shall be, within the reach of any living. Ye may reckon
beforehand, and lay down two things as demonstrated by scripture and all
men’s experience. One is,—all is vanity and vexation of spirit under the
sun. All that ye can attain by your endeavours for an age, and by sweating
and toiling, will not give you one hour’s satisfaction, without some want,
some vexation, either in wanting or possessing. Nay, though you had all,
it could not give you satisfaction. The soul could not feed upon these
things. They would be like silver and gold, which could not save a
starving man, or nourish him as meat and drink doth. A man cannot be happy
in a marble palace, for the soul is created with an infinite capacity to
receive God, and all the world will not fill his room. Another is,—that it
is impossible for you to attain all these things. One thing is
inconsistent with another, and your necessity requires both. Now then, how
shall ye be satisfied when they cannot meet? I think, then, the spirits of
the most part of us do not rise very high to seek great things in this
world, we are in such a lot among men. I mean that we have not great
expectation of wealth, pleasures, honours, or such like. Oh then so much
the more take heed to this, and see what ye resolve to seek after! Ye do
not expect much satisfaction here. Then I pray you hearken to this one
thing, seek the kingdom of God.
This kingdom of heaven and righteousness are equivalent unto, nay they
exceedingly surpass, all the scattered perfections and goodness among
these many things, or all things that God hath promised to add to them in
the text. Why should I say equivalent? Alas, there is no comparison. “For
I reckon (says Paul, Rom. viii. 18, 19) that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be
revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for
the manifestation of the sons of God.” What this kingdom is in itself, is
beyond our conception, but all these things which God will add thereunto,
are to be considered only as an appendix to it. Is not heaven an excellent
kingdom? All that ye are now toiling about, and taking thought for, these,
“all these things” (as a consequent to itself), food and raiment, and such
like, “shall be given you” as your heavenly Father judges fit. “For
godliness (says the apostle, 1 Tim. iv. 8), is profitable unto all things
having the promise of this life,” as well as of “the life to come.” I
think then, if all men would but rationally examine this business, they
would be forced to cry out against the folly and madness of too many men,
who have their portion only in this life, Psal. xvii. 14. What is it ye
seek? Ye flee from godliness as your great enemy. Ye think religion an
adversary to this life, and the pleasures of it. Nay, but it is a huge
mistake, for it hath the promise of this life, and that which is to come.
Ye cannot abide to have Christ’s kingdom within you. Ye will not have him
to rule over you. Ye will not renounce self, and your own righteousness.
But consider, O men, that here is that which ye should seek after. Here is
wealth, and honour, and long life, and pleasures at God’s right hand for
evermore. Ye seek many things first, and ye will not seek this one thing
needful, Luke x. 41, 42. But here is the way to get what ye seek more
certainly and solidly, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness,” and all these other things will come of will. Ye need not
seek them, for your heavenly Father knows best what ye need. Behold what a
satisfying portion this kingdom is. When the pitch and height of men’s
attainments in this world is but a consectary, an appendicle of it, what
must this kingdom be in itself, when all these things follow as
attendants? Here then is one thing, worth all, and more than all, even
Jesus Christ, who is all in all, Col. iii. 10, 11. Ye speak of many
kingdoms, nay, but here is one kingdom, the kingdom of grace and glory,
that hath in it eminently all that is scattered among all things. It
unites us to Jesus Christ, “in whom all the fulness of the Godhead dwells,
and ye are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and
power,” Col. ii. 9, 10. In his house is fatness, and ye shall be satisfied
with this, and drink of these rivers of everlasting pleasures that are at
his right hand, Psal. xxxvi. 8, 9, xvi. 11. When the pious Psalmist was
over-charged with the very forethought and apprehension of this, he says,
“How excellent is thy loving kindness, O God! therefore the children of
men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings,” Psal. xxxvi. 7. “O how
great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee,
which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee,” Psal. xxxi. 19, 20.
When the sight of it afar off, and the taste of it in this wilderness, is
of so much virtue, what shall the drinking of that wellhead be, when the
soul shall be drowned in it?
As these things are divided,—on the one side, many things, and on the
other, one kingdom more worth than all, so are men divided accordingly. On
the one hand are the nations and Gentiles, on the other a poor handful. Ye
my disciples, “Seek ye,” says Christ, “first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness, and all these things,” what ye shall eat, and what ye shall
drink, or wherewithal ye shall be clothed, “shall be added.” For after all
these things the Gentiles seek, and your Father knoweth that ye have need
of them. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to
give you the kingdom,” Luke xii. 29, 31. Now this division hath been
always in the world. “For many say, (Psal. iv. 6, 7), Who will show us any
good?” But they who have their affections gathered in one channel toward
one thing, are as it were but one man. But, Lord, “lift thou up the light
of thy countenance upon us, thou hast put gladness in my heart more than
in the time that their corn and wine increased.” Here then is even the
course of the world, the way of the multitude. They have their way
scattered, their gain lies in many arts. Many things they must seek,
because they forsake the one thing necessary. When they forsake the one
fountain of living water, they must dig up, and hew out to themselves many
broken cisterns, that can hold no water, no one to help another. This is
even proclaimed by the conversation of a great part of the world. Do ye
not declare this, by your eager pursuit of this world, and the things of
it, and your careful thoughts of it, that ye have no mind(498) of
eternity, or the kingdom to come? Ye seek nothing but things here, and
these do not descend after you. Be persuaded, I beseech you, be persuaded
of this, that when ye have your hearts below, that ye are no better, the
most part of you, than pagans. Ye have this pretence, that it is necessary
to live and follow some calling. It is true indeed. But is it not more
necessary to live for ever after death than for a moment? Godliness will
not prejudge this life or thy calling, but ye seek after these things, as
if ye were to live eternally in this vain world. Ye could toil no more,
take no more thought for a million of ages, than ye do now for the morrow.
This prejudges and shuts out all thoughts of heaven or hell. Ye are called
to a kingdom. This is offered unto you. Will ye be so mad as to refuse it,
and embrace the dunghill, and scrape it still together? We declare unto
you in his name, who is truth itself, that if ye will be persuaded to be
Christians indeed, ye shall have these outward things ye have need of,
without care and anxiety, which now ye are tormented for. And for
superfluities, what need ye care for them? A reasonable man should despise
them, and much more a Christian. If ye would not be as pagans without the
church, ye must be sober in these things, mortified and dead unto them.
There shall be no real difference between thee and a heathen, in the day
of appearing before Christ’s tribunal, O Christian, except thou hast
denied and despised this world, and sought principally the things that are
above. Is Christianity no more, I pray you, but a name? Ye would all be
called Christians. Why will ye not be so indeed? For the name will never
advantage you, but in the day of judgment it shall be the greatest
accession and weight unto your guiltiness, and also to your judgment. Ye
would all now be accounted Christians, but if ye be not so in truth, and
in deed, the day will come that ye shall wish from your soul ye had wanted
the name also, and had lived among these Gentiles and pagans whose
conversation ye did follow. For it shall be more tolerable for the
covetous worldly pagan in that day, than the covetous Christian.
