The Kings Bath, Section 3

The Kings Bath · Section 3

p. 65Verse. 15.Vers. 15.

Suffer now: for so it behoueth vsus to fulfill all righteousnesse: so he suffered him.

Sect. 3.

SVffer now; Let it be so now for the time of my abasement,Christs perswasion of Iohn. and for the time of my office and ministery, and for the dayes of p. 66my flesh, wherin I hauehave voluntarily laid aside my greatnes; I aym now at another thing; there is a righteousnes, which I must performe, for which I hauehave descended frō heauen, & must descend, & be further abased thē thus yet vponupon earth: therfore suffer now.

By righteousnesse here is meant, not any speciall vertue, but generally perfection of all vertues, namely, whatsoeuer the Law of God requireth; for that is the rule of all righteousnesse. The fulfilling of all righteousnesse is perfect and absolute obedience vntounto all Gods holy constitutions and ordinances, according to those many precepts in Scripture, as Deut. 11. 32. Take heed that yee doe all the commaundements and lawes that I hauehave set before you this day: and 6. 1, 2, and 4. 6, &c. This fulfilling of p. 67righteousnesse the Law looking for at our hands in our owne persons, but being now impossible because of the flesh, Rom. 8. 3 God sent his owne Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh, that the righteousnesse of the Law might bee fulfilled in vsus, not by way of inherency, but of imputation, not by doing, but by beleeuing. And this fulfilling of righteousnesse our Sauiour here speaks of, wherby as a most obedient seruāt of God, & our surety, he was voluntarily subiected to all Gods ordinances. Thus to satisfy the law, he must be circū cised; for that Moses his law required: he would bee presented in the temple, Luk. 2. 21, 22. As it is written, &c. At 12. yeeres he came vp to Ierusalem after the custome of the feast, vers. 42. He was after this subiect to his p. 68parents, vers. 51. for so the Law required: and hee that hitherto had fulfilled all legall rights and obseruances, now at this time must vndertake another, which was yet wanting.

But what law or ordinance was there for baptisme,Quest. to which Christ must be subiected?

It was decreed by the wholeAnsw. Trinity, 1. That Christ should bee initiated by this ceremony; wherein also hee must manifest himselfe the author of all purity and cleanenesse. 2. Iohn had preached it, and shewed the necessity of it by diuine authority. 3. Hee would not onelyonly subiect himself to his Fathers ordination, but also for our sakes, the vertue of whose baptisme depends vponupon his, as also giuegive vsus helpe by his example, and therefore would himselfe doe that p. 69which he commaunded others to do. 4. Christ as Mediator and in our stead, was to be made our righteousnes, 1. Cor. 1. 30. three vvayes: 1. In being made an offering for vsus, by vvhichwhich hee vvas to abolish our sin and curse, and by his most perfect obedience satisfy the vvhole Lavv for vsus. 2. By applying that righteousnesse purchased by his blood, vvhichwhich els vve could neuer hauehave had benefit by. 3. By appointing and sanctifying meanes and instruments for that applicatiō, called the ministery of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 3. 3.2 Cor 3:3vvhereof one branch is the lauer of water in the Word. And thus as in our stead, hee stood in the general, bound by the wil and ordinance of God, in himselfe to sanctifie baptisme for vsus.

But why doth Christ say,Quest. It behoueth vsus to fulfill, and not, p. 70me, seeing neuer any but he fulfilled all righteousnesse?

In the righteousnesse,Answ. wherewith we stand righteous before God, are two things: 1. The merit of it, and whole performance; and thus by his satisfaction and obedience, he alone procureth perfect righteousnes to his people: he trod the winepresse alone, Isa. 63. 3. He looked for an helper, & there was none. 2. The application of it in the meanes: and thus he takes in helpers, that is, the ministery of the Word & Sacraments, whose labour he vseth in the worke of reconciliation: and in this second consideration he takes Iohn in with himselfe, who he also puts in minde of his duty, and so speakes in the plurall number.

Our Sauiour seeth Iohn in an error,Doct. 1. because of his ignorance p. 71and want of consideration, hee suffers him not to lie in it, neither doth he imperiously checke and reproch him, nor stand vponupon his will, Sic volo, sic iubeo,— but vouchsafeth him a meek and modest answere, whereby 1. he labours to roote out his error. 2. To leade him into his dutie. 3. To leade vsus into our dutie in dealing with weake offenders.

