faith or beleefe in Christ is good wheÌ„ it works in us by love to God and our neighbour Gal 5.6 and is shewed by good workes Tit 3.8 Iam 2.18 and when it stirres us up to sincere obedience to Gods commandements Hebr 11.8 4. Our feare of God is right when we feare him as much for his mercy as for his justice Psal 130.2 and feare more to sinne against him than to be punished by him Psal 4.4 Gen 39.9 5. Our love of God is good when it stirres us up to keepe his Commandements Iohn 14.15.23 when wee love him for those excellent perfections of wisedome and goodnesse that are in him as well as for the benefits that come from him and when it stirres us up to hate evill and sinne Psal 97.9 10. 6. Our hope in God namely for the resurrection to eternall life and for Christs second comming is right when being grounded on the Scriptures Rom 15.4 wee comfort our selves in our afflictions with it 1 Thess 4.13.18 when wee patiently waite Gods leisure for the obtaining of things promised 1 Thess 1.3 Rom 8.23 and when it purifies our hearts 1 Iohn 3.3 and makes us deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live righteously and godlily and soberly in this present world Titus 2.12 13. P. Good Sir I humbly acknowledge my selfe beholden to you for your care over me and paines with mee I hope I shall never forget it but endeavour to shew my selfe thankefull The Lord requite your labour of love to me in private by a greater blessing upon your ministery in publike and by prolonging your life health and strength for Gods glorie and the good of his Church in Iesus Christ. The Lord bee with you Sir and with your studies FINIS A PRAYER FOR GRACE TO Seeke to serve God and bee saved MOst glorious Lord God and heavenly Father Reu 4 11 who art worthy of all honour and service Iam 4 12 and who art able to save and destroy Luk 17 10 Thy unprofitable servant unworthy of salvation Acts 13 46 doth desire to humble himselfe before thee freely acknowledging that howsoever I am convinced in my judgement that nothing in this world doth so neerely concerne me to looke unto as thy service and mine owne salvation yet my heart tells and smites me that I have minded nothing lesse then these and that I have with much greedinesse sought after health and wealth worldly pleasures and treasures which only belong to the body this present life as if they only were worth my seeking and were more able to afford me true content than thy service and my salvation Thou hast brought me into the world and made me a member of thy Christian Church chiefly for to get grace into my heart that I might serve thee and live in thy feare and also to get peace into my conscience that I might dye in thy favour and be eternally saved 2 Cor 6 2 for now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation But I have neglected the prerogative of thy service Rom 9 2 Hebr 2 4 and so great salvation and have spent my precious time and thoughts in the pursuite of carthly things which I should have counted but as losse and dung Phil 3 8 in comparison of winning Christ and with him salvation as if I had beene borne to no other end but to serve the world sinne and Satan and to make provision fâ—r the flesh Rom 13 14 to fulfill the lusts thereof O Lord God when I call to minde and consider my vanity and folly yea ungracious wickednesse in trampling under my feete such precious pearles as are thy service Hebr 10 29 and my salvation I am confounded in my selfe wondcring at thy patiencc that couldst so long endure such an ungratefull wretch to live in thy Church yea I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee because this mine iniquity is increased over my head Ezra 9 6 and my wickednesse is growne up unto heaven crying for vengeance upon such contempt of thy grace Iohn 3 19 it being condemnation to love darknesse more than light earth more than heaven and the world more than thee or mine owne soule But thy mercy O Lord God is over all thy workes Psal 145 9 138 8. and endures for ever It is as great as thy Majesty and thy goodnesse is as much as thy greatnesse and the blood of Iesus Christ is able to wash mee so cleane from my sinnes Reuel 1 5 that I shall be holy Eph 5 27 and without blemish before thee therefore there is hope in Israel concerning this thing Ezra 10 2 And therefore upon the bended knees of my heavy laden soule I most humbly cry thee mercy most mercifull Father for this and all other my sinnes originall and actuall committed against the Law and the Gospell and with all the powers of my soule most earnestly beseech thee for the Lords sake Dan 9 17 Isay 53 11 Acts 3 