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Rom. vi. 16, 18, 19, 20, 22. Neither do they sin the sin unto death, 1 John v. 17, 18, which all unregenerate men may, and some do. Yet for all this, it may, and often does come to pass, that, partly from Satan's malice and power, partly from the remains of corrupt nature, and partly from God's just judgments on many, because of their negligence and presumption, their conceit of their own strength, or their censoriousness and unmercifulness to them that had fallen, that true Christians may fall into some particular gross sin or sins, for matter, greater than ever before conversion.

(4.) Doubts of sanctification from the want of affectionate sorrow for sin; and the defects of repentance.

Others yet complain and say, they fear they have not repented, they feel that they cannot repent; for they cannot grieve as they ought. They can pour out floods of tears, more than enough for crosses, but many times they cannot shed one tear for sin. They do nothing as they ought to do. They live in their sins still. How then can they be said to have repented, and to be sanctified?

If by doing as you ought, you mean perfectly fulfilling every point and circumstance of the law, never any mere man did thus; if you could do as you ought, what need have you of Christ Jesus as a Saviour and an Advocate?

But if by doing as you ought, you mean a doing according as God, now, qualifying the rigor of the law by the graciousness of the gospel, does require of you, and in Christ will accept of you; namely, to will and endeavour in truth to do the whole will of God; then, if you will, desire, and endeavour to mourn for sin, to repent, and obey as you should, you may truly be said to do as you ought, Isa. i. 19. And in this case, look by faith to the perfect obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ, your surety and redeemer, Rom. viii. 4.

And as for weeping at crosses, sooner or more than for sins, this does not always argue more grief for one than for the other: for weeping is an effect of the body, following much the temper thereof; also sense apprehends a natural object, or matter of bodily grief, in