1. He answers him, to roote Iout his error: so hee dealt with Peter, The right manner of helping our brethren out of their errors.Ioh. 13. 37. I will lay down my life for thy sake. Nay verily (saith Christ) I say vntounto thee, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. The like with Nicodemus, Ioh. 3. when he spoke most grossely and carnally of the high poynt of Regeneration: so Matth. 20. 21. to the two sonnes of Zebede, who would sit at his right and left hand, and be aboue p. 72all the rest, It is not mine (saith he) to giuegive: and when the other ten heard this and disdained, vers. 26. how doth hee call them and teach them, not to make this vse of the others weaknesse, but learne to bee humble in themselues, and become each others seruant? In whose steps we must tread, and bring our brethren our of their errors, by exhorting one another, and restoring one another by the spirit of meeknesse, Gal. 6. 1. for 1. hereby we testifie our hatred of the euill, which wee seeke to suppresse. 2. It is a token of true Christian louelove to helpe our brethren out of sinne, whereas to let them runne on in error, not seeking to reclaime them, or restraine them, is a part of hatred and crueltie. Leuit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother, p. 73nor suffer sinne vponupon him: as wee would not suffer our neighbour to runne into bodily harmes. 3. It is the right vse and dispensing of our gifts, whē we lay them out to the profit of our brethren.

2. Christ leads Iohn into his IIdutie most gently, which was to looke to his calling, and not pretend modestie, or reuerence to hinder him in the same. This was Peters error, Ioh. 13. 8. hee would not in modestie hauehave Christ wash his feete, till Christ tolde him that then hee must hauehave no part in him. Oh then (said Peter) not my feete onelyonly, but my head and hands and all. God had called Abraham to kill his sonne: he must not now pretend nature or pitie, or the promise, &c. to hinder him; Gods will and calling must bee p. 741his square: Teaching 1. Ministers to hauehave respect more to their calling, than to the greatnesse of any mans person: for 1. God sends them equally to all. 2. In the ministrie all are one. In the kingdome of God there is no difference: herein Moses failed, Exod. 3. 11. saying, Who am I, that I should goe to Pharaoh, &c? his calling should hauehave bin in his eye, not Pharaohs greatnesse. 22. Again it teacheth, that whatsoeuer God commandeth, no respect of man must hinder vsus from it. Gal. 1. 16. When God called Paul to reueale his Sonne among the Gentiles, immediatly he communicated not with flesh and bloud: So in our ministery we may not cōmune with flesh and bloud, but goe resolutely to worke, and say as Nathan did to Dauid, Thou art the p. 75man; nor forecast issues and successes, but doe our dutie, and leaue all vntounto God. 3. In our 3religion for holding or not holding it, we may not eye man or the lawes of man, or goe by the perswasioe of man, but tread all that vnderunder our feet, as the three Children and all the Martyrs hauehave done. 4. In our common 4courses of administring iustice and equitie we must not respect persons, fauour or disfauour, but what Gods word and a good conscience informed thence tels vsus is our dutie, especially if a man hauehave taken an oath to a corporation so to doe.

3. Our Sauiour in the manner IIIof his speech with Iohn leads vsus into our dutie, namely,Meeknesse necessary in informing and reforming when we are to deale with persons offending of ignorance, to vse all moderation and meeknesse, in p. 76informing and reforming them: wherein,

1. Wee frame our selues to the commandement,Reasons. Gal. 6. 1. Restore such as are falne, by the spirit of mecknesse: and 2. Tim. 2. 25. Instructing with meeknesse the contrary-minded, waiting if at any time they may be pluckt out of the snare of the diuell.

2. We tread in the steps of our Sauiour Christ, of whom it was prophecied, that he should not crie, nor cause his voyce to be heard in the streets; a bruised reed he should not breake, Isai. 42. 2. & 53. 7. When he was oppressed and afflicted, he opened not his mouth. How meekely answered hee him, that smote him vniustly, Iohn 18. 23. If I hauehave euill spoken, beare witnesse of the euil? and how meekly did he call Iudas friend, comming to p. 77apprehend and betray him?

3. Wee manifest a notable fruit of the spirit, called the Spirit of meeknesse, & hath in it the pith of louelove, which when it accōpanieth a reproofe, it is that oyle, euen the precious oyle which breaks not the head, Psal. 141. 5.

