Truly brethren, when I see the curse of God upon many christians that are now grown full of their parts, gifts, peace, comforts, abilities, duties; I stand adoring the riches of the Lords mercy to a little handful of poor believers, not only in making them empty, but in keeping of them so, all their days; and therefore come to the Lord, poor, empty, naked, nothing, cursed, in the sense of thy want of all things, for all things, and then receive with gladness, yet boldness and holy confidence, not only pardon of some sins, but of all; believe, answer not to some prayers, but all. Embrace in thy bosom not some few promises, but all. It is a great case of conscience, When may a christian take a promise without presumption, ⟨p. 212⟩as spoken to him, and given to him in particular; and the rule is very sweet, but certain: when he takes all the Scripture and embraceth it as spoken unto him, he may then take any particular proper promise boldly; my meaning is, when a Christian takes hold and wrestles with God for the accomplishment of all the promises of the New Testament, when he sets all the commands before him, as his rule and compass and guide to walk after; when he applies all the threatenings to drive him nearer unto Christ the end of them; this no hypocrite can do, this the Saints should do, and by this may know, when the Lord speaks in any particular unto them; go I say again therefore unto the Lord for all, and in the sense of all your emptiness be abundantly comforted, that though you do not find supply from Christ, yet you come unto the Lord Christ for it: it is a certain rule, you shall not alway want that good which you come to Christ to supply, nor alway be mastered with that sin which you come to Christ with, to take away: only then be sure you come for all; otherwise you do not come truly: come first for Christ himself, and then (as I said) for all his benefits.
Truly brethren, when I see the curse of God upon many christians that are now grown full of their parts, gifts, peace, comforts, abilities, duties; I stand adoring the riches of the Lords mercy to a little handfull of poore beleevers, not only in making them empty, but in keeping of them so, all their dayes; and therefore come to the Lord, poore, empty, naked, nothing, cursed, in the sense of thy want of all things, for all things, and then receive with gladnesse, yet boldnesse and holy confidence, not only pardon of some sins, but of all; beleeve, answer not to some prayers, but all. Embrace in thy bosome not some few promises, but all. It is a great case of conscience, When may a christian take a promise without presumption, ⟨p. 212⟩as spoken to him, and given to him in particular; and the rule is very sweet, but certaine: when hee takes all the Scripture and embraceth it as spoken unto him, hee may then take any particular proper promise boldly; my meaning is, when a Christian takes hold and wrastles with God for the accomplishment of all the promises of the New Testament, when he sets all the commands before him, as his rule and compasse and guide to walke after; when he applyes all the threatnings to drive him nearer unto Christ the end of them; this no hypocrite can doe, this the Saints should doe, and by this may know, when the Lord speaks in any particular unto them; go I say again therefore unto the Lord for all, and in the sense of all your emptinesse be abundantly comforted, that though you doe not find supply from Christ, yet you come unto the Lord Christ for it: it is a certaine rule, you shall not alway want that good which you come to Christ to supply, nor alway be mastered with that sinne which you come to Christ with, to take away: only then be sure you come for all; otherwise you doe not come truly: come first for Christ himselfe, and then (as I said) for all his benefits.
