An Enquiryafteramans eflate. (9 2. Without this knowledge a man cannot have an accufìng or an exculing confcience in refpet ofhis eftate ; but men may have, yea many men have a confcience accufing them ofbeing in a very bad eítate ; and many men have an excuang confci- ence that plainly doth witnefl'e that they are in a very good and gracious eftate I andmy people are wic.4d,faith pharaoh. His confcience did accule himofbeing in a bad eftate. Iamholy, faith David; I am thy fervant. His confcience told him he was in the Rate ofgrace So that he need not go farre to know what errateyou are in: there is that in your bofome that can decide the matter. 3. Men cannot defire nor flie from an unknown eflate But men are commanded to flie from a bad eftate, and leek out a goodone: Therefore they may know the one and the other O generation of vipers, Who hath warnedyou tofliefrom the wraith to come? Bringforth therefore fruits meetfor repentance, fa th john to the Pharifees. He fuppofeth thefe men might eafily know that they were in a very bad eftate, or elfe how could he fay thus unto them ? Before I come to the Ufes let us confider thefe three things : z. That every man living isborn in a very bad cRate. We all know it well; but oh that we would canfider it : Weare all by nature childrenof wrath. Now here lieth thequeflion,When did wechange our eftate ? We are in the fame Rate ofdamnati- on whereinwe were born except we are come out of it.1 fay, here lieth the queftion, Whether we are come out of it or no, whether we have mended our eftate. 2. Confider that the greaten part ofthe world never mend their eftares : But as they were born in a curled enate, fo they live and die in it, And I fpeak not this of heathen only ; but alas 1 how many in the viable church do fo, how manywere there in theChurch ofPhilippi whom theApofle could not think ofwithout weeping when he conldered in what eftate they were. So in the Church of Corinth, not many wife, not many rich, not many noble called ; but commonly the meaneit in the eye of the world were in the ben eftate towards God. C Nay If. fixod. 9. 27 Pfal.86.z. Match. 3. 7. 8. Eph. z. 3. Phil.; 17. 1 Cor 1. 16,
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