4. We take the course to doe good by reproofe; whereas to reprooue with rancor and malice, seeking rather to disgrace, than to reforme the party, hath no promise, no good effect, Pro. 15. 1. A soft answere puts away wrath, but grieuous words stirre vp anger: and 25. 15. A soft tongue breaketh the bones: and Rom. 12. 20. A meeke and gentle behauiour heapes coles on the enemies head. See the example of Gideon appeasing the men of Ephraim, Iudg. 8. 1, 2, 3. and Abigail Dauid, 1. Sam. 25. p. 78But if Iohn had sinned of obstinacy or wilfulnesse, Christ would hauehave been plainer and rougher with him, as Matth. 23. hee denounced many woes against the Scribes and Pharisies. For this is a rule of all reproofes, They must bee so tempered, as that the party reproued may be brought to a true sight of his sinne, and to be pricked in hart, if it bee possible: God himselfe doth so reproue, as he sets mens sinnes in order before them, Psalm. 50. 21. If a man will still winke and shut his eyes, or goe on in contempt of God and his ordinances, hee must bee dealt plainly withall: a cold and perfunctory reproofe, such as Eli vsed, will doe no good; yet in this plaine reproofe there must bee such carriage, as the party may see himselfe rather reproued p. 79by God, than by vsus: See 2. Cor. 13. 2.

Againe, in that Christ affirmeth,Doct. 2. that he was to fulfil all righteousnesse, learne, that whatsoeuer the Law of Moses required to perfect righteousnesse,Mat. 5. 17.Matt 5:17 that Christ fufilled in most absolute perfection, I came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it. Rom. 10. 4. Christ is the end of the Law, for righteousnesse to eueryevery beleeuer.

How did Christ fulfill y^e Law?Quest.

He fulfilled,Answ. 1. the ceremoniall Law by his one oblation of himselfe vponupon the Crosse: for then all of it had his end; then the vale was rent. 2. The morall, two waies: First, in his owne person; partly by his doctrine, in deliuering the perfect doctrine of the Law, and clearing it from corruption: partly by his obedience; p. 80both actiue, performing the whole, and eueryevery duty concerning the louelove of God, or our neighbour; and also passiue, satisfying the curse due to transgression; and partly by the conformity of his nature with the Law, which onelyonly hee (since the fall) hath, or can hauehave. Secondly, in the persons of others he fulfilleth the morall Law:

11. Of the godly, 1. by imputation, Rom. 5. 19. By the obedience of one, many are made iust: and this is by giuing faith to the Elect. 2. By inchoation, and renouation of their nature by the Spirit, writing the Law in their hearts, Ier. 31. 33. and making them to walke in his waies, Ezech. 36. 27. But this fulfilling is weake, and onelyonly begun in this life, wherein the best (in their minds) serue the Law of God, p. 81but in their flesh, the Law of sin, Rom. 7. 22.

2. Of the wicked, by executing 2the curse vponupon them, and so they fulfill it in the condition of it, because they doe not in their conformity yeeld vntounto it.

But by what bond was Christ tyed to fulfill the righteousnesseQuest. of the Law?

Galath. 4.Answ. 4. When the fulnesse of time was come, God sent his Sonne made of a woman, and made vnderunder the Law: made of a woman: that is, not begotten; and made vnderunder the Law, not borne vnderunder the Law. For Christ was, and is, the Lord of the Law, as the Sonne of man is the Lord of the Sabbath, and by his nature (as Lord of the Law) is not subiected vntounto it, but by meere and voluntary condition of will, abased himselfe, p. 82and subiected himselfe vntounto it; and not as a priuate person, but as a pledge and surety, and that in our stead representing the persons of all the Elect: Thus saith the Apostle,Phil. 2. 7.Phil 2:7 he made himselfe of no reputation, and was made sin for vsus, and a curse, &c. All which shewes, that it was a voluntary subiection, and a free-will offering of himselfe; for else could it not hauehave been acceptable.