Oh that ye were once persuaded that there is an inconsistency in them, who
seek these many things, and this one kingdom. “But seek ye first the
kingdom of God, and his righteousness,” in opposition to the Gentiles
seeking of many things. Ye may seek the world, but if ye seek it, seek it
as if ye sought it not, if ye use it use it as if ye used it not, or use
the world as those who do not abuse it, knowing that the fashion thereof
passes away. Certainly ye cannot with all seek grace and glory, 1 Cor. ii.
29, 32. Therefore Christ says to enforce his exhortation, (Matth. vi. 24)
“No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love
the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other; ye
cannot serve God and mammon.” I fear many of you conceive that this
belongs not to you. Those who are not naturally covetous and greedy, who
are not still in anxiety and perplexity about the things of the world,
will possibly conceive themselves free. Nay, but look upon the division
that Christ makes. Was there not many a heathen man among the nations, as
free of that covetousness noted among men? Were there not as gallant
spirits among them, that cared as little for riches as any of us,—nay, men
every way of a more smooth and blameless carriage than the most part of us
are? Yet behold the construction that Christ puts on them, “after all
these things do the nations seek.” I think many of them have declaimed
more against the baseness of covetous spirits,(499) than many Christian
preachers, and in the very practice of it have outstripped the most part
of the Christian world. Yet in the scripture sense, even all these who
have cried down the world, are but lovers of it, and of themselves too.
How can this be? It is certain every man is composed of desires and
breathings after some thing without himself. Some men’s desires are more
shallow and low than others. One man hath honour in admiration, and may
despise riches. Another follows his pleasures and may neglect both these.
Nay, possibly a man may be moderate in all these things, so that none can
challenge him, and yet he is but a lover of the world. It is the master he
serves, and the idol he worshippeth, because no man wants one, or many
idols, something to take up his affection and desires. Now though such a
man seems moderate in these, in comparison of others whose hearts run more
after them, yet, because there is no other thing, that does take up his
heart so much as these, he is but in Christ’s account among the heathen
nations. Some of you are not in great expectations, ye have but mean
projects, ye seem content with few things, ye are not vexing yourselves as
others do, but let the world come and go as it pleases, without much
disquiet. This, I say, may be the temper of some natural spirits, yet I
ask such of you, is there any thing else ye seek more after, or spend more
time and thought upon, and what is that? Is there any other thing ye are
more taken up with, than your present ease and accommodation in this life?
No certainly, ye cannot say so, however your projects be mean and low, yet
they are confined within time and things present, and the kingdom of grace
and glory comes not much in your mind. Then, I say, thou art but a lover
of the world. Mammon is thy god. Thou seekest not the kingdom of heaven,
and shalt not obtain it. For that which the nations seek after is thy
predominant.
Will ye then, I beseech you, gather in your hearts to consider this. Is it
a light matter we speak of, life or death? Doth it not concern you as much
as you are worth? Therefore consider it as seriously as if you were going
hence to be no more. Many of you will not grant worldly mindedness a sin.
When ye make it a god, and sacrifice unto it, ye fancy that ye are seeking
heaven. I pray you do not deceive your souls. Give them as good measure as
ye would do your bodies in any thing. Would ye say ye were seeking after
any thing, I suppose to find such a friend to speak to, would ye, I say,
think that ye earnestly desired to see that friend, and sought him, if ye
did all the day take up your time with other petty business that might be
done at any time? How can ye imagine ye seek not the world but heaven,
when, if ye would look back upon the current and stream, both of your
affections and endeavours, ye would find they have run this way toward
your present ease and satisfaction? Ye do not give one entire hour to the
thought of Jesus Christ and his kingdom, it may be, in a whole week.
Are ye then seekers of the kingdom? If ye did but examine one day how it
is spent, ye might pass a judgment upon your whole life. Do ye seek that
first which is fewest times in your thoughts, and least in your
affections, and hath least of your time bestowed on it? Alas, do not
flatter yourselves. That ye seek first which is often in your mind, which
uses to stir up your joy or grief, or desire most. It is this present
world only, and this present world is your portion. Ye shall lose the
kingdom of heaven by seeking to make the world sure. As for the children
of God, ye who will be his disciples, (to such he speaks here,) it becomes
not you to be like the heathens. Ye ought, most of all, to adorn your holy
profession, your high calling to a kingdom above. If then ye seek these
things below, as if ye sought them not, ye ought to make religion your
main business, else ye are not indeed religious. If Christianity take not
up a man, he hath not the thing, but the name. “Seek first,” that is,
chiefly, principally, and above all, “the kingdom of God and his
righteousness.” Nay, this is more strange, it is a first that hath no
second. Seek this first, so as if ye sought nothing else, and all things
necessary here shall be superadded to the seeking and finding of this
kingdom.
This is that which I would have engraven on all our hearts, that there is
a necessity of making Christianity our calling and trade, our business and
employment, else we must renounce it. It will take our whole man, our
whole time, not spare hours, and by thoughts. Ye have a great task to
accomplish, a great journey to make. If ye give not all diligence to add
to your faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness,
brotherly kindness, and charity, ye are certainly blind, and see not afar
off, and have not been purged from your old sins, 2 Pet. i. 5-11. This
imports that those who make not religion their great comprehensive study,
do neither know eternity, nor see into it. Oh, how may this word strike
into the hearts of many Christians, and pierce as a sword! Is our lazy,
indifferent, and cold service at some appointed hours, “all diligence”?
Or, is it diligence at all? Is there not more diligence and fervour in
other things than this, to add grace to grace? Who is covetous of such a
game? Are not many more desirous of adding lands and houses to their lands
and houses, and money to their stock, than to add to their faith virtue?
&c. Who among you is enlarging his desires, as the grave, after conformity
to Jesus Christ, and the righteousness of his kingdom, that this treasure
of grace may abound? Alas, we are poor mean Christians, because we are
negligent! For “the hand of the diligent maketh rich,” Prov. x. 4. But we
become poor in grace, because we deal with a slack hand. Is there any
great thing that is attainable without much pains and sweating?
_Difficilia quæ pulchra._(500)
Think ye to come to a kingdom by sleeping through some custom of
godliness? “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? that man shall
stand before kings, he shall not stand before mean men,” Prov. xxii. 29.
This advances him to be a courtier. And is not this business of
Christianity more considerable to be diligent about when it advances a man
into the court of heaven, into his presence in whose favour is life, and
whose loving kindness is better than life? And not only so, but if ye be
diligent here ye shall obtain a kingdom. “Seek first the kingdom of God.”
“The hand of the diligent shall bear rule but the slothful shall be under
tribute,” Prov. xii. 24. If ye make this your business, and spend your
spirits in it, ye shall be kings and priests with God in the kingdom
above, that may suffer many partakers without division or emulation. It is
he that overcomes, that shall have the new name, the white raiment, the
crown of life, and all the glorious things which are promised to them that
overcome in the second and third chapters of the Revelation. O what glad
tidings are these! This is the gospel of peace. This is the joyful sound
that proclaims unto us so great, so excellent things as a kingdom, the
kingdom of God, an everlasting kingdom like God, a kingdom glorious as he
is, a kingdom suitable to his royal Majesty, and the magnificence of his
palace above. Are we called into this by the gospel, and would ye know
what is the sum thereof? It is this. Ho! every one that will have great
things, ho! every one that will be a king to God, and to bear rule over
kings in the great day, come, here it is, overcome yourselves here in the
Lamb that hath overcome, follow Jesus the captain of your salvation, who
for the joy and glory which was set before him, despised all the glory of
this world, and the pains and shame of the cross, Heb. xii. 1, 2. “Why do
ye spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that
which satisfieth not?” Isa. lv. 1, 2, 3. All ye toil about, what is it?
