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An Enquiry

after

a

mans

eflate,

I)

That

á

man

may

know

his

ef}ate,

proved.

ry

fhrewd

ligne.

Paul

perfecuted

the

truth;

but

yet, faith he,

I

obtained

mercy, becaufe

I

did

it

ignorantly,

t

Tim

r.

t

3.

inti-

mating

that

if

he

had done

is

againft

knowledge

he

had been

in

danger to

have

found no

mercy. And

therefore

ye

that

mock

and

hate thofe wages which

God

hath

commanded

,

I

befeech

you, take

heed

left

ye

fin

unpardonably.

2.

Abtolute

apoUafie

is a

fhrewd

ligne

too

of

reprobation

When

men

have

been very

forward

in

the profeffion

of

the

truth,

and

fall

totally

away

and prove miferably profaine,

as

the Apoille

fheweth,

Heb.

6.6.

3.

Finali impenitency. This

is

an

infallible ligne

of

reproba-

tion,

when

a

man liveth

in

fin,

dieth

in fin,

and

goeth

away

without repentance,

Luke

13.

3.

Except

ye

repent

ye

fhall

all

likewife perifh.

There

be

many

of

us

have

stood

out long

in im-

penitency;

ict

us

take heed

left

if

we

Ray

any

longer

we fall

upon this

great

evil.

I return to

the

point;

A

man may come

to

the

knowledge

of

his

own eRate before

God.

I

do

not

mean,

Whether

he

be

in

the Rate

of elebion

or reprobation:

but

he may

know

,

Whether

hebein

the Rate

of

falvation

or damnation, that

is,

Whether

he be

in

the

way

that

leadeth

to

heaven

or

hell,

Whe-

ther

he

be in

filch a

cafe

that

if

he die

now

he

(hall

be fa-

ved

or

not

faired

:

Every

man

may

thus

know

in

what

eRate

he

is

;

Becaute

the

word

of

God

fheweth

a

man this

:

As

for

exam-

ple,

He

that

committcthfinne

is

of

the

devil. Mark

;

the Apoftle

telleth

us

what

eRate

that

man

is

in

that

liveth

in

[inne,

in

a

very

bad

eftate.

So

on the

contrary;

He

that

loath

this

hope

purgeth

himfelfe.

Mark

;

the

Apoftle

telleth

us

what

eftate

that

man

is

in

who

purgeth

himfelfe

;

he is

in

a

very

good

cu

ate,

in

a

Rate

of

true hope

in

Chrift. And

fo

r,

Cor-

6.

o.

the

Apo

-

Rle namech divers

who are

not

in

the

Rate

of

falvation but

of

damnation

:

if

they die

in fuch

cafe

they

cannot inherit the

kingdome

of

heaven

.

So

that

if

a

man will but fearch

the

word,

and

beleeve

that God doth

fay

true,

he may

know

his

cítate

2.

Without