The poor doubting Christian drawn to Christ. Wherein the main hindrances, which keep men…

For Answer hereunto, I will show WHAT thou mayest expect, and WHAT GOD will undoubtedly bestow. If thou dost believe, Heaven and Salvation are certainly thine, and Perseverance to the End, and that Manner and Measure of Assistance, that may make thee fit for Perseverance: These three Things grow here. But for temporal Blessings which we desire, and that Measure of spiritual Blessings which we would have; so much Grace, and so much Assistance, and so much Abilities to do Duties; God doth not engage himself to bestow these. But that which God engageth himself to bestow, both for temporal and spiritual Blessings, it may be discovered in these three Particulars: So much Grace and Assurance of God's Love, and so much Comfort in Grace as he sees fit for thee, after his own Order, and in his own Time. I will open ⟨p. 121⟩them all, because many do here bungle wonderfully.

For Answer hereunto, I will shew WHAT thou may'st expect, and WHAT GOD will undoubtedly bestow. If thou dost believe, Heaven and Salvation are certainly thine, and Perseverance to the End, and that Manner and Measure of Assistance, that may make thee fit for Perseverance: These three Things grow here. But for temporal Blessings which we desire, and that Measure of spiritual Blessings which we would have; so much Grace, and so much Assistance, and so much Abilities to do Duties; God doth not engage himself to bestow these. But that which God engageth himself to bestow, both for temporal and spiritual Blessings, it may be discovered in these three Particulars: So much Grace and Assurance of God's Love, and so much Comfort in Grace as he sees fit for thee, after his own Order, and in his own Time. I will open ⟨p. 121⟩them all, because many do here bungle wonderfully.

1 First; He will bestow them in his own Order, not thy Order. First, He will make thee fit, and make thee good, that thou mayest be able to digest them, and then he will bestow them on thee. Haply a poor Man is driven to desperate Hazard, and is brought miserably under, and therefore the Heart cries earnestly for some more Supply; and he calls and GOD answers not; and he labours to look up to the Promise, where GOD saith, Nothing shall be wanting to him, and yet it cometh not. I say, GOD will give these in his own Order-First, GOD will make thee fit for this Estate, and then give it. I never knew a good Man desperately poor, but his Heart was desperately proud; therefore the Lord will make him good, and make his proud Heart yield, and then bestow these Things: Look for that first, and then for the other.