afore at the sight whereof the very enemies of Christ which watched him were afraide for that they had done vnto him yea they were constrained to confesse and say Doubtles this man was the sonne of God So if we be dead with Christ our head vnto sinne as he was dead for our sinnes there will follow a wonderfull alteration in our liues There will appeare such zeale in professing the Gospell such pittie in releeuing the poore such patience in bearing the crosse such faithfulnesse in performing of promises such charitie in iudging our brethren such cōpassion in condemning malefactors such loue in reproouing of faultes such mercie in forgiuing offences such sinceritie in worshipping of God such constancie in defending of the trueth such watching ouer all our waies and such wisedome in winning men to God that our very ennemies which before did mocke vs hate vs and perseeute vs shal be constrained with shame enough to say These were no doubt the children of God these were good men these were true professors indeed for such fruites and effects doe follow their profession as are not commonly seen in the liues of others Wherefore to conclude this point Let not the king go like a Kesar Let not the captaine runne away like a coward Let not the tree loose his fatnesse to do as the bramble would doe And let not a christian liue like Antichrist Let not beleeuers liue like infidels nor let not the sonnes of God liue like the sons of Sathan But as in our houses as in our apparell as in our feastinges as in our furniture in euerie thing els we striue to haue matches and all our thinges sutable So likewise let vs striue to haue our titles and our liues our names and our qualities our profession and our practise sutable and answerable the one to the other Finally let euerie one that calleth God his father in the name of the Lord Iesus depart from iniquitie least heereafter the Lord Iesus bid him depart with the works of iniquitie Heere be two departinges If we take the first now we shall be free from the other heereafter but if we will not heare nowe of a departing from iniquitie which we ought we shall heereafter heare of a departing with our iniquitie which wee would not The first is somewhat painfull but it is infinitly gainfull The second is most fearefull and for euer intollerable And thus much of the duetie of Gods children in regard of their titles Nowe let vs see why the Lord both in this place and so often in this booke of Prouerbes doth vse these wordes My son as also why he doth not say My sonnes in the plurall number seeing hee speakes to all the church in general but My son in the singular nūber as though he spake but to one alone that so we may make that vse of thē for which they were left vnto the Church And least wee should thinke this to be more than neede wee are to knowe that as the holyest speaketh nothing in vaine so doth hee not speake anie worde at all aduenture but in singular wisedome and in most excellent order hath hee handled euerie Treatise and placed euerie sentence euerie word and euerie letter To great purpose it is don and ought accordingly to be considered for when heauen and earth shall passe not one iot or tittle of Gods word shall passe but euerie worde of God endureth for euer and shall remaine as faithfull witnesse in heauen either with vs or against vs in the day of the Lord Then shall all Gods argumentes and reasons and persuasions be called foorth to giue euidence against vs if they doe nothing preuaile now Then shall euerie word of admonition and euerie worde of threatning and euerie word of loue and kindnesse and euerie title of honor and dignitie come forth and plead hard against all such as haue turned the deafe eare vnto them yea they shall also crie loud for vengeance vppon all those men which either in worde or deede haue offered them anie disgrace especially amongest their friendes vppon the face of the earth like strangers of an other countrey when they catch their forraigne ennemies within their owne liberties for euerie worde of GOD is sent from heauen by God as Embassadours of a farre Countrey one after another to deale for God Therefore it shall be wisedome for vs to regard them now and to giue them good entertainement while they remaine amongst vs or els when we trauaile into their country where they dwell which will not be long and think to find reliefe at their handes they wil then serue vs as we serued them and put vs in minde of our discourteous dealing against them when they were amongst vs as Ioseph told his bertheren of their crueltie against him when they went into Egipte for succour where he bare rule and they had nothing to doe then were they both afraide and ashamed and so shall we be too if we doe not repent Well go to then we will not lightly passe ouer this preface as we haue don as if they were but words of course for there is more in them then we thinke there were for in deed there is more contained in these two wordes My sonne than some thinke can be gathered out of two chapters yea ij books I will not say the whole booke of God butl et vs see why the Lord vseth to speake so vnto miserable men and why he speaketh in the singular number as to one alone when that which he saith concerneth not only one mā but the whole church of God that we may also vse them to that ende for which they were set downe Surely the Lord of mercy knowing where of we be made and seeing that we are but dust full of