SERMON XII. Ifaiah 26. 4. Trust in the Lord for ever, for in the L ET us alfo truft in God with Relation to Temporals. I fhall here instance in Four Particulars. Let us truft in God for Counsel and Advice in all our Affairs; let us trust in him for Safety and Preservation in all our dangers; let us trust him for fupply of all our wants; and let us truft in him for our posterity, and those that come after us. 1. Let us truft in God for Counsel and Advice in all our Affairs. A Man shall often find in the courfe of his life, that he is in those Circumstances, and furrounded with thofe Difficulties, that he 463 he knows not what to do,or which way to turn him. He can neither refolve himself what is fitteft and fafeft to be done; neither can he meet with any other Man that can refolve him. Now in fuch perplexities, what other course hath he to betake himfelf unto, then to Look up unto God, ask counsel of him, and depend on him for it? This he hath all manner of Encouragement to do, whether he fhall confider the Wif dom of God, the Goodness of God, the Promises, or his own Experience. 1. The Wisdom of God is fuch, that there is no Cafe, there can be no Case fo Intangled, fo Difficult, fo Perplexed, but he is able to counsel and advise, to direct and guide a Man therein. Though the Wisest amongst Men may be at their wits end, yet his Wifdom is never at a lofs. 'Tis eafie for him by the unerring due of his Advice, to lead us in a plain and smooth way out of those perplexities which no Wit of Man can difintangle us from. 2. The Goodness of God is fuch, as that he will not deny us his Counsel, Direction and Guidance, when in the fense of our own weakness and utter disability to direct our own steps, we have recourse to him for counsel, and relye upon him for his guidance. God never fails to fhew them the course they should take, and to point out to thema fafe way, who in their Distreffes and Perplexities trust in him, and cast themfelves upon him. 3. He hath by many promises affured them thereof,if they look up to him, trust in him, and commit themselves and their affairs to his Conduct, Counfel, Guidance and Difpofal. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass, Pfal. 37. 5. Commit thy works unto the Lord, and the thoughts of thy heart shall be eftablished, Prov. 16.3. Trust in the Lord with all thy heart, lean not to thy own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths, Prov. 3. 5. Thine ears fhall here a word behind thee, Saying, this is the way, walk in it, when thou turneft to the right hand, and to the left, Ifa. 30. 21. I am the Lord thy God that teacheth thee to profit, and leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldeft go, Ifa. 48. 17. The Lord fhall guide thee continually, Ifa. 58. 11. If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God, who giveth liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be Hh given given him, James 1. 5. Add thereunto that 'tis the Style and Title of Christ to be the Counsellor of his Church, Ifa. 9.6. and the Apostle speaking of Christ,faith, He is of God made unto it wisdom as well as righteousness, fanctification, and redemption, 1 Cor. 1. 30. By all thefe Scriptures it appears, that God is most ready to counfel, advife, direct, and guide those who come unto him, and relye on him for it. But here however we must take one caution along with us, which is this; whenfoever we ask counfel of God, and beg his directions in any thing, we must be careful to get our hearts to be fo framed and difpofed as that we may be truly willing to be ruled by him; to receive and follow whatever counsel he is pleafed to give us. We often ask counfel when we are refolved before hand what course to take; and when our Refolutions and Purposes are fo fixed already as no counfel that can be given us fhall be of force to remove us.When therefore we would address our felves to God for counsel in any Business or matter of concernment to us; 'tis a great and a moft neceffary thing that we should in the First place labour to get our hearts fubdued to the will of God, and that we fhould bring them to a perfect willingness to be at his difpofal in the Bufinefs concerning which, we apply our felves to God for counsel; for otherwise we do but mock God when we ask counfel of him, as did the diffembling and falfe-hearted Jews, Fer. 42. 20. Who being already refolved to go down into Egypt came to the Prophet to inquire of the Lord whether they should go thither or no. And though we be not fully refolved what to do, yet many times we shall observe a fenfible Byas and ftrong Inclination in our hearts one way rather than the other way. Till this Inordinate Byas and Inclination be in fome measure removed, and till our hearts come to be equally poifed, and to be in a readiness to do any thing, to take any course that shall appear unto us to be according to the mind and will of God therein. I fay till our hearts be come to this frame, we are not fit to ask counfel of God, neither have any reason to expect that he should be ready to counfel us. For to what end fhould he counsel us when he fees we are not willing to be counfelled by him? To what purpose should he fay to us, This Hhà is |