A75287:125
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.
Take a Professor, such a one as may be exceedingly troubled about his sins, as endeavours very much after Mourning, Repenting, Reforming, and others commend him for a diligent Christian, Do you not see how he mourns, and weeps, and prays? and now the wind is over, the tempest down, and there is a great calm in his soul, how comes he to this quiet? Oh! his affections were enlarged, he hath reached so high, as to a very proportion of repentance, and tears, and sorrow, and fasting, &c. and this hath given him ease, this hath took away the burden, and laid his soul at rest: O poor soul, is this all the remedy to rid thee of the sting and guilt of sin? Hast thou no more pantings, but only after bitterness, heaviness, mourning, melting, extraordinary enlargements? Why then, let me tell thee, all thy righteousness (though it were more perfect then it is) is but a filthy rag. 1Couldst thou weep thy heart out, should thy heart melt like ⟨p. 18⟩wax,2 dissolve into water; Couldst thou desire and pray till heaven and earth shook▪ till thou hadst worn thy tongue to the stumps; Couldst thou fast till thy skin and bones cleave together; Couldst thou promise and purpose with full resolution to be better; Couldst thou reform thy heart, head, life, tongue, some, nay all sins; Couldst thou live like an Angel, shine like a Sun, walk up and down the world like a distressed Pilgrim; Couldst thou dye ten thousand deaths, lie at the fire back in Hell so many many millions of years, as there be piles of grass on the earth, or sands on the sea shore, or stars in heaven, or motes in the Sun; I tell thee, not one spark of Gods wrath against thy sins, can be quenched by all these Duties, nor by any of these sorrows or tears.
Take a Professor, such a one as may be exceedingly troubled about his sins, as endeavors very much after Mourning, Repenting, Reforming, and others commend him for a diligent Christian, Do you not see how he mourns, and weeps, and prays? and now the wind is over, the tempest down, and there is a great calm in his soul, how comes he to this quiet? Oh! his affections were inlarged, he hath reached so high, as to a very proportion of repentance, and tears, and sorrow, and fasting, &c. and this hath given him ease, this hath took away the burthen, and laid his soul at rest: O poor soul, is this all the remedy to rid thee of the sting and guilt of sin? Hast thou no more pantings, but onely after bitterness, heaviness, mourning, melting, extraordinary inlargements? Why then, let me tell thee, all thy righteousness (though it were more perfect then it is) is but a filthy rag.