Christ's school consisting of four classes of Christians

3. Babes are defective in this, that though they love to hear much, yet they are unable to bear much, especially any thing that is beyond Milk, and called meat, yea strong meat: and therefore 'twere to hurt and not to help them, to feed them with Bread and Wine, such as Melchisedee presented to Abraham, Gen. 14.18. Our Saviour had many things to say, his heart was full, but he could not give it vent then, for his Disciples were not able to bear it, Job. 16.12. And Paul tells his Corinthian-Babes, that he had fed them with Milk and not with strong meat, for hitherto ye were not able to bear it nor yet are ye able, 1 Cor. 3.2. ¹so the Hebrew Babes were dull, thick and hard of hearing the Doctrine which he calls strong meat, they could digest Milk only, Chap. 5.11, &c. Strong meat makes Babes sick of hearing. 'Tis like Saul's Armour to David, too heavy for him, he hath not been used to it, nor tried it, and therefore cannot bear it, he must to his Sling or can do no feats. They are not yet so strong to put on all the Armour of God, they cannot wield the Sword of the Spirit, nor use the Shield of Faith dextrously. They are not yet weaned from the Milk, and who can teach them knowledge? i. e. high and great knowledge of wisdom, &c. they must have line on line, now and then a little, Isa. 28.9,—11. ⟨p. 182⟩they must have the same things over and over; as little-ones when they go to School, are a great while a learning their Alphabet, and must be shown again and again, which is A, and which is B, &c. a man must lisp and stammer and tone it to them in their way. Many a young Student takes a great deal of pains, is ever reading, but is not Master of what he reads; and the fault is not so much in the memory, or the Will, as in the understanding: so 'tis with these Babes, they hear and read much, but cannot digest and concoct it; no, though they remember it: but strong men love to make their meals of strong meat,