" Gal. vi. 7.

This is the first necessity of the duty which this text holdeth forth. The
Lord requireth of us not only to do his will for the future, but to be
ashamed for what we have done amiss before.

The other necessity of it, which is also in the text, is this: That except
we be thus ashamed and humbled, God hath not promised to show us the
pattern of his house, nor to reveal his will unto us; which agreeth well
with that, Psal. xxv. 9, "The meek will he teach his way;" and ver. 12,
"What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that
he shall choose;" and ver. 14, "The secret of the Lord is with them that
fear him, and he will show them his covenant." There is sanctification in
the affections, and here is humiliation in the affections, spoken of as
necessary means of attaining the knowledge of the will of God. Let the
affections be ordered aright, then light which is offered shall be seen
and received; but let light be offered when disordered affections do
overcloud the eye of the mind, then all is in vain.

In this case a man shall be like "the deaf adder" (Psal. lviii. 4, 5,)
which will not be taken by the voice of the charmers, "charming never so
wisely." Let the helm of reason be stirred as well as you can imagine, if
there be a contrary wind in the sails of the affections, the ship will not
answer to the helm. It is a good argument: He is a wicked man, a covetous
man, a proud man, a carnal man, an unhumbled man; therefore he will
readily miscarry in his judgment. So divines have argued against the
Pope's infallibility! The Pope hath been, and may be a profane man;
therefore he may err in his judgment and decrees. And what wonder that
they who receive not the love of the truth be given over to "strong
delusion, that they should believe a lie?" 2 Thess. ii. 9, 10. It is as
good an argument: He is a humbled man, and a man that feareth God;
therefore, in so far as he acteth and exerciseth those graces, the Lord
shall teach him in the way that he shall choose. I say, in so far as he
acteth those graces,--because when he grieves the Spirit, and cherisheth
the flesh, when the child of God is more swayed by his corruptions than by
his graces, then he is in great danger to be given up to the counsel of
his own heart, and to be deserted by the Holy Ghost, which should lead him
"into all truth," John xvi. 13.

But we must take notice of a seeming contradiction here in the text. God
saith to the