purifieth the heart, which overcometh the world, "and which worketh by love;" which will necessarily be productive of all "the fruits of righteousness, that by Jesus Christ are to the praise and

glory of God"-that faith which opens our way to the favour of God, whereby Christ and the benefits of redemption are made over and appropriated to us. And now to conclude; if we thus bring forth fruit, all shall be well-our eternal happiness is built upon an immoveable foundation, against which "the gates of hell shall never "prevail, and all things whatsoever shall work

together for good to us,"-if this is our happy state, we shall enjoy the ordinary bounties of providence, with that filial love and gratitude, which gives a relish to every enjoyment-in the delightful confidence that our present happiness is the gift of our heavenly Father, as an earnest of his love, and a pledge of much greater and better spiritual blessings in a future world; with what inexpressible joy shall we then observe all the dispensations of infinite wisdom, calculated to produce and increase our satisfaction, the Almighty himself, as interested with all his glorious attributes and perfections, " to bless us, and do "us good;" and even the calamities and afflictions which we may suffer, will then lose their sting, will no longer be regarded as the wounds

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of an enemy, but as the necessary chastisement of a kind and tender-hearted father; and we shall have the ineffable satisfaction to think, that the present "light afflictions, which are but for a moment, shall work for us a far more exceeding “ and eternal weight of glory;”—then shall our light so shine before men, that others seeing "our good works, may glorify our Father who " is in heaven." Thus shall we live happy in ourselves, and a blessing to all around us; thus shall we prove ourselves to be indeed the disciples and followers of Jesus; thus shall we " fi“nish our course here with joy," and then be transplanted into the paradise of God, where we shall flourish and bring forth fruit, and be happy to all the ages of eternity, which may God of his infinite mercy grant for Christ's sake. Amen.

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SERMON XXVII.

MATTHEW VI. 33.,

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

ON SEEKING THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

THE good things of a present life are the pursuit of by far the greatest part of mankind, who pay little if any regard at all to a future state of existence. "Who will shew us any

good?" is the universal demand, while the only certain means of acquiring and securing happiness are stupidly and shamefully neglected. Though the concurring experience of mankind sufficiently assures us that the possession of what are called the gifts of fortune by no means insure happiness to their possessor, though the word of God, confirmed by the experience of not a few, gives us equal assurance on the other hand, that true, solid, and lasting happiness, both in this and a future state, arises entirely from the favour

and love of God, independent of what this world can give or take away; yet such is the fatal thoughtlessness, and folly of men, that all their views are directed to those things which never can yield satisfaction, while they neglect and overlook the "one thing needful," which is alone worthy the regard of an immortal soul. That we may not mistake the road, therefore, in our researches after happiness, we must begin at the right end; we must begin with securing our most important, our eternal concerns; by "seeking the kingdom of God and his righteous"ness" in the first place, leaving the rest to the goodness and loving kindness of our heavenly Father, and trusting to the gracious assurance our Saviour here gives us, that if we do so, the good things of a present world, so far as shall be for our real advantage, will follow of course, will, as the word literally signifies, be added as an overplus to a bargain. In discoursing from this subject, I propose through the divine assistance, in the

First place, to shew what it is to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness; 2dly, to point out the grounds of assurance we have, that if we comply with this precept of our Saviour, a competent portion of the good things of

this life shall be made sure to us; and 3dly, to inforce the duty with some motives and arguments. I am

First, To shew what it is to "seek the kingdom "of God and his righteousness.""The kingdom "of God" is taken in various acceptations in the New Testament ; sometimes it stands to signify the gospel dispensation on account of its tendency, namely, to bring men from under the slavery and dominion of sin and Satan, and to raise them to the dignity of free subjects to God; on account of the imperial, the dignified manner of its promulgation to the world, by Jesus Christ himself, who is " king of kings, and "lord of lords ;" on account of its final end and design, namely, to put mankind in possession of that "kingdom prepared for the children of God, "from the foundation of the world," and which is "eternal in the heavens." The kingdom of God sometimes signifies the gifts and operations of the Spirit of God upon the souls of men: thus the Apostle to the Romans, "the kingdom of "God is not meats and drinks, but righteousness, "and peace, and joy, in the Holy Ghost." And, last of all, the kingdom of God, in its most usual acceptation, signifies that heavenly, that enduring kingdom, that " incorruptible and un