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

We see there are two persons that this Faith of Babes hath to do with, viz. God and Christ, though God especially and in the first place; now how it acts towards God and then towards Christ I shall endeavour to make plain and evident: and 1. How this their Faith acts towards God, viz. thus: 1. That God is and is a rewarder of them that seek him out; for as without this 'tis impossible to please God, so to come to God in a seeking and addressing ⟨p. 112⟩way, Heb. 11.6. There is a Faith called coming, and there is a Faith preceding this coming, which is a believing that God is (for none would look after a non-entity or that which is not, or is not believed to be) and a believing that he is a rewarder of them that seek him; that they shall not seek in vain, if they seek in truth; now the Babe believes this in general, though it cannot yet see its coming and seeking to be such as shall be welcome and rewarded. As was the case of the woman of Canaan, and the Prodigal at first. 2. Babes believe this (as to God) that he can turn them, and save them if he please; and this believing his power (though not his will, as grown Saints do) is owned and accepted with great respect. When Ephraim was bemoaning himself, he says, Turn thou me, and I shall be turned; and God presently says, Ephraim is my dear Son, a pleasant child. I will surely have mercy on him, saith the Lord. Jer. 31.18,—20. So the Prodigal believed that his Father could (though he had spent all) yet set him up again, and that he might be a new-made-man. The Babe speaks like the Leper, Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean, and it proved so. Yet believes there is grace and bread enough in Gods house; if he have but will, he hath power enough to pardon: the Question is not about his power but about his Will. Yet throughout the Scripture this is owned and accepted. We read of one poor man that came to Christ distrusting his power, but Christ-puts him on believing that before he would do any thing for ⟨p. 113⟩him; and when he did that, Christ did what he came for, Mark 9.22. &c. 3. Babes look further, even to the promises of God, they find many invitations and promises also, and they have recourse to these, but do not so much mind Christ, in whom all the promises of God are, yea and Amen, so that they do as 'twere rest upon the Ark, but do not come into it: