Venning's remains, or, Christ's school consisting of four classes of Christians, I. babes, II.…

Where they do sorrow, 'tis true they do sorrow greatly, and sometimes like Rachel refuse to be comforted, and are in danger to be swallowed up with over much sorrow, i. e. with despair; of which there are these reasons, 1. Because they have a sense of sin but not of forgiveness, they are convinced of sin but not of righteousness: Now though the sense of a pardon do not take away all sorrow for sin, yet it takes away the excess of it, as also the legality, but this being not fully attained by Babes, they sorrow many times as men without hope: and this continues the more violent, because, 2. They find their corruption yet strong and unmortified: and because 'tis not done, they think it shall not be done, but they shall one day perish by the hand of Saul. The taste and tang of their former sins is (many times by Satan) kept fresh and strong, though they have repented, and therefore they fear and mourn desperately, but this sorrow needs sorrowing for, it being so drossy and mercenary, for they even think to make God amends this way, and to compound with God, so much sorrow for so much sin, without eying Jesus Christ (the Propitiation and the Advocate) as they ought. All this (beside the confirmation that is from experience of young converts) will be evinced by the story of the Prodigal, Luke 15. of whom 'tis said in the first place, ⟨p. 86⟩that (after being long dead in sin) he came to himself, i. e. was convinced of his wicked living, and therewithal of his own lost undone and perishing condition, which is the very hinge upon which he turns about to go to his Father: The first sense is not of sin as against God (though that came in afterward) but as against himself: whereupon he takes up a resolution to go and complain of sin, and withal that he will indent with God, to serve him for wages as an hired servant: but as soon as the Father had kissed him, and assured him of his Love, though he go•s on to confess his sin, yet not a word more of being an hired Servant. So these poor Babes they come to God with a composition, and indent like hirelings, they are afraid of being damned, and rather than so, they will serve God with Prayers and Tears day and night; but after God hath kissed them with the kisses of his mouth, they abide in the house as Sons that serve him, and not as Servants. The grown Saints then, we see, do much in a little;

Where they do sorrow, 'tis true they do sorrow greatly, and sometimes like Racbel refuse to be comforted, and are in danger to be swallowed up with over much sorrow, i. e. with despair; of which there are these reasons, 1. Because they have a sense of sin but not of forgiveness, they are convinced of sin but not of righteousness: Now though the sense of a pardon do not take away all sorrow for sin, yet it takes away the excess of it, as also the legality, but this being not fully attained by Babes, they sorrow many times as men without hope: and this continues the more violent, because, 2. They find their corruption yet strong and unmortified: and because 'tis not done, they think it shall not be done, but they shall one day perish by the hand of Saul. The tast and tang of their former sins is (many times by Satan) kept fresh and strong, though they have repented, and therefore they fear and mourn desperately, but this sorrow needs sorrowing for, it being so drossie and mercenary, for they even think to make God amends this way, and to compound with God, so much sorrow for so much sin, without eying Jesus Christ (the Propitiation and the Advocate) as they ought. All this (beside the confirmation that is from experience of young converts) will be evinced by the story of the Prodigal,