to practise these three thinges so long as you liue for in the kingdome of God standes all your happinesse ioy peace felicitie and blessinges out of it is nothing but griefe woe and horrour vnspeakeable All ioy and comfort whatsoeuer can bee wished or thought of is in the kingdome of grace and glory Therefore if you desire happinesse let your care bee for these thinges for out of this kingdome there is nothing but misery and the wrath of God hangs ouer euery one that is not in it euery houre hee is in daunger of Gods heauy iudgements Oh fearefull state oh wretched people that feare it not Wherefore to conclude that we may escape the plagues and punishments of the damned and haue the comforts of the subiects of this kingdome let this be the maine and principall care to be of this kingdome and to liue in it for if you liue out it still eternall woe will befall you Let this heauenly doctrine take place in all your harts and do not flatter and soothe your selues perswading your selues that if you leade a ciuil life and come to Church all is well and you are safe For marke the kingdome of God is like a Citie and it hath his suburbes and sundrie gates The first gate is the ministrie of the word when you are come so farre then you are in the suburbes but yet you are not in the citie All sorts of men come thus farre both good and bad But there is a second gate and that is when a man is regenerated and conuerted then he first sets his foote within the citie All before is but the suburbes and may bee performed of hypocrites Onely the children of God passe this gate Therefore content not your selues to heare the Word and receiue the Sacraments and to be counted Christians for all this is nothing more then the hypocrites may do but labour to become new creatures that you may bee free-denisons in the kingdome of heauen and then indeed we seeke the kingdome of God aright when we striue to enter in at this gate Thus much of the dutie commaunded which I will repeate because it is a matter of weight First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse This must be the principall care of all persons whatsoeuer young or old high or lowe to come within this kingdome Here is then a iust rebuke for worldlings who do the contrary and set the cart before the horse Now a little of the promise which is a most worthy and heauenly promise And all these things shall be ministred vnto you The Greeke word is very significant the translation hath not expressed all the sense It is borrowed from bargayners but especially from sellers of wares Whē men haue made a bargaine especially of any great quantitie commonly the seller will giue some ouerplus and additament for amendes for the further contentment of the buyer so let vs seeke the kingdome of God and all temporall blessings shall be added as an ouerplus and amends to the full contentment of all our hearts Besides the word signifieth that they shall be cast or flung or added as an ouerplus and an increase besides the kingdome Here you see a most heauenly promise which is to be considered of with all reuerence Quest. How can this be true seeing we read of many worthy seruants of God which haue bene starued pined and destitute of garments whereof diuers exāples might be brought but one or two shall serue Paul saith it of himselfe 2. Cor. 11. And the holy Ghost Hebr. 11. of all Christians All the promises of temporall blessings must bee vnderstood with this exception vnlesse it please God to proue vs and trie our faith and patience and exercise and chastise vs by want Thus much concerning the exposition and meaning Now followe the instructions This shewes vs the right way to get wealth and all temporall blessings whatsoeuer therefore marke it for Christ the fountaine of wisedome hath taught it The right way commended by Christ is aboue all things to seeke the kingdome of God to seeke to be gouerned by Gods spirit and to serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse This is the right way and none other therefore let euery one marke it And the reason is plaine The kingdome of God is the principall good of man meate drinke and cloth and such like are but dependances which appertaine vnto it this is the principall Therefore he that would obtaine these and haue good successe with them should first seeke Gods kingdome for these are entailed together When the Arke was in the house of Obed. Edom his house prospered all the while If the presence of the Arke brought such a blessing much more Gods kingdome Yea as Dauid saith Whatsoeuer he doth it shall prosper Psal. 1. To come neare our selues Wee haue had great peace a long time and the maine and principall blessing of all is this that the Kingdome of God is amongst vs and this hath brought with it peace and protection And because it hath not had so good successe amongst vs as it ought therefore Gods hand is amongst vs and wil be more if wee continue to reiect the obedience of