thing the direction To exhort to seeking and not to instruct how to seeke were vnprofitable My direction therfore shal be reached out to two things 1. Where to seeke this kingdome this righteousnesse 2. How to know and bee assured that wee haue found it These two things I trust of your selues and out of your owne reason you will conceiue to be very vsefull and of great necessitie so that I shall not neede to perswade you to attention touching them If you are affected with the loue of the commodity spoken of hitherto you will bee glad to vnderstand where to inquire it and how to bee resolued that you haue attained it Concerning the first Where to seeke the kingdome of God his righteousnes where this Kingdome this righteousnes must be sought both the one and the other must be sought in the preaching of the Gospell which is proued by this that the Gospell is called the Gospell of the kingdome i Math. 4.23 because it declares both the nature of this kingdome and the way leading to it then Paul giues this as a reason why hee was not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ because by it the righteousnes of God is reuealed k Rom. 1.16.17 which two texts not to insist vpon any more shew plainely that hee who aimes at the Kingdome of God and at the righteousnesse of God must seeke it in the Gospel The dispensation of this Gospel God hath committed to his Ministers It is their office like Iohn-Baptist to prepare by repentance to a kingdome l Math. 3.2 and to declare to a man his righteousnesse m Iob. 33.23 viz. how being vile in himselfe he may stand and be presented righteous before God These things are plaine God entending to call his elect out of the power of darknesse into the kingdome of his deare sonne hath appointed Pastors and Teachers for their gathering n Eph. 4.11.12 and meaning to make them to become the righteousnes of God through Christ hath sent thē as Embassadors to beseech to pray to treat with them in this businesse o 2 Cor. 3 24.25 Behold then art thou perswaded to seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse either seeke it in the preaching of the word or else there is no hope for thee to obtaine it when I mention this meanes I exclude not prayer as some account those that are so much for preaching to be enemies vnto prayer I shut not out the sacrament I perswade not a neglect of reading nay I intend and inioyne these rather No hope of good and comfort by a Preacher had he the tongue of men and Angells if there bee not ioyned Prayer to prepare to preaching to be as the shewers vpon the mowne grasse after preaching Sacraments to seale vp the comfort which is got by preaching reading and meditation to confirme and digest that knowledge which is deriued through preaching these thinges must not bee seuered God hath ioyned them man may not sunder them But whosoeuer he is that thinkes he may well enough finde out the kingdom of God and his righteousnesse in the neglect or disregard of the word preached accounting that of no simple necessitie to that end and so neuer striues to enioy it when hee wants it nor cares to make the best vse of it when hee enioyeth it let that man make what shew hee will of deuotion of respect to prayer of honor to the Sacrament of reuerence to reading he doth vtterly beguile his own soule shall be but as Solomons sluggard who lusteth but his soule hath nought p Pro. 13.4 or as the Prophets hungry dreamer who in a dreame is eating but is emptie when hee awakes q Es 29.8 Lact. l. 3. cap. 28. it was truely deliuered of him who said that it is impossible to finde out that which is sought by a wrong way and I am sure the mouth of the Lord hath sanctified besides this no way but of this I may boldly say this is the way walke in it and you shall finde rest to your soules and against the forsakers of this path I may as boldly denounce that of the Psalm such as do turne aside by their crooked waies them shall the Lord leade with the workers of iniquitie r Ps 125.5 they do but waite vpon lying vanities and forsake their owne mercy ſ Ioh. 2.8 And this for the first thing in the direction where to seeke Now for the next how wee may know that wee haue found and that our labour in seeking hath not been in vaine Touching the kingdom of God first How a man may know he hath found the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse this is a sure testimonie and a certain euidence that a man hath found it A Kingdome erected in a mans owne brest I taught before how all that are admitted into this kingdome are Kings themselues that oyle of gladnesse which was poured vpon Christ by which he was made the King ouer Gods elect is like the oyle poured vpon Aaron which streamed thence to his beard to the skirts of his garments so is that dispersed from him the head vnto al his members and they are partakers with him of his royall dignity and are Kings not only in respect of triumphing with him ouer Sathan but in respect of a conquest they haue ouer thēselues their flesh with the affections and lusts being crucified and they hauing by the power of Gods