AnEnquiryafter a mans ("late, '3 it this reflexive aft, but only man. The fire burneth, but it can not reflect upon its own burning : Oculus on videt fe videre, The eye feeth, but it doth not fee that it doth fee : that is, that creature doth not perceive what it doth when it feeth. But every man hath this reflexive aft in him, whereby he is privy to whithimfelf thinketh, doth, is. None k iorreth the things of a man fave the fpirit ofa man that is in bim. This is the reafon why fome know not what eftate they are in,becaufe they choke their own fpirit, and hoodwink their confciences. Thine own heart knowethhow it is with thee, and would faithfully tell thee if thou wouldftenquire of it and hearken unto ir. Search with Gods candle, and thou may fl eafily find what is in thee. The fpirit ofa man is the candle oftheLord, fearching all the inward parts of the belly. 4. Ye may know what a Rate ye are in by a certain kind of feeling. As there is a kind of bodily feeling whereby every man knoweth the eftate ofhis body whether he be Fick or in health, fo there is a fpiritual feeling. The two difciples did feel their hearts burn: Paul did feel a great combat inhim between the fle(h and the fpirit: So ifmen be covetous and worldly, they may feel it. Yet indeed force men be pail feeling: Their cafe is the worfe beraufe they cannot feel how bad it is : But for the molt, they may eafily feel what their cu ate is. The third ufe is,to fhow you the impediments that hinder this knowledge. Ifyou would attein toknowwhat eflate you are in, then remove t he impediments ; which are r . Vain thoughts. Men who are in a flare of (inne and wrath, yet have many vain thoughts lodging wtihin rhem,keep- ing them fromknowing it : God is mercifull ; and Chrift diedfor finners ; and, There be worfe Jnners then they; why fbould they thinkfo ill of themfelves? and, they may be better all in good time: Thefevain thoughtshoodwink the?r eyes that they cannot fee their eflate, nor refolve that it is fo dangerousas indeed it is. O Jerufalem, zvafh thy heartfromwickednes : how long fhall thefe vain thoughts lodge within thee ? They were in a very bad e- flate; and yet they had fuch vain thoughts that they could not fee it. C 3 2.Pre- 1. Cor, i. I I. prou. so. 27. Luk. 24. 3z Eph. 419. 7>fe 3. Impedi- ments. jer. 4.14.
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