Neither may any man stumble at that common obiection, wherby they would make Christ merit for himselfe, and all this fulfilling of righteousnesse to be necessary for himselfe; because his flesh and man-hood was a creature, and ought homage to God as Creator. I answere, The man-hood of Christ is considered two wayes: 1. as seuered p. 83from the Deity, and in it selfe; and thus it owes all obedience to God: but 2. as from the very first conception, it was receiued into the vnity of the second person, and became a part thereof; and thus it hath an eternall righteousnesse from the first moment, and is exempted from the common condition and obligation of all other men, and freed from the common bond of obedience. Thus our comfort is eueryevery way enlarged, in that Christ did all for vsus; not by any such necessity of nature as wee, but by free choyce and election of will, by which his whole obedience was a free-will offering.

Heereby Christ is concluded to bee perfect God:Vse 1. for hee cannot be a naked man, that can perfectly fulfill all righteousnesse; p. 84and y^t not for himselfe directly, but for all the Elect: he is not only iust, but a iustifier, Isa. 53. 11. by his knowledge. Who could obserue all the precepts of the Law? Who could vndertake vponupon himselfe, and foile and ouercome all the curses of the Law, due to the sinnes of the Elect? Who could merit all the promises of the Law, that they should be yea and Amen to beleeuers; but this second Adam, our Emmanuel, God with vsus, and in our nature, as well as in our stead? Ier. 23. 6. The name wherby they shall call him, is, The Lord our righteousnesse: and 35. 16. He that shall call her, is The Lord our righteousnesse. And hee that can thus iustifie beleeuers, is God; because hee can both merit, and impute a perfect righteousnesse, and by renewing p. 85their nature, and donation of the Spirit, begin, and accomplish the same in themselues.

Secondly, obserue the goodnesse, perfection,Vse 2. perpetuity, and strength of the Law, seeing Christ must come from heauen to fulfill it; not a iot of the Law shall passe away, when heauen and earth passe away. How little doe men thinke heereof, that let passe the precepts, promises, and threats, as if they were things not at all concerning them? Whereas, if a man could ouerthrow heauen and earth, he could not diminish one tittle of the Law. The wickedest wretch that liues, and sets his face against heauen, and glories in his defiance of the Law, shall fulfill it in the curse and plagues of it; as hee that will transgresse the Lawes of the p. 86King by felony, shall fulfill the law in the penalty of death.

Thirdly,Vse 3. if Christ hauehave fulfilled all righteousnesse, and satisfied Gods iustice, then hauehave wee found comfort: 1. Our whole debt is paid, hee hath payed the vttermost farthing for eueryevery beleeuer: here is a stay to him that sees his insufficiencie & banquerupt estate. 2. If Satan set vponupon the beleeuer, and come vponupon him for the breach of the law, which God will stand so strict for, here is a full answere, Christ hath fulfilled all righteousnesse.

Fourthly,Vse 4. heere is a Cannon and battry: 1. Against all Popish merit, and humane righteousnesse and satisfaction; it must be Christs righteousnesse that must be meritorious and satisfactorie; his, who can fulfill all righteousnesse, which we cannot p. 87doe, neither neede to doe after him. 2. Against all workes of hypocrites and vnregenerate ones, who being without faith in Christ, all they doe is sinne, no fulfilling of righteousnesse. 3. Against loose Christians, who, because Christ hath fulfilled all, will doe nothing: for, to whom Christ fulfilleth all righteousnesse for iustification, he renueth their hearts, and giueth them his Spirit, that they shall endeuour to fulfill the Law; not to satisfie for, or to iustifie themselues, but to testifie their thankfulnesse for such a free and vndeserued grace.

Further,Doct. 3. Christians must aime at vniuersall obedience. as Christ our Lord had respect to fulfill eueryevery duty that God had commanded him in his place and calling: so must eueryevery Christian Housholder endeuour to do all the things that p. 88God hath enioyned him by vertue of his calling, generall or particular. Deut. 5. 29. Oh that there were such an hart in them, to feare me, & keepe all my cōmandements! and ver. 32, 33. You shal not turn aside to the right hand, or to the left: you shall walke in all the wayes, which the Lord your God hath cōmanded you. Phi. 4. 8. Whatsoeuer things are honest, iust, true, of good report, thinke on these things, and doe them.

11. The whole Word of God calls for it:Reasons. the Law, whereof eueryevery iot must be fulfilled, and the fragments of it gathered vp, curseth eueryevery one that continueth not in all things; and the Gospell teacheth to obserue all things, Math. 28. 20.

22. The worke of grace disposeth the heart and soule equally p. 89to one good thing as well as to another: the sound grace of Regeneration changeth the whole man, and reneweth the whole nature with all the powers thereof. And indeede heere lyeth a maine difference betweene a sound heart and an hypocrite: one will seeme to doe many things with Saul, but Agag shall be spared; yea, and can doe many things with Herod, but will hold his Herodias; the other hath respect to all the Commaundements,Psa. 119. 6. & 128.Ps 119:6Ps 119:128 and hateth all the wayes of falshood. GiueGive thy selfe liberty in some things, and in the end thou wilt take liberty in all.

3. The eye of the Lord is vponupon 3eueryevery man, to watch him how farre hee is wanting in any good work, which he hath giuen him calling & meanes vntounto, and as he is ready to commend the p. 90presence of any true grace, to encourage it: so taketh he notice of that which is wanting, partly to reprooue the want, and partly to prouoke vsus to the purchase of it. Thus he testifieth of many of the Kings of Iudah, who were highly commended in some things, but failed in others; either the high places were not taken away wholy, or some league was made with Gods enemies, or some forgetfulnesse ouertook them: So the Spirit in the new Testament, writing to the Churches,Reu. 2. & 3. Chap.Rev 2 speaketh plainely, I know thy workes, &c. but this I hauehave against thee, This thou hast, and this thou hast not.

44. As it yeelds thee comfort of soundnesse here, so it aduanceth and furthereth thy reckoning, and prepareth a comfortable account for hereafter. How p. 91rich might a man be in good workes? what an Haruest might hee make account of? what a crowne of righteousnesse might he expect, that were carefull in this endeuour to looke to doe one duty as well as another?

55. This was the commendation of sound Christians in time past: Zacharie and Elizabeth walked in all the ordinances of God without reproofe; first, they framed their liues to all Gods commandements, and then they are said to keep them, or to walk in them. 1. Because Christs keeping of them was imputed to them. 2. Because themselues were renued by the Spirit to keepe all, not legally in the perfect act, but euangelically in the endeuour to keepe them, and griefe in failing. Thus Paul encourageth and commendeth the p. 92Romanes, chap. 15. 4. that they were full of goodnesse; and Dorcas, Act. 9. 36. that she was full of good workes.

Wee must therefore account the whole word of God our rule of life,Vse 1. as well as the ten Commandements, and so respect greater duties in the first place, as we neglect not the least: for, is not eueryevery word of God a binder of conscience to obedience or to punishment? No man can be an imitator of Christ herein, that is not diligent to know the whole will of God in the Scripture, and conscionable to subiect himselfe as well to one precept as to another: the Word bids thee, Thou shalt not kill, steale, commit adultery; the same word bindes thee to all particular duties of mercy, of iustice, of sobriety; the same Word bindes p. 93thy eyes from vnlawfull lookes, thy tongue from guilefull or corrupt speech; yea thy thoughts are not free, but ought to bee kept in full conformity with the will of God.

Secondly,Vse 2. this serues to reprooue lame and cripple Christians, hauing at most, but one leg to walke vponupon, and that very impotent. Some content themselues with opinion of religion, and hope they walke with God, in publike and priuate duties, which care they are to be set forward in; but in dealing with men iustly, discreetly, and conscionably, heere they faile: they separate those things which God hath ioyned. Others, so they walke ciuilly and honestly, so as man cannot reprooue them, are safe enough; the care of Religion is wholly cast off, as if the duties p. 94of religion and ciuility were at warres, and could not both lodge in one house, or heart. But this lesson binds on thee a care of all duties, both as a man, and as a Christian. The Magistrate must be both a good Magistrate, and a good man: if hee administer iustice, and neglect religion, he may bee a tolerable Magistrate, but a vile man: if he shall thinke that he is onelyonly a patron of equity, and not set out as a pattern of piety, and a fore-man in all good exercises, hee hath not yet learned to tread in the steppes of godly Magistrates, whose chiefe care was to leade others the way to the Temple: If he shall thinke, that the building of the Church, the discountenancing of sinne, the encouragement of the godly, belongs onelyonly to the Minister, and p. 95he will hauehave no hand in this businesse; we may with the Scripture conclude him to be neither a good Magistrate, nor a good man. The Minister must not only be a good Preacher and diligent, but a good man, mercifull, sober, watchfull, heauenly-minded, humble: for, hee that teacheth another, should not hee teach himselfe? And as his gifts are aboue ordinary mens, so his care must bee in them all, to testifie himselfe both a good Minister, and a good man. Priuate men, who professe the teaching of grace,Tit. 2. 12.Titus 2:12 must learne to liue soberly, iustly, and godly in this present world.