his commaundements This being so marke this lesson Art thou a poore man and wouldest thou haue sufficient wealth to liue to thy comfort and contentment set thy heart vpon this kingdome first and labour for repentance and regeneration and thou shalt finde Gods blessing Obiect How comes it to passe then that we haue so many beggers Answere They are a cursed generatiō which liue out of all order neither obeying Gods lawe nor mans and therefore Gods curse is vpon them to death Art thou a rich man and wouldest thou continue so and maintaine thy estate then let thy peincipall care bee to seeke the kingdome of God and to bring thy family to it nay to set it vp in thine house Art thou a student wouldest thou haue the blessing of God vpon thy labour Let thy first care be to seeke Gods kingdome labour to enter into it in this life and the Lord will prouide for thee The like may bee said to all Merchants Trades-men and Handicrafts Artificibus opificibus who liue by buying and selling or working In a word whatsoeuer you bee man or woman high or lowe old or young make conscience of this Hast thou children and wouldest thou make them portions and maintaine them to thine owne and their comforts Labour for this and this is the best dowrie and inheritance that thou canst giue them Therefore seeing this is so I must renue mine exhortation Let not the diuell steale away this doctrine nor your owne corruption banish it Let Maisters Ministers and Magistrates euery one in his place labour to set vp the kingdome of God Lastly let all persons whether publike or priuate labour for this while they liue Euery man talkes of the kingdome of God when he dies but wee must enter while we liue or
should be a spurre and inducement to euery one to seeke for it The commoditie should moue vs to affect it aboue all That you may the better doe it remember two things First that you get the beginning of this wisedome that is the feare of God to reuerence his Word and to tremble at his presence which you shall haue if you lay the Word to your consciences when you heare and read neuer storme at it When the whole man doeth bow himselfe the minde conscience and will without replying repining raging or chafing then wee are gone a good way and haue made good beginnings proceedings Whē the word checketh vs crosseth controlleth our faults striue not against it but obay it Secondly wee must all close our eyes the eyes of our minde I meane and suffer our selues to bee led in all things by the written Word to bee ordered and ruled by the Lawes and Commandementes of God Marke this poynt For if we can practise this wee shall get true wisedome and happinesse Therefore giue attendance to it in the whole course of your liues and let the Lord ouerrule you by his Word Read Psalm 119. Dauids example is most excellent By meditating in the Law he became wiser then the auncient and those that were his teachers He passed them in wisedome that were chiefe among men for wisedome because he shut his owne eyes and submitted himselfe to the regiment of the word In a word Remember to renounce thine affections and to shut vp thine eyes let the Lord performe his worke in thee Againe in that the single eie is heere thus commended wee are taught to walke wiselie whereunto Paul in most of his Epistles exhorteth And wee walke wisely when we practise all things in wisedome that is done by remembring these foure things following First the thing to bee done must be iust Secondly the means of doing it must be iust also Thirdly we must keepe our selues within the limits of our calling Fourthly wee must doe it with a single honest and vpright heart And that these foure may concurre wee must haue the written word to tell vs euery one of them We must haue the word to tell vs that the thing wee are to doo is iust 2. That the meanes wee vse is iust also 3. That we do keepe our selues within the limits of our calling And 4. that we do it with a single honest and vpright heart Then when our action is iust and the meanes iust the heart vpright and wee within the compasse of our calling according to Gods word the action shal be done in wisdome so as it shall be praised and approoued by God Thirdly in that this wisedome makes a mans light shine with righteousnesse wee are all taught to season our naturall wisedome with spirituall wisedome God hath giuen all men wisedome by nature more or lesse It is a gift of God to bee commended but that it may be holy and approued and vsed well it must be seasoned and then naturall wisedome ioyned with it is good and a blessing of God and tends to the honour and glory of God It is the sinne of these dayes that men of wisedome vse naturall wisedome without spirituall wisedome whereby they fall into many sinnes and inconueniences because they seuer these Fourthly seeing this is so let vs haue regard principally to this part of wisedome which is concerning prouidence after iudgement which is best how to forecast