BookiV. SAINTS COMPARED TO CHILDREN. 707 METAPHOR. od\1other £hould dandle it upon their Knees, or feem viflbl tP fht:w that Love to it as at firit, when it was vcry·y01mg. XV. A f"Tet Babe; one that i< very quiet, and good conditiont'd, is weatly delighted in, and won– derfully beloved by rts Parents; when others, though their Parents cannot but have parental Afreclion to them, yet have not 10 gn. at a Love, as to him or her that is fo pleafant in their eye. XVI. Children need good and careful Education, to be kept un– der good Difcipline, and have good I nftruEtion; 'I' rain up a Child wh£JZ he is ;•oung, in the Way wherein he jhould go, aud whm he is old, he will not depart from it. XV11. Some Babes ·or young Children, if their Parents do not give them what they would have, of this or that, prefent!y throw away whatthey have, and ave angry, and think they do not luve them. XVIll. BabA for thefe and other Faults often feel the Rod. PARALLEL. not expeCt to be always dandled upon the Knee of Promdes, or lie in the Arms and Bofom of Chrift; I mean, have fuch vifible Expreffions or Manifell:– ations oi his L ove, knowing they are his Children, and in his Covenant, in his Fah1ily, and under ·his Care, Eye, and gracious Provifion and ProteCtion. XV. Su a young Chriflian, that is of a humble, fweet, and contented Difpofition, not crofs and froward unrlrr the Hand and Providence of God, bm takes all pJtiently, is mightily prized and be– loved by Jefus Chri lt. Is not Ephraim my dear Son? is he 110t a pleafant Child? &c. How did Chrifl .delight in joh11, that fwee.t and precious Difciple! X VI. Young Chriftians need alfo good Inll:ruc- · tion; many Tbmgs rhey are to learn, that they may wifely behave themfelves in t·he Houfe and Family of God. They mufl more efpecially be taught the good Difcipline of God's Church, that .they ma}' know how they ought to go in and out before one another. See Dear Children. XVIJ. So fome young Chrill:ians, becaufe God doth not give them fuch large Knowledge and Experience of himfelf, and other good Things. of the Spi rit, they llight all God hath been pleafed to beltow upon them, and conclude .God doth not lo><e them. XVJJI. So Chriflians are oftentimes under the Rod of God for tlteir Faults. s A I N T s COMPARED TO c H I L D R E N. If Childrm, then Heirs, &c. Rom. viii. 17. For ;•e are all the Children of God, by Faith, in Chrift JejiiS, Gal. iii. r6. Beye Followers of God, as dear Children, Eph. v. 1. SAINTS are God's dear Children, not only Children, b~lt dear ChildreA. DearChi/d. ren hath reference to two Things: 1. To that high Efleem the!f Parents haw of them: 2. To that gracious and fweet Difpofition fuch Children ar.e of. CH I L D RE N. I. CHILDREN are begotten of their Paren·s, and brought forth into the World. II. Children partake of the Na– ture of their Parents, even of their very Flefh and Bone. Ill. Children are called after the Names of their Parents. IV. Children are not in every Thing alike, in Stature,Q~Ja]ity and Condition. Some are gentle, du– tiful, and humble, and have a clear– er Sight, and more perfeCt KnowPARALLEL. I. THE Saint; are begotten of God: Of his own Tf/t!l begat };e them. Every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him a!fo that is be– gotten of him, J Johil v. I.. They are alfo brought forth by him into a State of Grace. JJ. T he Sainrs, by their being begotten of God, through Faith, in a mylti~al Sort, are Partakers of. the d1vine Nature: 'J'hat which is born of the Spi– ,·it, is Spirit, 2 Pet. i. 4· Ill. So the Saints are called after God's Name, Holy, Heavenly, Godly, &c. Chriftians, from Chrift; Spiritual, from the Spirit. IV. So the Saints of God are not in every Thing alike ; <though all have Grace, yet not a like Mea– fure of it; fo though all fee, yet all have not the fame Degree of Sight and Knowledge in divine Things. From hence it is that there are fo many Dilferencs
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