It were infinite to shew the particular duties in their seuerall rankes, all which must hauehave place in Christian life: onelyonly consider, that there is no man, p. 96which is not bound, 1. to all duties of religion and godly life. 2. To all duties concerning outward righteousnesse, which all men claime. 3. To all speciall duties charged vponupon him by vertue of that society, wherof hee is a member, whether Church, Common-wealth, or family. And for the better performance of them all, obserue these rules:

1. Make conscience of this duty, as knowing that omission of duties, and failing in them, shall receiue sentence against them, as well as commissions: Depart from mee,Mat 25. 42Matt 25:42 for yee hauehave not done these and these things.

2. Looke what thou art called vntounto; and in thy calling, what is most needfull and necessary, and that doe; wisely preferring p. 97the generall calling, before the speciall, and heauenly things before earthly: as for other mens matters, meddle not vncalled; and for things lawfull, if not so necessary, bee not so conuersant in them.

3. Keepe thy selfe in a readinesse to eueryevery good worke, both in respect of thy selfe, and others: Know that thou hast alwayes one iron in the fire, a soule to saue,2. Pet. 1. 10.2 Pet 1:10 an Election to make sure, which requireth all diligence: and now is thy day, thy tide, thy tearme-time; thou maist not slacke thy opportunity: And for thy brethren, if thou canst doe them good to day in soule or body, delay not till to morrow. Say not vntounto thy neighbour, Goe, and come againe, and to morrow I will giuegive, when thou hast it by thee, Prou. 3. 28. p. 98This may be the last day of doing thy selfe, or others good, and therefore accept it.

4. Hee that would fulfill all, must not onelyonly take occasions offered, but euen seeke them, and watch them, as being glad to obtaine them. So did the Patriarkes, they watched at their gates, to whō they might shew mercy, and ran a farre off to force them to accept it: so should the sonnes of Abraham seeke out to relieue Christ in his members, those that are truly poore indeed: heere is a note of a cheerfull Christian, when louelove and mercy flow from him, and are not forced.

5. So contriue thy course and businesse, that neither duties of piety hinder the duty of thy calling, nor these stand in the others way. God is a God p. 99of order, and hath not appointed one duty to destroy and eate vp another, but to feed and strengthen one another. Eccl. 8. 5. The heart of the wise knowes time and iudgement; knowes how to subordinate duties, and not make them opposite: the heart of the wise will forecast for the Sabbath afore-hand, and so order the weekes businesse, as the Lords Sabbath bee not encroched vponupon. The heart of the wise will so husband opportunities, and manage the affaires of his calling, that the priuate seruice of God in the family shall not be interrupted: as prayer, reading, &c. which is often omitted through want of prouidence, which would hauehave allotted time for it, which some domesticall distraction hath deuoured. The heart of the wise p. 100will order times and seasons, as there shall bee place for eueryevery good worke in the weeke day, and especially for the best workes; as if there bee a publike exercise of religion, it were hard if a good heart could not gaine one houre in the weeke-day to watch with Christ; if it were any thing else, which went with the streame of corruption, as to any gaming, sporting, or some vnwonted occasion, twice as much time would either bee redeemed, or insensibly lost. Doc as you doe in your trades, in this trade of godlinesse: many seuerall businesses belong to eueryevery trade, yet a wise man so casts them, as one crosseth not, but helpeth forward another.

6. See that no time passe thee, of which thou canst not make a good account: hast thou so many p. 101things to doe, and lettest precious time slip and doe none of them? 1. Pet. 1. 17. Passe the whole time of your dwelling heere in feare, and, Redeeme the time, because the dayes are euill. There is no time, wherein God and thy neighbour, or thy selfe, the Church or Cōmon-wealth, or thy family, or the Saints abroad call not for some dutie from thee; and canst thou stand idle in the vineyard, hauing so much worke before thee? Hast thou all righteousnesse to fulfill in endeuour? and canst thou finde an idle time to intend no whit at all? Oh lay vp these rules, and they will be excellent helpes to set thee forward after Christ, till in the way that himselfe hath appointed, thou commest vntounto him to receiue the fruit of righteousnesse.