14. Mat 3 17 thy righteous servant the holy One and the just in whom thou art well pleased to forgive me to be reconciled unto me and to shed thy love into my heart by thy holy Spirit Rom 5 5 which may beare witnesse to my Spirit c. 8 16. that I am thy Childe beloved in thy holy Childe Iesus Acts 4 27 Let thy mercy move thee to looke upon his righteousnesse to justify me when thy justice would make thee looke upon my sinnes to condemne me Accept of him for my surety Hebr. 7.22 and of the price of his blood for my ransome 1 Pet 1 23 Thou hast said O blessed God that whosoever comes Mat 11 28 unto thy Sonne Iesus Christ Ioh 6 35. and beleeves in him with an heavie laden soule wearie of their former wickednesse thou wilt ease and forgive them 1 Iohn 1 9 Oh be just and faithfull to make good this promise unto me to ease and to save me I desire to honour thy infinite mercy and thy Sonnes unvaluable merits by seeking to them onely and trusting in them alone for salvation O be thou pleased also to magnifie them upon me for I have as much need of them as any 1 Tim 1 â—5 being the chiefe of sinners and the saving vertues of them shall be magnified in the cure of my soule as well as of any other It hath pleased thee heavenly Father to give unto me in some measure a sight and sense of my sins particularly of my neglect and contempt of thy service and my salvation Oh be pleased I beseech thee yet more and more to discover unto me the folly and foulnesse of this and all my sinnes that my heart may be so broken with godly remorse and sorrow for them that I may leave them and live no longer in them but cleave unto thee to serve thee in new obedience for what will it profit
1 Ioh. 5.7 4. that the God of Israel is this God Deut. 5.6 2. The having of a God and the taking choosing and acknowledging of the God of Israel onely for our God Exod. 20.3 Iosh 24.22 P. And what are the speciall duties which concerne GOD immediately M. They be such as concerne his Nature being and essence P. What is God in his Nature M. God is a Spirit infinite in all perfections Ioh. 4.24 2 Cor. 3.17 Psal 147.5 1 Tim. 1.17 P. What are the perfections in God M. Certaine divine Attributes whereby as it were a part of his divine nature or some holy quality of God is shadowed out vnto vs and they are of two kindes for they betoken either 1. his greatnesse or 2. his goodnesse P. What are the Attributes of God Gods Attributes of Greatnesse which set forth his Greatnesse M. They are faculties whereby he is able to worke and doe what hee knowes is to bee done and what he wills shall be done and they are these sixe 1. Simplenesse or absolutenesse 2. Infinitenesse 3. Eternity 4. Immensity 5. Wisedome 6. Almightinesse or All-sufficiency P. What is the Absolutenesse or Simplenesse of God M. Simplenesse is a faculty in God which removeth from him all composition of parts as soule and body c and whereby he is God of himselfe and every thing in God is God himselfe Exod. 3.14 1 Ioh. 4.16 P. What is the Infinitenesse of God M. Infinitenesse is a faculty in God which denieth vnto him all limitation and whereby the perfections that are in God are in him without all measure Ioâ—â— 11.7 Psal 147.5 P. What is the Eternity of God M. Eternity is a facultie in God whereby he is vncapable of beginning succession or ending Psal 90.2.4 1 Tim. 1.17 P. What is the Immensity of God M. Immensity is a faculty in God whereby he is every where and cannot be comprehended in any one place 1 Kings 8.27 Psal 139.7 P. What is the Wisedome of God M. Wisedome is a faculty in God whereby he perfectly knoweth himselfe and in himselfe all things that have any kinde of being Iob 9.3 4. Acts. 15.18 P. What is the All-mightinesse or All-sufficiency of God M. Almightinesse is a faculty in God wherby hee is All-sufficient to doe whatsoever hee can will Psal 113.3 135.6 Gen. 17.1 P. O Sir I humbly confesse to Gods glory and mine owne shame that I was ignorant of most of these points and I blesse God for the knowledge of them thus farre by your meanes but proceede I pray you to teach me also what are the Attributes of God which betoken his Goodnesse M. I will Gods Attributes of Goodnesse Neighbor they are vertues whereby hee is willing and ready to doe and worke well and they are these foure 1. Holinesse 2. Mercy 3. Iustice 4. Love P. What is the Holinesse of God M. Holinesse is a vertue in God whereby hee is pure from all evill and sinne in himselfe and vtterly dislikes it in all others Psa 99.5 Habac. 