z 2 An Enquiryafter a mans eftat& r.By our outward and inward anions.' do not fay by our out- ward anions:For a man may be in the fiate of hypocrifie,& yet his outward a &ions may be good. Neither do I fay by our in- ward anions alone:For a man may be in the fiate of felt- deceit and yet fay his heart is good, and his meaning and mind good. But I iay by them both pat together. Our Saviour fetteth it out by a tree : Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit , but a cor- rupt tree bringeth forth corrupt fruit. So if the heart bringeth Matth.7. forth the fruit of righteoufneffe, joy in good things, patience, meekneffe, gentleneffe, love, obedience, godly converfation. &c. Thefe evidence a good eftate : but if the heart bringeth forth deadneffe, earthlinelle, impatience, evil converfation, &c.Thefe are corrupt fruits and fgnes of a very bad eftate. z.Ye may know what elates you are in by your inclinations and difpouitions from whence there anions proceed. Are your Pfal.1:9. hearrsenclined heaven -ward and God -ward asDavids, are ana. ye bent to holineffe and felfdenial, &c. as a bow is bent to fhoot the arrow ? This is a fgne of a good cftate : as r Chron, 2.2. 19. there is fpeech of Petting the heart to feebgod. Ye know when a man would do a thingindeed, we fay he is fet on" t. It may be ye do force good duties, make force fair offers of leek - ing God ; but areyour hearts Pet on't , or are they Pet on the world and inclined earth-ward ? The inclinations of every creature in the world do ever fhow what the creature is. How do we know that a (tone is heavy ? becaufe it inclineth down- ward. How do we know a man is cholerick ? becaufe he is in- clinéd unto wrath. So a mans eftate may be known by his con - ftant enclination either to good or evil. 3. One may know what eftate he is in by that reflexive an, which is proper only to man. There is an an in mans foul (we call it a reflex an) which no creature hash but only man whereby he can perceive what himfelf is and doth. When a man thinketh or fpeaketh, he can refer upon himfelf, and per ceive what he thinketh or fpeaketh : when he prayeth, he can reßen upon his own heart, and perceive how it carrieth it Pelf all along in his prayers. I fay no creature in the world bath in it Means to know what eftate we are in.
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