in the word of God; and no man would earnestly seek any object but with the expectation of gaining it. Hope is the mainspring of human action. The merchant trades in hope; the soldier combats in hope; the scholar studies in hope; the husbandman ploughs and sows in hope. It is the same in religion; except indeed that its blessings are more richly secured to those who aspire after them. In other pursuits our hopes may be disappointed; but if you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, there is not only a possibility-not only a probability--but an absolute certainty that you will obtain them: and for this assurance we have the word of the God, who will not deceive, and who cannot lie. Hear his language They that seek me early shall find me." "Then shall ye know if ye follow on to know the Lord." "Ask, and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you." But perhaps some of you may be ready to ask-Is it not said that some shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able?" Yes: and who are these that seek in vain? Such as seek the favour of God and eternal happiness, without repentance, and without faith in the Saviour; such as seek the blessings in a slothful manner, and who are almost indifferent whether they obtain them or not; who seek them in a way which God has not appointed, or with some reserves for retaining especial objects of worldly interest, or of sensual pleasure, or for avoiding persecution. Can it be matter of surprise to you, that any who thus seek the offered blessings of the Gospel do not find them!

If, my dear friends, you seek them in God's appointed way, as the Lord liveth you shall find; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Others among you, perhaps, may be ready to say,-If we are elected we shall obtain the blessings; otherwise we shall not, however we seek or strive. Where will you find any such declaration as this in the word of God?

you

you

There it is written, that if you seek shall find; but no where is it said, that if seek aright you shall not find. Blessed be God, his ministers have a different message to deliver than-If you are elected, you will be saved; but if you are not, you will be damned. Our part is to invite every sinner, who comes within reach of our voice, to be reconciled unto God; to seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; to repent and believe the gospel; to embrace Christ, and be saved with an everlasting salvation. If you listen to our message, if you repent of sin, seek the Saviour, and embrace his offered mercy; thus fleeing for refuge to the hope set before in the gospel; then is this gospel the power of God to your salvation; and then, but not before, you may enjoy the consolations of the doctrine of election. Then you may say, "We know our election of God; for the gospel came unto us, not in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." "We love him, because he first loved

us.

if

you

you

2. But finally, if you seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, you shall not only obtain

these objects; but all other things shall be added.

unto you.

the case.

Perhaps some of you might be ready to suppose, that if you made religion your chief concern, you should be losers by it. But no! this shall not be God has himself met the objection. Your temporal affairs shall not suffer from your attention to the more important concerns of eternity. "Them_that_honour me, I will honour," says the Lord. 66 'They that walk uprightly shall want no manner of thing that is good. O fear the Lord, ye his saints, for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; but they that seek the Lord, shall not want any good thing." You are not, indeed, to neglect the proper means for obtaining temporal good things; nor will religion lead you to do so; on the contrary, it will

make

Is not

you punctual, diligent, and economical. But while diligent, you need not be anxious. "Therefore," says our divine Master, “take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what shall ye put on. the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? And why take And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his

glory, was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, 0 ye of little faith? There

fore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or wherewithal shall we be clothed? (for after all these things do the Gentiles seek). For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 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.” Be assured, my dear young friends, that if you attend to the Saviour's injunction, you will find that godliness has the promise of the life that now is, as well as of that which is to come.

To draw to a conclusion. My heart's desire, and prayer for you is, that you may be saved. What are your own views and sentiments? Are there not some among you, who have never made the inquiry, “What must I do to be saved?" Have you, then, immortal souls, and never made an inquiry respecting their salvation? You have been brought up in a christian country; but you have neglected the religion of Christ, and been minding only earthly things. But what will be the end of such a course? It must be destruction. For you cannot go to heaven by chance, nor will God force you there against your

inclination. Heaven must become the object of your anxiety. You must seek it, and seek it first, or you will not obtain it. May God incline, and enable you so to do.

I trust that some of you are disposed to follow the advice of the blessed Jesus. Now, at the beginning of this year, let me urge you to retire, and thank God that he has not cut you off, as many of your fellow-creatures have been, in a state of guilty uncon

cern.

May the goodness of God lead you to repentance! May his long-suffering be your salvation! Seek, earnestly seek,-the blessings of the kingdom of God, believing that Jesus stands ready to confer them upon you. Whatever of this world's riches you may possess, without the treasures of salvation, you will in reality be " poor and miserable, and wretched, and blind, and naked." On the other hand, however poor you may be, in reference to this world's good, yet partaking of the blessings of the kingdom, you will possess unsearchable

riches.

Some of you, my dear young friends, have weighed both worlds, and the future has preponderated in your esteem. You have sought the kingdom of God, and his righteousness. But other things have occupied too much of your attention. Henceforth be entreated to regard the world and all its concerns with less anxiety. Set your affections on things above. Adopt the language of the apostle :-"I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one