1.13 P. What is the Mercy of God M. Mercie is a vertue in God whereby hee pittieth his children in all their miseries and is ready to deliver them out of the same Psal 103.8 Eph. 2.4 5. P. What is the Iustice of God M. Iustice or righteousnesse is a vertue in God whereby he rendreth to all according to his promise for the good of the godly and according to his threatning for the punishment of the wicked Dan. 9.13 1 Iohn 1.9 P. What is the Love of God M. Love is a vertue in God whereby he is infinitely delighted in himselfe and is so farre affected to his creatures as he is pleased to impart any goodnesse unto them Revel 3.9.19 P. Good Sir I thanke you for making me know God better than I did by teaching mee his Attributes but now also I pray you teach me to serve God in respect of them and therefore tell me what duties I am to performe to God in respect of these divine faculties and powers holy vertues and qualities in God M. The duties of service which you owe to God in respect of these Attributes of his Nature are of two kindes 1. Generall which concerne them all 2. Speciall which belong to the severall kindes of them P. I pray you what duties of service must I performe to God in respect of his Attributes both of Greatnesse and Goodnesse M. They are two 1. Admiring and adoring all these perfections and excellencies that are so infinitely in God Psal 139.5 2. Praising and extolling commending and magnifying God in and for them Psal 150.2 Revel 5.11 P. What speciall duties of service to God belong vnto him in respect of his Attributes of Greatnesse severally M. They are two 1. an awefull reverence of the Majesty and glorious presence of God wheresoever wee bee Psal 89.7 2. Feare and trembling to offend this great God by sinne in any time or place Psal 4.4 Genes 39.9 1 Cor. 10.22 P. And I pray you what speciall duties of service to God must I doe vnto him in respect of his Attributes of Goodnesse M. They are two principally 1. Faith whereby wee beleeve whatsoever he speakes or writes and also wee put trust confidence in him for all good things which hee hath promised in his word Ioh. 20.31 2. Love whereby our hearts are so knit vnto and our affections so set vpon God that we desire nothing more than him nor delight in nothing equall vnto him Psal 116.1 2. 97.10.12 P. Sir I heartily thank you for these savoury lessons the Lord bend my heart to practise these duties of service which concerne God immediately in respect of some things in himselfe Duties to God immediately in respect of some things that come from him as his Ordinances you tolde me also of some other duties that I am to doe in respect of some things that proceede and come from him what are these things I pray you and what meane you by them M. They are either 1. his Ordinances or 2. his Workes P. What meane you by an Ordinance of God M. I meane not a civill ordinance as foode and physicke appointed by God for civill and bodily vses and ends but an holy ordinance or meanes appointed by God for spirituall and religious uses and ends namely to beget and begin to increase and confirme grace and holinesse in vs. P. Then I pray you what bee these holy and religious Ordinances of God M. They bee either 1. holy things or 2. holy actions P. What are the holy things which God hath ordained for holy vses M. The holy Scriptures The holy Scriptures or the holy writings of the Prophets and Apostles P. What duties of service to God must I performe to him in respect of the holy Scriptures M. These foure 1. Beleeving that the 39 Bookes of the Olde Testament and the 28 of the New were endited by Gods Spirit 2 Tim. 3.15 2 Pet. 1.21 and that they
our prayers or 2. to the manner or 3. to the end of them P. What duties concerne the matter of our prayers or the things wee pray for M. Two 1. Wee must pray for such things as bee in themselves lawfull and be warrantable by Gods word Iam. 4.3 2. We must pray according to Gods will that is for such things as may stand with Gods secret will in giving of them 1 Ioh. 5.14 Matth. 26.39 P. What duties concerne the manner of our praying M. These foure we must pray 1. with humility in conscience of our unability and unworthinesse to aske or receive Luke 18.13 2. with fervency in a sensible feeling of our want of the things wee beg and in an earnest desire to enjoy them 3. with faith trusting in God through Christ for receiving what wee pray for Iam. 1.6.4 with patience waiting Gods leisure and pleasure till wee be made partakers of that wee desire and beg Ps 40.1 P. And what duties concerne the end of our praing to God or the cause why we pray M. These three 1. In respect of God wee must aime at this that hee may bee glorified by his giving and our receiving using of the good