a Father in heaven who knoweth that we have
need of all these things. The fact that our Almighty Father, who is full
of infinite love to us his children, and who has proved to us his love
in the gift of his only-begotten Son, and his almighty power in raising
him from the dead, knows that we have need of these things, should
remove all anxiety from our minds. There is, however, one thing that we
have to attend to, and which we _ought_ to attend to, with reference to
our temporal necessities; it is mentioned in our verse: "But seek ye
first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." The great business
which the disciple of the Lord Jesus has to be concerned about (for this
word was spoken to disciples, to professed believers) is, to seek the
kingdom of God, _i. e._ to seek, as I view it, after the external and
internal prosperity of the church of Christ. If, according to our
ability, and according to the opportunity which the Lord gives us, we
seek to win souls for the Lord Jesus, that appears to me to be seeking
the _external prosperity_ of the kingdom of God; and if we, as members
of the body of Christ, seek to benefit our fellow-members in the body,
helping them on in grace and truth, or caring for them in any way to
their edification, that would be seeking the _internal prosperity_ of
the kingdom of God. But in connection with this we have also "to seek
his righteousness," which means (as it was spoken to disciples, to those
who have a Father in heaven, and not to those who were without), to seek
to be more and more like God, to seek to be inwardly conformed to the
mind of God. If these two things are attended to (and _they imply also
that we are not slothful in business_), then do we come under that
precious promise: "And all these things (that is, food, raiment, or
anything else that is needful for this present life) shall be added unto
you." It is not _for_ attending to these two things that we obtain the
blessing, but _in_ attending to them.

I now ask you, my dear reader, a few questions in all love, because I do
seek your welfare, and I do not wish to put these questions to you
without putting them first to my own heart. Do you make it your primary
business, your first great concern, to seek the kingdom of God and his
righteousness? Are the things of God, the honor of his name, the welfare
of his church, the conversion of sinners, and the profit of your own
soul, your chief aim? Or does your business, or your fa