John Flavel:
If therefore in doubtful cases you would discover God’s will, govern yourselves in your search after it by the following rules:
- Get the true fear of God upon your hearts. Be really afraid of offending him. God will not hide his mind from such a soul. “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant” (Psalm 25:14).
- Study the Word more, and the concerns and interests of the world less. The Word is light to your feet (Psalm 119:105), that is, it has a discovering and directing usefulness as to all duties to be done and dangers to be avoided…
- Reduce what you know into practice, and you shall know what is your duty to practice. “If any man do his will he shall know of the doctrine” (John 7:17). “A good understanding have all they that do his commandments” (Psalm 111:10).
- Pray for illumination and direction in the way that you should go.Beg the Lord to guide you in straits and that he would not permit you to fall into sin…
- And this being done, follow Providence so far as it agrees with the Word and no further. There is no use to be made of Providence against the Word, but in subservience to it.
The Mystery of Providence, 1678, (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 2006), 188–9, emphasis mine.