weaknesse and corruption frameth himselfe in his worde to speake accordingly And albeit he sometime vttereth himselfe in fearefull wordes of might and maiesty to shewe his power and soueraigntie ouer vs yet sometime againe he speaketh as a tender father alluring his children with sweet wordes of comfort and encouragement for if mount Sinay should still smoke and burne with fire Israell would die for feare If Moses should not couer his face with a vaile when he cōmeth from talking with God they wer not able to behold him If the Lord of hosts should alwaies send strong windes before him to rend the mountains and to split the Rockes in pieces Eliah himselfe durst not come out of his caue but if a still and a soft voice come after the winde the earthquake and the fire then will Eliah beginne to peepe out and boldly to stand vp but he will not go beyond the entring of the caue as bold as he is and his face must be couered with his mantle too Here therefore and often in this booke the Lorde of heauen and earth speaketh no otherwise vnto his church than a father doth to his child My sonne saith he
CONCLVSIONS of peace betweene God and man Containing comfortable meditations for the children of God By W. Burton LONDON Printed for Iohn Hardie dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Tygers head 1594. TO THE RIGHT HOnourable Sir Richard Martin Knight nowe the second time L. Maior of the honourable Cittie of London and maister of her maiesties Mint T. C. All increase of honor in this life and in the world to come euerlasting happinesse RIght Honourable hauing heeretofore receiued at your honours hands many fauours altogither vndeserued of my part I haue bin studious along time how to shew some part of my thankefull mind for the same But no occasion was offered me til now that this booke comming to my handes to be printed without anie dedication and the authour dwelling farre off I was bold without his consent to present it to your good lordship aswell to shewe my dutie and thankeful heart towards you as also knowing what fauour your honour hath alwaies borne to such men and their workes The Authour is well knowen and the treatise is sweet and comfortable as your lordship shall find if your great affaires will allow you time to peruse it It resteth that I humbly craue pardon for my boldnesse which I hope I shall the easilier obtain if mine intēt herein be rightly considered Which is only to testifie that I am not vnmindful nor vnthankeful in heart for any benefit receiued Humbly beseeching your lordship to accept it Your Honors most hearty and humble affectionat to command Tobie Cooke Prou. 7. 1. 2. My sonne keepe my words and hide my commandements with thee Keepe my commandements and thou shalt liue THis text containeth an exhortation to the faithful and diligent keeping of Gods commandementes with a promise of life annexed thervnto And the doctrine that is to be gathered from the same ariseth partly from the maner of speaking that is there vsed and partly from the exhortation The manner of speaking is to be considered in the two first wordes My sonne Wherein is to be obserued that whosoeuer is the partie that speaketh he speaketh not like an Emperour nor like a king nor like a Iudge nor like a maister of his absolute power I will and command c. But he persuadeth like a father most louingly and tenderly Hee doth not say My slaue nor my ennemy nor my seruaunt nor my subiect nor my friend nor my brother which is much but he saith My sonne which is more a name of loue and a title of the greatest loue that can be The loue of a Prince is great the loue of a friend is great the loue of a brother is great the loue of husbands and wiues is great but the loue of father and mother to their children is like the loue of Ionathan to Dauid It is wonderfull passing the loue of Princes the loue of brethren the loue of neighbours the loue of husbandes and wiues and passing the loue of women and all loues For saith Esay can a woman forget her child As if he should say it is impossible Therefore hee that here speaketh in the person of a Father and saith My sonne perswadeth by all loues and sheweth that whatsoeuer hee counselleth or reprooueth it is not of mallice or enuy to hurt vs but of singular loue and care to doe vs good We are further to consider of two principall circumstances one is of the person that spake these words the other is of the partie to whom they were spoken Now the question is not of his fatherly affection vnto his children for of that we are persuaded nor of his fatherly authoritie ouer his children for that is graunted nor of his childrens duetie towardes him for that is acknowledged but now the question of his person and who it is that heere saith My sonne that hee might be reuerenced and who they are to whom this title of Sonnes doth belong that they might not neglect to doe their dutie If thou knewest saith the Lord Iesus to the woman of Samaria who it is that saith vnto thee giue mee drinke thou wouldest haue asked of him and hee would haue giuen thee water of life So if wee knewe who it is that heere saith My sonne and giueth counsell like a father in matters of this life we would aske of him and he would giue vs counsell to eternal life Let vs know then who it is that saith My sonne whose voice is it what is it the voice of God or of man is it from heauen or from earth or from whence is it For the better finding out of this point wee are to consider that as these names of Father and Sonne be often vsed in this booke of Prouerbs so they are not alwaies the words of one and the selfe same partie They are somtimes to be vnderstood of God and of his Church as in the 1. chapter verse 8. They are sometimes to be vnderstood of Salomon and the members of Gods Church as chap. 4. ver 1. They are somtime to be vnderstood onely of Dauid the father of Salomon the sonne of Dauid as in cha 4. verse 3. 4. Sometime they are the wordes of Bethsheba Salomons mother vnto Salomon her sonne as in chap. 30. ver 1. But most commonly they are the wordes of God and Salomon togither and are spoken to the members of the Church in generall and so they are to be vnderstoode when there is no manifest difference as there is in the places before mentioned In this exhortation these words My sonne are to be takē as the words of God the common father of all his creatures but especially of his Church in generall and they are also the wordes of Salomon a notable instrument in the Church of God My sonne saith God my son saith Salomon for this is Gods worde though Salomons writing because Salomon writeth as the holy Ghost inditeth My sonne saith God by the ministery of Salomon naming no body because he speakes to euery one that will follow his counsell of what nation or of what countrie or of what language or of what yeares of what estate and conditition soeuer he be My sonne saith Salomon in the person of God naming no body yet speaking to all that shal either heare or read his writings that at the verie entrance the dores being of loue they may be in loue with the whole frame of his counsell haue a delight to dwell therein My sonne saith God by the ministerie of Salomon that wee might perceiue what loue hee beareth to vs and knowe what dutie we beare to him My son saith Salomon in the person of God to teach all teachers with what affection to teach the Lords people and to shewe all hearers what accompt they must make of their teachers My sonne saith God to teach vs that all his care is to doe vs good and if we follow his counsell it is the better for our selues hee is neuer the better for
yea he taketh vpon him the person of a father and speaketh like a father most louingly kindly and alluringly saying My sonne partly to persuade vs to heare our duetie partly to encourage and confirme vs in the discharge of our duetie partly to comfort vs when we be in troble for doing our duetie but principally to teach vs that whatsoeuer obedience we yeeld vnto God wee must performe it with a sonne-like affection and whatsoeuer fauour God sheweth vnto vs it commeth from a fatherly compassion And lastly that al our obedience is accepted of him and all his loue is bestowed vppon vs onely because wee are his children in Christ but for no cause of worthinesse that is in our selues So that these wordes My sonne proceeding from God to men are words of persuasion they are words of encouragement they are wordes of comfort and they are wordes of instruction They are in a word like the tree of life in the Reuelation that beareth twelue manner of fruit euerie moneth whose very leaues do serue to cure the Nations If any shall say Can all this come out of these two wordes I say to them as Philp saide in another case to Nathaniel Come and see But are they not of power sufficient to persuade Surely where the spirite of grace is they are sufficient for when nothing can preuaile with a childe the loue and authoritie of his father shall preuaile with him especially if the thing be honest and lawfull which is commanded One word of his fathers mouth shall persuade more than 1000. of another How these wordes My sonne do serue to persuade and to moue affection NOw our heauenly father commandeth vs nothing but things honest lawfull neither can he cōmand any thing els for it is against his nature but our rebellious hearts naturally doe go against the hearing of them therefore wee had need of some oratour to persuade vs and that might vse some good argumentes and strong reasons to moue our affections The Lord doth therfore become that Oratour himselfe but all the fine eloquence and al the strong argumentes by which hee would mooue affection are in these wordes My sonne as if he should say If thou wilt heare no bodie O thou rebellious person yet thou wilt harken to the voyce of thy father if thou wilt not regard thy Father which begat thee and brought thee vp whom wilt thou regarde Thy father speaketh heare him I loue thee with a fathers loue therefore heare I haue a fathers aucthoritie ouer thee therefore heare mee I haue a fathers interest in thee therefore regard what I say I haue a fathers care ouer thee therefore giue eare vnto me If thou be my sonne heare me and if thou louest me as I loue thee heare mee If thou hast felt the power of my loue if thou haue tasted the sweetnesse of my loue If thou haue known the greatnesse of my loue which I haue shed abundantly vpon thee when I gaue Iesus Christ for thee I know thou wilt not stoppe thy eares but wilt both regard me and obey me whatsouer reasons or persuasions thou hast receiued or maiest receiue of the worlde or the deuill or thy owne false heart to the contrarie Nowe when the Lorde woulde speake all this in one worde hee sayth My sonne Therefore let vs remember that GOD calleth vs sonnes and wee call him father for wee say Our father c. and it sufficeth Nay more saith the Lord Remember that I call thee not onely a sonne but my sonne and remember that thou haue not onely a father but that I am thy father no man nor Angell nor anie person of meane estate but the almightie God of heauen and earth the King of kinges and Lord of lords euen the King of glorie and the Lord of hostes mightie in battaile whose glorie is infinite and his Maiestie is incomprehensible who filleth the earth with the riches of his mercie whose wisedome power and goodnesse doth shine in euery part of the worlde who telleth the Starres and calleth them all by their names whose dwelling is in the Heauens and the Earth is his footstoole at whose presence the Heauens and the Earth are mooued and melted euen such a one is thy Father and if thou wilt not be mooued when suche a one speaketh and calleth thee his Sonne then it goeth hard Remember againe that I am thy father and such a one doth call thee his sonne as might haue forsaken thee for euer but hee did not he could haue destroyed thee in thy sinnes but he did not hee could haue made thee a prey to the deuill but hee did not hee coulde haue plagued thee with infinite plagues but hee did not he coulde haue shut vp thy bodie and soule in the chaines of darkenesse in Hell fire for euer but hee did not Againe hee was not bound to make thee his son and heire yet he did it he was not compelled to spare thee yet he did it he sawe no reason why he should blesse thee so many ways yet he hath blessed thee manie waies thou couldst not persuade him yet hee was persuaded thou hadst nothing to say for thy selfe yet hee was satisfied thou wert his ennemie yet hee became thy friend in a worde thou wert the childe of the Diuell and the heire of endlesse perdition yet hee made thee the childe of God and an heire of euerlasting saluation such a one is thy father therefore if thou contemnest the wordes of such a Father remember whom thou contemnest I coulde presse thee with my power but I doe woo thee by my loue I might haue displaied my flagge of defiance against thee and haue saide my rebell but loe I haue put out a flagge of truce and displaied my colours of loue when I call thee My sonne Remember this My sonne and be persuaded Thus wee see howe the Lord doth as it were adiure vs by the loue and authoritie of a father and by the loue and duetie of a sonne to heare his word and obey his commandementes Therefore doe these two words My sonne runne from one to another so often in this booke of Prouerbs whatsoeuer matter almost he hath in hand Father and Sonne must go before as common Oratours to get attention and to mooue affection to shew vs that if anie thing will draw a man to God it is the feeling and consideration of his loue in Christ and hee that will not yeeld when hee is thus charmed will hee euer be wonne And hee that shall runne from God when hee seeth the white auncient with the colours of mercie and fauour displaied when wil he come and humble himselfe to God Therefore Salomon saith That louing fauor is aboue gold and siluer meaning that it is not onely more worth but that it is of greater force and will bring greater matters to passe and yet we know that money will doe much but is not the kings fauour without his paie better than the
and so louingly embraced is this he whom he saluted with such sweete kisses and teares of ioy was it for him that the fat calfe was killed and is all this feasting and reioycing for his returne as though he had neuer offended surely so it should seeme But what shall man now giue vnto God for so greate loue and fauour or how shall we shew our selues thankfull for such kindnesse vndeserued Surely this is the Lordes doing and it is wonderfull in our eyes but that our profit may encrease to the further instruction of our iudgmente and comfort of our faith we will by the grace of God set downe certain pointes to consider of and by this text to be examined First we will consider how or by what meanes we are come into this fauour with God and how we are come by the knowledge thereof Secondly we will see the exellencie of the children of God aboue other men Thirdly we will enquire what duety the children-of God do owe vnto God their heauenly father wherby they may shew themselues thankful for such fauour restored Fourthly we will consider why the Lord both here and els where vseth these wordes My sonne Last of all we will see what may bee gathered frō them as they bee the words of Solomon How we are made the sonnes of God NOw touching the First point if we be the sonnes of God then God is our father the church of god is our mother the members of the church be our bretheren and the kingdome of heauen is our inheritance This purchase the father hath bestowed vpon vs the sonne hath bought it for vs and the holy ghost hath sealed vnto vs. Of this couenant God is the author the sonne of God is the purchaser and the spirite of God is the certifier It is freely graunted it is fully discharged it is certainely assured and shall be for euer possessed This prerogatiue as it is great so the first cause thereof was the infinite loue of God in his son Iesus Christ. It is the free gift of the father so saith the sonne Feare not litle flocke it is youre fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome It is the free gift of the sonne so saith the Lord Iesus My sheepe heare my voice and follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life It is also the gift of the Holy Ghost so saith the prophet