The divine life in three treatises

2 The Infinite Wisdom of God, must resolve you to take him for your principal Teacher, Counsellor and director in all your undertakings. Who would go seek the advice of a fool, when he may have Infallible wisdom to direct him? In a work of so great difficulty and concernment, a work that Hell and ⟨p. 60⟩Earth and Flesh opposeth; a work that our Everlasting state dependeth on, I think it behoveth us to take the best advice that we can get. And who knoweth the will of God like God? or who knoweth the certain means of salvation like him that is […]ver of salvation? would you know whether it […]a •ortified holy life? Who shall be your coun[…] you advise with your Flesh, you know that it would […]. If you advise with the World of wicked men, you know that they would be imitated, and judge as they are; and are not like to be wise for you, that are so foolish for themselves, as to part with Heaven for a merry dream. If you advise with the Devil, you know he would be obeyed, and have company in his misery. You can advise with none but God, but such as are your Enemies; And will you ask an enemy, a deadly enemy, what course you should take to make you happy? Will you ask the Devil how you may be saved? Or will you ask the blind ungodly world, what course you should take to please the Lord? Or will you ask the Flesh, by what means you may subdue it and become spiritual? If you take advice of Scripture, of the spirit, of a holy well informed Minister, or Christian, or of a renewed well informed Conscience, I take this for your advising with the Lord; But besides these that are his mouth, you can ask advice of none but enemies. But if they were never so much your friends, and wanted wisdom, they could but ignorantly seduce you. And do you think that any of them all, is as wise as God? It is the constant course of a worldly man to advise with the world, and of carnal men to advise with the flesh; and therefore it is that they are hurried to perdition. The flesh is brutish, and will lead you to a brutish life, and if you live after it, undoubtedly you shall die, Rom. 8. 13. and if you sow to it, you shall but reap Corruption, Gal. 6. 6, 7. If you are tempted to Lust, will you ask the flesh that tempteth you whether you should yield?