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

1. Of their defectiveness, and wherein they fall short in comparison of the higher Classes of Saints.

That they fall short of Fathers and Young men, who are strong Saints, 'tis needless to take up much time or many words to declare, because 'tis so obviously known and easily granted by all; but that they fall short of the little Children is that which I am to evince. The character of little Children is that they know the Father, viz. to be their Father, 1 Joh. 2.13. But the Babe-child, the Infant of (attainment as well as) days, the sucking Child that is fed only with Milk, though he have a Father, and a Father that provides for him, yet he knows him not to be his Father. The generality of the Old Testament professors were but Babes, and their usual way of address ⟨p. 172⟩to God was, as the God that made Heaven and Earth, the Creator; and sometimes as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Promiser: But seldom, not above twice (as a collective body) adderest to God as their Father; the places where they did so address are Isa. 63.16. and 64.8. both which are rather Prophecies of what they should do hereafter, than assertions of what they did do, as some conceive. And in this latter they address to him as a Father, viz a maker and Sovereign, as appears by calling themselves the clay, and God the Potter, and telling him that they were the works of his hand. And to prevent an Objection that may be made from the Prodigal, who did at first address to God, as his Father (I will go to my Father, and in my Fathers house) it might be in this sense of a Creator, as in Dent. 32.6. beside, I may say that he seems to be the representative of a returning back-slider, ¹rather than of a Convert at the very first: and though returning also is a Conversion, and works much like what it doth at the very first, yet it hath respect to a former relation, which was not wholly cut off, as was the case of returning Israel, in Hs. 1.7.