Children’s fancies. Such houses and kingdoms as they build in the sand.
Why spend ye your time and labour upon earthly things that are at an end?
Here is a kingdom worthy of all men’s thoughts, and affections, and time.
The diligent shall have it. Gird up the loins of your mind, and seek it as
the one thing needful. Many of you desire this kingdom, but alas! these
are sluggard’s wishes, ye have fainting desires after it. Your desires
consume and waste you. But ye put not forth your hand, and so ye have
nothing. “The soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing, but the soul
of the diligent shall be made fat,” Prov. xiii. 4. Do ye see any growing
Christian, but he that is much in the exercise of godliness, and very
honest in it? See ye any fat souls, but diligent souls? Our barrenness and
leanness hath negligence written upon it. Do ye not wonder that we are not
fat and flourishing, as palms and cedars in the courts of our God?
Certainly it is no wonder. Is it not a wonder that our sleeping away
secure, keeps so much as the leaves of a profession upon us? Therefore
Christians, let this be your name, Seekers, but seekers of what? Not of
any new religion, but of the good old kingdom of God, proponed to us in
the gospel. And remember that the seeker must seek diligently, if he think
that which he seeks worthy of finding. “He that comes to God must believe
that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him,”
Heb. xi. 6. Your seeking will proclaim your estimation of what ye seek. It
will be written on it, what your desires are. Many men’s unfrequent and
lazy prayers have this written upon them in legible characters, I care not
whether God grant or not. Diligence speaks affection, and affection
principles(501) diligence. And if ye be seekers, ye must be so still, till
ye find, and have no more want. When ye have done all, ye must stand, Eph.
vi. 10, 16. When ye have found all, ye must seek. Ye do but find in part,
because the kingdom of God is but coming in the glory and perfection of
it. Nay, I believe the more ye find, the more ye will seek, because
tasting what this kingdom is, can best engage the affection and resolution
after it. Seeking is an exercise suitable to a Christian in this state of
pilgrimage. Enjoyment is for his own country, heaven. And shall not the
bitterness and pains of seeking, sweeten the enjoyment of this kingdom
when it is found? This will endear it and make it precious. Yet it needs
no supereminent and accessory sweetness, it is so satisfactory in itself.
Christians, remember your name. When you have attained all, still seek
more. For there is more to be found here than ye have yet found. It is
sitting down on our attainments that makes us barren and lean Christians.
Desires and diligence are the vital sap of a Christian. Enlarge once your
desires as the grave, that never says I have enough. And ye have good
warrant so to do, because that which ye are allowed to desire is without
bounds and measure. It is inexhaustible, and when once desires have
emptied the soul, and made it capable of such a great kingdom, then let
your study be henceforth to fill up that void with this kingdom. Let your
diligence come up to desires, and at length ye shall be what ye would be,
ye shall find what ye sought.
Sermon XVIII.
Matt. vi. 33.—“But seek ye first the kingdom of God,” &c.
O “seekest thou great things for thyself,” says God to Baruch, (Jer. xlv.
5) “seek them not.” How then doth he command us in the text to seek a
kingdom? Is not this a great thing? Certainly it is greater than those
great things he would not have Baruch to seek after, and yet he charges us
to seek after it. In every kind of creatures there is some difference,
some greater, some lesser, some higher, some lower; so there are some men
far above others in knowledge, understanding, strength, and such like. Yet
such is the order God hath made, that the lowest angel is above the
highest man, so that in comparison of these, the greatest man is but a
mean worm, a despisable nothing. Among things created, some are greater,
some lesser. “When I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers,” says
David, “the moon and stars which thou hast ordained: What is man, that
thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him?” Psal.
viii. 3, 4. But when all these are compared with God, then the difference
of greater and lesser disappears. In the night there are different lights,
the moon and stars, “and one star,” says Paul, “differeth from another in
glory.” Some are of the first, some of the second, and most of them the
third magnitude. Nay, but let the sun arise—and all these are alike, they
are all darkness when compared with the sun’s brightness. What then are
angels and men to God, who is a light inaccessible and full of glory, whom
no eye hath seen or can see? “All nations before him are as nothing, yea,
they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity,” Isa. xl. 12-19; 1
Tim. vi. 15, 16. The sun himself shines not before him, and the moon gives
not her light. Now is it not so proportionably here? If we stay within the
sphere of temporal and worldly things, some are great, some small, some
things of greater, some things of less consequence, greater or smaller in
their appearance to us, and in men’s fancies. But if we go further and
look into eternity, then certainly all these will appear small and
inconsiderable. This earth seems very spacious, and huge in quantity unto
us who dwell upon it. We discern mountains and valleys, sea and land, and
do make many divisions of it. But if one man were above where the sun is,
and looked down upon the earth, he would consider it but as one point
almost invisible, that had no proportion to the vast dimensions of heaven.
Even so it is here, while men abide within their own orb, their natural
understanding, and do compare time only with time, and temporal things
with temporal, riches with poverty, honour with disgrace, pleasure with
pain, learning with ignorance, strength with weakness, pleasant lands and
goodly houses with wildernesses and wild deserts where none do well. It is
no wonder, I think, that those who compare themselves with some that
commend themselves, are not wise, 2 Cor. x. 12, 13. There is but one
perfect pattern they should look to, if they would not be deceived. While
ye stay your thoughts within these bounds, ye apprehend in yourselves
great odds between one thing and another. But if once the Spirit of God
enlightened your eyes, and made you to see far off, if ye were elevated
above your own station, to the watch-tower of the holy scriptures, to
behold off(502) these, by the prospect of saving faith, things that are
afar off, such as heaven and hell, eternity, salvation and condemnation, O
how would all these differences in a present world evanish out of sight,
in the presence of these vast and infinite things! Food and raiment are
great things to the most part of men, therefore do they toil so much about
them, and take so much thought for them, how to feed, and how to be
clothed, how to have a full and delicate table, and fine clothes! Again,
many others apprehend some greatness and eminency in honour and respect
among men; others in pleasure and satisfaction to their senses, even as a
beast would judge. Others apprehend some worth and excellence in great
possessions, in silver and gold beside them, and have a kind of
complacency in these. But if once this kingdom of God entered into your
heart, if ye saw the worth of it, the vast dimensions of it, the pleasure,
honour, and profit of it, then certainly all other things would appear to
be mean and low, not worth a thought beforehand. Advantage and
disadvantage would be all one to you. Honour and dishonour, evil report
and good report, pleasure and pain, would have no distance from one
another; this gain, this honour, this pleasure of the kingdom of God,
would so overmaster them, so outshine them.
