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So that the things which I am preffing you to feek after, are most effectually recommended, by telling you what they are; the kingdom of God is eternal life and happiness, and his righteoufnefs is univerfal holinefs and goodnefs, without which no man is qualified for this bleffed ftate. Now, if there be any thing bet ter than goodness, any thing more defirable than a happiness which hath no bounds, nor no end; do not mind them, nor look after them but if there be not, then certainly these are worthy of the care and endeavour of our whole life.

Secondly, Another confideration that fhould very much excite and quicken our endeavour and diligence in feeking these things, is the difficulty of obtaining them. This, I confefs, is no encouragement; but it is a very good motive and argument to whet our induftry in fecking these things, when we plainly fee that they are not to be had upon other terms. And this confideration our Saviour ufeth to quicken us to ftrive and to contend earnestly for eternal life, Matth. vii. 14. Becaufe ftrait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth to life, and few there be that find it : and Luke xiii. 24. Strive to enter in at the firait gate; for many, I fay unto you, will feek to enter in,. and

Shall not be able.

Seeking here, in opposition to friving, is a faint and weak endeavour, which will not carry us through this narrow and difficult paffage; and this is the reason why many mifcarry, who make fome attempts towards heaven; but they do not strive, they do not put forth any vigorous endeavours to get thither.

Now the difficulty of attaining eternal happiness, arifeth from the difficulty of the way and means to

it ;

and it is therefore hard to attain the kingdom of God, because it is hard to attain his righteousness. As defirable as it is, it must be acknowledged very difficult for a man to raise himself to that temper and difpofition of mind fo to fubdue his lufts, and govern his paffions, to bridle his tongue, and order all the actions of his life, as is neceflary to qualify him

for

for happiness, and to make him fit to be admitted in. to the kingdom of God.

And this difficulty is chiefly in ourfelves, but great. ly increafed by temptation and oppofition from without chiefly, I fay, in ourfelves, from the frong bias of our evil and corrupt inclinations, and the Itrong power of vicious habits and cuftoms, which, when they are grown inveterate, do tyrannize over us, and make us perfect flaves, and lead us captive at their pleasure; fo that our nature must be quite changed, and, as the Apostle expreffeth it, we must be renewed in the fpirit of our minds; our fouls must be new moulded and fashioned; we must be, as it were, created, and born again, before we can enter into the kingdom of God. In this our Saviour is pofitive and peremptory, John iii. 3. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God. This difficulty indeed is greatest at first, but it is confiderable afterwards, till a thorough change be made, and new inclinations planted in us, and the contrary habits of grace and virtue be fuperinduced.

And that which increaseth the difficulty is outward temptation and oppofition from the world, and the devil; which, to withstand and refift, requires great courage and refolution, great watchfulness and guard, over ourselves. But yet, for our comfort, thefe difficulties are not infuperable to that grace and affistance which God is always ready to afford to us upon fo good an occafion, and to fo good a purpose: Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. And this, I am fure, is matter of great encouragement to us, that though the difficulty of working out our falvation be great, yet if we do in good earnest fet about it, God is ready to affift and fecond our fincere endeavours, to work in us both to will and to do of his own goodness; and fo to prevent us with his gracious favour, and to further us with his continual aid, that finally by his mercy we may obtain eternal life.

Thirdly, Another powerful argument to care and diligence, is the fatal danger of mifcarriage in a matVOL. V.

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ter

We may do many

ter of fo great concernment. things in religion, and take fome pains to get to heaven, and yet fall fhort of it. The rich young man in the gospel, our Saviour tells us, was not far from the kingdom of God; and he broke with our Saviour only upon one point, he was too much addicted to the world, and loth to part with his great poffeffions, and diftribute them in charity to the poor, and thereupon he left our Saviour, and, for any thing we can find, never returned to him again.

If the world govern and bear fway in our hearts, if we mind earthly things firft, and make these our chief care and defign, the kingdom of God, and his righteoufnefs, fhall not be added unto us; if we will not mind them in the firft place, they are too good to be acceffories.

And if upon any one point we miscarry, either out of love to the world, or affection to any other luft or vice that we are loth to part withal, our miscarriage is fatal, and the ruin which we bring upon ourfelves irreparable; for the foul once loft, is loft for ever. If we have neglected the opportunity of working out our own falvation while we are in this world, it will never return into our power again; death will shut the door against us, and we shall never fee the kingdom of God.