things which we pray for even as hee is glorified by our seeking to him for them for thereby wee acknowledge him to bee the giver of all which is an honour to him Iam. 1.17 1 Cor. 10.31 2. In respect of our selves wee are to pray for Gods blessings not that we might spend them upon our sinnes but that in the use of them wee might bee furthered in Gods service Iam. 4.3 Rom. 2.4 3. In respect of our brethren we must aime in our prayers that wee may bee helpefull to them and enabled by receiving good things from God through prayer not to heape vp all for our selves and ours but to distribute it amongst Gods poore servants and children that are in want according to their neede and our ability P. These are indeede holy and heavenly directions concerning my duty in praying to God which is the third religious exercise and part of Gods publike service But I pray you let mee bee beholden to you for further instruction in the fourth and last which is praising of God and to tell mee first what praising of God is M. Praising God Duties in respect of praising God is a part of Gods publike service wherein we magnifie commend and extoll God for those excellent perfections of greatnesse and goodnesse that are in him Psal 150.2 and also give him thankes for his benefits bestowed upon us Revel 7.12 P. What duties of obedience to God concerne our praising him M. They are of two kindes for they belong either 1. to the parts of our praising God or 2. to the meanes whereby it is performed namely singing of Psalmes P. What duties concerne the parts of praising God M. They are these foure 1. An high esteeme and opinion beyond that which wee are able to expresse of the holy and happy perfections that are in God Psal 8.1.9 2. A free acknowledgement of the receipt from his bountifull hands of all the good things we enjoy 2 Chron. 29.16 3. An humble confession of our unworthinesse to receive any good things from God or to returne any praise or thankes unto him for the things we have received Gen. 32.10 4. A full resolution to use imploy all Gods blessings which hee gives vs to his glory Prov. 3.9 to the good of others 1 Tim. 6.17 and our owne furtherance in godlines Rom. 2.4 5. P. And what duties of servīce to God doe concerne our singing of Psalmes M. Three especially 1. For the matter which we must sing it must be holy and spirituall not foolish and profane songs and ballads made by wicked men but hymnes and psalmes of Gods making or according to them Col. 3.16 2. For our manner of singing it must be with the spirit and with an holy and sanctified heart and affection with grace in our hearts Col. 3.16 3. For our end in singing it must bee not to take pride in our owne sweete voice and brest nor to please other mens eares who are more delighted in the sound and musicke than in the matter but to make melodie in our hearts to God and to comfort our selves in him Col. 3.16 P. I cannot but acknowledge good Sir that you have beene very large and profitable in your Instructions concerning my duties of service to God concerning the first sort of things that proceede from God namely his ordinances there remaines the second sort of things that proceed from God and that is his workes in respect whereof also I must serve God I pray you therefore direct me herein also and first tell me what these workes of God be M. Gods workes are either 1. generall which have respect to all the world as the creating preserving and governing of all things therein Rom. 11.36 Or 2. they are speciall workes of his which concerne our selves and which proceede either from his mercy as blessings or from his justice as crosses and afflictions P. What duties of service to God belong to him in respect of these his workes M. They are of 3. Duties in respect of Gods workes kindes for they concerne either 1. Gods generall workes on the whole world or 2. Gods speciall workes of mercy on our selves and others or 3. Gods speciall workes of justice on our selves and others P. What duties concerne Gods generall works of creating preserving and governing the whole world M. These three 1. We must looke upon them with our eyes Psal 19.1 Iob 36.24 2. Wee must talke of them with our tongues Psal 26.7 3. With our mindes wee must take notice and observe in these his workes his infinite wisedome power and goodnesse Rom. 1.20 and magnifie God for them accordingly Psal 148.5 c. P. What duties concerne Gods speciall workes of mercy or his blessings on our selves or others M. 1. Thankfulnesse Eph. 5.20 1 Thess 5.18 wherof you have heard in the ordinance of praising God 2. Rejoycing in God and in the use and