Nay, I may say, if ye but knew your immortal souls, or your own worth
beyond the rest of the creatures, such as silver, gold, lands, houses,
&c., I am confident ye would fall in your esteem of them. They would
appear but low, base things in regard of the soul. Suppose even this world
came in competition, (the gain of it now seems great gain,) but I pray
you, if ye laid all that world in the balance with your soul, what would
weigh most? Christ holds it forth to a rational man, to judge of it; “What
shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own
soul, or be cast away?” Would ye account yourselves gainers, when ye have
lost yourselves? Matt. xvi. 26; Luke ix. 25. Is not a man better than
meat? Are not your souls more precious than the finest gold? When you lose
your souls, whose shall these be? “What shall a man give in exchange for
his soul?” And if there be no one more to possess or use, what profit is
it? This then that we have in hand is one thing of greatest moment and
concernment in the world. Let me then beseech you to weigh these things in
the balance of the sanctuary,—your souls, and this world, the kingdom of
God, and many temporal things, such as food and raiment. Ye never enter
into the comparison of these things in your mind. If ye did, would ye not
see to which side the balance would turn? Therefore we would have you look
upon these words of our Saviour, which are the just balance of the
sanctuary. Behold how the question is stated, how the comparison goeth. It
is not whether I shall want food and raiment, and other necessary things
here, or the kingdom of God hereafter? It is not thus cast—in the one
balance, the present life and its accommodations, in the other, the life
to come and God’s kingdom. Indeed if it were so, without all controversy
this kingdom would carry it. I say, if there were an inconsistency
supposed between a life here, and a life hereafter, suppose no man can be
godly, except he be miserable, poor, naked, afflicted, extremely indigent,
yet I say the balance thus casten, would be clear to all men that judged
aright. Would not eternity weigh down time? Would not an immortal soul
weigh down a mortal body? What proportion would the raiment of wool, or
gold, or silk have to the white and clean linen, the robes of
righteousness, the robes of saints, and to the crown of glory that fadeth
not away? What proportion would our perishing pleasures have to the rivers
of pleasures, pure, unmixed, undefiled pleasures at God’s right hand for
evermore? Would ye thus rate this present span, inch, and shadow of time,
if ye considered the endless endurance of eternity? I am sure reason
itself might be appealed unto, though faith were not to judge.
Though it would hold well enough so, yet our Lord Jesus Christ states the
controversy otherwise, and holds out another balance, that it may be the
more convincing and clear, if it were possible even, to overcome natural
consciences with the light of it. And it is this, in the one hand you may
see food and raiment, things that belong to this life; and, on the other
hand, you may behold the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, grace, and
glory; and, besides that, even all these other things that ye did see in
the other hand, food, raiment, &c., “all these things shall be added.”
Wisdom, in the Proverbs, uses such a device to catch poor, foolish, and
simple men: “Happy,” says Solomon, “is the man that findeth wisdom, and
the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise thereof is better
than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She
is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not
to be compared unto her.” Here is the weight of wisdom in itself. See how
ponderous it is of itself; so heavy that it may weigh down all that come
within the compass of desire, and certainly its compass is infinite. But,
he adds, “Length of days are in her right hand, and in her left hand
riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths
are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her.” She is a
tree of life in herself, though she had no accession of other things, “and
happy is every one who retaineth her,” Prov. iii. 13-19.
Now, O men, if ye will not be allured with the beauty and excellency of
the princess, wisdom herself, then, I pray you, look what follows her.
That which now ye are pursuing after with much labour and pains, and all
in vain too, is here in her train. Look how the comparison is stated.
Christ Jesus would catch us with a holy guile, and, if it had success, O!
it would be a blessed guile to us. Ye have large and airy apprehensions of
temporal things, which ye call needful, and ye cannot behold eternal
things. Ye know not the worth of this kingdom. Ye conceive that godliness
is prejudicial unto you in this life, that the kingdom of grace will make
you miserable here; and that ye cannot endure. Ah, be not mistaken, come
and look again. If godliness itself will not allure you, if the kingdom
itself will not weigh with you, then, I pray you, consider what an
appendix, what a consectary these have. Consider that the sum is added to
the principal, which ye so much seek after. But ye refuse the principal,
the kingdom. Ye have not right thoughts of godliness, “for godliness is
profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is,
and that which is to come,” 1 Tim. iv. 8. Now, is not this “a faithful
saying?” If ye believe it so to be, is it not “worthy of all acceptation?”
Ye may have things necessary here, food and raiment. And if ye seek more,
if ye will be rich, and will have superfluities, then ye shall fall into
many temptations, snares, and hurtful lusts, which shall drown you in
perdition, 1 Tim. vi. 8-11. Nature and reason might check such
exorbitances, for nature is content with few things. Therefore believe
that “godliness with contentment is great gain.” Ye are now only seeking
temporal gain, but that is neither great gain, nor gain at all, when ye
lose your soul. For that is an irrecoverable and incomparable loss. Ye may
have these outward things, God’s blessing, and peace with them, and heaven
too if ye choose this kingdom before all things, and above all things. But
if ye give these other things the pre-eminence, it is uncertain if ye will
get what ye seek, and ye shall certainly be eternal losers beside. If
there were no more but this kingdom alone, it might weigh all down. If
heaven and earth were laid in a balance, would not heaven, if it were
ponderous according to its magnitude, weigh down the earth exceedingly out
of sight? Would it not evanish as a point? Even so, though this kingdom of
grace and glory were alone, in opposition to all these things that ye take
thought for, it would weigh them down eternally. Look what the weight of
glory was to Paul, when he says, 2 Cor. iv. 17, “For our light affliction,
which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at
the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal,
but the things which are not seen are eternal.” The weight of glory is
eternal, and far exceeds any thing temporal. The one scale of the balance
goes up, as it were, eternally out of sight, out of thought, the one goes
up for lightness and vanity, and the other goeth down, for weight and
solidity, out of sight, and out of the thought and imagination. If ye
looked upon these things which are invisible and eternal, as Paul did, it
would be so with you also.
But when withal the earth and its fulness is in the scale with God’s
kingdom and righteousness, will not these, with that accession, weigh down
the earth alone? Is it food and raiment that ye seek? Then I say, food and
raiment is on this kingdom’s side also. And ye shall be more sure of these
things, because ye have God’s promise for them. The wicked have not his
word and promise for prosperity, even not so much as to answer their
necessities, but only they may sometimes prosper in the world, in his
providence. But God’s people shall have him engaged in their need for
their temporal being here in this world. “O fear the Lord, ye his saints,
for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack and
suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing,”
Psal. xxxiv. 9, 10. Godliness hath the promise of this life. Now, then, ye
are more assured of temporal things by these means than any monarch can
be. The world’s stability depends only upon a command. But your food and
raiment here is grounded upon a promise, and though heaven and earth
should fail and pass away, yet not one jot of truth shall fail. God indeed
may change his command if he pleases, but not his promises. Now, then, let
all the world judge, come and see this balance, how on the one hand are
food, raiment, and all things needful for this present life, on the other
hand, these same thing necessary for our bodies, and well being here, and
that more solidly and sweetly flowing from God’s love, grounded on a
promise,—I think this weighs down already, if we should say no more. But
then behold what more is on his right hand. There is a kingdom of God
beside, an eternal kingdom, and this weighs down eternally. All this world
is but an accession and addition to it. The promises of this life are not
your portion and inheritance, they are but superadded to your portion, so
then we have as much beside, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled,
as the world have for their inheritance, yea, and more sure and more sweet
beside. We might with reverence change that verse which Paul has on this
consideration, “If we had hope only in this life, we were of all men most
miserable,” 1 Cor. xv. 19. He speaks thus because of afflictions and
persecutions. But on this consideration we might say, If we have hope in
Christ only in this life, we were _not_ of all men most miserable, but
most blessed, because we have all these things added to us, without toil
and vexation, without care and anxiety, by divine promise and providence,
with God’s blessing and favour, what the world takes thought for, rendeth
their hearts for, toils their bodies for, and yet are not sure of success,
or if they get them, they get a curse with them.
