2.48 Seeke first that is in time before other things and with your principall strength care Gods kingdome is put soÌ„time for that state of grace through which God ruleth in the harts of his people as Rom. 14.17 Gods kingdome is of grace The kingdome of God is in righteousnes and peace and ioie in the holy Ghost or But from this standing in righteousnes peace c. it is heere distinguished and seemeth therefore to be taken for that heauenly kingdome of glory of glory in which wee must consider first the place and glorious mansions in which as euerlasting tabernacles we look to dwell hereafter For heauen is a place yea a bodily place whose place is bodily which shal properly receiue and measure our bodies glorified If it be called a spâ—rituall place it is to be vnderstood respectiuely as the body is cald spiritual so far forth as spirituall is opposed to natural not to corporal substantiall This heauen is not like these naturall and aspectable heauens which we now see yet is a space proportioned to such bodies as are to be receiued and conteined in it Secondly Glory is 1. in the endowment of soule and body wee are to consider the glorious estate which shall there be reuealed which standeth 1. in the glorious endowments of soule and body For the glorious light of the soule shal make the body lightsom and glorious as the candle doth the lanthorne in which it is carried 2. 2. in our communion with God In our communion which we shall haue with our God himself whom we shall see as he is thogh we cannot throughly comprehend the infinitenesse of him which is the chiefe And this is the height of our happinesse For looke as a bride is nothing so happy in her bridall apparell and ornaments as in her husband to whom shee is hand-fast so shall it bee with vs our glory shall bee nothing to vs in comparison of our God Gods righteousnesse is that in Christ by faith apprehended Seek his righteousnes Gods righteousnes is somtime put for that righteousnes that is in Christ our great God and Sauiour and is by faith laid holde of by vs. Thus it is vsually taken Rom. 1.17 For therein is the righteousnes of God reuealed from faith to faith And Rom. 10.3 For they being ignorant of Gods righteousnes and going about to establish their owne righteousnes haue not submitted themselues to the righteousnes of God Sometime for that righteousnes which God commandeth in his law being spirituall Or that wrought in vs by the spirit and which God workes in vs by his spirit when now through faith wee haue vnion and communion with Christ Now the lawe of opposition doth lead vs to vnderstand the righteousnes which is wrought in vs. For as those heauenly things next before vnfolded are most directly opposed to earthly so to their distrust in Gods promises vnweanednes earthly mindednes the contrary graces inhaering in vs stand in most direct opposition against them Now the things which lâ—â—e are vniuersally promised are those things which 〈◊〉 naturally seeke Earthly coÌ„forts promised or all those things which God kno◠〈◊〉 we need whether absolutely or in respect of deceâ—â— and conueniency all things needful to our being or 〈◊〉 being Shall be added vnto you that is shall bee giuen you as a vantage as a vantage ouer and aboue those heauenly things after which you endeauoured For the word is taken froÌ„ those additaments which by surplusage are cast in to some full number The summe is as if he had said The summe I haue disswaded you from inordinate pursuing these outward things now I prescribe you a contrary practice Seek before all things with your principall strength those things aboue kept in the heauens for you endeauour your selues to get you harts stablished with true righteousnes such as God commandeth in his spirituall law and worketh by his spirit do thus and you shall bee no loosers For all things which are needfull for your being wel being shal as a vantage be cast on you through the faithfulnes of your heauenly father who careth for you Now wee come to the instructions Instructions First wee will consider of the duty required Seek Gods kingdome seek his righteousnes Secondly the manner of perfourming Seeke first From the first obserue here 1. doctrine Christians ought to seeke heaueÌ„ that true Christians must here on earth set themselues to seek heauen and heauenly glory Seeke Gods kingdome So Col. 3.1 If ye be risen with Christ seek the things that are aboue and againe Philip. 