enjoying of his blessings Rom. 12.15 Deut. 12.7 P. And what duties concerne Gods speciall workes of justice or afflictions on our selves and others M. These following First in respect of all afflictions on our selves we must 1 meekly subject our selves with patience to beare them in consideration 1. that they are Gods hand on vs 1 Sam. 3.18 which we cannot resist Psal 39.9 2. That they are justly deserved by our sinnes Micah 7.9 3. That we are not alone therein but have many fellowes in temptations common to men 1 Cor. 10.13 1 Sam. 7.14 4. That after them there is a rest prepared for them that endure them Hebr. 4.11 Revel 14.13 5. That God will either give us assistance in the tryall or deliverance out of it 1 Cor. 10.13 2. Wee must wisely endeavour to profit by them to amendment of life and new obedience Ioh. 5.14 Hebr. 12.11 Secondly in
THE APPROBATION Libellum hunc à viro Anglo docto pio perlegendum curauimus eiusque iudicio probatum imprimendum duximus 25. Ianuarij 1599. Matthias ArchiepuÌ„s Mechliniensis THE SVMME OF ALL namely GODS service and Mans salvation And A Briefe of Mans dutie to God concerning both Which is seeking To serve God while hee lives And To be saved when hee dyes By WILLIAM CHIBALD Rector of S. Nic. Col. Abby in Old Fishstreete LONDON Printed for Robert Bostocke at the Signe of the Kings head in â—aules Churchyard 1630. TO MY DEARELY beloved Neighbours the Inhabitants of the Parish of S. Nic. Col. Abby in Old Fishstreet LONDON ALL divine truths and duties are therefore worthy to be knowne and practised by men because they have beene worthy to bee revealed and â—â—mmanded by God But of them all the heavenly truthes of Gods service and Mans salvation the holy duty of seeking after both are most worthy of their knowledge and practise For if those things be chiefly to be sought after that are best wo thy of our seeking If those things be best worthy of our seeking that doe most neerely concerne us And if Gods service and Mans salvation doe most neerely concerne us because the one most neerely concernes our dutie to God and the other our happinesse from God then ought Christians chiefly to seeke after Gods service and their owne salvation The rather Partly because all other Divinitie doth but serve to further Christians in seeking after these two and partly also because all other without these will never make them wise with that wisedome Psal 111. â—0 2 Tim 3 15. The beginning whereof is Gods feare and the end their owne salvation Vpon these and the like grounds my dearely beloved people and Parishioners I have endeavoured to instruct you in these two points and what I have taught you concerning them in my Sermons I have now put into a little booke with some additions to the end your eyes by reading as well as your eares by preaching may witnesse how unfeinedly I desire you should serve God Rom 10.1 and he saved The booke is but little it is the fitter to be carried in your pockets kept in your memories And it is framed in a Dialogue or familiar conference betwixt my selfe and one of you hoping to drawe you better to like of the matter therein contained by my friendlie manner of handling it Though the Dialogue and conference be betwixt but one of you and my selfe yet is it in the name and for the benefit of you all upon whom it is bestowed for a New-yeares gift by him who hath bestowed himselfe upon you these many yeares 2 Cor 12.15 who will yet hee spent upon you to Gods pleasure for the furthering of you in the service of God unto your salvation What remaines but that as I have made my labors yours by publishing them for you and dedicating them unto you so you would endeavour to make them your owne by perusing them and labouring to benefit your selves and families by reading them together by conference about them and prayer to God for his blessing upon them to your edification I have heretofore made and published other bookes besides this for your learning but how you have used and perused them to this end is better known to God your selves and Housholds than unto me If you have endeavoured to build up your selves in grace by them I shall be glad to see the fruites thereof But if you have only contented your selves with this that they were made for you given unto you and that you have them lying on your shelves or in your chests I will rejoyce to heare of your amendment in using this booke better Ios 14.15 if now you and your houshold will seeke to serve the Lord and to be saved You shall doe this the better if you will observe these Directions 1. I would have you to reade it often because the subject matter