Now when the balance is thus presented, what is your choice? What will ye
seek after? Will ye seek this present world, and lose the kingdom of
heaven? Or will ye choose to “seek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness,” and then ye shall have in this world what is good for you?
The choice is soon made in men’s judgments. Ye dare not any of you deny,
but it ought thus to be. But who seriously ponders these things till their
minds affect their hearts? Who will sit down to meditate upon them, and
pass a resolute and well grounded choice upon deliberation? Remember what
Christ says, “No man can serve two masters.” Ye may indeed have both these
things, and the kingdom. But ye cannot seek them both, they are not so
consistent. “But seek first the kingdom of God,” and then all these things
shall be given you.
Now there is no more need of any second seeking. For “all these things
shall be added” as an accessory to the first. O see then, ye whose
projects and thoughts are towards present things,—ye spend the prime and
flower of your affections, and time upon them,—ye cannot also seek the
kingdom of heaven. Unless ye seek them as if ye sought them not, ye cannot
seek this blessed kingdom. If ye seek not this kingdom as the one thing
necessary, and your seeking proclaim that ye account it so, ye do not seek
it aright. If ye be careful and troubled about many things, ye proclaim
that ye do not think there is but one thing needful, ye do not, like Mary,
choose the good part which shall not be taken from you, Luke x. 41, 42. If
ye would abandon the distracting care of the world, and let all your
anxiety and care vent itself here upon the kingdom of God, all these
things would be added besides the kingdom itself. “Seek the kingdom of God
_and his righteousness_.” I conceive this is added to make us understand
the better what it is, and what is the way to it. The kingdom of God is
the kingdom of grace, in which he rules in us by his Spirit. For Jesus
Christ is come for this end, and made grace to superabound over the
abounding of sin, that as sin reigned unto death, so grace might reign
through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. v.
21), that as sin had a throne in us, so grace might have a throne, and
subject the whole man, rendered obedient to that rule of righteousness
that he here holds forth in his word. But this kingdom of God also
includes the kingdom of glory, wherein these who overcome this world by
faith in the Son of God, reign as kings set upon thrones with God the
Father of all. Now because the most part, when they heard of the kingdom
of God, dreamed of nothing but a state of happiness in heaven, and passed
over the way to it, which is holiness, and they thought not upon the
kingdom of grace, which is preparatory unto, and disposes us for the
kingdom of glory, therefore Christ exhorts us also to seek his
righteousness, opposite to the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,
who satisfied themselves with a mere walk before men. This was man’s
righteousness but not God’s. This righteousness may be also opposed to the
rags of our own righteousness, that we seek to cover ourselves with, Isa.
lxiv. 6. The apostle says of the Jews, Rom. x. 3, 4, “For they being
ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own
righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that
believeth.”
Now here is the business, and I would have you to conceive it right. The
gospel calls you to a kingdom. This is certainly more than all earthly
kingdoms. But how shall ye come to it? Not at the nearest hand, not _per
saltum_.(503) No, believe it, ye must come and enter this way, before ye
compass the end, and the way to this kingdom is by another kingdom, namely
righteousness. It is the kingdom of grace within us, and the fruit of it
is this. Deny thyself, and follow me, Matt. xvi. 24-26. Overcome
yourselves, and your corrupt lusts, and ye shall be more than conquerors.
Kingdoms are gotten by conquest. But here is the greatest conquest and
triumph in the world, for a man to overcome himself. He that rules himself
and his own spirit, is greater than he that taketh a city, Prov. xvi. 32.
Other conquerors but overcome men like themselves, and yet are overcome by
themselves, and their own passions, and so are but slaves indeed. But if
ye deny yourselves, and resign yourselves to Jesus Christ, ye shall be
more than conquerors, Rom. viii. 37. This then is the kingdom ye must seek
first, and it is the first step to the throne of glory. If ye would have a
throne after this life, you must have a throne of grace in your hearts.
“If the Son shall make you free, then shall ye be free indeed.” They truly
are kings who are most subject to God above themselves, and free from the
bonds of creatures. This is the glorious liberty of the children of God,
to have liberty from him to make sin a captive. It is a righteous kingdom,
a kingdom of righteousness. Therefore ye must here study righteousness and
holiness, “for the grace of God that hath appeared to all men, and
bringeth salvation, teacheth us, that denying all ungodliness, and worldly
lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present
world looking for the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the
great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ,” &c. Tit. ii. 11, &c. All men
love the salvation it brings. But do ye love the lessons it teaches you?
Ye would all be glad to have that blessed hope, and obtain the salvation
which the saints look for, when Christ shall appear again in glory. But
how few learn and practise what the gospel teacheth, to mortify and deny
your corrupt lusts, and live daily in the practice of sobriety, equity,
and piety! O if this were engraven upon your hearts, that ye might study
to do that in this present world, which this precious grace and gospel
teaches us to do in it! Know ye not, brethren, that all your pains in
seeking heaven, are not about heaven itself immediately, but the way to
it, which is holiness? Without this, no man shall see the Lord, ye need
not seek the kingdom of glory, hope for it, and look for it. But seek
grace and righteousness in this world, and if ye obtain them, ye have not
much to do, but to look for the blessed hope and Christ’s glorious
appearance to judgment. For if ye have sought and got grace here, Christ
will come with grace and glory at the day of his revelation. Will ye
consider that ye are redeemed by Christ? But from what is it? From hell
only, and eternal death only? No, no, for we are redeemed from all
iniquity, as well as the curse of the law and the wrath to come, Matt. i.
21, Tit. ii. 14. This deliverance from sin is the greater and best half of
our redemption. Consider also to what ye are redeemed. Is it to happiness
and glory only? No certainly, but unto grace also. For Christ “gave
himself for us, that he might purify us unto himself a peculiar people,
zealous of good works.” These things should ministers teach and exhort,
and above all things press them upon men’s consciences. We are redeemed
from all our enemies to serve God without fear, in holiness and
righteousness all the days of our life, Luke i. 74, 75. Yea, glory is not
glory, except it be complete grace, so we must call the kingdom of glory.
If ye believed that it was nigh you, ye would look then for the perfection
of grace. And will ye not love the beginning of it here?
But this is not all. There is yet more here to comfort us. Seek the
righteousness of God. There is a righteousness of God by faith, manifested
in the gospel for lost sinners, who have nothing to cover them. Now I say
ye must so seek inherent grace, as ye may not make it your covering, and
the only foundation of your confidence. Sinners, the thing which ye first
seek and find, is to be clothed with God’s righteousness, that he may see
no iniquity within you, and then let it be your daily study henceforth to
be adorned and made all glorious within, with grace and holiness. Ye must
first renounce all your own righteousness, and then be clothed with the
robes of God’s righteousness, ye must still renounce it, that grace may
appear as the gift of God, and not yours; as his beauty, not your
ornament. If ye be imperfect in your own righteousness, comfort yourselves
in the righteousness of God made yours by faith, that worketh by love and
purifies your hearts, for, says the apostle, Gal. ii. 16, 17, Though we
are not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Christ, yet
we must keep ourselves from every wicked thing, and perfect holiness in
the fear of God, for if while we seek to be justified by Christ, and we
ourselves be found sinners, impenitent and impure, is therefore Christ the
minister of sin? God forbid.
