and be quiet.  Fear not, neither be faint-hearted.”  Joshua brought Israel into the land.  God did it through Joshua; and Joshua is Jesus, your Jesus, who washed you in His blood; your Jesus, whom you have learned to know as a precious Saviour.  Trust Him to-day afresh:  “O my Joshua, take me, bring me in and I will trust Thee, and in Thee the Father.”  You may count upon it.  He will take you and the work will be done.

THE KINGDOM FIRST.

V.

Matt 6:  33.—­Seek ye first the kingdom of God.

You have heard what need there is of unity in Christian life and Christian work.  And where is the bond of unity between the life of the Church, the life of the individual believer and the work to be done among the heathen?  One of the expressions for that unity is:  “Seek first the Kingdom of God,” That does not mean, as many people take it, “Seek salvation; seek to get into the Kingdom, and then thank God, and rest there.”  Ah, no; the meaning of that word is entirely different and infinitely larger.  It means:  Let the Kingdom of God, in all its breadth and length, in all its Heavenly glory and power; let the Kingdom of God be the one thing you live for, and all other things will be added unto you.  “Seek first the Kingdom of God.”  Let me just try to answer two very simple questions; the one:  “Why should the Kingdom of God be first?” and the other:  “How can it be?” The one, “Why should it be so?” God has created us as reasonable beings, so that the more clearly we see that according to the law of nature, according to the fitness of things, something that is set before us is proper, and an absolute necessity, we so much the more willingly accept it, and aim after it.  And now, why does Christ say this:  “Seek first the Kingdom of God?” If you want to understand the reason, look at God, and look at man.  Look at God.  Who is God?  The great Being for whom alone the universe exists; in whom alone it can have its happiness.  It came from Him.  It can not find any rest or joy but in Him.  Oh, that Christians understood and believed that God is a fountain of happiness, perfect, everlasting blessedness!  What would the result be?  Every Christian would say, “The more I can have of God, the happier.  The more of God’s will, and the more of God’s love, and the more of God’s fellowship, the happier.”  How Christians, if they believed that with their whole heart, would, with the utmost ease, give up everything that would separate them from God!  Why is it that we find it so hard to hold fellowship with God?  A young minister once said to me, “Why is it that I have so much more interest in study than in prayer, and how can you teach me the art of fellowship with God?” My answer was:  “Oh, my brother, if we have any true conception of what God is, the art of fellowship with Him will come naturally, and will be a delight.”  Yes, if we believed