A75287:2704
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.
Some suppose this and the 14 others next following to be so called, for that they were sung in some high and eminent place: Some refer it to the extension or lifting up of the voice in singing, or rising of the tune, that they might be better heard of the people; so Calvin: Some, that they were sung by the Priests and Levites, after the form and melody of some known and esteemed song, beginning with this Title: Some later Expositors conceive nothing to be meant hereby, but the excellency of the Psalms above the rest, because those places are accounted chiefest, whereunto we do ascend by degrees, therefore the word is used in the plural number [degrees,] as being choice Epigrams, as one would say, Most excellent Sonnets; because the Hebrews use to express the superlative degree or excellency of a thing, by substantives of the plural number, as here, A Song of degrees, ⟨p. 396⟩(i.) an excellent Song; so the Canticles of Solomon, called A Song of Songs, (i.) excellent; so the Lord is called The God of gods, Deut. 10.17.1 Lord of lords, Apoc. 19.16.2 (i.) without all comparison, above all other gods or lords: Daniel called him a Man of desires, Dan. 9.23.3 (i.) to be esteemed or desired above others; in this sense Junius takes it: Others think they were composed for Psalms of Thanksgiving, at the return of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon; and in that Jerusalem was situated amongst hills, whence soever they came, they must rise or ascend to come to it, as they do that climb up an hill; these songs therefore were appointed to be sung at every ascent and cleft, as the places they went up did arise, and for this cause called Psalms of Degrees.
Some suppose this and the 14 others next following to be so called, for that they were sung in some high and eminent place: Some refer it to the extension or lifting up of the voyce in singing, or rising of the tune, that they might be better heard of the people; so Calvin: Some, that they were sung by the Priests and Levites, after the form and melody of some known and esteemed song, beginning with this Title: Some later Expositors conceive nothing to be meant hereby, but the excellency of the Psalms above the rest, because those places are accounted chiefest, whereunto we do ascend by degrees, therefore the word is used in the plural number [degrees,] as being choice Epigrams, as one would say, Most excellent Sonnets; because the Hebrews use to express the superlative degree or excellency of a thing, by substantives of the plural number, as here, A Song of degrees,