A75287:1995
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. In the purging or cleansing of our hearts, 1. From sin; Lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, 1and receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls: with which agrees that parallel place, Wherefore putting away all malice, as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word; 2as it is with the body, when the stomach is foul and clogged with bad humours, we should first purge it, before we feed it, otherwise whatsoever we eat, will but nourish and increase the corrupt humours: so when the soul is stuffed or clogged with sin, whatsoever is heard in the Ministry of the word, will but be abused by it, and wrested to the destruction of it. 2. From worldly cares and thoughts, which may draw away the heart: The cares of the world (saith Christ) do choke the seed of the word. 3When Abraham went up to the Mount to sacrifice, he left his servants in the valley; and when we go up to the Mount where God appears, we should leave all our servile affections, and worldly thoughts in the valley; or if any enter, we should do by them as Abraham did by the birds that would have eaten up his sacrifice, chase them away. It is said, that in the Temple, though there was much flesh for sacrifice, yet there was not one fly appeared stirring. O that it might be so with us, that not one thought might arise upon our hearts, unsuitable to the place or work at hand: But this is the misery, we have not Spiritual hearts in temporal employments, and therefore we have carnal ⟨p. 268⟩hearts in spiritual employments, the less of the Sabbath in the week, the more of the week we find in the Sabbath.
4. In the purging or cleansing of our hearts, 1. From sin; Lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, 1and receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls: with which agrees that parallel place, Wherefore putting away all malice, as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word;