[ 888] God seeketh his People more especially in his own House, the Church.
VVHen we receive summons from any supream Authority,* 1.1 the Messenger or Offi•••••• of the Court, seeks us not in idling places, he pursues us not into the fields, neither doth he come to our sports to warn us, but to our houses, and there reads his message as if we were there, because we should be there, and then without any further enquiry, departs, fastning the script or writ upon the door▪ In like manner the Ministers of the Gospel are Gods Ambassador, and Gods Messen∣gers: God supposeth every Man to be at home,* 1.2 and so do they, because at hours and times set apart for his worship, they are presumed to have no houses but his house, whom they shall meet no where, nor more certainly find than there; there it is that more especially when two or three are met together in his name, he will be in the midst of them, there he will teach them his wayes, and there he will give them grace too,* 1.3 to walk in his waies; nor can a Sermon have any influence upon such as are not there; so true is that of venerable Bede, That he that comes not willingly to Church, shall one day go unwillingly to Hell.