COMMAND IX.
That we must ask of God daily;
and without doubting.
AGAIN he said unto me; remove from
thee all doubting; and question
nothing at all when thou askest
any thing of the Lord; saying
within thyself, how shall I
be able to ask any thing of the
Lord and receive it, seeing I have
so greatly sinned against him?
2 Do not think thus, but turn
unto the Lord with all thy heart,
and ask of him without doubting,
and thou shalt know the mercy of
the Lord; bow that he will not
forsake thee, but will fulfil the
request of thy soul.
3 For God is not as men, mindful
of the injuries he has received;
but he forgets injuries, and has
compassion upon his creature.
4 Wherefore purify thy heart
from all the vices of this present
world; and observe the commands
I have before delivered unto thee
from God; and thou shall receive
whatsoever good things thou shalt
ask, and nothing shall be wanting
unto thee of all thy petitions; if
thou shalt ask of the Lord without
doubting.
5 But they that are not such,
shall obtain none of those things
which they ask. For they that are
full of faith, ask all things with
confidence, and receive from the
Lord, because they ask without
doubting. But he that doubts,
shall hardly live unto God, except
he repent.
6 Wherefore purify thy heart
from doubting, and put on faith,
and trust in God, and thou shall
receive all that thou shalt ask.
But if thou shouldest chance to
ask something, and not immediately
receive it, yet do not therefore
doubt, because thou hast not
presently received the petition
of thy soul.
7 For it may be thou shalt not
presently receive it for thy trial,
or else for some sin which thou
knowest not. But do not thou
leave off to ask, and then thou
shalt receive. Else if thou shalt
cease to ask, thou must complain
of thyself, and not of God, that he
has not given unto thee what thou
didst desire.
8 Consider therefore this doubting
how cruel and pernicious it is;
and how it utterly roots out many
from the faith, who were very
faithful and firm. For this doubting
is the daughter of the Devil, and
deals very wickedly with the
servants of God.