3.20 Our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke also for the Sauiour the Lord Iesus vvho shall change our vile body c. Abraham Heb. 11.9.10 is set before vs as an example of this thing who did couÌ„t euen the land of promise a strange country looking for seeking after a city which hath a foundation It is their place and country whose builder and maker is God For that kingdome aboue is their proper place and natiue country 2. Cor. 5.2 and they are but strangers on earth Psal 119.19 Thâ—y haue â—n inclination toward it iâ— born aâ—ew An inclination affection therfore toward heauen is giuen to euery Christian when now he is once begotten and borne anew to God Like as when any heauenly body is engendred heere belowe out of the proper place of it it hath begotteÌ„ w th it an inclination to rise vp to that place to which it belongeth as the fire Aâ— fire to it's spiâ—â—â—e which here we kindle and is engendred belowe here on earth it being no earthly but a heauenly body hath from the first being an aptnes and inclination carrying it toward the sphere of fire which is the proper place of it so from what time we by Gods calling are begotten heauenly creatures here on eatth we haue produced in vs an inclinatioÌ„ which doth make vs moue toward heauen and heauenly glory the proper place condition which belongeth to vs. Would not an English man Or an exile to his country by any case exil'd much long to smell the smoke of his natiue couÌ„try Thus if we be heauenly creatures we cannot but in desire aspire thither while we are here on earth as exiles and pilgrimes from our heauenly father But before we come to the vse of this poynt we will more at large branch forth this duety of seeking Gods kingdome Gods kingdome is sought by poynting forth the meanes and respects in regard whereof wee may performe this duety of seeking here enioyned 1. by seeking diuine knowledge of it chiefly from the ministery of the word The first respect is when wee seeke to get our selues informed in those things which it becommeth vs to know and to doe about this kingdome Now wee doe this when we come forth to be instructed by the word of God which is
conduceth to the more happy estate of it Man more seeketh necessarie sustenance for his life more laboureth to expell some deadly disease than in following wealth honour and the rest which respect onely the well-being of it thus heere it is this righteousnes is as it were the very being of a Christian heauenly glory is but his blissefull being whence it is that hee doth more seeke to get himselfe healed of sinne the soules deadly sickenesse more seek to haue grace sustained and increased more seeke to haue integrity and soundnesse in those actions in which hee is exercised than he seeketh heauen it selfe and that heauenly glory which is reserued for him It is the speach of Anselme well agreeing to this purpose If I had sinne set on this side of me and on that side hell so that necessarily I must bee plunged into one of them I would rather cast my self into hell than commit any sin And if I had on one hand righteousnes offered vnto mee and on the other Heauen to take one without the other I would much sooner make choise of righteousnes than heauen The vsâ—s 〈◊〉 to shew their vanity who 〈…〉 this 〈…〉 Nâ— â—hoâ—â—â—â—â—ers oâ—â—t The vse of of this is three-folde First it letteth vs see the vanity of such who thinke that they may seeke heauen well enough though they bee carelesse of holinesse and neuer sought to God to heale their euill harts iudging themselues and humbling themselues vnder his hand though they neuer knocked and cried for the increase of faith knowledge repentance nay thogh they mocke at those who follow righteousnes as men ouer-precise holy mad forward 〈◊〉 by Satan fondlings that know not what they would haue The Diuell in outward things maketh men idolatrously leane to meanes in spiritual things makes them presume all without meanes Siâ—â—◠〈…〉 wâ—â—hout h◠〈◊〉 Esâ—â— 5. â— But without holiness none shall see God Heb. 12.14 And the pure in hart onely shall beholde him Mat. 5.8 Look as those that were to stand before the Persian Monarchs in Court were to be clothed in royall apparell and especially those virgins which were to bee brought as spouses to them they were first purified perfumed Eâ—â— 2 12.1â— trained vp and prepared in sundry kindes so all that shall bee married to God in Christ or that shall stand in the presence of his glory must by this course bee made fit for such a purpose This also comforteth those that seeke righteousnes 2. To comfort the seekers of it who are true disciples For it is an euidence that they are the true