io An Enquiryafter a mans e ate. Nay more Chen fo; Manyof them who feek to get into a good efiate miffe of it and perifb. See, Lug t 3. 24. Strive to enter in at thefirait gate:Mark,it's a firait gate,and lettethbut few in :for many (hall feek to enter in andfhallnot be able. Here and there a few, even where the confiant miniflery is, 3. 3. Confider that it is a marvellous hard thing to pafie from Rate unto !late, from a bad unto a good eftate. There is a ve- ry vafl gulf between the fiateof finne and the fiate ofgrace, and it is marvellous hard to paffe it. Thefe things premifed, the Ufes follow, Ube r, r. This point may bemany ways uleful : Firft, for inftru- Of In- aion. If God had made it pofïìble unto us to find out what ítruii- elate every one ofus is in, then lure he would have us go a- on. bout it and enquire after it. God might have left us toperifh It is every inour natural blindnefie, never to have known in what cafe we mans duty had been, untill we were paft recovery. Firf, we are all wande- to enquire rers from God, and from the ways of peace, and therefore after his Godmight jufily have fuffered us for ever to have wandred, ef}ate. and never to have been able to find out whether we had been right or wrong. Secondly, God hath dealt fo with force : He hath lhfered force to go on all their days blindfold to hell. Thus the Lorddealt with the Scribes and Pharifees. Let them a- lone, faithhe, they be blind leaders ofthe blind, and ifthe blind Match, x 5. lead the blind, they Will bothfall into the ditch. Ye fee theLord r. hathdealt fowith Tome; and it is his mercy he hath not dealt fowith us. Sith God hath made it poflible for us toknow, it is our duty to enquire after it : And that yet further for thefe reafons, Reafons. r .Firft,becaufe the Lord commandeth it : Examine your oWn z. Cor 15. (elves whether ye be in thefaith, prove your(elves : know ye not your oWn[ elveshoW that 7efusChriil is inyou,except ye berepro- bates? Vv here you fee the Apoffle commandeth the duty of felf-trial; And confider how he preflèth it upon us : r . Doye not le oW what efiate you are in? then examine and enquire,. 2. Doye think. you are M agoodeftate I look, ye proveit, and be Areyou be not in an errour. Doyeobject ye do not know, neither can
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=