Letter 16
The sermon emphasizes the importance of prioritizing God's kingdom and righteousness above all else, and how this will lead to a happy and successful outcome in life.
James Bourne emphasizes the importance of seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness in all decisions, including where to settle and how to manage business. He contrasts the emptiness of prioritizing worldly pursuits with the fulfillment found in seeking eternal things and preserving spiritual life. Bourne encourages choosing a path that involves fellowship with believers, hearing the gospel, and enduring afflictions with God's people over a life of material abundance but spiritual emptiness. He urges the listener to prioritize following God and His people above all else for a truly fulfilling and blessed life.
Text
[To a Friend.] London, 1821.
Dear Friend,
Whatever may be your thoughts, where you are to settle and how to manage your business, they ought to rim in this channel - "Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." While I make business first, I find "death in the pot;" everything goes counter, and I am as lifeless as a post; but when I am earnestly seeking for a better portion, and eternal things are uppermost, then I consider by what means God will preserve this spiritual life, and what steps will be most conducive to it; whether a distant country, where no fellowship with the saints is found, no sound of the gospel is heard, no affliction with the people of God suffered, but plenty of business, and plenty of admirers, and a soul as dark and as dry as a potsherd; or to be content with the daily manna, watching the hand of God, living with his people, and, like Ruth of old, saying, Let nothing prevent me following the people of God - "Thy people shall be my people, thy God my God; the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me." So let all your plans and pursuits be, and so shall they have an happy issue.
Yours faithfully, J. B.
Sermon Outline
- Seeking God's Kingdom First
- The Means of Preserving Spiritual Life
- Choosing the Right Path
- The Importance of Prioritizing God's Kingdom
- The Consequences of Prioritizing Business First
- God's Preservation of Spiritual Life
- Steps Conducive to Spiritual Life
- The Dangers of a Distant Country
- The Blessings of Living with God's People
Key Quotes
“Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” — James Bourne
“Thy people shall be my people, thy God my God; the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.” — James Bourne
Application Points
- Prioritize God's kingdom and righteousness in your life, and all other things will be added unto you.
- Consider the means by which God will preserve your spiritual life and take steps that are conducive to it.
- Choose the path that allows you to live with God's people and follow their example.