0 pray to God for auxiliary grace ! The child is safe when held in the nurse's arms : so are we in Christ's arms. Let us pray that God will put his fear in our hearts, that we do not depart from him ; and that prayer of Cyprian, Domine, quod caepisti perfice^ ne in portu navfragiam accidat, — ' Lord perfect that which thou hast begun in me, that I may not suffer shipwreck when
1 am almost at the haven !'
3d. Branch. Let us press forward with the greatest diligence to this kingdom. And here let me lay down some powerful per- suasives, or divine arguments, to make you put to all your strength for the obtaining this blessed kingdom.
1. This is the great errand for wliicli God hath sent us into the world, to prepare for this heavenly kingdom. Mat. vi. 33., " Seek ye first the kingdom of God." First in time before all things ; and first in aflcction, above all things. Great care is taken for the achieving worldly things. Mat. vi. 25. To see people labouring for the earth, as ants about a molehill, would make one think this were the only errand they came about : but alas ! What is all tliis to the kingdom of heaven ? I have read of a devout ])ilgrim travelling to Jerusalem, who passing through several cities, where he saw many stately edifices, wares and monuments, he would say, " I must not stay here, this is not Je- rusalem :" so when we enjoy worldly things, peace and plenty, and have our presses burst out with new wine, we should say to ourselves, this is not the kingdom we are to look after, this is not heaven. It is wis- dom to remember our errand. It will be ^ but sad upon a death-bed for a man to think he was busying himself only about trifles, playing with a feather, and neglect*
OF THE SECOND PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
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ing tlie main thing he came into the world abont.
2. The seeking after the lieavenly king- dom will Iw judged most prudent by all men at last. Those who are most regardless of their souls now, will, before they die, wish they had minded eternity more. When conscience is awakened, and men begin to come to themselves, now, what would they give for the kingdom of heaven ? How hap- py were it, if men were of the same niiind now, as they will be at death ! Death will alter men's opinions ; then those who did most slight and disparage the ways of re- ligion, will wish their time and thoughts had been taken up about the excellent glory. At death men's eyes will be opened, and they will see their folly when it is too late. If all men, even the worst, will wish at last that they had minded the kingdom of hea- ven, why should not we do that now, which all will wish they had done when they come to die ?
3. This kingdom of heaven deserves our utmost pains and diligence ; it is glorious, beyond hyperbole. Suppose earthly king- doms more magnificent than they are, — their foundations of gold, — their walls of pearl, — their windows of sapphire, — yet they are not comparable to the heavenly king- dom. If the pavement of it be bespangled with so many bright shining lights, glorious stars, what is the kingdom itself? 1 John iii. 2., " It doth not yet appear what we shall be. This kingdom exceeds our faith. How sublime and wonderful is that place where the blessed Deitj'' shines forth in his immense glory, infinitely beyond the com- prehension of angels !
(1.) The kingdom of heaven is a place of honour ; there are the glorious triumphs and sparkling crowns. In other kingdoms, there is but one king, but in heaven all are kings, Rev. i. 6. Every saint glorified partakes of the same glory as Christ doth, John xvii. 22., " The glory thou gavest me, I have given thcni."
(2.) This kingdom is a place of joy, INIat. XXV. 21., " Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." To have a continual asj)ect of love from God's face, — to be crowned with im- mortality,— to be as the angels of God, — to drink of the rivers of pleasure for ever, —
this will cause raptures of joy. Sure it de- serves our utmost pains in pursuing and se- curing this kingdom ! Julius Cajsar coming towards Rome with his army, and hearing the senate and people had fled from it, said, " they that will not fight for this city, what city will they fight for ?" If we will not take pains for the kingdom of heaven, what king- dom will we take pains for ? It was tlie speech of the spies to their brethren, Judg. xviii. 9., " We have seen the land, and be- hold it is very good ; and are ye still ? Be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land." We have had a lively descrip- tion of the glory of heaven ; we find the kingdom is very good ; why then do we sit still ? Why do we not operum 7iavare, — put forth our utmost zeal and industry for this kingdom ? The diligence of others in seek- ing after earthly kingdoms, shames our cold- ness and indifferency in pursuing after the kingdom of heaven,