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
of the necessarie commodities of this life and these sinnes be as common amongst vs as they are amongst the Infidels It is a shame for vs that are seperated from them in profession and beare the name of Christians to liue in the same sinnes Nay in regarde of oppression and crueltie there was neuer more founde among the Heathen The poorer sort dye for want of reliefe Hard-hearted men get their liuing by Gods iudgements and fill theyr purses then and take the vantage of his iudgements when hee sends them for our sinnes Though Christe himselfe say in the person of the poore I am hungry and colde c. yet fewe or none haue the bowels of compassiō to feed cloathe him in his members Well remember wee are a chosen people and therefore must not bee like the Gentiles For your heauenly Father knoweth c. You haue a Father in heauen and he knowes your need This is an answere to an obiection For some might say what may we not care for things needful These are things needefull Christ answeres no. Though they be necessary yet you must haue no distrustfull care your heauenly Father knoweth best what and how much of these temporall blessings are needful for you A most excellent reason and alone sufficient If this be so we ought to content our selues in euery state of life and vse a moderate care yea wee ought to bee as well content with sicknesse when God sends it as with health and giue thanks alike for both Wee haue a Father in heauen when hee sends sicknesse hee knowes it is better for vs then health So when wee are in pouertie wee ought as well to be content as with health for our Father knoweth this to bee more for our good then plentie and aboundance This ought also to make vs content euen when we lie a dying and yeelding vp the ghost for our Father seeth it to be for our good when wee dye that we should liue no longer So in any iudgement of God whatsoeuer it be this ought to content vs that we haue a Father and hee knowes what is good for vs. Therefore be it whatsoeuer it will be that God sends it is good in the wisedome of our Father though not in our carnall reason Wherefore remember this for it will serue to pacifie vs. For what is the cause we are so impatient in aduersitie and sicknesse but because wee doo not remember this Therefore holde this by faith that wee haue a Father in heauen he knoweth in his wisedome what is good for vs better then we our selues and in this faith and perswasion let vs liue and die and learne to bee content in euery estate 33. But first seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shal be ministred vnto you Hitherto hath bene shewed what care is to bee eschewed Now followeth the care to bee vsed And this verse hath two parts viz. A commaundement or an exhortation and a promise I will speake first of the meaning and then of the instructions The commandement is two folde First Seeke the kingdome of God Secondly his righteousnes viz. the righteousnes of God To seeke the kingdome of God is nothing else but to haue a care to get it to labour and endeuour to obtaine it seeke this first this is aboue all things whatsoeuer haue a care of this VVhat is meant heere by the kingdome of God It signifieth a state and conditiō of certain men which are in the fauour of God in Christ and haue right to life eternall by Christ. This very state is called in the scriptures the kingdome of God and of heauen and this kingdome is onely one There be not two distinct kingdomes of God but onely one perfect and compleat kingdome yet it hath diuers degrees viz. First of grace Secondly of glorie The kingdome of Grace is that in which a man is ruled by Gods word and spirit and that is the first step and entrance into the kingdome of glory The kingdome of glory is to haue fellowship with the Trinitie after this life Now both these degrees are here vnderstood by the kingdome of God It is further added And his righteousnesse The second thing that is to bee sought for aboue all and before all other things whatsoeuer is the righteousnesse of God whereby he makes vs righteous Some haue read it thus And the righteousnesse thereof But the wordes will not beare the translation it must bee as it is and no otherwise viz. The righteousnesse of God And this is added for a waightie cause for Gods kingdome stands in righteousnesse God then raignes in the hart of men and sets vp his kingdome there when hee enables them to serue God in righteousnesse then men are Gods subiects and therefore these words are an excellent exposition of the former when God iustifieth a sinner by the obedience of Christ and enables him to obey Gods commaundements This righteousnesse Paul speaketh of Rom. 1. 18. 2. Cor. 5. 21. Hee that knew no sin was made sin for vs that we might be made the righteousnes of God 1. Cor. 1. 3. In all these and other places the righteousnes of God is nothing else but the obedience of Christ God and man which hee performed in our behalfe in his sufferings and fulfilling the lawe This is the righteousnesse of God and is so termed in the scriptures and is indeede the ground-worke and substance of the kingdome Now it is so called for diuers causes First because it is giuen of God freely and man cannot get it neither by nature nor grace There is a ciuill righteousnes which men haue by nature and a religiousnesse before men which is of grace but this is neither of them it is out of the reach of nature and grace and therfore it is called Gods righteousnesse as a gift freely giuen of God Secondly because at the day of iudgement God will approue of it and accept it as a perfect satisfaction of his lawe and nothing else is aunswerable to the rigour of the lawe and therefore it is also thus called because it is a righteousnesse which may be opposed to the iustice of God in the last iudgement Thirdly the obedience of Christ is called Gods righteousnesse because hee is such a person as is both God man The sonne of the father is God as the father and though this obedience were performed in the manhood yet it was performed by a person that was both God and man and in respect of that person it is so called Adams righteousnesse was in himselfe and hee lost it therefore now our righteousnesse is in Christe who is God and therefore it is called Gods righteousnesse 1. Cor. 1. 30. Now how is this obedience made ours or how shall wee come by it By imputation for God is content to accept it for vs. And here we must further vnderstand sanctification to bee ioyned with it for it must not bee seperated from the
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