13 / 164
An
Enguiry
after
a
mans
efiate.
ftates',we
can
never
look
well
to
your fouls.Confider
that
piace
in
the Proverbs,
be
diligent
t
know
the
f
ate
of
thy
flock,
and
look
Well
to
thy
herds.
Where
the
wife man firlf
requireth
that
we
(hould look well to our
flocks, and
then
direc`feth
us
in
the
m
an
ner how,
v>z.
by
being diligent
to
know their
efface
how it
ffaudeth with them.
Secondly,
we
are
Gods
labourer
;and
we milli
know
in
what
elate
our work
ffandeth
:
elfe
we may
labour
and labour and
all in
vain
;
we
may
preach and
exhort
and ca'
I
upon
our peo-
ple to
hear
and
;)elieve
and
obey;and
all
this
may
f
±ill
be in
vain,
if
we
do
not
enquire
in
what
efface
they are. This
is
the
rea-
fon
why
Paul
could
not
forbear
fending and enquiring
how
it
flood with the Teffalonians,
in
what ellate
they were
in,
how
it went with
their faith,
whether
they
kept
it
or
no
,
left the
tempter
had
tempted
them,
and
his
labour Ihould
have
been
in
vain
;
for
fo
it had
been
for
all his
preaching and teaching them
if
they
had
not
been
in
a
good
eflate
:
therefore
he
lent
to
know.
Thirdly,
we are
to
take the
care
and
the charge
of
your
fouls:
3.
Now
then
how
can
we
be
quiet
if
we
do
not
know
in
what
e-
ftate
your
fouls be
?
A
good father cannot
be
at quiet if
he
do
not know
how it
is
with
his
children
:
How
if
they
thould
be
lick
?
how
if
undone
?
Oh
it would
comfort
a
good father
ro
know
his
bhildren
to
be in
good
cafe
:
But
if
it
were otherwife
with them, though it
would grieve
him
much,yet
he
had
rather
know it then
not;
for
if he
know
it
he can
better
tell what
to
do.
So
it was
with the Apoffle
;
his
very
bowels
yerned upon
the
Philippians, Oh
my
poore
people,
thought
he,
I
wonder
what
eftate
they be in.
How
if
they
totter
?
how
if
they
m
(carry
?
how
Phil.
z
'9
if
the
Devil
have tempted them
to
fin
and apollatize?
how
if
they
be
in
trouble
of
confcience
?
He could never
be
at
quiet
till
he
knew their eftate
:
I
truft
in
the Lore(
]efi
,
faith
he,
to
fend
ri-
motheue
fhortly
unto you,
that
I
alto
may
be
of
good
c
%mfort
when
I
know
your eftate.
He had
a
great
care
of
their
fouls,
and
there-
fore it would
comfort
his
heart
to
know what
eflate
they
were
in.
Prov.
27.
25,
r
Thef.
3,
s.
$
2
Fourthly,