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Show What cart Minijltrsfoould tee!{) ofVinu, to It · ell~ Sub!lan'ce of a Chriflian, is as much in a weak as in a ltion~et Chrifiian lh~ !-dot of tlk maher Is in the weak_eft Chriftian, Mm·•4'•· r" as well as the_flro'nge!l. T~eftt~ ofGod is as·muc~ in him, ~sin GodbMb rtcti· any other. 'theweakefl bchevensbor.a]God, unatedto Chrzff, a vtd h•m. branch in him ; we fay in Logicl<, that more or lefs,doth not ""Y th• Speciu. The Child i·s as much mankind'. as the growA man. God loves, and cannot but love, the work ofh1s own han~s •. as ~t is the work of his own hands ,; and that every ~rue Chn~1an IS as much a believer. whether firongeror weaker; 1fthcre be 10 him •liq11id Chri!fi, an; thing ofChrill, any thing of Faith, though it be but as a grain of mnjlard-[rrd. . . . Secondly Chrifllmows that the tentler Grape~ w1U r~pen m due time, Rom.;~· 1. He (haU be boldm Hp,for God i1 able to mak.,t him Jlantl· you that are Parents are tender of your youngefl and weak;fl Children; you know, that thefe C.hildren (if they live) will be men one day (fuppofing G?ds ordmary P!OV!dence) and then they will do you as much ferv~ee, and _may brmg you as much uedit as thei• elder and better proportioned Brethren_. The Lord knows this of every wea~ Chriflian, and he ~nows II better rhan we can know it of our Ch1ldren,becaufe as he IS able t~ make fuch fiand fo he hath refolved, theyfh•ll be bolden· up. It IS true God is no; moved from any thing in us to any act of grace ; we are not 'profitable to him. But yet this is reafon enough to con· firm us in the Lords care of tender Chriflians, for why fho~ld not our Lord be tender of them, who one day !hall be as ferv!Ceab!e unto him as- our !elves are? and if they be not,t11'e only reafon IS becaufe h~ gives 'them not alike influences with us. 3. Laflly, Is not this afteohe manner of men? ~oth not nature itfclfteach the indulgent Mother, and the tender Fat~er to take care oftheyoungefl and weakeWGod amongfl ?ur Chtld;en hath fo cared for little ones, to provide for them agamfl t~e dlfadvantage which in refpeel- of their years they have ofthm tlMr brethre~ and Gfters and (hall he do not fa amongfrhis own Children;. let me a little tur'n~he words of our Saviour,and fay,I~ ~e who are evil know how to provide for our Children and fam1hes, ~o as to take the tenderefi care over the youngefl and weakefl Children, leafl able to def<nd themfelves, !hall not our hea~enly liathe~ d~ fo much more ? But I (hall ii\fifi no longer ?pon .the Dpd'r~na part, I come lo the Application ; and fhall begm With fometh1ng €lflnfiruaion. AtJt>li~.•H'"'Dfthe Dot.lrille. ~!9) In the 6rfi place, Wh~t you have heard will inform y0u,"that 1 , Vfo. tbtre ~re more weak,_Chrijlzans "' the Church of Cbrifl tha11 the world is •ware of;wcakners may either !efpea knowledg( as to the Doarine of F~lth,) th_ere IS a we~knefs m _Ju~gment (as to an ability in dif· cerm~g of th1ngs that d11fer, whtch IS the bert of two Motions,that are la1d before_us, or of two ways of practice. ) There is a weak-nefs o~ affetlioJu, where the fcnfitivc appet_ite more prevails, and there IS a we•kneJf of Fattb; we ordmanly account none weak but ~i_th refpea to th~ former, but that is a miflake: you fee ; Chnfl~an may have Ius head full enough of Spiritual knowlcdg and yet be weak. ~e~ce ~f~rve, Sec_ondly, That 11 115 a polhble thing, that a Chriflian may be 2. Braneb, ffrong tn one ref pea, yet weak in anotbtr. As a Child may be ilrong as to fo~e yarrs, yet weak as to others ; fa may a Child of God. A Chnfl1an may have flrong alfcaions a great love for God, a gr_cat Zeal ,fervent de fires, and yet may ha~e a weak koow-ledg and Judgment; and on the o1her fide a Chrifiian may have great knowle~g, a~d a go~d Judgment in Spiritual things, and yet weak,_ ajfitlto~u; Ius fenfitl ve appetite,his. alfeaions and pallions may too much prevail upon him. . Thirdly, W~at you have heard may infon_n you, That it;, 3• Brand•. pof!ible that Chriftzanl. may not only be a long lime weal~.; but a/. w.aJI "'eak, and th~t zncurably. We have this day a great deal of lhr about our duty 10 reference to tender confciotcu,to niea~ Chrifti- ""'·. It i~ ~ confelfed duty,that thofe who are flrong ought to bear the mfirmzlzu of the weak,.; but fay their ad ver(aries, will you be alwaJI weak,) have you not had fa many 1ear1 to C, informed j my Brethre_n,le~ ~s but underfland whatnwk,_neJfit is we are fpeaking of,c:rtamly It IS a w;~i<!tefi o/'fudgment,we are fpeaking of, fening to due.a our praatce ; for before a Chrii!ian can do this or thar h~ mufl needs in his confcience judg that the thing is lawful fo; ~1m t~ ~o: n_ow fuppofe that it be lawful, yet if he hath not a !ufl ability to Judg.ofthings that dilfer, he cannot judg the thing IS !•wful though md ced it be fo. Now I fay as to all this time Will not ~h~ays cure it, no not wit~ the ufe of utmofl means. Many Ch~1f11ans thr_ough a. ':"eaknefs of naturol parts are never never abl<; thus to d1fcern tmngs that dilfer. Nay I doubt, whe-ther any .hveth, and rhus linQeth not againfl God.I mean in fame P_ropo.lit1on_s of truth or other judging amifs; and accordingly duca1ng h1s praaice, which IQould ca)l fo.r a mutual forbearance Eee2 each |