282 The Strom! Sermon . xt,n SERMON XLI. Religion, our fiat. and great Concernment. MATTEL 6.33. But feefçye fir/1 the Kingdom of God, and his Righteoufnefs and all thefe thingsJhall be added untoyou. TH E SE Words, which I began to difcourfeupon the laft Day, are a firi&t Charge and Command to all Chrillians, to mind the bufinefs of Religion in the firft Place, and to take all imaginable Care to fecure the Happinefs of another Life ; But fekyefrff the Kingdomof God, and his Righ- teoufnefs ; and all thefe things ¡hall be added untoyou. In the handling of which Argument, Fir/I, I explained what is meant by the Kingdom of God, and his Righteoufnefs. Secondly, I fhew'd what is meant byfeeking thefe ; and what by feeking themírrfi. Thirdly, I laid down forne Rules for our Dire&ion and Furtherance in this great Bufinefs. I (hall now proceed to reprefent to you, in the Fourth and Taft Place, fome of the molt proper and powerful Arguments and Encouragements, to engage us to the minding of this great Intereft and Con- cernment ; amongft which, I (ball in the fail place particularly confider the En- couragement here given in the Text, leekye firf the Kingdom ofGod, and hit Righteoufnefs ; and all thefe things fhallbe added unto you Firft, My Firft Argument (hall be from the Worth and Excellency of the Things we Peek, the Kingdom ofGod, and his Righteoufnefs; which are certainly the greateft and belt Things we can Peek. The Kingdom of God, is the Eter- nal Salvation of our Souls, Everlafting Life and Happinefs in another World, which, toanimate our Endeavours, and to tempt our Ambition the more, are let forth to us under theNotion of a Kingdom. And what will not Men do to ob- tain that ? What Pains will they not take? What Hazards will they not run ? What Difficulties will they not grapple with, and break through if they can, to come at a Kingdom ? which when they have obtained, they are expofed to as many, and commonly to more Cares and Fears, to greater Difficulties and Dan- gers in the keeping, than they were for the getting of it: And yet all this Men will do fora corruptible Crown, for one of the petty Kingdoms and Principalities of this World, which are continually tottering, and ready to be overturned by open Violence, or to be undermined by fecret Treachery. But the Kingdom which I am fpeaking of, and perfwading you and my feif to leek after, is not like the Kingdoms of Men, and of this World ; it is called the Kingdom ofGod, to fignify to us the Excellency and Stability of it - as much beyond any of the Kingdoms of this World, as the Heavens are high above the Earth, and as God is greater than Man ; a Kingdom which cannot befhaken, a Crown which fadeth not away, a Scepter which cannot be wrefled from us. But to quit theMetaphor, and fpeak to the Thing ; the Kingdom of God im- ports theEternal Salvation of our Souls; I fay of our Souls, which both in re- fpel of the Dignity of their Nature, and their Immortal Duration, are infinitely more valuable than any of the peri(hing Things of this World, and ought to be much dearer tous. Other things are without us, they neither conftitute our Be- ing, nor are effential to our Happinefs ; but our Souls are our (elves, and the lofs of them is our utter Ruin and Deftruétion. So that nothing is to be regarded by
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