That a man may know his eflate, proved. Reafons r Joh.3.8. i Joh,3 3. An Enquiry after a mans eate . ry lhrewd fiigne. Pam/ perfecuted the.truth; but yet,-faith he, I obtained mercy, becaufe I did it ignorantly, r Tura T. 13. inti- mating that if he had done it again[' knowledge he had been in danger to have found no mercy. And therefore ye that mock and hate thofe wat-es which God bath commanded , I befeech you, take heed lei} ye fin unpardonably. a. Ablolute apoltale 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 ptofaine, as the Apoftle fheweth, Heb. 6, 6. 3. Finali impenitency. This is an infallible figne of reproba- tion, when a man liveth in fin, dieth in fin, and goeth away without repentance, Luke 13. 3. Except ye repent ye !hall all likervife perijh. There be many of us have Rood out long in im- penitency; kt us take heed left if we flay any longer we fall upon this great evil. I return to the point; A man may come to the knowledge of his own eflate before God. I do not mean, Whether he be in the Rate of eleecion or reprobation: but he may know , Whether hebein the {late of falvation or damnation, that is, Whether he be in the way that leadeth to heaven or hell, Whe- ther he be in fuch a cafe that if he die now he fhall be fa- ved or not Paved : Every man may thus know in what eflate he is ; Becaufc the word of God fheweth a man this : As for exam- ple, He that committcth fnne is of the devil. Mark; the Apolille telleth us what eflate that man is in that liveth in finne, in a very bad efface. So on the contrary; He that bath this hope purgeth himfelfe. Mark ; the Apostle telleth us what dilate that man.rs in who purgeth himfelfe; he is in avery good citate, in a liare of true hope in Chrift. And lb, r. Cor. 6. o the Apo - file.nameth divers who are not in the ¡late 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 eitate . 2. Without
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