A75287:129
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.
11. It is a sign that a man rests in his Duties, if he never found it a hard matter to come out of his Duties: Examine, if thou never yet sawest, if thou canst not tell the time when thou didst rest in Duties, and then didst groan to be delivered from these entanglements, thou hast just cause to fear.
11. It is a sign that a man rests in his Duties, if he never found it a hard matter to come out of his Duties: Examine, if thou never yet sawest, if thou canst not tell the time when thou didst rest in Duties, and then didst groan to be delivered from these intanglements, thou hast just cause to fear.
- 1Signs of mans resting in Duties. Shepherds sincere Convert.
2. It is a sign that a man rests in Duties, if he exceedingly prize the bare performance of Duties; those Duties that carry thee out of thy self unto Christ, make thee to prize Christ: Now tell me, Dost thou glory in thy self? Dost thou say, Now I am some body? I was before ignorant, forgetful, hard-hearted, but now I understand better, now I can sorrow for my sins, I can pray with some life, now I have done very well. Alas poor soul! if thou restest here, if thou thus enhancest the price of Duties, that thou beginnest to dote on them, then do I pronounce from God,1 That thou dost rest in Duties: These things (saith Paul) I ⟨p. 19⟩accounted gain (i. before his conversion) but now I account them loss: This is the reason why a child of God commonly after his prayers doubts much of Gods love towards him; whereas another man that falls short of him, never so much as questions his estate: The first seeth much rottenness and vileness in his best Duties, and so adjudgeth meanly of himself; but the other is ignorant of any such vileness, and therefore he prizeth and esteems highly of them.