Sermon XIX.
Matt. vi. 33.—“Seek first the kingdom of God,” &c.
It may seem strange, that when so great things are allowed, and so small
things are denied, that we do not seek them. The kingdom of God and his
righteousness are great things indeed, great not only in themselves, but
greater in comparison of us. The things of this world, even great events,
are but poor, petty, and inconsiderable matters, when compared with these.
Yet he graciously allows a larger measure of these great things relating
to his kingdom and righteousness, than of those lesser things he hath
promised to give his people, and he commands us to seek after these
greatest things. “Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness,
and all these things shall be added unto you.”
This indeed is most suitable to his Majesty, and to us also. It is most
becoming his loyal Majesty when he is to declare his magnificence, and to
vent his love, to give such high and eminent expressions of it. A kingdom
is a fit expression of a king’s love and good will. Kings cannot give
empires, unless they unking themselves. But Christ is the “King of kings,”
and hath prepared a kingdom for them that love him. It is a glorious
declaration of God’s excellent name, that he is good to all, kind even to
the evil and unthankful. His tender mercies are over all his works. The
whole earth is full of his riches, and the wretched posterity of Adam have
the largest share of his goodness, even since the first defection from
him. Nay, but there are other things prepared and laid up for them that
seek him, O how great is that goodness! How excellent is that loving
kindness! Psal. xxxi. 19, 20, Psal. xxxvi. 5, 10. These things have not
yet entered into the heart of men to consider. If ye could speak the mind
of it, then the tongue could express it. If ye could apprehend the wonders
of it, then the heart could conceive it, but this the scripture denies,
Isa. lxiv. 4. “For since the beginning of the world, men have not heard
nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee,
what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him,” or as Paul writes,
“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard neither have entered into the heart of
man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God
hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit, who searcheth all things, even
the deep things of God,” &c., 1 Cor. ii. 7-14. Is not a kingdom a gift
suitable to such a Giver? And is not this kingdom of God every way like
himself? These things are prepared by Christ, and there is no more to do,
but to give to him that asks, and he that seeks shall find. This
righteousness, divine and human, is it not wholly of God’s finding out? Is
it so glorious, so excellent, as to hide the greatest spots of the
creation from his spotless eyes? For even hell itself is naked before him,
and destruction hath no covering, even the heavens are not pure in his
sight, he chargeth his angels with folly, Job xxvi. 6, chap. iv. 17, 18,
19, chap. xv. 14-17. When all the creatures could not procure the
salvation of sinful men, when the depth said, it is not in me, and the sea
said, it is not with me, and the heavens and heights said so too,—even
angels could not redeem us,—the redemption of the soul was so precious, it
would have ceased for ever, if divine wisdom had not found it out, and
almighty power brought it to pass. “Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest
not, but a body hast thou prepared for me. Lo, I come, in the volume of
the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God, yea thy
law is within my heart,” Psal. xl. 6, 7, 8, Heb. x. 5-11. All this was
with God, and he knew the way thereof. Christ framed this royal robe of
his righteousness, by suffering and death, which may cover all our
nakedness. He came and sought the human nature with all its infirmities.
He became in all things like unto us, sin only excepted. On him God laid
our iniquities. For he himself “bare our sins in his own body,” when he
was slain upon the cross or tree, “that we, being dead unto sin, might
live unto righteousness,” 1 Pet. ii. 24, 2 Cor. v. 21. Behold what a
wonder! Iniquities, and our iniquities, laid upon the immaculate Lamb,
Jesus Christ. Our Redeemer hid his divinity, his holiness, and his
innocence, as with a vail and covering from the eyes of God’s awful
justice. He smites the Shepherd, his beloved Son, as he did the rebel
creature. It pleased the Father to bruise him and put him to grief, when
his soul was made an offering for sin, Isa. liii. 4-11, Zech. xiii. 7.
Justice did not look through the covering to his innocence, but reckoned
and numbered him among transgressors, when he bore the punishment of our
sins, and made an atonement for them, Isa. liii. 11, 12, Gal. iii. 13, 14.
Now hence it is that the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which he learned
in the days of his flesh, and purchased by his death, is prepared for us,
to put on. “Who soever will, let him come and take it.” Empty yourselves,
stripped naked of all kind of coverings but sin and unworthiness, that
which God’s holy eye cannot behold, and seek Christ’s righteousness to
adorn and cover you. Behold it shall hide all your sins and abominations,
of whatsoever nature and degree, from the pure and unspotted eyes of God’s
justice, which are as a flaming fire, to consume what it cannot look upon
without abhorrence. Put on this righteousness of God, and justice shall
not draw by the covering, to look under it. It shall look upon the sinner
as a righteous man on the slave of Satan as a child of God, on the heir of
hell as the heir of heaven, if he sincerely repent of, and forsake his
sins, believe in Christ and obey his gospel. “Behold all things are new,
and all things are of God, who hath reconciled the world unto himself by
Jesus Christ,” &c., 2 Cor. v. 17-19, Col. i. 19-24. Christ was no worse
dealt with for our sins, than we shall be well dealt with for his
righteousness. This is the gift of God. And is it not worthy to be sought?
Is it not a gift worthy of him to give? Is it not also suitable for us to
ask? “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee,
Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given
thee living water,” &c. John iv. 10-15. So say I to you, if ye knew the
gift of God, what this kingdom is, what this righteousness is, and who is
appointed by God to be the treasure house of all fulness, to be
communicated to us, ye would certainly ask of him the water of life. Ye
would surely seek this kingdom of God and his righteousness. He doth not
value other things. God only hath these things offered in the gospel, in
choice of many, therefore are they laid up for some few, whom he makes his
peculiar treasure and jewels, Mal. iii. 17, Exod. xix. 5, 6. If ye knew a
monarch that was a possessor of all this habitable world, and was about to
express his singular affection towards some persons, if his kingdom or the
half or whole of it was not sufficient, to be a token of it, but he had
found out some other thing, and laid it up for them, and distributed the
kingdom, the lands and cities among others, certainly ye would think that
behoved to be some strange thing of great price. If the Lord was pleased
to give you abundance of all things here, make you all great, rich, and
honourable persons, then many would seek no other expression of his love.
They would think he did well enough to them. But alas! what is it all? He
esteems it so little that he often casts it to swine, the profane and
wicked world. He fills their belly with his hid treasure, Psal. xvii. 14.
