A64833:146
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.
2. The second branch of this use is to you Babes who have repented from dead work. And 'tis to bespeak you not to despise the day of small things, but bless God that hath brought you hitherto; God hath laid a foundation and he will lay the top-stone in due time, that I may allude to what is said, Zach. 4.9, 10. In this Text that we are upon, this Doctrine is called a Foundation, and surely 'tis not laid in vain. We come sometime to a place where some great person is about to build a great House, and when we see only the groundwork laid, and a great deal of rubbish lying about it, we think little of it; but if we stay a while till it be built upon, we haply admire the design and structure too: God brought a goodly world out of the Chaos which was first made; and so he doth in the new Creation: the first work seems to be a confused business; I but if we stay till the six days be over, and God have finished his work, we shall then say, Behold it is good exceedingly. When the Jews began to build, the Heathen laughed them to scorn, What will these feeble Jews d•? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish? if the Fox group he shall break down this stone wall, Nehem. 4.2, 3. But for all this, the head stone thereof was brought forth with shouting, Grace, grace unto it: And so shall it be with thee O Babe, thou shalt attain to thy ⟨p. 101⟩perfect stature, therefore do not look on this small beginning as a thing of nought. God will carry thee from Repentance to Faith, and from thence to obedience, thou shalt have food convenient for thee to bring thee up: Bless God then that thou hast learned the first letter of his Name (The Lord gracious, for so thou hast tasted him, 1 Pet. 2.2, 3.) that thou hast learnt the first lesson in the School of Christ, and till thou learn more, consider these things that follow, as well as those that have been already spoken.
2. The second branch of this use is to you Babes who have repented from dead work. And 'tis to bespeak you not to despise the day of small things, but bless God that hath brought you hitherto; God hath laid a foundation and he will lay the top-stone in due time, that I may allude to what is said,