A64833:130
Venning's remains, or, Christ's school consisting of four classes of Christians, I. babes, II.…
Venning's remains, or, 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 by Ralph Venning and fitted by him for the press before his death.
London: printed for John Hancock senior and junior, 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.
But though these Principles be owned by men, and God makes use of them to work on men, yet they amount not to a powerful and converting conviction, without a particular application and setting of them home by the Spirit of God. How many have this common notion that they are sinners, yea that they are such and such sinners, as Swearers, Drunkards, unclean, ⟨p. 81⟩&c. yet are far enough from seeing the ugliness and feeling the burden of sin, so as to repent of it. Therefore the conviction I speak of is accompanied with a sense, which is called pricking at heart, 1made by a special application of sin, and usually (if not always) in the first place of one or other particular sin: For not only common reason tells us, that generals are known by the particulars wherein they exist, but experience also tells us, that you shall scarce find any man, that is convinced of a bad nature, but by a bad life, The tree is known by its fruit. Hazael would not believe the Prophet that he had such a dogged nature; No nor Peter that he had so treacherous an heart, till sad experience made the conviction by its own breaking out. 'Tis by a particular conviction of sin, either that of omission or commission, that men come to believe the more general corruption of their nature. When it comes to a Thou art the man, 'tis effectual indeed. And I think that the instances of converted ones (such excepted as have been as 'twere sanctified from the Womb) will evince this, that the first conviction is from being guilty of a particular sin; and accordingly their confession and reformation begins there.
But though these Principles be owned by men, and God makes use of them to work on men, yet they amount not to a powerful and converting conviction, without a particular application and setting of them home by the Spirit of God. How many have this common notion that they are sinners, yea that they are such and such sinners, as Swearers, Drunkards, unclean, ⟨p. 81⟩&c. yet are far enough from seeing the ugliness and feeling the burden of sin, so as to repent of it. Therefore the conviction I speak of is accompanied with a sense, which is called pricking at heart, 1