Fourthly, It is a mighty encouragement to us to confider, that if we fincerely feek the kingdom of God, and his righteoufnefs, there is not only a fair probability of obtaining them, but all the fecurity we can defire. Men may be in good earneft for the things of this world, may love them with all their hearts and fouls, (as we fee too many do), and seek them with all their might and strength, and yet after all, their endeavours may be shamefully fruftrated and difappointed of their end. There are many examples of this kind daily before our eyes, and yet men are not difcouraged from feeking these things. A fair probability, nay, almost a poffibility of attaining them, is enough to a worldly-minded man to drudge and-toil for them. Why? the fame affection, the fame zeal, the fame unwearied endea

your

vour to please God, and to fave our fouls, would infallibly bring us to heaven. It was a fad but true faying of Cardinal Wolfey, when he was leaving the world, Had I been but as careful to pleafe God, as I have been to ferve my prince, he would not "have forfaken me now in the time of my gray "hairs.'

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Nay, it is to be hoped that lefs diligence and care about the concernments of our fouls, and another life, than many men ufe about the things of this life, will fecure our eternal happiness, or elfe it is to be feared, that but very few would be faved: And who would not place his industry and endeavour upon a defign in which he is fure not to mifcarry, if he do but heartily and in good earnest pursue it? efpecially when it will be of infinite greater advantage to him, than any defign he can propound to himfelf for this world. If a man may be certainly happy for ever, upon the fame, or eafier terms than he can ordinarily compafs any of those little defigns which men propofe to themfelves in this world; who would not feek that which is moft worthy the having, and which he is fureft to obtain ?

Fifthly and laftly, The encouragement here in the text is not inconfiderable; that if we feek the kingdom of God, and his righteoufnefs, all these things fhall be added unto us. This certainly is a very tempting confideration; for who would not be glad to reconcile the enjoyment of this world, with the hopes of heaven and eternal happinefs? But men do not generally like our Saviour's method; they would seek the things of this world in the first place, and get to heaven at laft; they would be content to feek the one, and have the other caft in and conferred upon them, without their feeking. But this will not be granted, this way will not do. And yet our Saviour has gone as far as one would think could in reafon be defired; he hath promised, that if we will make religion, and the falvation of our fouls, our firft and chief care, that all these things fhall be added unto us. So that the defign of going to heaven, and being happy for ever, is no wife inconfiftent with a competent portion

of the things of this life. Godliness (the Apostle tells us) hath the promise of this life, and that which is to come. The bufinefs of religion, the practice of a holy and virtuous life, is no hindrance to a man's thriving in his temporal eftate: nay, in many refpects it is ap to promote and advance it; by engaging us to diligence in our calling, and by deriving the bleffing of God upon our honeft and lawful endeavours; by obliging us to the ftrict and conftant practice of truth and juftice, and fidelity, in all our dealings and commerce, which are the beft way to establish a clear and folid reputation, and good efteem among men; which is an unfpeakable advantage in bufinefs, and, at the long run, one of the beft and most lafting inftruments of profperity and fuccefs.

Befides, that religion frees a man from those paffions and vices which do naturally tend to diffipate and ruin mens eftates; as intemperance and lewdness, which are every way chargeable vices, and do not only take men off from bufinefs, and render them unfit for it, but waste their eftates, and bring many other inconveniencies upon their perfons and families. Religion makes men meek, and peaceable, and inoffenfive in word and deed, which is a great fecurity againft chargeable fuits and contentions, and all forts of injuries and affronts from others. Among all the beatitudes of our Saviour, he only promifeth temporal happiness to meeknefs: Bleffed are the meek, for they fhall inherit the earth. They who provoke and offend no body, are likely to be leaft difturbed and difquieted by others in their poffeffions and enjoyinents: Who will harm you, (faith the Apostle, 1 Pet. iii. 13.), if ye be followers of that which is good? Some may be fo perverfe as to perfecute a man for his goodnefs; but it rarely happens; molt men have not only a kindness, but a veneration for true goodness.

By all these ways religion naturally tends to the temporal profperity of men, and the promoting of their welfare and happiness, even in this world; befides that the providence of God is very peculiarly concerned for good men, and a fpecial bleffing at

tends

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