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 eternal 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 connexion 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 honour 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
family, or your own temporal concerns, in some shape or other
primarily occupy your attention? If the latter be the case, then,
though you may have all the necessaries of life, yet could you be
surprised if you had them not? Remember that the world passeth away,
but that the things of God endure for ever.

I never knew a child of God who acted according to the above passage,
in whose experience the Lord did not fulfil His word of promise "All
these things shall be added unto you."

III. The third portion of the divine testimony, on which I desire to
throw out a few hints, is in I John i. 3. "And truly our fellowship
is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." Observe!, The
words "fellowship," "communion," "coparticipation," and
"pa