The Lord specifies no conditions except that you hunger for His mercy, desire His counsel, and long for His love. "Ask." The asking, makes it manifest that you realize your necessity; and if you ask in faith you will receive. The Lord has pledged His word, and it cannot fail. If you come with true contrition you need not feel that you are presumptuous in asking for what the Lord has promised. When you ask for the blessings you need, that you may perfect a character after Christ's likeness, the Lord assures you that you are asking according to a promise that will be verified. That you feel and know you are a sinner is sufficient ground for asking for His mercy and 131 compassion. The condition upon which you may come to God is not that you shall be holy, but that you desire Him to cleanse you from all sin and purify you from all iniquity. The argument that we may plead now and ever is our great need, our utterly helpless state, that makes Him and His redeeming power a necessity.

Herren påpeger ingen særskilte betingelser uden den, at du hungrer efter hans barmhjertighed, ønsker hans råd og længes efter hans kærlighed. »Bed.« Bønnen gør det åbenbart, at du erkender din trang, og dersom du beder i tro, vil du få. Herren har stillet sit ord til pant, og ordet kan ikke slå fejl. Hvis du kommer med virkelig anger, behøver du ikke at tænke, at det er formasteligt at bede om det, som Herren har lovet, Når du beder om de velsignelser, du behøver for at kunne fuldkomme en karakter efter Kristi billede, giver Herren dig den forsikring, at du beder i overensstemmelse med et løfte, der vil blive opfyldt. Når du føler og ved, at du er en synder, er dette et tilstrækkeligt grundlag for bøn om hans miskundhed og barmhjertighed. Betingelsen for, at du kan komme til Gud, er ikke, at du er hellig, men at du ønsker, at han skal rense dig fra al synd og lutre dig fra al uretfærdighed. Den grund, vi nu og altid kan påberåbe os, er vor store trang og vor yderst hjælpeløse tilstand, der gør ham og hans genløsende kraft til en nødvendighed.