principles, which perhaps are not far from the truth, more than thirty-three millions of souls die every year upwards of ninety thousand die every day, which is considerably more than one, in every second of time. So that at all times, by night and day, while the pendulums of your clocks are beating, one, two, three, four-one, two, three, four, or more souls quit the scenes of mortality, to enter upon the realities of an eternal state. Under these circumstances, I ask you, my friends, ought not men to be deeply affected with the infinitely important concerns of eternity? But is this the case? How many of our fellow immortals do we see eager to obtain riches, honour, and power; or vainly seeking after happiness, in the amusements and sensual pleasures of this life; while others are wholly solicitous in inquiring after what they shall eat, what they shall drink, and wherewithal they shall be clothed. But what are all these objects, when compared with the real welfare of man? Alas! they sink into nothing

and vanity.

My dear friends, especially my young friends, whom the providence of God particularly requires me to call upon to-night,-in the light of eternity, I am about to set before you the most important object on which it is possible for the human mind to be fixed,-an object on which the Son of God requires you to fix your supreme attention,-an object in the pursuit of which you can neither be too earnest nor too anxious, and with which pursuit the most blessed effects in time and eternity are connected.

Hear, my beloved, the words of Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

I. Let us consider, first, the object set before us.
II. Secondly, the attention enjoined to it.
III. Thirdly, the blessings connected with that

attention.

I. What is the object set before us?

It is the kingdom of God and his righteousness." 1. The kingdom of God is proposed attention.

your

Were it in my power to offer you an abundance of earthly riches, honours, or pleasures, as objects that you might attain by seeking them, how readily should I engage your attention! Should I offer you a large estate, what a welcome messenger would you consider me. But could I offer you a kingdom-a throne-the highest pinnacle of human greatnesshow would such a message as this affect your minds! My dear hearers, the ministers of the gospel have an object of infinitely higher importance, of infinitely higher value to set before you--the kingdom of God a kingdom of which He is the founder, the proprietor, and the giver a kingdom prepared before the foundation of the world,-which cannot be shaken, but remains for ever :-a kingdom, in comparison of which, all the renowned empires of the world sink into insignificance.

:

Need I tell you, my young friends, that by the kingdom of God is meant the glorious privileges and

blessings of the gospel in the present, and in the future world. Divines have therefore generally considered the kingdom of God, as the kingdom of grace here, and the kingdom of glory hereafter. The former is intended to make us meet for the latter. Grace and glory indeed, are not so much different states, as different degrees of the same state. True christians are now made partakers of this kingdom, though their present participation is imperfect. Here they are heirs; but there they are inheritors and possessors ! Here they belong to the kingdom; but there they will fully enjoy it.

(1). The blessings and privileges of the kingdom of God, as comprising a state of grace here, are briefly summed up by the apostle Paul in his epistle to the Romans. "The kingdom of God," says he, "is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Let us briefly contemplate these blessings.

One of the blessings of the kingdom of God is righteousness. By this righteousness the apostle doubtless implies that righteousness by which a sinner is justified and accepted, as righteous before God. This unspeakable privilege includes pardon of sin; and this is a blessing, which is published in the name of Jesus Christ, wherever his gospel is proclaimed. Hear the Saviour's declaration to his disciples, before he ascended into his glory: "Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name

among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Hear the language of St. Paul on this subject:-" Men and brethren, be it known unto you, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins." Hear the language of God himself, as cited by the same inspired apostle, respecting the subjects of the covenant of grace :-" I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." My dear young friends, you have committed sin; and you must bear its awful consequences in an eternity of misery, unless you obtain remission. But remission is included in the gospel blessings: all sins, however numerous, however aggravated, may be blotted out, through the atonement of the Saviour: for "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." Is not pardon of sin an invaluable blessing?-But justification implies more than forgiveness. It not only considers the sinner as pardoned; but accounts him righteous. The law, indeed, denounces a curse upon every transgressor; and the God of truth has declared by his apostle, "that by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight:" alleging as a reason, "that by the law is the knowledge of sin." The law, when understood, convicts a man as a sinner; leads him to see and feel that he is so; and convinces him, that he never can be saved by it. How then can he obtain deliverance? Blessed be God, the apostle teaches us this. "But now," says he, "the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness

of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." This is the remedy which the infinitely gracious God has provided, to give relief to the conscience, distressed and burdened by sin. Here we see the mystery, whereby God can be just, and at the same time the justifier of the ungodly. Through the atonement and righteousness of Christ, sinners are pardoned and accepted by God, as if they were personally and completely righteous in themselves. This, my beloved, is the righteousness of the kingdom of God-a righteousness which is necessary to your salvation. And faith is the instrument by which you obtain an interest in it: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." In this righteousness of the kingdom is doubtless included that sanctification, which always accompanies justification, and which I shall notice in the next clause of our text.

Another blessing of the kingdom of God, is peace. And what an unspeakable privilege is here set before you! "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." They may sometimes live in