He makes his sun to shine, and his rain to fall on the evil and the good,
Matt. v. 45. It is a demonstration that it is but a base thing, when it is
so common, I mean, in comparison of the portion of his saints. For though
these worldly things are good in themselves, yet they are not precious,
they are not pearls. Would he cast pearls before dogs and swine? The
honourable man’s brutishness and ignorance of God may demonstrate to you
he cares not for it. “The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and
giveth it to whomsoever he will,” and sometimes “setteth up over it the
basest of men,” Dan iv. 13-18. If God loved riches well, do ye think he
would give them so liberally, and heap them up upon some base covetous
wretches? Surely no. But here is the precious thing that is laid up and
treasured. The world and its gain seems great, and big in your eyes, ye
cannot imagine more, nor wish for more. But alas! how low and base spirits
have ye! It is but as the dunghill that the swine feed on, or the husks
which the prodigal desired to feed his belly with, when he began to be in
want, Luke xv. 13-17. So are all men’s worldly pleasures, preferments, and
profits. But here are some particular things, that only deserve to be
called good, namely, “the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” And when
God had searched the whole world, (to speak with reverence of his glorious
Majesty, who needs not inquire into secret things,) when he had looked
through all the works of his hand, he sets these apart from all the rest,
to be given to the men whom the King shall honour. This kingdom is the
substance and accomplishment of heaven’s eternal counsel and purpose of
grace, which was given in Christ before the world, and it is the end of
the Son’s redemption of a sinful world, and his intercession for them at
God’s right hand. “Father,” says he, (John xvii. 24), “I will that those
whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold the
glory which thou hast given me,” and for other things he makes them as the
stones of the field.
Now I say, as this kingdom of God and his righteousness are suitable
expressions of his love, according to his magnificence, so they are also
suited to our condition and necessities. No question but he would permit
us to seek great things in this world, if these things were really great
and good, and if they did become such great immortal spirits as we have.
Your souls are above all these things. But this kingdom, and this only, is
above the soul. Now then, if ye go out to seek these earthly things, ye
must go down from the throne of eminency that God hath set your souls upon
by creation, and abuse your spirits by stooping to the very dust of your
feet, to embrace these things, and, which is worse, ye put yourselves out
of that high throne of dignity that ye are exalted to by Christ’s
redemption, which we may call a second creation. Jesus declared by the
infinite ransom he gave, when he offered himself a sacrifice without spot
to God, (Heb. ix. 14) and laid down his life for us, what the worth of
your souls was. “None of them,” saith the Psalmist, “can by any means
redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him, for the redemption
of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever,” Psal. xlix. 6-10.
Call and assemble all the creatures in heaven and earth, summon gold,
silver, precious stones, houses, cities, kingdoms, places of trust and
dignity, great learning and parts, and every other thing ye can imagine,
let them all convene in a parliament, and consult how men shall be
ransomed. All of them combined together, though they make one purse,
cannot do it. They cannot pay the least farthing. The Lord Jesus Christ
then stepped in here, “Lo, I come,”—I give the body thou gave me, my life
for theirs, “I delight to do thy will, thy law is in my heart.”
Are your souls then exalted to such great dignity? Is such a price set
upon them, and will ye spend them, for that which could not pay the price
for them, “for that which profiteth not?” Ye must go out of yourselves to
seek happiness. Then I pray you, go not downward. It is not there, but
misery is there. And by going down to the creatures, ye have found it, and
cannot lose it to this day. But the kingdom of God is the only thing
above. Go up to it. “Seek these things that are above,” Col. iii. 1-4. “If
then ye be risen with Christ,” through the faith of God’s operation, “set
your affection on things above, where Christ sitteth at God’s right hand,
and not on things on the earth.” These things are but great in your
apprehension. If they are at all great indeed, it is only in evil. If then
ye seek great things for yourselves, ye may find evil things, ye shall
certainly find such evil things as shall drown you in everlasting
destruction. “They that will be rich” (in worldly things), who lay up
treasures for themselves, and are not rich towards God, “fall into
temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which
drown men in perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil,
which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and
pierced themselves through with many sorrows,” 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10. Great
things in this world are not always good. To seek them, makes them
certainly evil and hurtful. It is not so hurtful to have them, though very
dangerous, but it is hurtful, yea, present ruin to seek them. But here is
a kingdom that is great, and great in goodness, every way answerable to
our necessities. This is the kingdom we should seek above all things.
We would therefore beseech you to be wanters in yourselves, and seekers in
Christ, and seekers ye cannot be till ye be wanters, and finders ye cannot
be except ye seek in Jesus all satisfaction and remedy of your necessity.
This is even the very nature of a Christian, his chief exercise and
employment. What then is a Christian’s principal study, his great
business, his important calling, and what is his success in it? He is a
seeker by his employment, or calling here, and he shall certainly find
what he asks. But what puts him to seeking? The discovery of his own
emptiness, and God’s fulness. Therefore study these things most, if ye
would be Christians in truth and in deed. It is these two that ye must
still pass between, if ye keep them not both in your view at once, ye
cannot well perceive any of them, either comfortably, humbly, or
profitably.
This is even the sum of Christianity. Look what ye want in yourselves, and
make up that in God. Discover your own emptiness and fill it up with God’s
fulness. “The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth, shall
be watered also himself,” Prov. xi. 25. Be not niggards here. Be liberally
minded, both in seeking and receiving, so shall ye please him best who
counts it his glory to give. “The instruments of the churl are evil, but
the liberal deviseth liberal things, and by liberal things he shall
stand,” Isa. xxxil. 7, 8. Seek answerable to your own necessity, and God’s
all sufficiency, and know no other rule or measure.
Now, Christians, this is your calling and employment here, to be seekers
of God’s kingdom and righteousness. But shall we come speed? Yes
certainly. It is so far put out of question here, that it needs not be
expressed. “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be”
superadded to you. He thinks it needless to say, _and ye shall find the
kingdom of God, and his righteousness_, for it is supposed as a thing
unquestionable, and he adds these words, “and all these things shall be
added to you,” to answer the faithlessness of these who could not credit
him in temporal things, though they had concredited(504) to him their
immortal souls. Ye do not doubt, then, but ye shall have the kingdom of
heaven. Ye do indeed seek it. Many by seeking kingdoms lose here—by
seeking to make them more sure, they lose the hold they have. Many by
aspiring to greater things, lose these things they have, and themselves
too. But here is the man that is only sure of success,—the man that may
reckon upon his advantage before he take pains, if indeed he resolves to
take pains for it. This one thing is made sure, eternal life, if ye lay
hold on it here by faith, and quit your hold of present things that end in
death, Rom. vi. 21. We may well submit to the uncertainty of all other
things, as David, who held himself well satisfied with the everlasting
covenant God had made with him, which was well ordered in all things and
sure, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. Though the kingdom and house go, it matters not, if
he keep this fast. If he take not away his loving kindness, this is all my
comfort, my joy, and my desire. Comfort yourselves with this, amidst the
manifold calamities and revolutions of times. Ye see no man can promise
himself immunity, or freedom from common judgments. Here ye have no
continuing city. Why then do ye not seek one to come, and comfort
yourselves in the hope of it? Your rights and heritable securities will
not secure your lands and riches for any considerable time. Therefore seek
an eternal and sure inheritance, sure mercies. Seek that which ye cannot
miss, and having found, cannot lose. Nothing here can you expect either to
find, or keep, until ye have found it.
