A64833:517
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
Class 3 › Chapter 5 › Section 1: About Christs and the Young mens Temptations.
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.
SECT. 1. About Christs and the Young mens Temptations.
About these Temptations of Christ I have a larger Discourse than I think convenient to infert here (which if God please may come forth by it self in due time) at present I shall only touch the parallel between Christs and the Young mens temptations after the testimony of the Fathers Love. The Young men having been proclaimed, as Christ was, by a voice like to a srumpet from Heaven, which gives a certain sound, that they are the Sons of God, and Heirs of God and glory; the Devil puts in his exceptions against this Title, and would fain have them believe that this is but Enthusiasm, a mere fancied and pretended apprehension, without any true and just ground; and therefore comes and calls it into question, cavilling (as at first) if thou be the Son of God, &c ⟨p. 344⟩He labours first to make a doubt of it; and if he cannot attain that, he then endeavours to bring them to presume upon and make bold with it. His first design is to make it doubtful, Matth. 4.3. If thou be the Son of God, command that these Stones be made bread; this was after he had fasted forty days and forty nights and was an hungered. That which he slyly insinuates is this; thou thinkest thy self, and supposest to have witness from Heaven, that thou art the Son of God; but if God were thy Father and did love thee, would he suffer thee to be so poor and hungry? and could he find it in his heart to put thee on so much hardship, as fasting, and so long too, &c. would he let thee be in the Wilderness among the Beasts? Fathers provide for their Children, and if thou wert his Son, surely he would maintain thee at a better rate than this, would be not? canst thou (it being thus with thee) believe thy self to be the Son of God?
ABout these Temptations of Christ I have a larger Discourse than I think convenient to infert here (which if God please may come forth by it self in due time) at present I shall only touch the parallel between Christs and the Young mens temptations after the testimony of the Fathers Love. The Young men having been proclaimed, as Christ was, by a voice like to a srumpet from Heaven, which gives a certain sound, that they are the Sons of God, and Heirs of God and glory; the Devil puts in his exceptions against this Title, and would fain have them believe that this is but Enthusiasm, a meer fancied and pretended apprehension, without any true and just ground; and therefore comes and calls it into question, cavilling (as at first) if thou be the Son of God, &c