7:08 SAINTS coMPARED TO CHILDREN. BookiV. CH I L D RE N. ledge than others, yet ought to love one another. V. Children do not grow alike. Some thrive better upon hard Fare, than others do, who feed upon more choice and delicate J''ood .every Day. . DEAR 'I. A dear Child, one that the Father efteems fo, is teachable, ready to learn what he is taught; he will give his MincLto it, is very flexible. ll. A dear Child is humble a11d meek, not.proud, .ftubborn, or felf– Cflnceited. PARALLEL. Differences amongft the godly; but fince they are all God's Children, it behoveth them to fee that they love one another. V. So fo,le of the Saints thrive, and gra.v falter in Grace, and in the Knowledge Qf our Lord and Saviour Jefus Cl1rilt, who fit under the Mi– niftry of fuch Men, whole Preaching is accounted by fome but as brown Bread, than others, who are daily fed with the delicate Food of the moft acute and elegant Preacher. CH I L D RE N. I. So a dear Cnild of God is very :flexible and yielding to the Teachings of God. If God hath any Thing for Abraham to do, he cries, Here am I. They are like ho1y job, What I know not, teach thou me. I!. So a Jear ·Child of God is little in his own Eyes. How humbly did Abraham exprtfs himfelf to God ! J who am but Du.ft and Ajhes, &c. Gm• .xviii. 2 7· and Job, l abhor myfolf. David cries om, I am a Worm, and no Man, Pfal. xxii. 6. And the holy Apoftles efteemed them– felves as nothing: Who then is Paul, and who is Apollo? Unto me whv .am the lea.ft of a/I .Saints, .&c. 1 am nothing, &c. 1 Cor. iii. 5· Ill. A dear Child greatly loves Ill. So a dear Child of God deat'ly loves his his}'ather. Many In!l:ances may heavenly Eather, he loves him with all his Soul, be given of this, both from Scripwtth all his Heart, aAd with all his Strength, loves ture and Hiftory. him fincerely . .IV. A dear Child cloth not only IV. So a dear Child of God doth not only love love his Father, but alfo his MoGod, who is his Father, but alfo dearly loves the ther. And is grieved when /he is Church, who is his Mother. Thus did David, in Diftrefs. .that precious Child and Servant of God : If I for- . get l·hee, 0 J erufaltm, let my Right-hand forget her Cunning ; if I do not remember thee, let my 'rongue cleave to the Roof of my M outh; if 1 prefer not J erufalem above my chief Joy, Pfal. cxxxvii. 5, 6. How greatly was the Pro– phet Jeremiah troubled for poor Zion, when he cried out My Bowels, my Bowels! Jer. iv. 19. 'The Church lay in his Heart, he laments like aJlOOr Child,.fcr the Mi– fery of his Mother that bare him. ·v. A dear Child is 'Very obe– dient to his Parents, will do what– foever is right, which either Fath<r or Mother doth require. V. So.a dear·Child of God is in all Things obe– dient to God's Co:nmands, as is recorded con– cerning Z achar·ias and Elizabeth, and many others: They endeavor to behave themlelves as obedient Children in all RefpeCls, wrll not baulk one of God's holy.Precepts : 'I'hen jha/1 I not be afhamed, faith David, when I have RefpcClto all thy ComJilandments, Pfal. cxix. And as they are obedient to God their Father, fo !ikewife to the Church their Mother. As it is a horrid Evii to rebel againft God, fo Ji.tch will be lefr inexcufeable who flight the Church. Whatever fhe requires, that is agreeable to GoJ's Word, muft be carefully obeyed; and fuch as err herein, as dif– .orderly Perfons, ought to be proceeded aga!nft. See Mother.. VJ. A dear Child in all Things VI. So a dear Cht!d of God ftrivesin all Things, .!hives to pleafe his Father, feeking .like our Savior, tO pleale his heavenly Farher·: his Approbation, whether at home Wherefore we labor, that •whether prefent or abfent, Dr abwad, prefent or abfent. we may be accepted of him, 2 Cor. . v. 9.-Walking in all well-pleqjing, &c. Col. i. 1 o. 'VII. A clear Child loves ·Peace, ·and canr.ot endure ~1arrelling and Difcord in hisEather's Houfe. VII. A dear Child of God greatl(delights in, and loves Peace.and .Union amongft his Brethren; and he hates Difcord and .~arrelling in the Church. Bleffid are the Peace-makers, for they jh,d/ becal/,d the·Children of God, Matt. v. 9· Behold, faith David, hO"w good and pleafant it is for Brethren to dwell togetlxr in Unity! Pjal. cxxxiii. 1. E11deat•aring to keep the -Unity of the Spirit, in the Bond of Peace, Eph. IV. 3· 3 VIII. So
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