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It was a necessary and a very pertinent conclusion that the servant of God proponed to himself, Psalm 73:23-24, from the sense of his own ignorance, and of his wandering disposition. “Lord,” says he, “I am contmually with thee: thou hast holden me by the right hand:” and then he says, “Thou salt lead me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me into glory.” That which the servant of God did aim at was, to be possessed into that glory which God had promised to his own children: and he knew that it was impossible for him to come there, except the Lord should hold him by the right hand, and guide him by his counsel. And he was sure, if so be that the Lord would be his guide, and reveal his will to him, and make him to seek counsel at his statutes, and they were the men of his counsel, then he knew, albeit that he should meet with many and great difficulties in walking in the way to glory, yet they should not prevail against him, but in despite of them all he should be brought to glory. And this made him to say immediately after this, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and I desire none in earth beside thee:” and this arose upon this ground, he being guided by the counsel of God here, and thereby he was assured of glory hereafter. Therefore he rested in God; and resting and reposing upon God, he found a delight and complacence in him; he counted all things to be but loss for him. And this delight that he had to be guided by the counsel of God here, and the hope that he had of glory hereafter, did exhaust in a manner all the bitterness that he could find in any cross that he could rancounter with; and so to fix his eye only upon God, and to say, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and I desire none in earth beside thee.” And therefore, beloved, as we have great need at all times, but specially at these times, as we would wish to be in glory hereafter, so let us seek now to be guided by the counsel of God: there is no other way to glory but this. And beseech the Lord to make us to know by sense, what it is to hear that voice behind us saying, “This is the way: walk in it;” and this shall keep us that we shall neither turn to the right hand nor to the left, but we shall go straight fordward in the right way. And then we shall be so acquainted with God, as from sense we shall say, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and I desire none in earth, beside thee:” because the only happiness of his people is to be in a communion with him; for although there be need in us, yet there is sufficiency in him. And this is known to his children, not only by faith to believe it, but even by sense also; for having once tasted what is in him, they know that there is enough behind. And because that the beginning of all is to be directed by the counsel of God, and if we would be at glory, we must beseech the Lord to do this,—even to guide us by his counsel and his good spirit. 'We have great need to crave pardon of all our sins, but especially that we have followed the counsel and devices of our own hearts: for they may well have a show of wisdom in our own eyes, and in the eyes of some who behold us in the world, but will not bring us to glory. And, therefore, let us humble ourselves before: the Lord, and crave pardon of all our sins, but especially of this main one,—even the despising the counsel of God; and beseech him that he would direct us by his counsel, that so at last we may be brought to a full fruition of glory.