beatitudes; God is that one infinite perfection in himself, which is eminently, and virtually all perfections of the creatures, and therefore he is firstly to be sought. Abstracts do better express him, than concrets and adjectives; he is being, bounty, power, wisdom, justice, mercy, goodness, and love itself, and therefore worthy to be sought before all other things. Seek ye first the good things of the mind, saith Philosophy; and doth not Divinity say as much?

Again, to seek early, is to seek opportunely, to seek while the opportunity does present, Judg. ix. 33. Thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city; that is, thou shalt opportunely set upon the city. Such there have been, who by giving a glass of water opportunely, have obtained a kingdom, as you may see in the story of Thamastus and king Agrippa. Ah, young men and women! you do not know, but that by an early, by an opportune seeking of God, you may obtain a kingdom that shakes not, and glory that passeth not away. There is a season wherein God may be found. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near; and if you slip this season, you may seek him, and miss him. Though they cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them, when they make many prayers I will not hear: then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer, they shall seek me early, but shall not find me. This was Saul's misery; The Philistines are upon me, and God will not answer me; it is justice that they should seek, and not find at last, who might have found, had they but sought seasonably and enfortunely.

Again, to seek early, is to seek earnestly, affectionately. With my soul have I desired thee in the night, yea, with my spirit, within me will I seek thee early. The Hebrew word signifies both an earnest, and an early seeking in the morning the spirits are up, and men are earnest, lively, and affectionate.

look up.

Ah! such a seeking shall certainly be crowned with finding: My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct (Hebrew, martial) my prayer unto thee, and will (Heb. look out like a watchman.) Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice, let them ever shout for joy; because thou defendest them, (Heb. Thou coverest over, or protectest them.) Let them also that love thy name, be joyful in thee for thou Lord wilt bless the righteous, with favour wilt thou compass him (Hebrew, crown him) as with a shield. None have ever thus sought the Lord, but they have, or certainly shall find him. Seek, and ye shall find, Mat. vii. 7. Your hearts shall live that seek God, Psal. Ixix. 52. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much, James v. 16. or as the Greek hath it, The working prayer of a righteous man availeth much; that prayer that sets the whole man to work, will work wonders in heaven, in the heart, and in the earth. Earnest prayer, like Saul's sword, and Jonathan's bow, never returns empty. One speaking of Luther who was a man very ear.. nest in prayer, said, (Hic homo potuit apud Deum quod voluit:) This man could have what he would of God.

Again, To seek early, is to seek chiefly, prima

rily, after this or that thing; what we first seek we seek as chief. Now to seek the Lord early, is to seek him primarily, chiefly: Psal. Ixiii. Thou art my God, early will I seek thee; that is, I will seek thee, as my choicest and my chiefest good, God is Alpha, the fountain of all grace, and Omega, the sea to which all glory runs, and therefore early and primarily to be sought. God is a perfect good, a solid good, (id bonum perfectum dicitur cui nil accidere, solidum cui nil decedere potest, Lactantius ;) That is a perfect good, to which nothing can be added; that a solid, from which nothing can be spared; such a good, God is, therefore early and chiefly to be sought. God is a pure and simple good, he is a light in whom there is no darkness, a good in whom there is no evil. The goodness of the creature is mixt; yea that little goodness that is in the creature is mixed with much evil; but God is an unmixed good, he is good, he is pure good, he is all over good, he is nothing but good. God is an all-sufficient good. Walk before me and be upright, I am God all sufficient, Gen. xvii. F. Habet omnia qui habet habentem omnium, Aug. He hath all, that hath the haver of all.

God hath

in himself all power to defend you, all wisdom to direct you, all mercy to pardon you, all grace to enrich you, all righteousness to clothe you, all goodness to supply you, and all happiness to crown you. God is a satisfying good, a good that fills the heart, and quiets the soul: Gen. xxxiii. 11. I have enough, saith good Jacob, I have all saith Jacob, for so the Hebrew hath it, (Cholli) I have all, I have all comforts, all delights, all contents. I have nothing, I have all things, because I have

Christ; having therefore all things in him, I seek no other reward, for he is the universal reward, saith one. As the worth and value of many pieces of silver is to be found in one piece of gold: so all the petty excellencies that are scattered abroad in the creatures, are to be found in God; yea all the whole volume of perfections, which is spread thro' heaven and earth, is epitomized in him. No good, below him that is the greatest good, can satisfy the soul; a good wife, a good child, a good name, a good estate, a good friend, cannot satisfy the soul; these may please, but they cannot satisfy. All abundance, if it be not my God, is to me nothing but poverty and want,' said one.

Ah that young men and women, would but in the morning of their youth, seek, yea seek early, seek earnestly, seek affectionately, seek diligently, seek primarily, and seek unweariedly this God, who is the greatest good, the best good, the most desirable good; who is a suitable good, a pure good, a satisfying good, a total good, and an eternal good.

IX. Because the time of youth is the choicest and fittest time for service. Now your parts are lively, senses fresh, memory strong, and nature vigorous; the days of your youth are the spring and morning of your time, they are the first-born of your strength, therefore God requires your nonage, as well as your dotage, the wine of your times, as well as the lees, as you may see typified to you in the first-fruits, which were dedicated to the Lord, and the first-born. The time of youth is the time of salvation; it is the acceptable time, it is thy summer, thy harvest time. O young man, therefore do not sleep, but awaken thy heart,

rouse up thy soul, and improve all thou hast, put out thy reason, thy strength, thy all, to the treasuring up of heavenly graces, precious promises, divine experiences, and spiritual comforts against the winter of old age; and then old age will not be to thee an evil age, but as it was to Abraham, a good old age, Gen. xxv. 28. Do not put off God with fair promises and large pretences, till your last sands are running, and the days of dotage have overtaken you. That is a sad word of the prophet, Cursed be the deceiver that hath in his flock a male, and yet offereth to the Lord a corrupt thing. Ah! young men and women, who are like the almond-tree, you have many males in the flock, your strength is a male in the flock, your time is a male in the flock, your reason is a male in the flock, your parts are a male in the flock, and your gifts are a male in the flock; now if he be curst that hath but one male in his flock, and shall offer to God a corrupt thing, a thing of no worth, of no value, how will you be curst! curst at home, and curst abroad, curst temporally, curst spiritually, and curst eternally, who have many males in your flock, and yet deal so unworthily, so fraudulently, and false-heartedly with God, as to put him off with the dregs of your time and strength, while you spend the primrose of your youth in the service of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

The fig-tree in the gospel that did not bring forth fruit timely and seasonably, was curst to admiration; the time of youth is the time and season for bringing forth the fruits of righteousness and holiness, and if these fruits be not brought forth in their season, you may justly fear that the curses