and God the Holy Ghost is the minister of it. The soul of man is the seat of God's government. He introduces his dominion by convincing man of sin-by revealing the knowledge of a Saviour-by cancelling the sentence of condemnation-and by shedding abroad joy and peace in believing, in the heart. Reader! are you a subject of this kingdom? if not, the Saviour here commands you to seek to become so: and the way to become so is simply this, to believe the record which God has given of his Son in the gospel. the concerns of this present life. Heathen | prietor and sovereign of it: God the Father moralists were just able to perceive this, but is the originator, God the Son is the founder, from their ignorance of true religion they were unable to prescribe any adequate remedy. The gospel alone contains an effectual antidote against this, as well as every other evil that mars the peace and happiness of man. We here find the Saviour, whom that gospel reveals, representing this state of mind as unnecessary, because God careth for us, verses 25, 26: as unprofitable, because we cannot gain anything by it, verse 27: and as heathenish, because after all these things do the Gentiles seek, verse 32. And upon these grounds are based all commandments, of a similar import, which we find in the New Testament, Philippians iv. 6; 1 Pet. v. 7. But as the mind of man is so constituted that it cannot exist without some object of pursuit, the Saviour is not satisfied with merely reasoning against this excessive care, but he goes on to present higher, and nobler, and more permanent objects to engage the hopes and the activities of man, and thus supersedes their anxiety about temporal things by exciting a desire for spiritual and eternal things "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." 1. The first thing that calls for our attention in explaining this passage is THE OBJECTS OF PURSUIT which are held out to man. These are the kingdom of God, and his righteousness. The phrase "kingdom of God" may be understood in three senses, in the scriptures- The kingdom of God's power, which is cöextensive with the universe; the kingdom of glory, which is not yet revealed; and the kingdom of grace, under which we have lived ever since the first announcement of a Saviour. The kingdom of grace may be contemplated as either external or internal, as it refers to the outward government of the Church, or to the inward dominion which God carries on, through the administration of the Holy Ghost, in the hearts of men. But, indeed, properly speaking, the kingdom of grace and of glory are one and the same in principle, but only under different degrees of manifestation: for what is grace, but glory in its infancy? and what is glory, but grace in manhood and maturity? Now, the kingdom of grace is called the kingdom of God, because the Triune God is the pro But we are also to seek for the righteousness of God-his righteousness. By this expression is sometimes understood the righteousness which he provides for the sinner; and sometimes—the righteousness which he requires in the believer. The former consists in the complete obedience which the Saviour rendered to all the precepts of the law, by which he magnified the law and made it honourable in thus obeying those precepts, as he likewise magnified the law and made it honourable by sustaining in his own person the penalties which were annexed to a violation of the law on the part of man, for whose iniquities he was bruised, and for whose sins he was wounded. The latter consists in that personal obedience to the commandments of Christ, which it is the object of the Holy Spirit to produce in the believer by his almighty agency working in him both to will and to do of his good pleasure. It is to this latter that, as we think, the word more directly refers in the passage before us. Without holiness no man can see the Lord. An admission into the kingdom of God, and the possession of personal righteousness, are connected together, not by any arbitrary decree, but of necessity. Whilst the righteousness of Christ constitutes our title to the privileges of this kingdom, the righteousness which the Holy Spirit produces in us constitutes our qualification for their enjoyment. Let us hear the word of God upon this point" Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God," John iii. 3. "There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life," Rev. xxi. 27. Let no man, there fore, be deceived, as if a mere abstract and | ousness." 2. But let us next consider THE DUTY OF SEEKING the kingdom of God and his righteousness. It is our duty, because God commands us to do so. This ought to be sufficient in itself to induce us to comply with his directions: but, alas! such is the darkness, the enmity, and the atheism of our carnal hearts, that we are naturally more disposed to do what God prohibits, than what he commands! But further, it is our duty, because it is only by seeking these blessings that we can obtain them. Let no man say, that, because repentance, and faith, and remission of sins, are the free gifts of God through Jesus Christ our Saviour, he need not seek for them. As well might the husbandman say, that, because the fruit of the ground is the gift of God, he need not labour, nor plough the soil, nor sow the seed, nor ask the great author of nature to send down the former and the latter rain to water the earth, and to make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. Unquestionably we must seek for the gifts of grace and of immortal glory. And this word "seek" is used to denote the earnestness and persevering labour with which spiritual and eternal mercies should ever be coveted and pursued. The language of our blessed Saviour uniformly conveys the same ideas "Strive to enter in at the strait gate; ""Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for that which endureth unto everlasting life." Verily, the acquisition of holiness, and the attainment of genuine happiness, require the most assiduous devotion of all the faculties and capacities of man in their pursuit. It is no easy matter to be an humble, consistent, self-denying, prayerful, and persevering follower of Jesus; and were it not that the Holy Spirit is given unto us, it were altogether impossible! But the passage before us says "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righte Now this word "first" is not used by our blessed Saviour to imply that we are to seek for these things exclusively, to the entire disregard of every temporal duty, and present occupation in this life. There are many duties and engagements connected with our residence in this present world, which every Christian must, and ought to attend to. The Christian must do his duty as a father, if he is one, as