A75287:1105
Media: the middle things, in reference to the first and last things: or, The…
Media: the middle things, in reference to the first and last things: or, The means, duties, ordinances, both secret, private and public, for continuance and increase of a godly life, once begun, till we come to Heaven. Wherein are discovered many blessed medium's or duties, in their right method, manner and proceedings; that so a Christian (the spirit of Christ assisting) may walk on in the holy path, which leads from his new birth to everlasting life. / Drawn, for the most part, out of the most eminently pious, and learned writings of our native practical divines: with additionals of his own, by Isaac Ambrose, minister of the Gospel at Preston in Amoundernes.Media: the middle things, in reference to the first and last things: or, The means, duties, ordinances, both secret, private and publike, for continuance and increase of a godly life, once begun, till we come to Heaven. Wherein are discovered many blessed medium's or duties, in their right method, manner and proceedings; that so a Christian (the spirit of Christ assisting) may walk on in the holy path, which leads from his new birth to everlasting life. / Drawn, for the most part, out of the most eminently pious, and learned writings of our native practical divines: with additionals of his own, by Isaac Ambrose, minister of the Gospel at Preston in Amoundernes.
London: printed by John Field for Nathanael Webb and William Grantham, 1649London: printed by John Field for Nathanaell Webb and William Grantham, 1649
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. That faith makes the soul circumspect, and in this case doth ransack and fan the soul narrowly, to find out what is the matter and rise of those slanders & reproaches:1 If ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye; it must be for righteousness sake, or there is no blessing upon it: and so the Apostle adds,2 You must have a good conscience, that whereas they speak evil of you as of evil doers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ: for it is better, if the will of God be so, 3that ye suffer for well-doing, then for evil-doing. We are ordinarily more impatient ⟨p. 180⟩at undeserved, then deserved sufferings; but it is better (saith the Apostle) so to suffer,4 then otherwise. Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evil door, but if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf.
4. That faith makes the soul circumspect, and in this case doth ransack and fan the soul narrowly, to finde out what is the matter and rise of those slanders & reproaches:1 If ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye; it must be for righteousness sake, or there is no blessing upon it: and so the Apostle addes,2 You must have a good conscience, that whereas they speak evil of you as of evil doers, they may be ashamed that falsly accuse your good conversation in Christ: for it is better, if the will of God be so, 3that ye suffer for well-doing, then for evil-doing. We are ordinarily more impatient ⟨p. 180⟩