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