a son, as a brother, as a friend, as a citizen, as a subject. He must seek to fulfil all his obligations in that station of life into which it has pleased God to call him. So that by the word "first" we are to understand primarily. The Lord's Prayer, upon which the passage before us may be regarded as an inspired commentary, will explain this. In that prayer the Lord directs us to seek for the kingdom of God-"Thy kingdom come;" and for the righteousness of God" Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," before we ask for temporal mercies-“ Give us this day our daily bread." Let us, then, guard against all superstitious fanaticism here; and let us carry our Christian principles with us into every walk and avenue of common life, and endeavour to discharge our public, relative, and social duties as becometh the gospel of Christ let us give to our temporal engagements their due and proper attention, ever keeping them in their right place in our regard, and seeking, FIRST, the kingdom of God and his righteousness. : The word "FIRST," however, denotes more than this. It means first in point of time, as well as first in point of importance. The enjoyment of pardon, peace, and holiness, and of all the blessings of redemption, should be the object of our earliest pursuit. Let the young attend to this. They cannot be engaged too soon in serving God. The time of youth is the proper time for imbibing religious principles, and forming religious habits. The command is this- "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth." There is not in all Scripture a single promise to the procrastinator. The promises are these "They that seek me early shall find me;" "Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation." And if nothing else were to be gained by seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness than peace of conscience and tranquillity of mind in this present life, these objects would be well worth our seeking after; but let it ever be remembered that godliness has not only the promise of this life, but also of that which is to come. And every one should seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness first in point of order. This should be their chief, and emphatically their one pursuit. They should never allow the acquisition of spiritual blessings to occupy a secondary or subordinate place in their esteem. This should, I repeat it, be the one grand and predominating desire of man. It was so with David, for he said" One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple," Ps. xxvii. 4. It was so with the Apostle Paul, for he said "This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," Phil. iii. 13, 14. And our blessed Redeemer wished it to be so, when he said, in words which should be deeply impressed upon every heart, "ONE THING IS NEEDFUL:" And he has left us an example of constant assiduity in seeking after this one thing needful, for the primary object of all his care on earth was to promote the glory of his Heavenly Father, for he could say" My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work," John iv. 34. Let then the bless ings of eternity be the first and chief objects of every man's desire;-first every day: first every week: first every month: first every year. Let every new period of our lives be commenced with a solemn and special dedication of ourselves to God. 3. We may consider, in connection with this passage-THE INDUCEMENTS by which we should be influenced to seek, first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And here we might refer to the intrinsic preciousness of these blessings in themselves, as well as to their value in comparison with the transitory and unsatisfying objects of worldly pursuit. We might refer to the sad consequences of losing these blessingseven eternal separation from the presence of God, and banishment into that place of darkness where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth. We might also refer to the certainty of success which must attend our seeking after heavenly and eternal bless But there is an argument distinctly and prominently brought forward in connection with the command of Christ in this passage "all these," that is, all temporal blessings which are necessary for the Christian's present support, "shall be added unto you"or, they shall be given over and above, by the superabounding grace of God, in addition to those things which are held out as the objects of chief pursuit. God deals with his people as he did with Solomon. He gave him the choice of blessings, and because he asked for wisdom as his first and chief desire, he gave him, in addition, both riches and honour, in order to manifest his appro bation of the king's request, 1 Kings iii. 613. And this principle on which God thus acts is easily understood by the Christian. It is, in fact, consistent with reason, that he who has given so precious a gift as that of his own son, will not withhold whatever is needful for the maintenance and security of his people in this present life :-" He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Rom. viii. 32. And he will give us all things!" for the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly," Ps. lxxxiv. 11. And this is also consistent with observation, that those who seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, are the special objects of God's providential and protecting care. Who is mostly blessed in reference to temporal mercies? Unquestionably the humble and consistent Christian, who endeavours conscientiously to work out, in all the details of life, the principles which the religion of the gospel supplies. The religion of Jesus teaches the necessity of cultivating diligence, punctuality, prudence, and economy, in the management of our temporal affairs. All the virtues that are required for the successful execution of any commercial or professional enterprise follow in her train. So that the man who fears God, carrying these principles with him into the different walks of life, and bringing them to bear upon his daily conduct, finds that a blessing attends his pursuits, and that whatsoever he doeth prospers. CHAPTER VII. The Sermon on the Mount concluded. Reader, are you seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness as the objects of your supreme desire? The command contained in this passage is addressed to you, and to all mankind, by a Saviour whose mercy is everlasting, and whose power is in-judged. finite, and who is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him. Seek, 1. Judge not, that ye be not 2. For with what judgment ye then, for divine grace to enable you to com-judge, ye shall be judged: and ply with this command, and you will soon with what measure ye mete, it find, in the