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An
Enquiry
after
a
mans
eflate.
(9
2.
Without
this
knowledge
a
man
cannot
have an accufìng
or
an
exculing confcience
in
refpet
of
his
eftate
;
but
men may
have, yea
many men
have
a
confcience
accufing
them
of
being
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
and
my
people
are wic.4d,
faith pharaoh.
His
confcience
did
accule him
of
being
in
a
bad
eftate.
I
am
holy,
faith
David;
I
am
thy
fervant.
His
confcience
told
him he
was
in
the
Rate
of
grace
So
that
he
need
not
go
farre
to know
what errate
you 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
good
one:
Therefore
they
may
know the one
and the
other
O
generation of vipers,
Who
hath
warned
you
to
flie
from
the
wraith
to
come?
Bring
forth
therefore
fruits
meet
for
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
is
born
in
a
very bad cRate.
We
all
know
it
well; but oh
that
we would canfider
it
:
We
are
all
by
nature
children
of wrath.
Now
here
lieth the
queflion,When
did
we
change our eftate
?
We
are
in
the
fame
Rate
of
damnati-
on wherein
we
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
of
the
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
of
Philippi
whom
theApofle
could
not
think
of
without
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,