of it is of such necessary ordinary and excellent use 2. I would have you as you reade it to examine consider how you have knowne the truthes and practised the duties taught therein concerning Gods service and mans salvation that so you may see cause either to repent of your ignorance and negligence herein for time past or to grow in your knowledge and diligence concerning those points in time to come 3. I would have you to call to minde and use the severall duties that are peculiar to Gods Attributes of greatnesse or goodnesse or to Gods workes of mercy or justice as by Gods providence they shall come into your thoughts or fall out in the world and specially that before you goe to any holy Ordinance of God appointed for his publike service you would looke into this booke for the particular duties which belong unto them severally to the end you may addresse your selves to performe those Ordinances with those duties accordingly The like direction I give for the reading over my booke of the Lords Supper before you goe to the Communion And this is the greatest recompence that I will require of you for my love and it is the least requitall you can make me for my labour 2 Chron. 30.18 The good Lord direct and encourage every one of you to set your hearts to seeke God the Lord God of your fathers that is to seeke to serve God while you live on earth that when you dye you may be saved in heaven by Iesus Christ in whom I am Yours all and all yours WILLIAM CHIBALD SEEKING to serve God while we live Parishioner VVIth your leave Sir if I should not be too troublesome to you I would faine speake a word with you in private Minister You are welcome I pray you come in and sit downe good neighbour P. Sir I humbly thank you for your kindnesse and pray you to pardon my boldnesse M. You are not so bolde as welcome I pray you be covered and tell mee what is your will with me P. Sir I haue lived in your parish vnder your publike Ministery a good while and yet I remaine very ignorant therefore am I come vnto you for some private instruction M. And I am as willing to instruct you as you are to learne if you come not as many doe to aske curious questions which tend not to godly edification but contention and vaine glory P. Surely Sir if I may be beleeved my comming is to no such end but to learne such things as are most chiefly and necessarily to be learned M. Your intent is good and I am as willing to instruct you as you are to be instructed but tell mee your mind yet more plainly and fully P. I will Sir it is this by your favour The whole Bible is large it containes many bookes chapters and verses and in each of them are comprehended many divine truthes All these are worthy of my learning if I had either time or wit to
of the law Rom. 3.20 4.11 2. They must also beleeve the Gospell that is consent in their opinion judgement that there is salvation to be had and that this is a truth of God that it is possible for men to get salvation and this is wrought by the Gospell Marke 1.15 Acts 4.4 3. They must heartily be sorry for their past sinnes and unfeinedly purpose to leave them which is Repentance begun in the roote Matth 21.32 4. They must hunger and earnestly desire to be saved Matth 5.6 Isay 55.1 5. They must consult what to doe and enquire further into and after the way and the meanes of salvation with a minde to follow those directions accordingly Act. 2.37 16.30 And these three last actions are wrought by the Law and Gospell whereby they are both drawne and driven to seeke and get salvation P What be the actions of men which give them title and interest unto salvation to claime and receive it of God M. Actions that gâ—ue title to claime and receiue saluation They are beleeving or trusting in Iesus Christ Rom 10 9. Eph. 1 13. whereby weary and heavy laden sinners come to Christ for salvation Math 11 28. Iohn 6 35 and rest onely upon the merits of the righteousnes of his life and death for salvation in all the severall degrees thereof For by this faith they get and lay hold upon the Saviour himselfe even the Lord Iesus Christ and are engrasfed and united to him Rom 11 19.20 for by faith Christ is in true beleevers 2 Cor 13 5. he liues in them Gal 2 20 and dwells in them Eph. 3.17 P. What reasons may be brought from the Scripture to prooue this which you say concerning the action of beleeving in Christ M. These 1 Beleeving in Christ is the action appointed by God to be performed by man for receiving salvation because it is requyred of him as the condition to obtaine forgivenes of sinnes Act 10 43. reconciliation and peace with God Rom 5 1. 