III. Why is it call'd His Righteousness? Th δικαιοσύνην αὐτό.

1. It was of His Contriving. of His Purchasing.

2.

3.

of His Manifesting and Publishing to

the World, 2 Tim. i. 10.

4. It is of His Effecting. For,

1. He begins it, Hebr. xii. 2.

2. He carries it on.

བ་

3. He finishes it, Hebr. xii. 2. fo as to accept of it.

IV. What is it to feek?

1, To defire it.

Pfal. Ixxiii. 25.

2. To labour for it.

ŢE.

Boni abfentis profecutio.

3. To use right Means to that End.

V. What is it to feek Firft? That is first, 1. In order of Time.

1. While Young, Ecclef. xii. 1.

2. The first thing each Day.

2. In the Nature of Things, i. e. principally, chiefly, more than all other Things, and before all Things elfe.

1. Preferring it in our Judgments, Phil. iii. 7,8.

2. Choosing it in our Wills, Pfal. lxxiii. 25. 3. Labouring after it in our Conversations,

2 Pet. i. 10.

1. More feriously.

2. More earnestly, Rom. xiij. II.

3. More conftantly, S. Luk. i. 74, 75.

VI. Why are we to feek This firft? 1. We are to feek it firft in time,

1. Because it is a Thing of greatest Diffs culty, S. Matt. vii. 13, 14p

2. Becaufe

2. Because we are naturally eftrang'd from God and his Kingdom, Ephef. ii. 12.

3. Because we have long accuftom'd ourselves to fin, Jer. xiii. 23.

2. We are to feek it first, i. e. principally, chiefly.
Because,

1. It is the best Thing, S. Matt. xix. 17.
2. It is the most, the only neceflary Thing,
S. Luk. x. 42. For without it,

1. We cannot be happy.

2. We cannot but be miferable,
It being by this only,

1. That our Sins can be pardoned.
2. God reconciled.

3. Our Natures cleanfed.

4. And fo our Souls made capable of Happiness.

Arguments to feek the Kingdom of Gad, &c. 1. Man in his Primitive Eftate was entitled to a Kingdom, Gen. i. 27.

2. This Kingdom was not our own, but God's. 3. This our Title we forfeited, and loft by Sin, Rom. iii. 23.

4. God, by Chrift, was pleased to bring us into a Capacity of recovering it again, S. Luk. xii. 32.

5. Tho' it be recovered by Chrift, it must be alfo fought for by us, Ezek. xxxvi. 37.

6. None can seek aright for this Kingdom, but they must also seek for Righteousness.

1. Because without that they cannot find it, nor come to it.

2, Without that, tho' they fhould find it, yet they could not enjoy it, Hebr. xii. 14. 1 Cor. XV. 50.

7. We have no Righteoufnefs of our own,whereby to recover this Kingdom, Rom. iii. 20. Ecclef. viį. 20,

8. Hence

8. Hence we muft endeavour to become true and living Members of Chrift, by a fincere Faith working by Love, Ephef. v. 39. Gal. v. 6. that His Righteousness may be looked upon as ours, Phil, iii. 9.

VII. Motives to induce us to feek the Kingdom of God, &c.

1. Seek the Kingdom of God, &c. For,
1. We are all loft Creatures, Ephef. ii. 3.
2. This Kingdom is yet to be had;

3. But by none but those who feek it, S. Luk.
xiii. 24.

4.

5.

Unless we feek the Kingdom of God, we are undone for ever.

Unless we feek it, we cannot expect to find it.

6. If we feek it aright, we have a Promife to have it, S. Matt. vii. 7, 8. Ifa. xlv,

19.

7. You can feek other Things, why not this,
which is of that Moment to you?
8. It is not long, but you will all repent, you
have not fought it.

9. If you feek this, you need feek nothing
elle. For κ ταῦτα πάντα συνεθήσεται ὑμῖν,
all things elfe fhall be added.

In this temporal Promife, which is here made, as an Inducement to feek the Kingdom of God, we may confider,

1. What is meant by all thefe Things.
1. All needful Things and Neceffaries, as
to our ferving God here, and our
enjoying Him hereafter, 1 Tim. iv. 8.
S. Matt. vi. 25. not great Things,
not great Riches and Honour, &c.
Jer. xlv. 5.
For,

For,

1. It is not needful that we fhould have these great Things, S, Luk. x. 42.

2. It is often hurtful for us to have them, Prov. XXX. 9.

2. What is meant by Added? which implies,

1. That all Things elfe, as well as this Kingdom, are at God's Difpofal, added by God, not gotten by us.

2. That they who have not God's Kingdom, are certain of Nothing.

3. They that have it, are fure to have all Things elfe that are good and neceffary for them, Pfal. xxxiv. 9, 10. and Ixxxiv. 4.

4. For they fhall be given them, Rom. vi. 23. Pfal. lxxxiv. 11.

They fhall be given over and above the Kingdom of God, not as Things neceffary in themselves, yet as Things needful to us; into the Bargain, if we may be permitted fo to speak, 1 King. iii. 13. 3. How doth this appear?

1. From God's Promife, 1 Tim. iv. 8. Pfal. xxxiv. 9, 10, who is,

1. Faithful in keeping His Promifes, Pfal. cvi. 45. Tit. i. 2.

2. Able to perform them, Rom. iv. 20, 21. and therefore how happy thould we be, could we always truft on Him? 2. From the Saints Experience, Pfal. xxxvii. 25.

3. From the Relation They ftand in to God, who feek His Kingdom, c.

For,

For,

1. God is their Mafter, Mal. i. 6.

God, Hebr. viii. 10. Isa. xli.

10. and xliii. 1, 2, 3. Hebr. xiii. 5. From whence we may draw this Conclufion; That the furest way to find all neceffary Things, is not to feek them in the firft Place. 2. Seek the Kingdom of God first, in order of Time.

For,

1. Unless you feek it firft, you can never find it, S. Luk. xiii. 24.

2. And if you feek it first, you cannot but find it, S. Matt. vii, 7.

3. You have neglected it too long already. 4. And Now, the Prefent is the only Time, wherein you can expect to find it, Pfal. XCV. 7, 8.

5. And befides, you know not how little Time you have to feek it in, S. Job.

ix. 4.

3. Seek it first, i. e. principally, chiefly, more and above all Things elfe. Confidering,

1. That Nothing can make you happy without this, Ecclef. ii. 1.

2. This can make you happy without other Things.

3. Unless you feek it above all Things, you do not feek it at all.

You can never feek it too much.

For confider,

1. It is a Kingdom.

2. Which