Serm. XL. Religion, ourfirft andgreat Concernment, 279 his Father, and Mother, andWife, and Children, and Brethren, andSifters, yea, and his own life alfo, he cannot be my Difciple. When thefe come in competition with our Religion, and the great intere(t ofour Eternal Salvation, we are to regard and value them no more than if they were the Objects of our hatred, but to let afide all conlderation ofaffeCtion to them, fo far as it would tempt us from Con- ftancy in our Religion, and the Careof our Souls. So that when our Saviour bids us fsrfi to feek she Kingdom of God, and his Righteoufnefs, his meaning is, that Religion, and the Concernments of our Souls, and the Eternal Happinefs of them in another World, thould be our firft and chief Care; and that all other things fhould be made fubordinate and fubfervient to this great Defign, and be no further mindedby us, than they really are fo : For that which-is our great End, will fubdue all other things, and bring them into Subjection to it, and will 'reje l them, and throw themafide, if they be inconti- nent with it. If Heaven be our utmoft aim, and inorder to that, it beour great Rudy and endeavour to be Righteous, and Holy, this Refolution and Defign, fìncerely entertained, will over-rule all other Confederations, and make all the things of this World to (loopand give way to that which is our chief' End, the Eternal Happinefs and Salvation of our Souls. And thus I have done with the Second Thing I propofed, namely, what is meant by feeking the Kingdom ofGod, andhis Righteoufnefs 5 and what by feeking themfirfl. I proceed in the Third Place, to lay down Come plain Rules for our Direûi- on and Furtherance in feeking the Kingdom of God, and his Righteoufnefs ; that is, in the great Bufinefs of Religion. Firft, Let us always live under a lively and powerful Senfe of another World ; that we are placedhere in this World, but for a little while, and that wholly to our Preparation for a better and a happier Life. Let this Thought be often in our Minds. That Eternity is the molt' contiderable Duration, and the next World the Place of our Everlafting Abode, where we mutt dwell and con- tinue for. ever ; and therefore our prefent State is but of.little Moment and Con- fideration to us, but only in order to our future and everlafting Condition. We may pleafe our felves here for a little while with Toys and Trifles, with Dreams and Shadowsof Pleafure and Happinefs, and may be exercifed with Come Trou- bles and Afflictions for a (bort (pace, for amoment (as the Apoltle calls it) our light Affliliions which are but for a moment, and fo indeed it is, compared with all Eternity ; but the fubfiantial and durable Happinefs or Mifery remain for Men in the other World, and will certainly be their Portion; according as they have demeaned themfeives in this World. Now the ferious Confideration of this cannot fail to put us upon vigorous Preparations for another World, and tomake us wholly intent upon our Eternal Concernments, and to refolve, whatever becomes of us in this World, to take effeûual Care that we may be happy forever. He that firmly believes the Immor- tality of his Soul, and a Life after Death, which will never have an end, mutt needs take into Confideration his whole Duration, and bend all his Care and Thoughts, how he may avoid the greateft and molt lafting Mifery, and fecure to himfelf an Immortality of Blifs and Happinefs. Secondly, Let us be always under a Conviction of the abfolute and indifpenfi- blenecefïity ofHolinefs and Righteoufnefs, as the only way and means whereby the Kingdom ofGod is to beattained, and that Holinefs and Happinefs are not to be feparated, the one being a nece(fary Condition and Qualification for the o- ther; and confequently, that it is the vaineft thing in the World for any Man to hope to enter into the Kingdom of God, without endeavouring after hif Righte- oufnefs ; there is fo thong a connexion between them, that a Man may as reafona- bly expé& to be well and at eafe without Health, as to be happy without Holi- nefs ; for this makes us like to God, and our Likenefs and Conformity to God, is that alone whichcan make us capable of the bleffed Sight and Enjoyment of God. We mutt be Partakers of a Divine Nature, in order to our Participation of the Divine Bleffednefs. And the Confideration of this will effectually engage us
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