November 21

Thou shall guide me with thy counsel. - Psalms 73:24.

THIS determination to place ourselves under the guidance of the Almighty implies the renunciation of pride and vanity, the sacrifice of self-will, self-conceit, and self-sufficiency. It implies a willingness to have our inclinations crossed, and our fond earthly hopes destroyed. And we may feel assured of this,-that the man is a stranger to the thing itself, whoever he is, who views it as an easy attainment. No; such a character is not formed without strong supplications to Him who is able to keep us from falling, -much striving against besetting sins, much observation upon the misery and mistakes of others, much experience of those evils to which we have found ourselves exposed when, instead of trusting in the Lord with all our heart, we have leaned to our own understanding. And, after all, there are some remains of this wretched leaven still left in the Christian.

But there are distinguished, there are hallowed, heavenly hours, in which the Christian, with a holy heroism, can relinquish all, and, falling upon his knees, can say, “The Lord shall choose mine inheritance for me;” “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterwards receive me to glory.” The generality of mankind have no abiding impression of God upon their minds; they do not refer to God’s glory in their pursuits, nor do they use means to ascertain his will in reference to their movements in life, nor are they desirous to secure his approbation.

Let us therefore, in reference to any important removal in prospect, seek divine guidance, and turn not to the right hand nor to the left but as we see the pillar of his providence directing us,-never moving without a conviction of its being right; otherwise we cannot expect peace and satisfaction. How much attaches, as to our future course through life, upon any wrong step we may take! Such a course may produce a thousand bitter regrets, and cause repentance to be quartered upon us for the rest of our life.

Where, then, is our safety but in seeking direction of the Lord, saying, “Thou, Lord, shalt choose our inheritance for us”?