The right method for a settled peace of conscience, and spiritual comfort in 32…

And let me further acquaint you with this difference between these Doubtings, and your Fears and Sorrows that follow thereupon. Though the Doubting it self be your sin, yet I suppose that the Fears and Sorrows and Cares that follow it may be your Duty. Yet Respectively and by remote participation even these also must be acknowledged sinful; even as our prayers for that pardon which we have received and knew it not, may by remote participation be called sinful: because if we had not sinned we should not have been ignorant of our own hearts: and if we had not been ignorant we should not have Doubted of the least true Grace we have: and if we had not so Doubted, we should not have Feared or Sorrowed or Prayed for that Remission in that sense. But yet though these may be called sinful, as they come from sin, yet more nearly and in themselves considered on supposition of our present estate, they are all Duties, and great Duties necessary to our Salvation. You may say to a Thief that begs for pardon, If thou hadst not stolen thou hadst not need to have begged pardon. Yet supposing that he hath stolen it may be his Duty to beg pardon. And so you may ⟨p. 202⟩say to a poor fearing soul, that fears Damnation and Gods wrath, Thou needest not fear if thou hadst not sinned. But when he hath once by sin obscured his evidences, and necessitated Doubting, then is fear and sorrow and praying for Justification and pardon, his Duty: And indeed not fitly to be called sin, but rather a fruit of sin in one respect (and so hath some participation in it) but a fruit of the Spirit and of Christs command in another respect, and so a necessary Duty. For else we should say, that it is a sin to Repent and Believe in Christ, and to love him as Redeemer: For you may say to any sinner, Thou needest not to have Repented, Believed in a Redeemer, &c. but for thy sin; Yet I hope none will say that so doing is properly a sin, though doing them defectively is. God doth not will and approve of it, that any soul that can see no signs of Grace and sincerity in it self, should yet be as confident, and merry and careless, as if they were certain that all were well. God would not have men doubt of his Love, and yet make light of it: This is a contempt of him. Else what should poor carnal sinners do that find themselves unsanctified.

And let me further acquaint you with this difference between these Doubtings, and your Fears and Sorrows that follow thereupon. Though the Doubting it self be your sin, yet I suppose that the Fears and Sorrows and Cares that follow it may be your Duty. Yet Respectively and by remote participation even these also must be acknowledged sinfull; even as our prayers for that pardon which we have received and knew it not, may by remote participation be called sinfull: because if we had not sinned we should not have been ignorant of our own hearts: and if we had not been ignorant we should not have Doubted of the least true Grace we have: and if we had not so Doubted, we should not have Feared or Sorrowed or Prayed for that Remission in that sense. But yet though these may be called sinfull, as they come from sin, yet more neerly and in themselves considered on supposition of our present estate, they are all Duties, and great Duties necessary to our Salvation. You may say to a Thief that begs for pardon, If thou hadst not stoln thou hadst not need to have beg'd pardon. Yet supposing that he hath stoln it may be his Duty to beg pardon. And so you may