2. Whoever would keep in with God needs counsel and direction in all his ways.
3. The only good counsel we can have is from God in his word.
4. The counsel God hath given us in his word is sufficient and full out for all our necessities.
Prop. 1. That our great interest is to keep in with God, and approve ourselves to him in all our actions ; for God is the scope and end of our lives and actions, as the thing pressed, ' That we may walk worthy of God in all well-pleasing,' Col. i. 10. God, heing our chiefest good, must he our last end ; therefore in every action there must he a hahi- tual purpose, and in all actions of weight and moment there must be an actual purpose, to please God. Every ordinary aflair must be carried forth in the strength of the habitual purpose, but in all actions we would make a business of there must be an actual purpose. And because his authority alone can sway the conscience, which is under his dominion, therefore it concerns us in all things to ' exercise our selves that we may have a good conscience, void of offence both towards God and man,' Actsxxiv. 16. And again, we are to approve our ways to God, and to keep in with him, because to him we are to give an account, 2 Cor. v. 9, 10. There will a time come when every action of ours shall be taken into consideration, and weighed in the balance of the sanctuary, with all our principles and ends ; therefore we strive, we are ambitious (so the word signifies) ; our great ambition should be, living or dying, to be accepted with God. Again, surely it should be our business to approve ourselves to God in every action, because all the success of our actions depends upon his concurrence and bless- ing. Now we shall find this is often asserted in scripture. When a man's ways are full of hazards, likely to be exposed to great opposi- tion, your great work is to keep in with God, approve your hearts to him : Prov. xvi. 7, ' When a man's ways please the Lord, he will make even his enemies to be at peace with him.' God hath a mighty power over the spirits of men ; therefore this is to go to the fountain-head, to stop all opposition there; and, on the other side, without this care of pleasing God, all goes to loss. Counsels, though never so wisely laid, yet are blasted if we do not make this our business, to approve our hearts to God in those actions. Eemember, in one place it is said, 'The counsel of the froward is carried headlong,' Job v. 13; and in another place, Isa. xliv. 25, ' The counsel of wise men he turneth back- ward.' When men do not study to please God, and approve their hearts to him, God leaves them to precipitate counsels ; sometimes they are carried forward, at other times they are carried backward ; the event is cross to their design. Sometimes God lets them fall into precipitant counsels that they may undo themselves, at other times disappoints their counsels, and that which they have designed.
Prop. 2. Whosoever would keep in with God, he needs good counsel and direction in all his ways. Both in regard of the darkness of his understanding, his corrupt affections, and inordinate self-love, man is not able to rule and govern himself, but needs counsel : Prov. xii. 15,
230 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XXV.
' The way of a fool is ri<,^lit in his own eyes, but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.' When a man engage th in any action, such is the darkness and perverseness of man's heart that he should not be over-confident of his own apprehensions, or of his own inclinations, but should hearken after counsel ; and Pro v. xxviii. 26, ' He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool.' Both these proverbs are to be understood not so much of wise managing of civil affairs as of spiritual direction. Surely it is ill trusting ourselves and counsels and inclina- tions of our own hearts. Blind affections usually govern a man's life ; and all sinners have an evil counsellor in their bosom, some lust or other, and therefore need to be directed. The counsel of the flesh is, Favour thyself. Every evil affection gives ill counsel. Covetousness saith, Preserve thy worldly interest. Voluptuousness saith, You need not be so strict and nice, and abridge yourselves of the comforts of the world. Paul saith, Gal. i. 16, 'I conferred not with flesh and blood.' Flesh and blood are evil counsellors, and under pretence of safety will suggest what is for our ruin. What will the flesh say when it is to be denied, and the blood say when it is to be spilt and shed for God's sake ? These will persuade us rather to please our- selves than please God. They will persuade us to desert our duty.
Prop. 3. The only good counsel that we can have is from God in his word : Ps. Ixxiii. 24, ' Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterwards receive me unto glory.' We have it from God, and we have it from his word ; for there is a guide and a rule. Man is so weak and so perverse that he needs both a guide and a rule. The guide is the Spirit of God, and the rule is the word of God : thou shalt guide me, but by thy counsel. By these two alone can we be led in the way to true happiness. The Spirit he is a sure guide ; and the word, that is a clear rule. We are dark, but the scriptures are not dark. I observed out of the 18th verse, when the saints called upon God, they do not sa)', Lord, make a plainer law, but, Lord, give me better eyes. We are dark, and need the illumination of the Spirit; the scriptures are light : Prov. vi. 23, ' The commandment is a lamp, and the law is light.' In all matters of practical obedience it is clear and open.