how wee may come by it Consider Luke the 12. what was the rich mans fault his riches encreased and he was prouident to lay vp his store yet Christ calles him foole because he wanted this heauenly wisedome He could forecast for the inlarging of his barnes but not for his soule he had no respect of it nor regard of this spirituall wisedome and prouidence It was the fault of the foolish virgins therefore called foolish they had some Oyle and blazing Lampes but they wanted sufficiencie of Oyle because they wanted this prouidence They had not a sufficient forecast of their saluation and the meanes thereof Though one had all the wisedome in the world and faile in this he were but a madde man Marke the ende of Achytophel his wisedom was great but yet naught because hee wanted the principall viz. the feare of God and therefore hee hanged himselfe Wherefore consider There can be no wisedome when we do not determine of the ende and scope of our life Let vs now in the time of our life and dayes of grace and peace forecast all the meanes of saluation and neuer content our selues till all bee accomplished If wee haue all the learning in the worlde it is nothing without this Therefore aboue all things let vs set our hearts to seeke it for the want of it makes men to seeke nothing but earthly treasure because they cannot discerne things that differ Wherefore now practise this prouidence learne this wisedome bee not like the foolish Virgins content not your selues with outward profession Bee not like that rich man that had no care nor forecast of his soule and saluation Consider the ende of our life let this bee the first and principall thing for it is the principall parte of heauenly wisedome 23. But if thine eye bee wicked c. Hitherto of the single eye Now of the corrupt and wicked eye As in handling the former so in this I will consider First what is the wicked eye Secondly what is the fruit and effect thereof The wicked eye is the mind and vnderstāding hauing some light but darkened dimmed and corrupted by Adams fall That you may yet the better conceiue what this wicked eye is you must knowe that the minde is corrupted two wayes and in two respects First it hath lost the gift of discerning and iudging and in this respect it is an euill eye and mistakes one thing for an other good for euill and euill for good And that the mind hath lost the gift of discerning in many things appeares thus Many of vs by nature knowe not God as wee ought nor our selues Touching God it appeares by diuers reasons wee know naturally that there is a God yet we cannot acknowledge the presence of God Men naturally when they sinne feare not the presence of God and that proues plainely that the eye of the minde is an euill eye Though by nature we know that there is a God yet wee acknowledge not his particular prouidence we cannot discerne it as we should and it appeares in this that men naturally trust men before God the creature aboue the Creator which sheweth that we doo not acknowledge a particular presence a for if we did wee would rather distrust men and trust God Though the conscience tell a man of the punishment of sinne yet the minde doth sooth and flatter vs naturally and telleth vs we shall escape without due punishment and so denyes Gods iustice We know that God must be worshipped yet the mind cannot discerne iudge of it
fruites thereof These goe together iustification sanctification and regeneration At the same time that wee are iustified the heart is renued chaunged and sanctified whereby we are enabled to serue God in righteousnesse and holinesse The sense then is this let all your care bee to get this kingdome to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of your liues This is the meaning of these words Now follow the instructions Hence it is to bee gathered plainely that wee are all out of Gods kingdome by nature and wee are in the diuels kingdome for what neede wee to seeke it if we were not out of it by nature 2. Cor. 4. 4. Sathan is called the God of this worlde that is of the greatest part of mankinde And hee is called the Prince of this world Ioh. 12. 31. Now hee is so termed because men by nature are his slaues and haue their hearts tied and chained so as they can doo nothing but his will See Ephes. 2. 3. Children of wrath and the diuell workes in the children of disobedience The reason is plaine when men cannot be content but refuse to bee vnder God and in his kingdome hee leaues them to the diuell that he may raigne and rule in their hearts and the truth of this we shewe in the course of our liues Though men weare the liuerie of Christ yet in heart they doo homage to the diuell Wee heare the Word and receiue the Sacraments but when it comes to obedience of the commaundements when wee are to put our neckes vnder Christs yoake wee make light account of it And the very performance of morall duties is counted and called nicenesse precisenesse and curiousnesse What is this in effect but as if men should say to Christ Depart from vs wee will not haue this man to raigne ouer vs. It is a grieuous and a fearefull sinne and such as argues that although we professe our selues to bee Christs seruants yet are we Sathans vassalles If a man labour to drawe them from their vnlawfull pleasures and profits they will not spare to speake it with open mouth Depart from vs wee will none of thy wayes as the wicked man is brought in speaking in Iob. 21. 