disciples of Christ the best Christians that feeling their want and weakenes of grace the presence and strength of sinne in them their bondage and lamenesse in spirituall actions doe seeke for grace for the crucifying of sinne and for their spirituall liberty And blessed Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnes Mat. 5.6 Neuerthelesse as it is coÌ„mendable not to remeÌ„ber any thing past so Sâ— thâ—y growe on And take notice of Gods gracâ— toward theÌ„ for thankâ—ulnes â—â—d comfâ—rt as to growe secure and idle not striuing to any further perfection so it is behoofefull to thinke how far God hath brought vs so as to confirme our faith and prouoke ourselues to thankesgiuing There is a double hunger in nature the one healthfull the other no better than a very sickenesse for there is a disease called the hungry euill when though a man bee full yet hauing no sense of his repletion the stomacke doth as painefully and rauenously hunger Which good soules omit to their discomfort as if the man were affamished Thus it commeth to passe in Gods children who not considering nor getting sense of that God hath done for them are often as painefully hungry as if they yet had receiued nothing at all which might stay their stomack It is great pity that Gods children doe no more consider this It is surely a fault in them very preiudicial vnto their comfort which they might reap by obseruing Gods worke in themselues and grace toward them 3. To exhort to increase in it begun in vs. Thâ—t wee may differ from hypocrites Who wish for heauen but neglect righteousnes Lastly let vs heere bee exhorted that if euer wee did partake in the diuine nature we do shew it by striuing to growe in this righteousnes which is begun in vs but imperfectly This will argue vs to bee true disciples Such-like things as any seeketh such is the man Balaam may say Oh that my soule might die the death of the righteous Numbers 23.10 But what doth the heart of a Dauid-like Christian say Oh that my waies were so directed that I might keepe thy statutes Psal 119.5 For so Dauid beeing rauished with a viewe of the good mans blessednes doth presently conceiue not this desire Oh that I had this happinesse but rather this Oh that I could vse the meanes to bring mee to it Oh that my waies were so directed c. All after a sort wish and seek heauen but seeke not righteousnes But thou canst not seeke the one without seeking the other and finding this righteousnes thou shalt also finde heauen though thou dost not expressely thinke vpon it Which will bring vs to heauen euen at vnawares If we renew iâ— Let a man go in this or that path though he thinke not whither hee goeth yet he shall finde himselfe brought to that place to which the way leadeth We must renew this spirituall beeing as wee doe our naturall Euen as in nature there is still comming vpon vs a sense of weakenes Whâ—â—â—â—o the sense of infâ—â—itâ—â—â— doâ—â— t◠〈◊〉 and feeling of burdensome superfluities that we might bee stirred still to repaire and increase naturall strength expell that which reteined would proue harmefull so in the soule we haue weaknes euer and anon returning that wee might neuer want a spurre to incite vs to seeke still a fresh after the continuing and augmenting of righteousnes in vs. Againe if we haue some great bargaines we loue to finger some great earnest Now thus it is And our better â—ssurâ—nce draw vs. that the very earnest of heauen and heauenly glory promised is this spirituall righteousnesse wrought in vs. Thus much for the dewty now for the manner Seeke first Obserue heere 3. Doctrine Spirâ—â—uall things â—re chiefly to be sought Iohn 6. Luke 13.24 that spirituall things must be sought with our principall endeauours we must neither foreslowe them nor be negligent in following theÌ„ The Scripture biddes vs labour for the food that perisheth not And Striue as for maistery to enter for many shal seeke to enter in and not bee able It forbideth slouth Be not slouthfull but through faith and patience seeke to be partakers of the promises Heb. â— 12 It commandeth vs all diligeÌ„ce 2. Pet. 1.5 10. Giue all diligence According aâ— in price they paâ—â—aâ— We seek things according
