And after all that, when they begin to go on their own legs, and think themselves sufficient for themselves without our help, many a fall and hurt they may catch, and many fallings out may they have with one another, to the great trouble of themselves & us: And when they are grown up to strength of parts and gifts, some that seemed sincere may turn Prodigals or Apostates, and some fall a quarrelling about the inheritance, and make most woeful divisions in Christs Family; and some perhaps despise us that have thus spent our days and strength, in Studies, and Prayers, and fears, and cares and labours for their Salvation: yea perhaps be ready to spit in our faces, and reproach our persons, yea and our very Office and Calling it self, as the experience of these times of ours, seconding the experience of all ages of the Church before us, doth alas too evidently and openly testify. And yet some will be faithful and constant and thankful to Christ and us. And that all might be so (for Christs sake, and for their own) must still be our care and desires, and endeavours. In these several cases we find blessed Paul with his children in his Epistles; sometime rejoicing with them in their steadfastness; sometime defending himself and his Ministry against their unkind and childish wranglings; as with the Corinthians you may find him: sometime he is put (but seldom) to a severe correction of the obstinate, delivering them up to Satan, for a warning to the rest: sometime he is fain to watch with them, as in their sickness, when they ⟨p. 4⟩are infected with some dangerous error or other disease; and is brought even to make great question of their lives, lest he hath laboured for them in vain, and themselves have run in vain, and lest they be fallen from Grace, and Christ should profit them nothing; receiving himself no better requital of all his labours, from them that once would have pulled out their eyes for him, than to be taken for their enemy because he tells them the truth, and the more he loveth them, the less to be loved of them; as you may read in Gal. 1.6, 7. and 3.1, 3, 4. and 4.11, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20. and 5.2, 4, 7. But with the most we find him, as one that is yet between hope and fear of them, directing and exhorting them to spiritual steadfastness, and growth, and perseverance to the end:
And after all that, when they begin to go on their own legs, and think themselves sufficient for themselves without our help, many a fall and hurt they may catch, and many fallings out may they have with one another, to the great trouble of themselves & us: And when they are grown up to strength of parts and gifts, some that seemed sincere may turn Prodigals or Apostates, and some fall a quarrelling about the inheritance, and make most woful divisions in Christs Family; and some perhaps despise us that have thus spent our dayes and strength, in Studies, and Prayers, and fears, and cares and labours for their Salvation: yea perhaps be ready to spit in our faces, and reproach our persons, yea and our very Office and Calling it self, as the experience of these times of ours, seconding the experience of all ages of the Church before us, doth alas too evidently and openly testify. And yet some will be faithful and constant and thankful to Christ and us. And that all might be so (for Christs sake, and for their own) must still be our care and desires, and endeavours. In these several cases we find blessed Paul with his children in his Epistles; sometime rejoycing with them in their stedfastness; sometime defending himself and his Ministry against their unkind and childish wranglings; as with the Corinthians you may find him: sometime he is put (but seldom) to a severe correction of the obstinate, delivering them up to Satan, for a warning to the rest: sometime he is fain to watch with them, as in their sickness, when they ⟨p. 4⟩are infected with some dangerous error or other disease; and is brought even to make great question of their lives, lest he hath laboured for them in vain, and themselves have run in vain, and lest they be fallen from Grace, and Christ should profit them nothing; receiving himself no better requital of all his labours, from them that once would have pulled out their eyes for him, than to be taken for their enemy because he tells them the truth, and the more he loveth them, the less to be loved of them; as you may read in Gal. 1.6, 7. and 3.1, 3, 4. and 4.11, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20. and 5.2, 4, 7. But with the most we find him, as one that is yet between hope and fear of them, directing and exhorting them to spiritual stedfastness, and growth, and perseverance to the end:
