he crowe no more thou maist assure thy selfe for sure it is thou art in the way of destruction a necessarie meditation for all men The Lord looked backe c. The seconde cause followeth the cocke had crowen and yet Peter had not remembred himselfe neither was he awaked out of his sinfull sléepe vntill the Lorde turned backe his countenaunce vpon him but when once he looked vpon his face whose knowledge he had denied then began he to remember himselfe and consider that things were amisse But was it the turning backe of his face that wrought this in Peter No for then it might haue conuerted Iudas whome he looked vpon when he betraied him But it was his grace and holie spirite which did mercifully fall downe into his heart when the cocke did crowe Whereby we sée plainely that it is not the outwarde ministerie of the word of God onely that bringeth saluation vnto mankinde for Paule planteth Apollo watereth but God giueth the increase and this is the reason that so many heare the word and so few profit therein because it belongeth to the Lorde to shew mercie to whome he will shewe mercie And therefore when the Gospell was preached to them of Antioch by S. Paule it is said that so many as were ordained to saluation beléeued so that if thou hearing or reading Gods word doest desire that it may worke to thy saluation pray earnestly vnto the Lord that it would please him of hys infinite mercie to looke backe vpon thée with the eies of his grace and so framing thy selfe in a true faith and a single heart to applie it vnto that ende wherefore it is giuen thée thou shalt surely féele in thy soule an especiall operation of the spirite of God to thy greate comforte Thus much briefly concerning the first two causes of Peters conuersion where note by y e way that the two first causes of his fall were within himself but the first that worke to his rising againe are without himselfe to teach vs that all our sinnes procéede of our selues and come from our selues but all goodnesse not of vs but from the Lord that his name only may be praised for all good things and we our selues blamed for all euill Peter remembred c. Now followe the causes within himselfe but marke this first the Cocke did crow no doubt of it more did heare him then Peter but because he was ordeyned as a meanes to call Peter home therefore he only being guilty was pricked in heart and none else moued So God hath ordeyned the Preaching of hys worde to be an instrument to put all men in minde of their faults and that they mighte amend And such is the force thereof that the worde preached generally doth mooue euery mans conscience which is guiltie of that crime whiche is reprooued And therefore there be manie wicked men of the worlde that doo imagine the Preacher to harpe onely vppon them because they be guiltie as if he speake against Papistrie euerie massemonger thinketh he pointeth at hym if he inneigh againste Swearers Usurers whoremaisters or théeues euery swearer Usurer Whoremaister and théefe thinketh his owne doinges to bee touched And in déede though they turne it to a fault in the Preacher this sheweth vnto vs the wonderfull vertue of Gods word that can speake so to euery mans heart and thought Therefore when thou hearest thy owne faults rebuked euen that which thou thoughtest all the world had not knowen openly reuealed doo not thinke that he speaketh it of choller or hath learned it of thy trustie familiars but thinke rather that Gods spirite whiche searcheth all mens thoughtes doth speake vnto thée that thou shouldest amende it For as Peter béeing guiltie alone was onely pricked in conscience and did repent so it is thy duetie to consider thy owne estate and repent thée of thy fault that God may be mercifull vnto thée Peter remembred c. The worde preached and Gods grace working inwardly doo bring Peter to remēbrance First that Christ had sayde Before the Cocke crowe thou shalt deny me thrise c. And secōdly that he had so doon in déed for they must be handled together let vs then note this diligently before the crowing of the cocke and the looking back of Iesus there was no such thing in his minde but they two comming together doo bring him into consideration of his estate Adam and Heuah when they had transgressed the lawe of the Lord made no care of it at the first But when the word of the Lorde and his spirite said VVhere art thou he remembred what God had said that he should not eate of the trée of knowledge of good and euill and that he had eaten of it King Dauid when he had committed those hainous sins of murther and adultery slept quietly therein vntil the Prophet Nathan came to rebuke him and the spirite of the Lorde withall wrought in his heart then he remembred his grieuous sinne and the law of the Lord God to the contrarie Manasses the son of godly Ezechiah thought Idolatrie no Sinne and to make the stréets of Ierusalem swymme with the bloud of innocentes no offence But when the troubles that he sustained in the time of his captiuitie which were in stead of the preaching of gods word did pintch him and the Lorde stretched forth the hands of his mercy to receyue him then he saw the horriblenes of his sinne The like is euident in S Paule who before his conuersion thought he did god good seruice in séeking the vtter extinguishing of the saincts of god But when the light did shew him the blindnes of his mind and the voice of Christ did aske him why he did so persecute him he was stroken downe in consideration of his offence To leaue off to recken anye more examples out of Gods word The same is most true in all mākinde euen in our selues For before we be called vnto the trueth in Iesus Christ we walke in the waies of our owne imaginations we liue without god be strangers from the couenant of the promise of GOD. But when it pleaseth him of hys goodnesse to call vs vnto the knowledg of his grace by preaching his word vnto vs and that he look backe vpon vs with the eies of his mercye Then we see plainelye what is the rule of righteousnes that God hath inioyned vnto al the sonnes of Adam and comparing the same with our déeds we sée how great is our debt that we haue vnpayed howe many be our Sinnes that we haue committed and how vain our former conuersation hath béene whereas before this be reuealed vnto vs we procéede securely in our owne iniquity and as all worldlings doo think our owne wayes to be right and honest Wherefore if this be the way and firste entrance into the schoole of Christe to wit the word of God preached to shewe vs our sins What a great care ought we
his féete not scorched whosoeuer toucheth pitch must néeds be defiled therewithal euen so they that vse the society of the wicked must néedes smel of their wickednes as is prooued before Wept bitterly c. Now Peter béeyng conuicted of his sinnne and consideryng through the grace of Gods holye spirite that the guilt therof deserueth great and endles punishment beginneth to repent and turne vnto the Lord. This conuersion and turning is contained in thys word wept the outwarde token of hys sorrow expressing the inward griefe of his mind for we muste not thinke that his wéeping was the repentance it self least we make Iudas and Esau to be coÌ„uerted vnto the Lord by repentaÌ„ce But that the excéeding sorrowe of his minde did wring out his wéeping This repentaunce to pretermit all our aduersaries fond deuises concerning the same may be rightly thus defined It is a true turning of our life vnto god procéeding froÌ„ a pure and earnest feare of God which consisteth in the mortification of y e flesh and quickning of the spirite This was in Peter when he wept for his fault it is in all them that be truly called vnto the faith in Iesus Christ and ought to be in vs all coÌ„tinually because we cease not to transgresse the lawes of the Lord continually Now to explane the parts of this definition it is called a turning vnto God because so often as we sin we depart from God walking after the desires of our own flesh this turning must begin at the hart for the thoughtes of mans hart are altogither wicked naturally therfore y e turning vnto god must begin at the renuing of the same so commandeth the Lorde by the Prophet saying Make you a new hart in another place breake vp your fallow grounds sow not your séeds among thornes that is plucke out of your hartes your wickednes and impietie doo not receyue Gods mercies into your soules delighting still in wickednes this turning must be tried without any dissimulatioÌ„ or hipocrisie that if it be begun aright it maketh the hart to lothe detest and abhorre his former life and to sighe sob lament that his vngodlye demeanour hath so hainously transgressed the laws of his gentle and mercifull GOD and deserued such extreme paine torments this is that terror and feare that the prophet speaketh of Haue mercy vppon me O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale me for my bones are brused and there is nothing sound in my fleshe because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin and so forward in that psalme Dauid declareth how grieuously he was troubled in hys body and minde because he considered Gods iudgements against sin which indéede is in all the childreÌ„ of god in some measure but vtterly vnknowne and strange to secure and carelesse persons that sléepe in their owne iniquitie and for lacke of this doo neuer come to anye remorse in conscieÌ„ce but doo waxe worse and worse but it is vnto the Godlye a great cooÌ„fort for although they féele the heauy wrath of God against their sinne yet they knowe that is the beginning first entrance into Gods fauour againe for y e rigor of his wrath driueth vs back from our selues and maketh vs séeke vnto his mercy This must procéed from an earnest feare of God that is as before is declared from the consideration what God in iustice requireth of vs and how farre contrary we haue liued and also that he will execute iudgement agaynste all Sinne and Iniquitye The feare of this maketh vs to séeke what waye to haue Gods wrath appeased agaynste vs which is onely done by Fayth in Iesus Christe who came into y e world for that purpose that he might be a mediator and reconciler of sinners vnto God his Father so that euery one that shall come to the fauour of God again must certainly and stedfastly with out wauering beléeue that Christ his bloud hath béene shed for the satisfaction of Gods wrath agaynste hym for hys sins And so being perswaded hys conscience is at quiet with god and the terror of Gods wrathe whiche before dyd appéere is nowe pacified and satisfied in Iesus Christe But because mans harte is full of hypocrisie and a beast in his owne knowledge béeyng blinded through vaine confidence may perswade himselfe that God hath receiued him into his fauour when in déede it is not so Therefore it is said that this repentance consisteth in the mortifying of the fleshe and quickening of the spirit that is in crucifying and killing within himselfe the world and flesh to wit all sinne whatsoeuer and the quickening of the spirite which is by continuall endeuour to frame our liues precisely according to Gods word And because this can not be done perfectly no not in the best by reason of sin and iniquitie that cleaueth so fast vnto them therefore they thinke it their dutie so long as they carrie about with them this bodie of sinne to grone vnder the burthen thereof and to vse all those meanes that God hath set downe for them in his word to continue and abide in repentance and amendment of life without ceassing that Gods holie name may be glorified and their consciences surely setled in the mercies of the Lorde and sinne daily more and more abolished the whiche the Lorde God of his infinite mercie graunt vnto all them that earnestly séeke and labour for it Amen Let vs pray O Eternall GOD and our most louing and mercifull father whiche of thy great mercie hast reuealed vnto vs by the example of thy holy Apostle S. Peter that of our selues and in our owne imaginations wee wander daily further and further from thee Poure downe thy spirit O Lord into our hearts to perswade and certifie vs vnfainedly of the truth heereof and to bring vs by consideration of the same vnto a true acknowledgement of our owne misery and thereby to that humilitie which may declare vnto vs our wretched estate without thee that by the weying of the same aright we may knowe the necessitie of thy holy and blessed word which not only discouereth vnto vs all our naturall blemishes and corruptions but also teacheth how to knowe thee and to worship thee truly and therby be moued to haue an especiall care to heare the same taught publikely to reade it priuately for our comfort and to meditate in it continually that wee learning out of the same the absolute vprightnesse that thy law requireth may be cast downe and the mercie that thou offerest to repenting sinners may ground our vnfained faith vpon thy promises and by the consideration of thy greate mercies offered vnto vs in thy Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christe may endeuour diligentlie to glorify thy holy name with that obedience that thou requirest and to shunne all things both in our religion and conuersation that hath no warrant out of thy blessed will that abandoning all fancies of mans traditions and will-worshippers pleasant in the eyes of flesh and bloud we may cleaue vnto thy perfect will reuealed vnto vs by thy Prophets and Apostles and shewing forth thy prayse according therevnto heere in this world may thorough thy mercie be glorified in the world to come through Iesus Christ our Lord only Sauiour FINIS Odiss 17. Luke 16 8. Crates Bias. Diogenes Matth. 6 24. Iohn 3 4. Matth. 7 21. 2. Tim 3 5. Matth. 20 22. Iude verse 4. Reuel 18 4. Iude verse 2 3. Rom. 12 2. Tit. 2 10. Mat. 26.34 35. Luk. 22.54.55 56. 57. 58. Mat. 26.72 73. 74. Luke 22.60 61. 62. 2. Tim. 3 16. Rom. 15 4. Gen. 2 17. 3.23 4.8 2.24 4.19 1. Sam. 15 3. Exo. 16 2.17 3. Exod. 20 4. Deut. 5 8. Iohn 4 23. 2. Cor. 3 17. Ieremy 5 7. A note for them that sweare by faith Masse Saint c. Eccles. 23 11. Zach. 5 4. Heb 13 4. Psal. 1 2 Iosua 1. 8 Ephe. 6.17 1. Cor. 1.21 Mat. 13.31 Ier. 5.14 Exec. 4.3 Deut. 32.2 Luke 8.15 Pro. 4 4.5.6.7.8 c. to the 15. Psal. 19.8.5.10 11.12 Psal. 119 99. Heb. 12 1. Iohn 8.47 Gen. 11 3 Exod. 5.2.3.14.27 1. Sam. 17.8.49 2. Chron. 10.14 15.16 Deut. 8 17. Iudg. 7.2 Gen. 2 7. 1. King 8 46. Psal. 14 3. Iob. 7 1. Psal. 39 5 6. Gen. 18 27. Exod. 3 11. 1. Sam. 18 18. 1. Cor. 4.7 Iob. 1.21 1. Sam. 2.7 Exod. 31.3 Ephe. 2.8 Mat 25.20 Luke 12.19 Pro. 17 17 Ioh. 13 37. Exod. 17 3. Num. 13 28.29 Math. 20 21. 13.21 Iohn 6 Mat 7 16 Iude. 4. Luke 14 28. Hebr. 11 25. Psal. 84 10. 2. Tim. 3 12. Eccles. 27 5. Ephes. 6 13. Gen. 19 8. Gen. 20 2. Gen. 42 15. Dan. 6 21. Prou. 4 1â— 24 1. Exod. 34 1â— Iosua 9 15. â— Cro. 16 9. 18 31. Rom. 16 17. â— Iohn 10. Euseb. 3 25. Euseb. 4.14 Ieremy 15 17. Gen. 6 2. Psal. 120 5. Psal. 84 â— Gen. 19 15. verse 7 18. Psal. 73 2 3 4 5 c. Iob. 21 15. Psal. 73 17. 1. Sam. 19 8. 2. Sam. 11 1 2. 3 c. 2. Chro. 1 6. 1. King 11 4. 2. Chro. 14 1.2 3 4. c. 16 12. 1. Chro. 26 1. c. 16. verse Hose 13 6. Prou. 30 8. Psal. 119 71. Iob. 5 17. 1 King 19 10. Pro 29 12. Luke 16 8. Psal. 101 6.7 Gen. 17 13. Gen. 8 19. Act. 16 32 10.2 Psal. 56 12 Reuel 3 15. 1. Kings 28.21 Mat. 10.33 Rom. 2 24. Iohn 28 25. Act. 3 3. Act. 9.2 Mat 22.46.26.4 This is the let to reformation at this day Luke 23 12. Acts. 16.14 A question for a Papist to answere 2. Cor. 3 5. Iam. 1 17. Dan. 1 8. Iere. 31 18. Heb. 6 5. Saule Iulian the apostata and all heretikes Matth. 24 14. 20 16. Matth. 7 24. 1. Iohn 4 6. Iohn 8 47. Wisd 2 14. Luke 22 47. 1. Cor. 3 6. Exod. 33 19. Rom. 9 15. Acts. 13 48. With what minde wee should heare or reade the word Gen. 3 8 9. 2 Sam. 11 4.12 9. 2 Chro. 33.3 2. King 21 16. 1. Chro. 33.12 Act. 9 3.4 Ephe. 2 12. Ephes. 1.13 1. Sam. 5.4 Deut. 23.19 Nehem. 5.8 Reuel 12 11. Psal. 1 2. â—9 10 Act. 9.19.26 Act. 25.5 Pro. 6.27 Eccle. 13.1 The definition of repentance Gen. 6 5. Ezek. 18 31. Iere. 4 4. Psal. 238 2 1. Tim. 3 13. Gal. 5 19 20. 22 23.
AS there is nothing set downe in the worde of God which is not in his singular wisedome propounded vnto his children either to teache them the will of the Lord and the religion that they must professe or to furnish them with sufficient armour to conuince their aduersaries or to instruct them how to frame their liues and conuersation according to hys will or to reproue them that walke inordinately or lastly to comforte them being distressed and afflicted in this world so there is no example set before our eyes in the whole booke of God more necessary for vs continuallie to be meditated vpon then this of Peters fall For in the same is firste painted out vnto vs the miserable estate of man being left vnto himselfe then the excéeding mercie of God towards man Secondly we may sée in it the beginnings procéedings and manner how all men doo sinne whether it be the godly falling by infirmitie or the wicked transgressing thorough infidelitie and then how and by what degrées the godly be reclaimed and restored againe So that in this historie we haue two things offered to our considerations First Peters fall Secondly his rising againe In his fall we note the causes that mooued him therevnto and the maner how it was The causes be either in himselfe or accidentarie without himselfe within himselfe his presumption in departing from the word of God and leaning vppon his owne power and his slowe following the causes without himself be his companie the high Priests seruants and the place where he was y e warme fire The maner how he did fall is first in bare deniall then with binding it with an oth and lastly by curssing himselfe if euer he knew Christ. In his rising againe are likewise the causes and the maner how the causes without himself and within himselfe without himselfe the crowing of the Cocke the looking back of Iesus within himselfe his remembrance what Christ had said and what he had done the manner how he rise his going out and his sorrowing The firste cause of his fall as you sée was his presumption and that is also in two things The first is in not leaning vnto the wordes of his Lorde and maister For Christ told him that he should denie him But he notwithstanding being either blinded with the consideration of his owne power as hereafter shall appeare or else carried away with a preposterous zeale to follow him whether soeuer he went replyed that though all men should forsake him yet he would not And surely this is most worthy the consideration For if we beginne at the first man that euer was and continue thorough out the whole scriptures we shal finde that the little regarde giuen vnto the worde of God was the beginning of their fall The father of mankinde the firste founder of his misterie Adam hauing receiued this especiall commandement of the trée of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt not eate Yet this béeing put out of his heart partly thorough the subtiltie of Sathan wherewithall he was assayled partly by the prouocation of the woman whome greatly he loued and partly with the beautie and delicacie of the Apple with whiche he was allured He notwithstanding did take of it and eating of the trée forbidden fell from the Lorde his God and was cast out of that place of pleasure where before he dwelled So did Caine forgetting the commandement of God yea and the law of nature kill his brother Abell Lamech not considering that the Lord God had made man and woman to bée one flesh tooke vnto him two wiues and so fell from the Lorde Saule hauing receyued a precept to destroy Amalecke and all that pertayned vnto them that he should haue no compassion on them but shoulde slaie both man and woman both infant and suckling both Oxen and Shéepe and Camels and Asses yet directing not hys dooings according to hys commission but yéelding vnto hys owne fantasie in sparing the King Agag and the better Shéepe and fat Oxen to sacrifice as was pretended vnto the Lorde was rewarded with depriuation from his Kingdome The lyke may be said of the rebellious Israelites in the wildernesse who hauing the promise of Gods speciall protection yet murmured often times The same is playne in the rebellious Iewes in the tyme of the Prophetes and brieflie thorough out the whole booke of God that when soeuer the Prophetes be resisted the Apostles persecuted or any other sinne whatsoeuer committed whether it be of the godlie falling by infirmitie or by the wicked offending of obstinacie The first originall and beginning is this that the worde of the Lorde in that respecte is eyther not knowen or not remembred and therefore Sathan strooke verie déepe and in verie déede at the surest roote of mans safegarde when he put it into the head of his sonne and heire Antichrist the childe of perdition the Pope of Rome to keepe the people from the knowledge of Gods word for he knew well ynough that the worde of God béeing manifest vnto all the world as the instrumente to kéepe man from grosse sinnes for verie shame and feare of punishment and many in faith and obedience vnto the Lord for loue and zeale vnto his glory and desire of their owne saluation whiche otherwise shoulde wander in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death because that they béeing blinde for want of knowledge should haue swallowed many moates of iniquitie but to let him goe and come nearer vnto our selues what is the cause that euen in this light and glorious Sunne beames of Christ his Gospell so many be so softed and drowned in idolatrie and superstition that they are not ashamed with whorishe faces not blushing to maintaine and defend the heathenish fashion of worshipping of God in Images for theyr owne shame hath fomed out the worshipping of the Image it selfe but only this that the seconde Commandement is blotted out of theyr heart and also out of their bookes and the true exposition that our sauiour Christ giueth vnto the same that the true worshippers shall worship in spirit and truth that as he is a spirit requiring spirituall seruice is either not knowne or else misconstrued or what is the cause that the blasphemer of Gods name hath such delight and pleasure in swearing cursing and prophaning or rather renting in péeces the dreadfull name of the most glorious God but only this that the commandement is not before his eyes which is enioyned vnto all them that be or be desirous to be called the children of God that they neuer presume to take his name into theyr mouth without a singular reuerence of hys Maiestie or the threatninges therevnto annexed For GOD pronounceth them that sweare by those which were no Gods to be none of his for he saith they haue forsaken him in so doing also a man that vseth much swearing shall be filled with wickednes and the plague of God shall not departe
greatlie detested so likewise when he goeth about to perswade any man to adultery he will not at the first throw him into the harlots bed but bring him to behold her then to haue a liking of her then to haue familiarity with her then lastly to commit the hainous fact of whoredome if he go about to bring one man to murther another he doth not bring him vnto it at the firste but beginneth by sowing of discord then of hatred last of all to actuall murther his practise is the like in all other sinnes especially if he deale with those that séeme to make some conscience of sinne and haue in their heart anie detestation of iniquitie Such was his dealing in erecting vp the kingdome of Antichrist for it was a thousand yeares at the least in patching before it came to his height and top of iniquitie Therefore let all them that desire to auoide the actuall sinne endeuour also to cut off all occasions of his beginning If thou wilt not commit adultery cut off thy wanton lookes If thou be loth to murther any man pull downe thy haughtie heart and roote out the affections of disdaine from thy mind and learne out of Gods worde how to apply thy selfe to singlenes and humilitie let the example of yong Daniel neuer go out of thy remembrance who refused euen the portion of meate that was allotted vnto him by Nabuchadnezar which of it selfe was lawfull to be receiued with giuing of thanks because the King shoulde not entice him thereby to forsake the true God and leane to his religion so it is our duty not only to kéepe our selues vndefiled from euery sinne but also frō euery thing that may be a meanes to bring vs vnto it Thus we sée the causes that moued Peter to fall and indéede they be the same that moue all mē to sinne whether it be the godly that fal through infirmitie or the wicked that procéede on in sinning daily and neuer returne vnto the Lord. And we sée also by what steps and degrées Peter came to the height of his offence whose trace we doo all treade so oft as we fall although euerie one go not so farre as he did because Gods grace preuenteth him sooner beholde then in him thine owne frailtie But now we come to make a separation betwéene them that fall and neuer rise againe and them that be renued by repentance And immediately while he was a speaking c. Nowe we come to the beholding of the excéeding mercie of oure good and gratious God who though he suffer vs for a time to goe after our owne fantasies yet at the last his out-stretched arme will helpe those that be his he suffered Peter to fall into sinne yet he is readie to help him vp againe yea euen when Peter was a curssing God entended towards him a blessing and surely it is not without the speciall prouidence of the spirit of God set downe héere by Luke that while Peter yet spake or was a speaking the Cocke did crowe because the enemies of Gods grace and their owne saluation the Papistes who will play at small game rather then they will sit out when they can not wring it from vs that man hath frée will to do well or merit his own saluation yet they must haue it graunted that we be copartners with GOD in that worke I hope they will graunt vnto vs that Peter who was called and nowe is fallen had as muche power and did as muche further his restoring againe as they that haue neuer tasted of the swéetenesse of Gods worde and grace Now Christ did begin Peters conuersion when the Cocke did crowe and what was Peter then doing helping yea helping himselfe to hell-warde for he was then curssing himselfe So that if Peter coulde not helpe himselfe into Gods fauour againe sure it is that none can away then with that fonde imagination that any thing is in man to further his owne saluation for God must first conuert vs and then we shall be conuerted God must be mercifull vnto vs and then we shall be saued The cock crew c. This is y e first cause that God setteth forward towarde the conuersion of Peter For the Lord beholding in what desperate case he was went about to deliuer him out of it and that in all haste for God knewe verie well that if he should continue any space in the swéetenesse wherein sinne had swadled him for it is swéete to all them whose hartes God hath not called from it by the grace of his holy spirite he had béene hardened in the same as the wicked sorte of the world be who tasting thereof and finding their corrupte and sicke senses delighted with it committe the same with gréedinesse and doo so greatly please themselues with it that they conceiue an earnest lothing of all godlinesse and vertue and that is the cause that many of whome we may reade who hauing once tasted of the swéete word of God and after reuerted from the same haue become the greatest enemies that euer the Churche of God hath had at any time and if it were Gods will I would we felt it not in present experience and therefore the Lord God as he is most carefull for his children maketh haste to deliuer Peter quickly This crowing of the Cocke was the same vnto Peter that the preaching of Gods Ministers is vnto vs. For God doth not alwaies vse his ordinarie meanes so that when soeuer we haue the word of God preached at what time soeuer we heare our sinnes laid open before vs and rebuked we must thinke with our selues that God doth with vs as he did to Peter namely vseth meanes to call vs frō sinne bring vs to repentance amendmēt of life This meanes the Lord vseth generally vnto all for his Gospell must be preached throughout the whole world for a witnesse vnto all nations and yet we knowe though many be called yet few are chosen Therefore it behoueth vs to know whether y e Cocke doo crowe vnto vs to our saluation or no and the first triall consisteth in this that the Cocke of Gods word croweth vnto all men and yet onely they imbrace his sound aright that shall be saued if then thou féelest thy selfe to heare the same with all due reuerence if thou beléeuest the promises therof to belong vnto thée with all stedfastnes and endeuourest to frame thy life according to the same with al diligence thou maist assure thy selfe that thou art the child of God for they be of God that doo thus heare his word contrariwise if thou hearest the word preached and perceiuest thy secrete sinnes thereby laid open and thy owne conscience in thy selfe is witnes that thou art conuinced and yet art so farre from beléeuing it or framing thy life according to it that thou doest both mocke it as manie nowe a daies delight to doo and also séeke to pull the cocke downe from the pearch that