Dauid Lord let thy good spirite lead me into the land of righteousnesse and therefore it is no way merited or purchased by our selues while we liue nor gotten by any friendes for vs when we are deade as Papists teach for nothing can be more contrary than these To haue it of our selues and to be freely giuen of God The euidence or assurance which we haue to shew for this priuiledge is Gods promise which is surely ratified in heauen by the eternall decree of the holy Trinitie as it were by an euerlasting Act of Parlement neuer to be repealed wherunto the father the word and the spirite do beare sufficient witnesse If therefore we receiue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater The recordes of this charter promise are left among vs here vpon earth in the written word of God contained in the bookes of the old and new testament whereupon all the faithfull must rely as vpon their fathers last will and testament and these we are al cōmaunded to search because they beare witnesse of the loue of God in Christ to our eternal saluation Therefore if any forsake this foundation to build vpon reuellations and dreames as Anabaptistes do or vpon mens traditions as the Papists do or vpon the persuasions of their owne hearts as Atheists do what do they els but builde vppon the sands The proclaimers and publishers of high prerogatiue are pastors and teachers which are appointed to be ministers of the Gospell truly sent of God and lawfully called of Gods church whose badges are knowledge and holines whose feete are beawtifull because they bring the glad tidings of peace The seales of this charter are either outward or inward The outward seales are the Saeraments of Baptisme and the Lordes Supper duely administred according vnto Christs holy institution The inward seales are two one is the spirite of adoption which beareth witnesse to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God and sealeth vp our heartes to the day of redemption The other is a good cōscience in all thinges desiring to liue honestly whereby we know that the spirit of God is in vs. The hand by which we receiue it is faith the closet wherin we keep it is the heart and till the soule may fully possesse it she must lye at the anchor of hope and so much for the first point The excellencie pleasures and beautie of Gods Children NOw let vs take a little viewe of the commodities and benefits which belong vnto this charter and priuiledge of beeing the sonnes of God and then shall we see the excellencie and dignitie of Gods children aboue all other which be not the children of God Their excellent estate and condition doth partly appeare in the very names and titles that be giuen them in the word of God where they be called the citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem a royall priesthood a kingly generatiō the beloued of God the spowse of the lambe Christ the signet of the Lords right hand the apple of his eye the annointed of God the friendes of God the brethrenand sisters of the Lord Iesus his loue his doue and his vndefiled the bodie of Christ the Lordes vineyard his holy ones the saintes of God the seruauntes of the most high and that which passeth all the rest the sons and daughters of God Now as Dauid said when he should haue married Saules daughter Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a kinges sonne seeing that I am a poore man and of small reputation So seemeth it to any a light thing to be sonnes and daughters of God the king of all kinges seeing wee are sinfull men and of no reputation but deserued rather eternall confusion It is a great matter as it seemeth by Dauids words to be a kings son but hee that is sonne and heire to a 1000. kingdomes or 1000. worlds if it were possible cannot compare with the sons of God if they were as naked as euer Iob was or as poore as euer was Lazarus The sonnes of Princes are in great accompt with men but the children of God are in accompt with God and man The children of princes are attended vpon by noble men and garded with strong men yet both but mē whose breth is in their nostrels and their handes cannot accomplish the deuise of their heart The children of God are attended vppon by God himselfe whose eye is alwaies ouer the righteous and they are garded by the angels of God who for their swiftnesse are said to haue wings for their readinesse they are said to
kings paie without his fauour and what good shall the goodes of his subiectes doe him without their heartes and good will This knew the old counsellers of Salomon well inough and therefore when Rehoboam who succeeded Salomon asked them what course he should take to winne the heartes of the people they gaue him counsell to speak kindly vnto them at the first and they would be his seruantes for euer meaning that some token of loue or shewe of a kind affection towardes them would more preuaile with them than any thing els Shall the hope of Rehoboams loue make his subiects serue him for euer and shall not the assurance of Gods loue make vs serue him for euer Shall the kind words of Rehoboam the king of Ifrael win the heartes of his people for euer and shal not the kind wordes of Iehouah the king of heauen and earth win the hearts of his people for euer and for euer vnto himselfe besides that Rehoboam had neede to speake kindly to his subiects or els it is the worse for himselfe Iehouah needeth not to speake so for if we neuer loue him it is not the worse