fulfilment of the promise an- shall be measured to you again. nexed to it, a pledge of the future fulfilment of those promises of everlasting glory which the righteous shall enjoy in the kingdom of God. 34. Take, therefore, no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. This is the last reason which Christ employs in order to dissuade us from overanxiety about temporal things. By anticipating the cares of the morrow, we double our cares to-day, and render ourselves unhappy and miserable beforehand. Each day brings with it its own wants, and obtrudes its own sorrows upon our notice, which are in themselves as much as man can well sustain, who has not strength to enable him to endure the same anxieties twice over. When to-morrow arrives, bringing its own troubles with it, it may also bring its own opportunities of avoiding, or of remedying them. But most assuredly the same God of Providence who guides the concerns of to-day, shall continue to exercise the same control to-morrow, and shall be as willing to encourage his believing people to "cast all their care upon him." The last sentence, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof," should be thus rendered " Sufficient for each day is its own calamity." The best way to prepare for future difficulties and trials, is to seek continually for more and more of that grace which God alone confers. This will best fortify and nerve us against the trials of time. The Saviour still keeps in view the conduct of the Pharisees, who were more occupied in examining and condemning the actions of others, than in regulating their own. By the prohibition "judge not" we are to understand him as referring to all rash, severe, and censorious judgment, and to the passing of a judicial sentence against any of our fellow-creatures-and not as forbidding his people to form such a proper estimate of the principles and actions of others, as may enable them to decide whether they belong to the world or to the Church. Believers are commanded to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness"-to" mark them which cause divisions and offences, and to avoid them;" and in order to do this, it is obvious that they must form opinions as to the characters of individuals according to the rule" by their fruits ye shall know them." There is a tendency in man to elevate himself by depressing others; and to gratify this selfish ambition he is ever ready to give way to the influence of jealous and envious feelings, by indulging in rash and uncharitable censures, and adverse and unmerciful decisions on the conduct of his fellow-creatures. Let those who profess to have been forgiven by the free mercy of God learn to be "kind one to another, tender-hearted," and to exercise the utmost possible candour and charity in reference to their fellow-creatures. To enforce this prohibition, the Saviour adds" that ye be not judged;" which may either imply, that he who exercises severity in judging others, will naturally excite in them a disposition to retaliate by a manifestation of the same severity against himself; or else, that those who indulge in rash judgment against others will be called to judgment by God for this violation of his commands, according to the principle laid down in the language of the Apostle in Rom. ii. 3-"Thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God.” Such a reflection as this should deter us from criticising and censuring the actions of others with an uncharitable severity, seeing that God will call those who do so to stand before his bar, where "He shall bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts." 3. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4. Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. From these verses we learn that those who are most censorious in judging and condemning others, are generally guilty of much greater sin themselves. Their very censoriousness is itself a sin of an odious and revolting kind, and is an evidence of enmity and depravity of disposition, and a proof that their heart is full of malice and envy and all uncharitableness. It is the nature of sin to deaden the conscience of the sinner to a sense of its existence in himself, and to render him sharp sighted in detecting the failings of others. It is, on the other hand, the tendency of grace to lead every one in whom it dwells to confess himself to be "the chief of sinners." Such an estimate of ourselves would always operate as a restraint upon the display of uncharitableness towards others. By rendering the word which is here translated "mote" by the word "splinter," we shall see more strikingly the contrast which our Saviour institutes. A "splinter" bears an analogy to a "beam:" a mote does not. The object of Christ in the comparison is to show the absurdity of overlooking our own sins, which may be, comparatively, much greater than those which we reprove in others. It is necessary, in order to qualify us for thus judging, that we should be free, at least, from greater failings ourselves; otherwise we only resemble Judas preaching against what he called extravagance, whilst the demon of covetousness was lurking in his heart. With what propriety does the Saviour address such persons by the name of "hypocrites!" for their conduct is hypocrisy in its worst and most malignant form. the sincerity of Job's religion, may supply a The conduct of Satan in questioning fit representation of their hypocrisy. We are not, however, to understand the precepts contained in these verses in such a manner as to interfere with the apostolic injunction in Heb. iii. 13, to exhort one another while it is called to-day, lest any be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. The practice of mutual friendly admonition and kind reproof amongst those who belong to the family and Church of Christ, is founded on well-defined scriptural obligations, and is one most important way in which Christian love displays itself. That believer who has no kind and candid monitor "to speak the truth in love" and discharge the friendly service of seasonable reproof, is destitute of an advantage which might keep him back from many indiscretions, and promote circumspection and consistency of conduct. "A word fitly spoken," says the wise man, " is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. As an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear," Prov. xxv. 11, 12. 6. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. The structure of this verse is remarkable. Bishop Jebb, in his invaluable work on Sacred Literature, has shown it to be one of those introverted parallelisms which frequently occur in the sacred writings. In this view of it, it consists of four lines, as follows: Give not that which is holy to the dogs; |