An Enquiry after a mann eft ate. II can ye kilo*? No? then your e(tate is very bad: find out force good tokens in you except you be reprobates.This command makes it a clear duty. 2. But a fècond reafon to prove it our duty to enquire what elfate we are in, is, becaufe without the knowledge thereof we can never have any true peace in our confciences : The confci- ence muff needs be without peace, fo long as we are ignorant of what elfate we are in : Being juftified by faith we have peace with god through our Lord7efus Chrift. Firll the Apofile Ihew- eth their ellve ; they were in a Elate of »aftification : and from the knowledge thereof they had Peace. We are bound to get true peace to our confciences ; Oh, what a lamentable maze are we in till our confciences have peace?and this they cannot have untill we are fully acquainted in what cafe we fluid before God: Acquaint thy (elf with God and be at peace. 3. Thirdly, we can never be fit for any duty of Gods wor- ship, as long as we know not what elate we are in : We can never be fit for any holy duty to heare, pray, receive the Sacra- ment : Let a man examine himfelfe andfo let him eat, &c. Firfl, he muff examine in what elfate he is before he can be fit for that high fervice. So for repentance : Let us fearch and try our ways and turn again to the Lord : firff find our felves in an ill efface, and then return; So for joy ; it is a duty to rejoyce in the Lord : But we are never fit for rejoycing, till we have proved whateflate we are in,: Let every man prove his own workjo'hall he have rejoycing. We can never he fit for any duty untie we know in what elfate we are in, becaufe every duty varieth ac- cording as the elfate ofevery man is.To inlrance in prayer ; He that is not in the flare of grace muff pray one way, and he that is in the Irate of falvation muff pray another way : the one that he may be converted and brought home to God ; the o- ther that he may be flrengthned and increafed in grace. And fo for the duty of hearing, &c. The fècond ufe is for diredlion to let us underhand by what means we may know what e&ate we are in, There he foure means to know this. C a.8y Rom .I. Jobzz.za t.Cor, ir. s. Lxm.3.4o Gal. 6.4. vfe 2. Of `Di. reElion.
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