A75287:123
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.
SECT. 4. No resting in Duties.
And yet be wary, O my soul: It was Luther's saying, Take heed not only of thy sins, but also of thy good Duties; they are apt (by reason of our corruption) to bring men into themselves, and this is very dangerous. Certainly, a man may not only exclude Christ from his soul by gross sins, but by self-confidence: You are they which justify your selves, 1said Christ to the Pharisees. Take a profane man, what makes him drink, swear, cozen, game, whore? Is there no God to punish? Is there no Hell hot enough to torment? Are there no Plagues to confound him? Yes: Why sins he then? Oh! he prays to God for forgiveness; he sorrows, and repents in secret (as he saith) and this bears him out in his lewd pranks. Take a Moral man, he knows he hath his failings, and his sins, as the best have, and is overtaken sometimes as the best are; Why doth he not remove these sins then? Why is he not more humbled under his sins? The Reason is, he constantly observes Evening and Morning prayer, and then he craves forgiveness for his failings, by which course he hopes to make his peace with God: And hence he sinneth without fear, and riseth out of his fall into sin without sorrow; he maintains his sins by his Duties.
ANd yet be wary, O my soul: It was Luthers saying, Take heed not onely of thy sins, but also of thy good Duties; they are apt (by reason of our corruption) to bring men into themselves, and this is very dangerous. Certainly, a man may not onely exclude Christ from his soul by gross sins, but by self-confidence: You are they which justifie your selves, 1said Christ to the Pharisees. Take a prophane man, what makes him drink, swear, cozen, game, whore? Is there no God to punish? Is there no Hell hot enough to torment? Are there no Plagues to confound him? Yes: Why sins he then? Oh! he prays to God for forgiveness; he sorrows, and repents in secret (as he saith) and this bears him out in his lewd prancks. Take a Moral man, he knows he hath his failings, and his sins, as the best have, and is overtaken sometimes as the best are; Why doth he not remove these sins then? Why is he not more humbled under his sins? The Reason is, he constantly observes Evening and Morning prayer, and then he craves forgiveness for his failings, by which course he hopes to make his peace with God: And hence he sinneth without fear, and riseth out of his fall into sin without sorrow; he maintains his sins by his Duties.