in these infirmities and was enabled to doe euery thing through Christ strengthening him Now this change is no robbery And whereas it is said that they haue not the greatest measure of earthly things it is coÌ„monly true but their little is better than the abundance of the wicked For first The substâ—nce of the godly â—s 1. a token of Gods â—aâ—e from his owne hand Gen. 3â— 5.1â— 2 An earnest of their heauâ—â—â—y inheritance it is giuen them from Gods hand as a token of his fauour God saith Iaakob to Esau of his grace hath giuen these children to thy seruant and God hath had mercy on me and therefore haue I all these things Now an angell from the kings own hand is more esteemed than much more other money which hath no such respect 2. It is an earnest of Gods eternall fauour in bestowing on them the heauenly inheritance Now a little money that bindeth some great bargaine is better than much more that hath no such relation 3. It is freely bestowed 3. Iâ— fâ—eâ—â—â— giuâ—â— they shall haue no reckoning to come in for it Now The pros â—rity of â—he wicked is but seeming bâ—ing indeed a curse As that which is â— mixâ—d ofâ— with muâ—h discoâ—ceâ—â— the prosperity of the wicked is but in appearance prosperity being a pleasant poison which killeth by casting into a sweet sleep or by mouing the person to laugh till hee fall downe dead by force of it Euen as poyson killeth some with intolerable gripings others with very great delight so doth Gods curse sinners For the things they possesse sometime God doth mixe them with such discontentmens that they are all as nothing as is seene in Haman whom God did make the stiffe knee of Mordecai so to vexe and gall that all he had did him no good Est 5. And Ahab thogh a king yet when he had the vineyard denied him grew so sick of the sullens that hee could not so much as taste ought of his kingly prouision 3. King â—1 4 2. A snâ—re to them 2. If they haue the iocant vse of things yet it is nothing while God giueth them these things as snares to them like as Saul gaue Michol to Dauid to bee a snare vnto him 1. Sam. 17. Though it be not warrantable for a man in his policy demoliri honoribus to ouerthrow men by aduancements yet God sinne so requiring it may do it most iustly 3. Not of Gods loue but patience Againe they haue these things but as traitours their allowance more or lesse from the clemency patience of the prince rather than his fauour to them Now it is better with a poore subiect that workes for 12. pence a day with the kings loue protection than with these haue they neuer so much 4 Must be reckon'd for 4. For these things are not giuen them freely as by a father to his children but rather giuen in as by an host to his guests for whom he keepeth a reckoning The last dish will marre their feast The vses 1. to encouâ—â—ge vs vnto godlinesse The vse is 1. to encourage vs in this work in making conscience of it knowing that it is not in vaine but hath the promise euen of this present life Hast thou laboured to ouercome sinne to growe in grace to serue thy God more fruitfully and chearefully and art thou neuerthelesse for the present in pouerty Be not dismaied God oweth thee a good turne he will recompence his tarriance with vse abundant The sunne ere while is long in getting forth when yet the day prooues most faire and pleasant 2. Wee see the woefull state of many 2. To conuince their errour who thinkâ— it the way to beggery who thinke this precise care of religion to bee the high way to the hospitall If one straine curtesie at one oath if one will not borrow with the Sabbath for furthering his owne businesse if one will not keep lewd seruants when they are othwise gainefull r if one will not double with his tongue vse his wit to circumvent if one will not humor those from whom he may reape profit if one will not dance to what the time pipeth if one will not take any way to the wood and lay about with sixe fingers counting al gain that may be gotten Christians now-adaies thinke such a man may set downe his rest for rising Who are worse than Sadduces O most vnchristian Christians worse than the Sadduces for that they did beleeue God so to prosper outwardly the keepers of his lawe that hauing no beliefe of another life for they did think soules as bodies were mortall yet they walked keeping the letter of the law most strictly as their name doth intimate 3. 