14. Therefore it is not without iust cause that Christ makes this exhortation heere saying First seeke Secondly we are taught here an excellent point neuer to be forgotten for it is the principall point and it is this our principall care must bee to win the kingdome of heauen That is the poynt which Christe shootes at I neede not stand to proue it for this one commandement declares it the words are plaine therefore I beseech you embrace this commaundement and obey it and let this be our principall care now and euer till death You will say How shall we do this How shall wee learne to practise it That you may do it three things must bee remembred First you must come to the place where this kingdome is to bee found Secondly when you are come thither you must enter into it Thirdly you must waite for the possession of it Touching the first when men cannot finde the kingdome of God in all places there be set and certaine places in which it is to be found God hath appointed publike assemblies and a publike ministrie in which the doctrine of reconciliation and saluation is deliuered And these bee the places where this kingdome is to bee found and these be the meanes whereby it is attained In the Gospell the kingdome of heauen is thus taken often especially Math. 13. The very ministrie of the word and the dispensation of the doctrine of saluation is called the kingdome of God because it is the onely means by which God dooth giue this kingdome and offer it In the Canticles the Church asketh Christ where his kingdome is And he answeres by the shepheards tents Therefore wee must come to heare the word and labour to profit by it because it is the sole and solemne meanes by which God giues his kingdome And you must take heede how you neglect this dutie because you know not whē the Lord wil open your hearts not only offer but giue you this kingdme The second dutie is to enter into it for it is not inough to come where Gods kingdome is to haue the kingdome of God amongst vs as the Pharisies had when Christ preached but we must goe one step further and enter into it for till we enter wee shall neuer haue benefite by it How shall we enter Math. 18. Except yee be changed and become as litle babes yee cannot enter That a man may enter he must become like a litle childe Now y e maner of a childe is this The child of a Prince without any disdaine or affectatiō of superioritie wil play with a poore mans childe That is the propertie of children and so must we become children begin to be displeased with our selues lay aside all selfe-loue and selfe-liking We are neuer capable of the kingdome of God till we cast down our selues and see that we are traitors and rebels against God we cannot come to Gods kingdome before And to this purpose Christ saith to Nicodemus Except a man be borne a new of water and of the spirit he cannot see the kingdome of God This regeneration is when wee are chaunged not in the substance of bodie or soule but whē the diuels Image is defaced and wee are sanctified in our minds and thoughts willes and affections and in all our actions Now then that we may enter into Gods kingdome wee must be humbled like litle children and when a man begins to be regenerated and conuerted then hee begins to enter into the kingdome of God and not when hee dies as many thinke Now a man must alwayes after shewe himselfe to bee entred by holinesse and righteousnesse and by duties of loue and mercie and that is the reason of this addition And his righteousnesse and by that wee declare our selues to be of Gods kingdome and to belong vnto it for that stands in righteousnesse The question beeing Who shall dwell in Gods kingdome The answere is He that worketh righteousnesse Psal. 15. The third thing to bee done for the obtaining of Gods kingdome is to wayt for the possession and that is neuer giuen till the day of death And this waiting is performed when a man conuerted regenerated hath a care to keepe faith and a good conscience till death He that doth thus waytes for the kingdome of God as Ioseph of Arimathea is sayd to haue done Luke 23. 51. Now then we see how the kingdome of GOD is to bee sought for it is by doing these three thinges First by comming into the place where this kingdome is to be found Secondly by entering into it And thirdly by waiting for the possession of it These are to bee distinguished one from an other Now let me renew my exhortation Let your principall care be to performe these duties