But besides all this, there is an accession to the inheritance. All
needful things shall be added, ye shall want “no good thing,” Psal.
lxxxiv. 11. Will not all this double gain and advantage recompense, yea,
overcome all the labours of seeking? Shall it not drive away the
remembrance of them? Here then is the most compendious and comprehensive
way to have your desires in this life granted, to get your necessities
supplied. “Seek first the kingdom of God” and ye shall have them. But if
ye seek these things and not heaven, ye shall want this kingdom. I think
then it is all the folly and madness in the world, not to take this way,
for it is the way to be blessed here and hereafter. And if we choose any
other way, it brings no satisfaction here, and it brings eternal misery
hereafter. If ye would be well in this world, seek heaven. Do not think
that ye should have heaven, or seek God’s kingdom from this sordid
principle, that ye shall have all worldly things given you, which God
pleaseth to bestow. For now man can seek the kingdom of heaven aright, but
he that seeks it for itself. Yet if they were no more to proclaim the
madness of men, this would sufficiently suffice, all they can desire or
expect is promised with the kingdom, and yet they will not seek it.
Sermon XX.
1 Pet. iv. 7.—“But the end of all things is at hand, be ye
therefore sober and watch unto prayer.”
If ye would ask what ye should do till Christ come again, or what should
be your exercise and employment in this old age of the world, here ye have
it in a word, “be sober, and watch unto prayer.” When Christ was to go
away to his Father, and leave his disciples in this world, as he left them
not orphans, or comfortless, without the Comforter, so neither left he
them without counsel and direction. The word he left to them was, “Take
heed, watch and pray,” Mark xiii. 33. In this chapter, Peter is mindful of
his Lord’s directions, as Paul also was, 1 Thess. v. 6. The substance of
this chapter is to exhort Christians to a holy conversation, suitable to
their high calling. He presses mortification in general, from that which
should be of greatest force with a believer’s heart,—the strongest and
most convincing reason in the world,—union with Christ crucified, even as
Paul does, Rom. vi. And then, in the 3d and 4th verses, he argues from
their former conversation, ye have sinned enough already, all the rest of
your time is over little(505) to consecrate to God, according then as ye
have advanced Satan’s kingdom while under it, so advance Christ’s kingdom
when it comes to you, and take that noble revenge upon yourselves and
sins, so as to bring them both captive to the obedience of Christ. And
although the world may think it strange ye walk not with them, yet so much
the rather ought ye to aspire after a disconformity to the world. Be then
ambitious of being singular in the world. Ye would lay down such a
conclusion as this, I am a stranger, and will walk as a stranger. And ye
need not think yourselves miserable to be out of so much company, and to
be alone. No, if ye knew what was to come upon them, ye would get you out
from among them, lest ye be partakers of their plagues. The day of the
Lord is coming, and the world must give an account to the Judge of all
flesh. Ye may endure their mockings, and all the hard measure which ye get
her, for it shall be recompensed unto them. And your lot is the same that
other saints had, who now sleep in the Lord. The gospel was preached unto
them, and they had the same fruit of it before God, and got everlasting
life by it, yet they were judged in the world as well as you, and were
counted base and contemptible. Now, in this verse, he comes to particular
exhortations from the former reasons. This text hath two parts. I: An
exhortation to some special duties, which are so conjoined in this form of
speech that they seem all but one duty. “Prayer” is the duty, and sobriety
and watchfulness are means to it. II: There is a reason given, because
“the end of all things is at hand.” So, then, ye have here the posture the
world is in, and the posture a Christian should be in. This is the world’s
old age. It is declining, albeit it seem a fair and beautiful thing in the
eyes of them who know no better, and unto them who are of yesterday, and
know nothing. It looks as if it had been created yesterday, yet the truth
is, and a believer knows, it is near the grave. Gray hairs are here and
there upon it, though many know it not, and Jesus the Lord is at hand to
put an end to it. Now, what should be your condition in the meantime? What
should immortal souls do, that are to remain for ever, and outlive this
habitable world? How should they be employed? The spirit and soul is to
endure longer than the man’s possessions, goods, honour, and place. How,
then, should ye look upon these things? Here it is. Be sober in the use of
all things. Use the world as if ye used it not, watch unto prayer. Ye are
encompassed about with manifold temptations. Therefore watch, and be as
men on their way waiting for the Bridegroom. The bride’s exercise, since
Christ hath ascended unto heaven, should be to say, “Lord Jesus come
quickly.”
In discoursing upon this subject, I: We shall speak of these three parts
of a Christians duty severally. II: Consider how they help one another,
and so jointly speak of them. And then, III: Of the reason and motive to
them all, and how it enforces such an exercise. As to be the first of
these, we observe, that sobriety is a duty becoming every Christian, that
is united unto Jesus Christ, and is separated by God’s holy calling from
the rest of the world. I add these two considerations because of the
preceding verse. For in the first and second verses he lays down an
excellent ground of all kind of mortification, viz. the believer’s union
with Christ crucified. Jesus Christ suffered and died for us, as a Common
Person, to sustain the guilt of our sins. He died as a Cautioner and
Undertaker for us and as our Head and King, and we by virtue of that, are
obliged to crucify sin also. In verses 3d and 4th, the other consideration
is set down. There ought to be a vast difference between a believer now,
and before his conversion. He should not be the same man, but as Paul,
say, “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me.” Gal. ii. 20. He should be separated from the world,
that all the world may wonder at him, and think it strange to see his
conversation. Now I conceive this exhortation is gathered from both these,
and the word of reference _therefore_ relates to the preceding verse, as
well as his reason in the words now read. Now therefore be sober. This
sobriety is not limited to meat, drink or apparel, the object of it is
more comprehensive in scripture. It uses sometimes to be expressed singly,
without making mention of any particular matter, evidently importing, that
sobriety ought to be in all things. That which we ought to be sober in is
certainly the “all things spoken of in the reason of sobriety, whose end
is at hand.” They are most distinctly expressed 1 John ii. 15-17, “All
that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the
pride of life,” all that perishes is not of the Father, but of the world,
that is, the world which wicked men frame to themselves. Here then is a
large commentary on “all things.” Therefore whatever is in the world is
the matter of sobriety. Whatever comes under the senses calls for
sobriety. Whatever comes under the object of the mind is the matter of
sobriety. Nay, whatever is corruptible and perishing, or whatever the last
day of the Lord a coming shall put an end to, in all these, there must be
sobriety exercised. There is a threefold sobriety: 1. Sobriety in the
mind, or sober mindedness, Rom. xii. 3. We ought not to think more highly
of ourselves than we ought to think, “but to think soberly,” 1 Cor. iv. 6,
7, Tit. ii. 6, Rom. xi. 20, 1 Cor. vii. 2. Sobriety of mind is that
excellent lesson that Christ Jesus both taught and practised in his humble
state. “Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart,” Matt. xi. 29.
Humility is not like Peter, who said, “Depart from me, for I am sinful
man, O Lord,” “Lord, thou shalt never wash my feet.” But humility is
rather like Mary, that sat down at Christ’s feet, and washed them with
tears. Sobriety of mind does not undervalue God’s gifts and graces,
neither doth it overvalue them. It thinks of itself according to the
measure of grace freely given, (Rom. xii. 3) and sobriety looks on all its
own gifts, and ornaments, as not its own but another’s, as free gifts, and
therefore it puffs not up a man against his neighbour, though he should
see a gift given beyond his neighbour. High mindedness is like the high
bending of a string of an instrument, which easily breaks in two pieces.
Sobriety walks with a low sail, and creeps through under the wind, but the
high mind is like the cedar, that moves with the wind, and falls when the
bowing twig stands still. Some will think the aspiring of the spirit a
sign of a better spirit than the humble mind, and so look down upon
others. But oh, if they walk safely, they will walk humbly with God.