3. To shew the cauâ—e why euen sundry good husbands thriue not That is tâ—eir neglect of religion In the godly sâ—me sâ—â—â— nâ—â—â—â—pâ—med of Some infiâ—miâ—y â—â—â—â—ceiâ—â—â— Let vs hence take notice what doth keepe downe many in these earthly things and clean ruinate others What but lack of seeking heauenly things There are some men of no lewd qualities frugall enough men able to make their market yet nothing will go forward with them And this is the iust iudgement of God because they neuer haue set their hearts to matter of religion Againe many of Gods children goe backward in these things because they lie durtily without repentaÌ„ce of some sins which God would haue them iudge in themselues or else they discerne not their infirmities by reason whereof wealth would be hurtfull to them and labour not to get them mortified For God holdes down many Which wâ—â—â—â—â—â—e 〈…〉 prâ—â—peâ—â—â—y because he doth see that if they ride on the fore horse and were aloft this way it were for none to com neere them Such is their pride that they would not knowe any others to bee to contentiously giuen that none should liue quietly by them but would bee euer pushing and goring their brethren as buls do the weaker â—artell with their hornes others so voluptuous that if they had wherewithall they would runne riot into all intemperancy Now a father will lay a knife out of the way from a child who is like to hurt himself w th it Hence is also the ruinâ— of many mens estates and how Farther for the want of this God doth ruinate the estates of many by not keeping them from such courses of trusting where what they trust shall come home w th losse into courses of suretiships into suits of lawe and building into dealing in things wherein they haue no iudgement into the hands of vntrusty seruants who are a backe-doore which will pull downe the greatest houses that he may punish their not seruing him fruitfully in the things they enioyed 4. To shâ—â— thâ—â—weâ—lth withâ—â—t goâ—linesse is no blâ—ssing Lastly if thou hast not beene a seeker of righteousnesse and GODS kingdome do not think the things thou hast to be additaments bestowed in Gods fauour nor yet possessions making thee happy They are but like that Manna which gathered besides the Lords coÌ„mandement did putrefie and come to nothing So shall all these things But a curse to greater â—â—dgement they shall increase thy condemnation and make thee one day haue the heauier reckoning if thou goest on in impenitency Wherefore let me counsell thee what to doe in this case Didst thou hold land on such termes as would not maintaine thy title but rather expose thee to danger of accouÌ„ting for all the time that thou hadst helde them The onely way to secure thy self is to turne Tenant to God Suppose thou mightest strengthen thy self in these by turning Tenant to the true Lord wouldst not thou readily put it in executioÌ„ Thus it is heere All thou enioyest with carelesnesse of Gods seruice seeking his righteousnes thou art subiect to bee brought to a heauy reckoning for it and to haue it taken from thee in Gods iust iudgement Tenant Turne therefore to him who is the supreme Lord paie this rent which heere hee requires seeke his kingdome and his righteousnes then thou shalt be happy in al thou possessest To God the father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost be ascribed as it is due all glory honour blessednes might maiesty dominion from this time forth and for euermore Amen Amen Soli Deo Gloria To the worlds white Sonnes O Witlesse mortalls you all heedlesse catch Appearing Shadowes let the Substance go At bables bubbles butterflies do snatch But the true treasure to seeke out forslowe Carke for your Carcase it to clothe and feed Your Soule leaue naked and let pine for need The nimble Fire still vpward doth aspire To its owne sphere and his deare natiue Home The wandring Exile euer doth desire The liuing Birth pent in its mothers Wombe Doth restlesse struggle for more liberty But void of Motion the dead Mole dothly Were you from God with life diuine inspir'd Earth were too narrow to confine your Harts Or were your Soules with loue spirituall fir'd They would not dote on meere terrestriall parts But God would loue and to enioy that Loue Would vpward rise and aime at things aboue Felt you your wants most earnest would your care Be for your Soule your Bodie setting light Knew you the world its garish Shewes and rare You would despise which but delude the sight Saw you Heauens blisse base would the world appeare But Heauen to win no paines no cost too deare Which breathed in our foggie aire whilcome But weary of those stinkes it did discerne To Heauens pure aire and clearest light is gone Learne whither your chiefe labours to direct Learne what successe you may thereon expect Seeke Gods blest Kingdome Seeke his Righteousnes All worldly comforts shall then follow you Heauens shadovv is this earthly happinesse Who holdes the bodie hath the shadovv too On thy Gods seruice do thou onely thinke And hee 'l prouide thee raiment meat and drinke FINIS