Use 3. To press us to this consulting with the word of God, to make the testimonies of the Lord the men of our counsel. There are many qualifications and tempers of heart necessary.
1. Fear of God : Ps. xxv. 12, * What man is he that feareth the Lord ? him will he teach the way that he shall choose ; ' he that is in doubt and perplexed, and would have counsel from God's word. Who is the man that is like to have it? He that feareth the Lord. There is a great suitableness between the qualification and the pro- mise. Partly he that fears God hath a greater awe of the word than others have, and is loath to do anything contrary to God's will ; he would fain know what is God's mind in every particular case : Ps. cxix. 161, ' My heart standeth in awe of thy word.' To offend God, and to baulk the direction of God's word, that is the greatest terror to him, greater than all other dangers. Now such a man is less apt to mis- carry by the rashness and impetuous bent of carnal affections. And he that fears God, he aims at God's glory rather than his own interest, and so is rather swayed by reasons of conscience and religion than of carnal concernments. Many times the doubtfulness that is upon the spirit is because of conflicts between lust and knowledge ; our light is weakened by an inordinate affection to our own interest, otherwise we would soon come to the deciding our case by the word of God. Now he that would fliin know God's mind in everything, this is the man whom God will direct.
2. The second qualification is 'the meek:' Ps. xxv. 9, ' The meek he v*'ill guide in judgment, and the meek he will teach his way.' By the meek is meant a man humble, that will submit himself to God, whatever condition he shall appoint. This man God in his word will teach and direct.
3. The third qualification mentioned in order to this is a constant
234 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [ SeR. XXVI.
dependence upon God : Prov. v. 6, ' Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding : in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.' Oh ! when a man is brought off from this spiritual idolatry, of making his bosom to be his oracle, and his own heart to be his counsellor, when he doth in the poverty of his spirit humbly and entirely cast himself upon the help of God, and acknowledge him in all his ways, then he shall see a clear direction what God would have him to do. You have another place to this purpose, Ps. cxliii. 8, ' Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk ; for I lift up my soul unto thee.' Oh ! when a man goes every morning to God, and desires the direction of his Spirit, and pro- fesseth to God in the poverty of his own spirit that he knows not how to guide his way for that day, then God will teach him the way he shall Avalk. So Ps. XXV. 4, 5, ' Show me thy ways, 0 Lord ; teach me thy paths.' What is his argument ? ' On thee do I wait all the day.' When yon live in a constant dependence upon God, then will the Lord undertake to direct and guide you.
4. Obedience or Christian practice, that is one of the qualifications that make you capable for direction from the word of God : John vii. 17, ' If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God.' A man does not know whether this opinion or that be according to God's mind, when there are plausible pretences on every side. He that maketh conscience of known truth, and walketh up to his light, he that doth not search to satisfy curiosity, but out of a thorough resolution to obey and submit his neck to the yoke of Christ, whatever he shall find to be the way of Christ, that man shall know what is the way in times of centroversy and doubtful uncertainty. He that will say, as a famous German divine, If we had six hundred necks, let us submit them all to the yoke of Christ; he that is resolved to submit to the mind of Christ, how contrary soever to his interest, to the prejudices and prepossessions of his own heart, he shall know the doctrine that is of God.
SBKMON XXVL
My soul cleavetJi unto the dust : quicken tliou me according to thy word. — Ver. 25.
The man of God in this psalm had spoken before of the common and universal benefits of the word, as it agreeth to all times and conditions of believers ; for it belongeth to all, in what state soever they are, to look upon it as a direction in the way to get true happiness, and to stir up suitable affections in their hearts. Now he shovveth what use the word hath in each special condition, especially in the time of great afflictions. David did often change states, but his affection to the word never changeth.