Conclusions of Peace, Title page – Dedication
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 Churchyard 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 hauehave 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 louelove, and a title of the greatest louelove that can be.
The louelove of a Prince is great, the louelove of a friend is great, the louelove of a brother is great, the louelove of husbands and wiues is great, but the louelove of father and mother to their children, is like the louelove of Ionathan to Dauid: It is wonderfull passing 2. Sam. 1. 26the louelove of Princes, the louelove of brethren, the louelove of neighbours, the louelove of husbandes and wiues, & and passing the louelove of women and all loues. For (saith Esay) can a woman forget her child? As if he should say, Esa. 49. 15.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 vsus, but of singular louelove and care to doe vsus 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 vntounto 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 vntounto thee giuegive mee drinke, thou wouldest hauehave asked of him, Ioh. 4. 10.and hee would hauehave 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 giuegive vsus counsell to eternal life.
Let vsus 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 onelyonly of Dauid the father of Salomon 1 Chro. 28. 9the sonne of Dauid, as in cha. 4. verse 3. 4. Sometime they are the wordes of Bethsheba, Salomons mother vntounto 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 eueryevery 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 louelove) they may be in louelove with the whole frame of his counsell, & hauehave a delight to dwell therein. My sonne, saith God, by the ministerie of Salomon, that wee might perceiue what louelove hee beareth to vsus, 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 vsus that all his care is to doe vsus good; and if we follow his counsell, it is the better for our selues, hee is neuer the better for it: and therefore that all our care and studie must be to aduance him, and to direct all our actions to his glorie, as he hath directed his glorie to our good, So that these wordes My sonne, are to be considered after a double manner of speaking; First as spoken by God the first authour of them, next as proceeding from Salomon the minister of God, and so much briefly for the persons by whom they were spokē.