for him but for our selues yea if we be righteous we are righteous for our selues and if we all perish God wil not loose a whit of his glory shall we not then listen vnto the Lord when he speaketh so kindly vnto vs and hath displayed the flagge of Truce with My sonne the badge of loue vpon it When God commaunded Abraham to sacrifice his sonne Isaac he was ready to do it So deare was the loue of God vnto him but if all the world besides had persuaded him therevnto he would neuer haue yeelded God doth not commaund vs to sacrifice our sonnes but our sinnes least they sacrifice vs now if we thinke our selues as much beholding to God as Abraham was we wil not spare them though they be as necessarie for vs as our right hand or as profitable vnto vs as our right eye If Iudas had been the child of God as he was the child of perdition would he haue sold the loue of Christ for 30 pieces of siluer no nor yet for 30 thousande worldes but so it is with all Hipocrites and reprobate persons which are best knowne to the searcher of hearts They cannot be persuaded that God is their father in Christ their spirites are not assured by Gods spirit that God doth loue them They conceiue of the Lord as of their enemie and therefore as they could neuer feele the sweetenesse of Gods loue in their soules so they can neuer afford him their loue in their liues Whervpon it commeth to passe that the least temptation in the world the least feare of mans displeasure and the least shew of pleasure and profit doe easily persuade them to doe any thing against god against his glory against his word and against his feruantes as Baalam did who serued for the wages of iniquitie But the faithfull indeed hearing God calling them his sonnes and his daughters hauing the spirit of sanctification to assure them of their adoption they I say do fall into the reckoning of Gods vnspeakable loue in Christ vnto them howbeit not all at one time nor alwaies alike he that is not now may be hereafter but when they consider of it indeed they do therewithall resolue with themselues in token of thankfullnesse to serue the Lord in righteousnesse and true holines all the daies of their life yet still depēding vpon God by prayer and herein through Gods grace they are resolute whatsoeuer dislike of men or hinderance in the world or daunger to their owne liues they might purchase for their labor And thus wee see what an Orator the loue of God is Therfore when the Lord saith My son let vs looke for no more eloquēce to entice vs nor reasons to persuade vs for heare is eloquence inough reasons inow and learning inough and fathers inow to persuade any man that hath the spirit of God in him and whosoeuer doth not find the cords of Gods loue and authoritie strong inough to knit his hearte vnto the statutes of the Lord he hath good cause to suspect himselfe as yet that he is not the child of God Why My sonne in the singular number and not my sonnes NOw we will see why the Lord saith not My sonnes in the plurall number seeing as he speaketh to all his childrē but My sonne as if it concerned but onely one body This is partly for the particular encouragement and confirmation of euery one in his duety and partly for the particular comfort of euery one of Gods children when he shall be troubled for doing of his duety for when the Lord in particular shall giue euery one his charge then if any man be offended at him he may shew his warrant and say thus Sir the Lord did not speake generally to all least one should post it off to another but he speaketh particularly to me aswell as to another and therefore I am discharged for when the Lord speaketh indefinitly meaning none he excepteth none But in this particular kind of speaking the Lord doth binde euery one of his children in particular wholy to serue him and none els so therewithall he giueth vs to vnderstand that he hath a speciall eye and fatherly care ouer euery one in particular that is his childe and will surely protect and defend him as his childe against all annoiances watsoeuer than the which there can be no greater comfort whensoeuer the crosse shall come But we will first see how they doe binde vs wholy to God and afterwarde we will see how God hath bound himselfe to vs and euery one of vs if we be all his children as I hope we be Some thinke it lawfull to serue God and the worlde too to be of this Reiiglon and of that Religion too to goe to Bethell the house of God and to Bethauen the house of Idolitrie To goe with Barnabas and Barrabas and to ioyne with Simon Magus as with Simon Peter thinking themselues sufficiently discharged if they serue God a little now and then or if they keepe their consciences to themselues and giue God their heartes like Protestantes at large which thinke they need not heare a sermon because they heard seruice or they need not come in the after noone because they came in the forenoone or like the most which think when they haue heard a sermon they are then at libertie to do what they will or like those men which will heare a Masse and worshippe the crosse at the least in other countries that they may get commodities thereby but they will keep their consciences to themselues as our church Papists doe here amongst vs but all these men are deceiued for no man can serue ij maisters Therefore my good brother when any such temptations do beginne to fawne vpon thee Remember that God doth here call euerie particular member of the church