A64833:83
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
Introduction › Part 3: III. A further continuation of the Praecognita, things to be premised.
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.
13. 'Tis necessary (to avoid scruples and objections) that I premise this also; these states are not so constantly fixed and immutable, but that sometimes for a season there may be a variation: A Babe may have a Spring-tide now and then, but he ebbs again quickly, and comes to low water mark again. The Child of Light and Love may walk in darkness; God may so hide his face, that the Child may not know his Father. ⟨p. 48⟩The Young man conqueror may be buffeted again, and perhaps led captive and made a prisoner to a temptation; a fit of forgetfulness or sickness may befall a Father, and make him forgetful, that he may seem to be a Child again; but these intermissions (rising of the low, and fallings of the high) do not alter their state: No, God measures none by particular acts or cases, but according to the tenor and constant course of their frames and exercises. The Corinthians made a great show, kept a great deal ado, yet were Babes: Paul himself was buffeted, because apt to be puffed up, prayed thrice before he had any Answer, and yet he was a Father, even at that time. There may be some unevenness in the high and low and yet no alteration of their states.
13. 'Tis necessary (to avoid scruples and objections) that I premise this also; these states are not so constantly fixed and immutable, but that sometimes for a season there may be a variation: A Babe may have a Spring-tide now and then, but he ebbs again quickly, and comes to lowwater mark again. The Child of Light and Love may walk in darkness; God may so hide his face, that the Child may not know his Father. ⟨p. 48⟩The Young man conqueror may be buffeted again, and perhaps led captive and made a prisoner to a temptation; a fit of forgetfulness or sickness may befal a Father, and make him forgetful, that he may seem to be a Child again; but these intermissions (rising of the low, and fallings of the high) do not alter their state: No, God measures none by particular acts or cases, but according to the tenour and constant course of their frames and exercises. The Corinthians made a great shew, kept a great deal ado, yet were Babes: Paul himself was buffeted, because apt to be puffed up, prayed thrice before he had any Answer, and yet he was a Father, even at that time. There may be some unevenness in the high and low and yet no alteration of their states.