SPIRITUAL PEACE AND COMFORT. 295 and avoiding what is forbidden. Now, it is too certain that every true believer is guilty of a frequent neglect of duty, yea, of known duty. We know we should love God more abundantly, and de- light in him; and meditate 'more on him, and pray more oft and earnestly than we do, and instruct our families more diligently, and speak against sin mote boldly, and admonish our neighbors more faithfully, with many the like. " The good that we would do, we do not;" Rom. vii. 19: Nay, the flesh so striveth against the Spirit, that "We cannot do the good we would;" Gal. v. 17. Nay, manya true Christian, in time of temptation, hath been drawn to omit secret prayer, or family duties, almost wholly for a certain . space of time ; yea, and perhaps to be so corrupted in his judg- ment for a time, as to think he doth well in it, as also in forbearing praising Godby psalms, receiving the sacraments, arid communicat- ing with the church, hearing the word publicly, etc. (for what duty almost is not denied of late ?) and perhaps may not only omit re- lieving the poor for a time, but excuse it. Now, what man can punctually determine just how often a true Christian may be guilty of any suchomission ? and just how long he'may continue it ? and what the duties be which he may possibly so omit, and what not? So also in sins ofcommission. Alas, what sins did Noah, Lot, David, Selomóri, Asa, Peter, etc. commit ! If we.should say as, the Papists and Arminians, that these, being mortal sins, do for the time, till repentance restore him, cast a true Christian out of God's favor into a state of damnation ; then what man breathing is able to enumerate Those mortal sins, and tell us which be so damning, and which not? Nay, if he could say, drunkenness is one, and gluttony another, who can set the punc- tual stint, and say, 'Just so many bits a man must eat before he be a glutton; or just so muchhe must drink before he be a drimk- ard; or by such a sign the turning point may be certainly known? We may have signs by which we may be tried at the bar of mat, ; but these are none of them taken from that smallest degree, which specifieth and denominates the sin before Gode If we avoid the forpsaid opinion that one such sin doth bring us into the state of damnation, yet is the difficulty never the less ; for it is certain, that "he that commits sin is of the devil ; " 1 John iii. 8. and there are spots which are not the spots of God's children ; and all true faith will mortify the world to us, and us to it; Gal. vi. 14. and " he that is in Christ bath crucified the, flesh, with the affections and lusts thereof'.' (chap. v. 24.); and,that " if we live after the flesh we shall die ;" Rom. viii. 13. And " his servants we are to whom we obey, whether of sinunto death, or of obedience unto righteousness;" chap. vi: 16. And "if we delight in iniquity, or regard it, God will not hear oui prayers; " Psal. lxvi. 18. And 1
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