One Hundred and Ninety Sermons on Psalm 119

1. There is a general direction, and a particular direction: (1) The general direction is in the word, there God hath declared his mind in his statutes: He hath showed thee, O man, what is good, Micah 6. 8. (2) A particular direction by his Spirit, who doth order and direct us how to apply the rule to all our ways, Isa. 58. 11. The Lord shall guide thee continually. Now this particular direction is either to our general choice, Psal. 16. 7. I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel. It is the work of God only to teach us how to apply the rule so as to choose him for our portion. Or secondly, as to acts and orderly exercise of any particular grace, so 2 Thes. 3. 5. The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. Or thirdly, as to the management of our Civil actions; as the pillar of the Cloud went before the Israelites in their Journeys, so doth God still guide his people in all their affairs both as to duty and success. As to Duty, Prov. 3. 6. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Ask his counsel, leave and blessing; in doubtful things ask his counsel; in clear cases ask his leave: Shall I go up or not? and then ask his blessing. As to Success, Prov. 16. 9. A mans heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps. Events cross expectation; we cannot foresee the event of things in the course of a mans life, what is expedient, and what not: Prov. 20. 24. Mans goings are of the Lord, how can a man then understand his own way? We purpose and determine many things rightly, and according to rule, but God disposeth of all events: Rom. 1. 10. Making request (if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God) to come unto you. God brought Paul to Rome by a way he little thought of. Therefore we need to call God to counsel, and to enquire of the Oracle in all matters that concern Family, Commonwealth or Church. We need a guide,