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Christ's school consisting of four classes of Christians
Christ's school consisting of four classes of Christians : I. Babes, II. Little children, III. Young men, IV. Fathers : with their several characteristical differences and attainments : also the doctrines proper to be taught to each of them : being the substance of many sermons preached many years ago in Southwark / by Ralph Venning.Christ's school consisting of four classes of Christians : I. Babes, II. Little children, III. Young men, IV. Fathers : with their several characteristical differences and attainments : also the doctrines proper to be taught to each of them : being the substance of many sermons preach'd many years ago in Southwark / by Ralph Venning.
London: printed for John Hancock, 1675
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. Thy being a Babe hath more of encouragement than discouragement in it: Thy being a Babe in Christ is more to thy safety, than thy being as carnal is to thy danger, though it must be thy sorrow: Babe is the name of a Saint not of a carnal man, and it makes more for thee that thou art a Babe, than it doth against thee that thou art as carnal. Is it nothing to thy Joy that thou art born? though thou be not yet clothed with a robe, nor kissed with thy Fathers lips? 'Twas more for the Prodigal that he was alive, than against him, that he had been dead, and came home without rags, even naked and bare. 'Twas more for the Disciples that the Spirit was willing, than against them that the flesh was weak. 'Tis so with us as to our Babes, their being ours doth more endear them to us, than their being froward and peevish doth disengage us to them. And though the elder Brother chargeth his Father as guilty of an indiscreet and partial fondness to make so much of a Prodigal, yet he still owns it as meet that they should rejoice, and be glad.
3. Thy being a Babe hath more of incouragement than discouragement in it: Thy being a Babe in Christ is more to thy safety, than thy being as carnal is to thy danger, though it must be thy sorrow: Babe is the name of a Saint not of a carnal man, and it makes more for thee that thou art a Babe, than it doth against thee that thou art as carnal. Is it nothing to thy Joy that thou art born? though thou be not yet cloathed with a robe, nor kist with thy Fathers lips? 'Twas more for the Prodigal that he was alive, than against him, that he had been dead, and came home without raggs, even naked and bare. 'Twas more for the Disciples that the Spirit was willing, than against them that the flesh was weak. 'Tis so with us as to our Babes, their being ours doth more indear them to us, than their being froward and peevish doth disingage us to them. And though the elder Brother chargeth his Father as guilty of an indiscreet and partial fondness to make so much of a Prodigal, yet he still owns it as meet that they should rejoyce, and be glad.
4. Though thou be as carnal, yet on conviction of this thy carnality thou art angry with it and thy self, and dost repent and abhor thy self as in dust and ashes. The Corinhia Babes were no sooner convinced of theirs, but they made the Apostle glad by their sorrow, seeing their sorrow wrought Repentance never to be repented of, because it was to Salvation,