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

The great thing I have now to do is to show, how and after what manner these Babes attend upon Ordinances and do their duties: which, alas, is in a very poor low way, the weaknesses whereof God overlooks, and accepts their will for the deed (and better than that) many times.

The great thing I have now to do is to shew, how and after what manner these Babes attend upon Ordinances and do their duties: which, alas, is in a very poor low way, the weaknesses whereof God overlooks, and accepts their will for the deed (and better than that) many times.

1. They are more at duty than in it, and use Ordinances much, but make little use of them, and (if I may so speak) are very full of duties, but little dutiful; very little comes of all their attendance upon and addresses unto God, they are where and as they were still, little earnings do they make, God knows. They drive a great trade at hearing and praying, &c. hear precept upon precept, and line upon line; heap duty upon duty, but are very bunglers at it, and unprofitable after it. Like young children that make many meals, eat all the day long, and spoil as much as they eat, they mangle and crumble what is set before them, and dwindle away their time without feeding. Thus it was with the Hebrew-Babes, they did eat and eat, yet were always in need of milk, they do not, cannot walk in the strength of their meat (as the Prophet did) but are hungry again presently; the Word profits them little because not mixed with Faith, they have a bad digestion, and as ill a concoction; so that though they eat much, they are lean from day to day. The Disciples who heard Christ Jesus Preach so often were yet (like the Hebrews) dull of hearing, and ever and anon were to know the meaning of this and that very plain and easy Similitude and Parable with which Christ taught them, and understood not this and the other saying. They were so unacquainted with praying, that they must needs have a Form of Prayer, or a Directory set before them. Though the Jews fasted often, yet to God not at all or very little; they abound ⟨p. 134⟩in performances, and keep on the road and round of duties, yet make no riddance not work of it; there is little Faith in their believing, little love in their loving, little obedience in their obeying: there is much of quantity, but little of quality; there is a great bulk of duties, but little of Spirit and life in them: their much is little.