spirit gotten some command and mastery ouer their owne hearts Euery man naturally is a seruant vnto lusts t Tit. 3.3 and yeelding obedience vnto sinne in the concupiscence thereof is a slaue vnto vile affections Hee that is brought within the compasse of this kingdome by the power of the Gospell is in some measure discharged from this seruitude for where the spirit of God is there is liberty u 2. Cor. 3.17 and though he bee not straight way come to that absolutenesse of soueragnety ouer himselfe that there is in him no rebellion of the law of his flesh against God yet he maintaineth a continuall and an implacable war against his own corruptions so that by that meanes as it is said of the house of Saul and Dauid there was long warre betwixt the two but Dauid waxed stronger and the house of Saul waxed weaker x 2 Sam. 3.1 so the old man continually decaieth and the new man becomes more potent Here then hast thou beene a long and a diligent seeker of the Kingdome of God by dependance vpon the Gospell of the kingdome and wouldest thou know whether thou hast found that which thou intendest and so maist with comfort say with Deborah to thy selfe O my soule thou hast marched valiantly see and inquire into thy selfe how thou canst rule thy thoughts thy will thy affections by the word of God and by the spirit of God It may be in many things thou failest but here is the question
and vnlimited soueraignty which God hath and exerciseth ouer all his creatures both in heauen and in earth wherof is mention Psal 103.19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heauens his kingdom ruleth ouer all more straitly it is that command ouer his Church ouer his chosen generation his peculiar people which is so often ascribed to Christ as he is the Mediator betwixt God and vs of this spake the Angell bringing tydings of Christs birth g Luc. 1.33 He shall reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdom there shal be no end of this did Dauid prophecy in terming Christ the King set vp by God vpon his holy mountaine Zion h Ps 2.6 God according to the election of grace hath called out some from the rest of mankind whom hee will saue all that is done for the good of these is the kingdom of Christ This kingdome is considerable either as it is in gathering and sitting in this life and is termed so the kingdome of grace or as it is in accomplishment in the life to come and so is called the kingdome of glory And this is the kingdome of God properly intended here What it is to seeke the kingdome of God so that to seeke the kingdome of God is to endeuour by an entrance into grace to gather assurance of an interest into glory What is the righteousnes of God Now concerning that which is called the righteousnes of God which is here annexed as a thing to be sought for with this kingdom Know we this brifely that by it here is not ment that essentiall righteousnes whereby God is in him selfe righteous which righteousnes somtime betokeneth his truth and fidelitie in the performance of his promises as 2. Tim. 4.8 1 Ioh. 1.9 sometimes his iustnes and vprightnesse in the administration of the world which is that doing right which Abraham spake of i Gen. 18.25 but here the righteousnes of God is taken much after the same sense as it is Rom. 1.17 Phil. 3.9 namely for that righteousnesse by which man who is a base vile and polluted sinner in himselfe is accepted righteous before God and is iustified in his sight This is called Gods righteousnes because as it is acceptable to God so it is wholy wrought in man by God through Christ man conferring nothing therevnto Now out of this righteousnes by which a man is iustified before GOD streameth another which discouereth it selfe by the fruits of righteousnes before men For those whom the Lord by the righteousnesse of faith dischargeth from the damnation of sin the same he sets at liberty by his spirit from the dominion of sin so that they haue their fruit in holines so many as are in th' end to haue eternall life This phrase then touching the righteousnes of this kingdō is added but as an illustration of the former For to seeke the kingdome of God is to seeke the righteousnes of God that is to seeke a passage through grace into glory is to endeuour to be accepted as righteous before God by Iesus Christ and to shine as a light in the way of righteousnesse among men And this interpretation wipeth away that base calumny which Maldonate the Iesuit in his Comment vpon this place vseth against Caluin Caluin saith that righteousnesse may indifferently be referred either to God or to kingdome wherevpon the Iesuits triumph because his in the Greeke is of the masculine gender whereas kingdome is the feminine whereof Caluine could not be ignorant and therefore went not about to make a grāmaticall agreement betwixt the words but to declare a concord of sense and to shew that which is true that the righteousnesse of Gods kingdome and Gods righteousnesse are all one as indeed it is For that righteousnes which becomes a subiect of this kingdome is such as by which there is iustification before God and fruit of sanctification before men God and the kingdome of God require one and the same righteousnes And now hauing as it were paued a way for that which I am to deliuer by giuing the sense of the words I come to that which is the doctrine of this place which is Doct. 1. That the things which concerne the soule both for the present and future good thereof must bee enquired after and sought for with especiall care This is the very pith and marrow of this charge We may suppose that we heard our Sauiour saying thus You are full of care and thoughtfulnesse about many things your plots and proiects are spread and stretched and enlarged many waies what you shall eate what you shall drinke wherewith you shall bee clothed you extend your desires like Hell which cannot be satisfied and so that you might haue your full lading of the things of this present world it seemes as if you would no more one thing is truly and simply necessarie and in it you be pittifully negligent Behold God offers you a Kingdome the glorie whereof if you had eyes to see it is able to dimme and to obscure all the glittering pompe of all earthly Kingdomes to the meanest subiect therof not Salomon in all his royaltie is meete to be compared the appurtenances whereto and the priuiledges whereof are such as passe vnderstanding and do exceede all that you can aske or thinke there is righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost pull away your ouer-eger and too violent indeauours from these baser things and fixe them vpon this this is that onely thing which is worth the seeking for Thus is the purpose of the place thus is the doctrine Now for the point it selfe it shall bee no hard taske for mee to confirme it by the Scripture what else but this endeauour and care for heauenly things can bee intended in these terms of seeking for wisedome and knowledge as siluer of searching for it as for treasure k Pro. 2.4 of taking the kingdome of heauen by force l Math. 11 10. of pressing into it m Luk. 16.16 of labouring for the meate which endureth to euerlasting life n Ioh 6 27 of striuing to enter in at the straite gate o Luk. 13.24 of running to obtaine p 1. Cor. 9.24 of following hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God c. q Phil. 3.34 of giuing all diligence r 2. Pet. 1.15 what is here ment in all these but that seeking for the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse which is here perswaded Is not this that treasure hid in the field that pearle of great price for the parchase wherof all is sold s Math. 13 44 46. was not this it which Moses valued more then the treasures of Egypt t Heb. 31.26 and which Dauid chose rather then the abundance of wheate and wine which the men of the world so much affected u Psal 4 6.7 and which Paul did account as losse and iudge as
though he may be in pouerty yet he cannot be ouercome of pouerty though he may be cast downe yet he shall not perish ſ 2. Cor. 4.8 9. he shall neuer be left comfortles t Ioh. 14.18 he shall alwaies haue a secret comfort to sweeten all his outward burdens When hee hath a small proportion hee shall be taught how to want u Phil 4.12 he shall euer eat to the contentation of his minde x Prou. 13.25 His little his pulse his dinner of green herbes shall rellish better with him then their plenty to whom euery day is a day of slaughter Gods countenance being lift vp ouer him puts more ioy into his heart then the smalnes of his portion can giue discouragement Once he is sure he shall haue inough for the present I meane inough for the necessity of nature and comfort with it and greater plenty when the Lord doth see it to be more expedient Thus then wee must vnderstand it All these things shall be ministred vnto you foode rayment c. Christ meaneth not that God will cloth euery such one in silke or feede him with dainties or giue him a house of Cedar with pillars of marble to inhabite in but hee will measure him such a portiō of these as he shall know to be expedient and euen the scantest portion shall be sweetned with the gracious feeling of his fauour Thus is the doctrine Vse Mee thinks in this point I should haue euery mans attention Who would not be glad to heare of such a stocke for his maintenance here in the world as shall neuer bee consumed Euery man affecteth perpetuities He who hath a lease for yeeres thinkes himselfe well he who hath an estate for his owne life and his childs is in his owne opinion better but hee who hath got the fee simple estate hee he imagineth needes not care These be things whereon men build their hopes but alas is it not possible that for all this a man may fall into an extremity what though a man hath ioyned house to house and field to field vntill there be no room what though his grounds bring forth fruit plenteously his barnes bee filled with abundance his sheepe yeeld out thousands and ten thousands in the streets what if hee haue so much stocke so many ships trading here and there so much certaine comming in what though in a word he were as rich as Cōstantine the Emperor of whom Austen reports De