Spiritual Peace and Comfort. '155 and Sorrows and Cares that follow it may be your Duty. Yet Refpec`ively and by remote participati- on even thefe allo mutt be acknowledged fnful ; even as our prayers for that pardon which we have received and knew it not, may by remote participa- tion be called finful ; becaufe ifwe had not finned we Mould not have been ignorant of our own hearts;and if we hadnot been ignorant we shouldnot have Doubted of the leaf true Grace we haveand if we had not fo Doubted,weMould not have feared,or farrowed, orPrayed for that Remifion in that fenfe. But yet though thefe may be called Gnful, as they come from fin, yet more neerly and in themfelves conlidered , on fuppofition of our prefent eftate, they are all Duties1 and great Duties neceffary to ou: Salvation. You may fay to a Thief that begs for pardon Ifthou hadfi notfioln thou hadß not need to have beg'dpardon, Yet fuppofing that he bath foin, it maybe his Duty to beg pardon. And fo you may fay toa poor fearing foui, that fears Dam- nation and Gods wrath, Thom needefi notfear zfthou badfi notfinned. Eut when he bath once by fin ob- fcured his evidences and necellitated Doubting, then is fear,and forrow,and praying for Juftification andpardon, his Duty ; And indeed not fitly to be called fin, but rather a fruit of fin in one refpeti (and fobath fome participation in it) but a fruit of the Spirit, and ofChrifis command in another re- fpe&, and fo a neceffary Duty. For elfe we íhould fay, that it is a fin toRepent and believe in Chrift, and to love him as Redeemer ; For youmay fay to any (inner, Thou needefi not to bave Repented, Be- lieved in a Redeemer, &c. butfor thy finï; Yet I hope none
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