3. They seek for Grace, and strength, and peace from the Lord Jesus very importunately, and many times very impatiently, and so sinfully too, and the Lord denies them; it hath been better with them than now, therefore they wonder the Lord should be so full, and they so empty, and think sometimes to seek no more, and the Lord denies a dole at this door to, that they might content themselves, and lay up their joys in the Lord Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 12. 9. My Grace is sufficient; It's strange that Christ so able, so ready to help, yet denies: I confess 'tis sometimes some lust and stumbling-block the Lord Jesus sees, Oh but against that they seek, and truly here is the cause, that having no good from him, they might place all their happiness and felicity in him. Look as it was with Jacob, a great Famine co•es, and all the sacks are s•ent, and they are used roughly, though not hardly nor wrongfully, and all was to bring them to the sight and embracings ⟨p. 71⟩of Joseph: all the time of Famine was for this. So the famine of Spirit is to last long, and the Lord denies supply, to bring the Soul to see, embrace, and rejoice in the Lord Jesus: the most flourishing Trees in Gods House shall have their winter season, and cast their coat, that they might preserve themselves in their root. This is the great wound of many a believing soul for a time, to rest more contented with what he receives from the Lord, than to quiet himself and his heart with what is in the Lord: Man would have his lost happiness in his own hand, and this the Lord will not suffer his people to lye in long, Gen. 26. 4. and the best and surest course that can be taken, is to cut them short of all; for Faith is an unconquerable Grace, that whatever it loseth out of its own hand, it will find it and enjoy it in another. And therefore see Gods end, and meet the Lord in this end of his. See all in the Lord, and seeing your blessedness there in all your wants, lay it up there, that if you will boast, here you may do it all the day long: for this is Gods greatest plot to pull all men down that his Son may be set up, to wither all the grass and beauty of all the flowers of the field, that the glory of the Lord might be revealed. I must here give you a taste, for it doth me good to think, and it will do you more good to enjoy the sweetness of this Truth.
3. They seek for Grace, and strength, and peace from the Lord Jesus very importunately, and many times very impatiently, and so sinfully too, and the Lord denies them; it hath been better with them than now, therefore they wonder the Lord should be so full, and they so empty, and think sometimes to seek no more, and the Lord denies a dole at this door to, that they might content themselves, and lay up their joyes in the Lord Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 12. 9. My Grace is sufficient; It's strange that Christ so able, so ready to help, yet denies: I confess 'tis sometimes some lust and stumbling-block the Lord Jesus sees, Oh but against that they seek, and truly here is the cause, that having no good from him, they might place all their happiness and felicity in him. Look as it was with Iacob, a great Famine co•es, and all the sacks are s•ent, and they are used roughly, though not hardly nor wrongfully, and all was to bring them to the sight and embraceings ⟨p. 71⟩of Ioseph: all the time of Famine was for this. So the famine of Spirit is to last long, and the Lord denies supply, to bring the Soul to see, embrace, and rejoyce in the Lord Jesus: the most flourishing Trees in Gods House shall have their winter season, and cast their coat, that they might preserve themselves in their root. This is the great wound of many a believing soul for a time, to rest more contented with what he receives from the Lord, than to quiet himse•f and his heart with what is in the Lord: Man would have his lost happiness in his own hand, and this the Lord will not suffer his people to lye in long, Gen. 26. 4. and the best and surest course that can be taken, is to cut them short of all; for Faith is an unconquerable Grace, that whatever it loseth out of its own hand, it will find it and enjoy it in another. And therefore see Gods end, and meet the Lord in this end of his. See all in the Lord, and seeing your blessedness there in all your wants, lay it up there, that if you will boast, here you may do it all the day long: for this is Gods greatest plot to pull all men down that his Son may be set up, to wither all the grass and be•uty of all the flowers of the field, that the glory of the Lord might be revealed. I must here give you a taste, for it doth me good to think, and it will do you more good to enjoy the sweetnesse of this Truth.