3 25. justification Act 13 29. adoption Iohn 1.12 blessednes Gal. 3 9 eternall life Iohn 3 16. ease from the burden of sinne Matth 11 28. quenching all Satans fiery darts Eph 6 16. not being confounded of our sinnes Rom. 10.11 and of pleasing God Heb. 11.6 2 Beleeving in Christ is the action requyred by God to be performed on mans part for receiving salvation because by this meanes salvation comes to him by the free grace and mercy loue favour of God Rom 4 16. Eph 2 8. 3 Beleeving in Christ is the action and condition required on mans part for obtaining salvation because hereby the promise of salvation will be sure to the faithfull Rom 4.16 which by the action of obeying the Law it could not bee because hee could not performe it Acts 13.39 Rom 8.3 4. Beleeving in Christ is the action and condition required to be performed by man for the getting of salvation because it makes a man renounce his own righteousnesse and to goe out of himselfe to another for it namely to Iesus Christ to be saved by his righteousnesse Matth 11.28 Ioh 6.35 Phil 3.9 Gal 2.19 P. What are the actions which Christians must performe to make their salvation sure unto themselves M. They are divers Actions that assure saluation for they concerne either 1. God or 2. our brethren or 3. our selves P. What actions concerne God M. They are such as belong either 1. to God the Father or 2. to God the Sonne or 3. to God the holy Ghost P. What actions belong to God the Father M. They are three principally 1. Fearing to offend God and caring to please him 1 Pet. 1.17 1 Cor 7.32 For unto such and for their comfort is the word of salvation sent Acts 13.26 and such may worke out their salvation that is the assuming not the procuring of it unto themselves Phil 2.12 And no marvell seeing Gods mercy is on them that feare him for ever Luke 1.50 Such know that they are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ 1 Pet 1.17 18 and such are blessed Psal 128.1 2. Loving God and setting our hearts and delight upon him for such may know that they are of the truth and shall assure their hearts before him 1 Iohn 3.18 19 And that they may have boldnesse in the day of judgement 1 Iohn 4.16 17. And no marvell seeing their love to God will assure them that they are borne of God 1 Iohn 4.7 that they dwell in God and God in them 1 Iohn 4.19 that they are knowne and acknowledged and approoved of God The first to the Corinthians the 8 chapter 3 verse that all things shall worke to their good that is to the furtherance of their sanctification and salvation Rom. 8.28 And that the crowne of life eternall and the Inheritance of the kingdome of heaven is promised to such as love God Iam 1.12 2.5 3. Christians must hope in God that is assuredly expect looke for yea patiently abide and waite for the accomplishment of all Gods promises specially that of the resurrection of the body and of eternall life for they are saved by hope Rom. 8.24 And Hope is a helmet of salvation to them 1 Thess 5.8 And an anker to the soule both sure and stedfast and which entreth into heaven whither the forerunner is for us entred even Iesus Heb 6.19 20. And no marvell seeing their hope will not deceive nor make them ashamed Rom 5.5 Because into the hearts of such as hope in God the love of God is shed abroad by the holy Ghost Rom 5.5 And they rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Rom 5.3 P. What actions of Christians concerne Iesus Christ that will assure them of their salvation M. They are these two principally 1. They must obey him in all his Evangelicall precepts and commandements which belong to the hearing and beleeving of the Gospell preached and to the administring and receiving the Sacraments in remembrance of him Matth 28.20 Marke 1.15 Luke 10.16 Matth. 26.26 27. 1 Cor 11.24 25. For unto such as obey him herein Iesus Christ is become author of eternall salvation Heb 5.9 no marvell seeing they are blessed of God Luk 11.28 Revel 1.3 they are of God that is chosen beloved of him Iohn 8 4.7 and they are the sheepe of Christ to whome hee will give eternall life Iohn 10 27.28 2 They must love long for looke and waite for the second appearing or coming of Christ For such beleeve that there is layd up for them a crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous judge shall give them at that day 2 Tim. 4.8 Titus 2.13.14 Such the Lord Christ will deliver from the wrath to come 1 Thess 1.10 and to such he will appeare the second time unto salvation Hebr. 9.28 P. What actions of Christians concerne the holy Spirit that will assure them of salvation M. These Not to resist or vexe the holy Spirit Act 7