Ciuit. Dei l. 5 cap. 25. that God had filled him with so many and so great earthly commodities that no man might dare to wish the like is such an estate so fenced in or so established by any perpetuall decree that it cannot be dissolued Is not the trust in these things like the house of a spider y Iob 18.14 which though it doe take hold vpon the rafters yet is sodenly swept downe with a broome The Lord sometimes looseth the coller of Kings powreth contempt vpon Princes z Iob 12.18 and sweepes away euen great houses as a man sweepes away dung till all be gone a 1. King 14.10 All the wisest Lawyers in a kingdom cannot deuise how to secure a man for hereafter See here a new lesson how to be made sure of meate and drinke and clothing while we liue Here is a portion like that which the King of Babel gaue to Iehoiachim a continuall portion euery day a certaine all the daies of his life vntill he died b Ier. 52.34 Seeke yee first the kingdom of God c. This deed was drawne vp in heauen engrossed by the pen of the Euangelist in the gospell sealed by the bloud of the Lord Iesus who witnessed a good cōfession vnder Pontius Pilate who neuer yet did neither euer will beare witnes to a falshood and let all the world be examined it shall not be able to afford one instance of the failing of this assurance How glad men be when their Lords haue sealed their leases how pretious be their euidences and tenures of land how safely they are kept that they may not bee embelezed How all you Merchants reioyce at the safe arriuall of a ship at the report of a boone voyage how secure begin we to be in our thoughts when we see som what vnder hand why should we not with ioy lay it vp in the midst of our hearts which shall secure vs of a better portion then the greatest King of the earth is able to bestow If the King should giue thee a pension or annuity out of his Exchequer for thy life it were much yet because of it thou canst not surely say thou shalt not want This promise cannot misse his word who made it doth endure for euer because himselfe liueth euer to make good his word and it is impossible for him to deny himselfe And here see I pray you how far the thoghts of God are differing from our thoughts and his waies from our waies Mens common thoughts are that if religion should be thus cared for before all other things if they should prefer matters appertaining therevnto before things of this present life it were the next way for them to be quite vndone For what is mens ordinary reason why they doe redeeme so little time from the world for holy purposes and why they take so much euen of the Lords day to giue vnto themselues Is it not this else say they we cannot liue Hence is it that the kingdom of God which ought to bee first sought is as I haue shewed cast backe into the lowest place Men thinke it wisdome first to be sure of the world before they looke after heauen first prouide for the body then for the soule first seeke an estate here then cast for an estate hereafter This is the common course wherevpon it is that there bee many who haue liued long in the world and haue laboured hard and toyled infinitely to get a portion in the world are yet ignorant which way to seeke for the kingdome of God nay they haue scarse so much as a thought of it or a conceit or knowledge what it meanes What is the kingdome of God what is the righteousnes of God how many old men how many rich men how many painfull men who haue euen worne out themselues with catching for the world if they were put vnto it know not what to answer Let vs yet at the last all of vs and you especially for whose sakes principally this daies labour is learne this wisdome from the God of wisdome out of the booke of wisdom which is able to make vs wise vnto saluation Begin we not still at the wrong end first the world then heauen first gaine then godlines first riches then religion first the backe and the belly and then the soule but let vs take the true course both for contentment here and for saluation hereafter make it your first care your chiefe care and in comparison your onely care how to become members of Gods kingdome how to attaine to that righteousnes without which the kingdome cannot be enjoyed Either we must deny the truth of God speaking in his word and say that he feedes and foades vs of with vaine words not to be beleeued or els yeeld this to be a truth that this is the alone way to get a comfortable security for outward things Thus it is as Nazianzene saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nec prodi nec perdi It is profit indeed to get gaine to a mans soule This is that wealth which as one saith can neither be betrayed nor lost He who hath it not is a miserable and an accursed begger in the midst of abundance and he who hath but as much of it as a graine of musterd-seede is an absolute rich man euen when hee hath nothing The world will not beleeue this yet is wisdom iustified of her children They which are after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh they which are after the spirit the things of the spirit c Ro. 8.5 FINIS