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

4. New-born ones will not depart from God; let God (say they) deal with us how he will, yet this is the resolve of our souls, we will never leave him nor forsake him, for all the pleasures, profits and preferments of this world; no, though he kill us we will trust in him. Though God use them like the Dogs under his Table, and feed them with but a bit and a knock too, and give them not a meal of the Children's bread, yet they will thank him ⟨p. 215⟩for what they have and wait for more, as the woman of Canaan did. Will an Hypocrite do this, wait and pray always? I trow not. These Babes say to God as Ruth to Naomi, I will not leave thee, but will follow thee and the Lamb, though to the Grave, come of it what will; In the way of thy Judgements will we wait on thee, Isa. 26.8. If (like Ephraim) they are under the chastenings of God, and be for a while as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, yet they cry out again, Turn thou me and I shall be turned; they return and repent, they smite on the thigh and are ashamed; and God hears this as the voice of his dear child, and doth remember them, and will surely have mercy on them, Jer. 31.18,—20. If (like Israel) they have followed other lovers, and God therefore hedge up their way with Thorns, yet they return to their first Husband and grant it to be their folly that they departed from him, Hos. 2. Though Peter fail of his promise and plighted troth, yet he weeps bitterly and makes it good at last, that he will rather die than utterly and finally forsake or deny him: and so 'tis with every Babe in Christ, who though they fall yet fall not away, but return and live. Only, let me leave this caution, Take not up with these words without this work, with fancy without feeling. It may be some Hypocrite or Formalist may hear this and give it out as if he had attained this; but 'tis not what the words of our mouth are, but what the frame of our heart is: 'tis not saying but feeling, not expression ⟨p. 216⟩but experience that will warrant us to be in such a state. 'Tis not being able to say these things by heart, but having them in our heart, and holding them forth in our lives that will do us good.