A75287:494
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.
2. Some Promises are conditional in respect of us; as when God promiseth protection from contagious sickness, and from trouble, and war: If my people which are called by my Name, 1shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. In these or the like Promises, God may give us the Experience of his Word at one time, but deny it at another, because we fail in the condition of the Promise on our parts. Observe, Christians! would we conclude a deliverance as formerly, be sure then to look to the frame and disposition of our Spirits: If we are in the way of the Promise, then we may conclude it for certain; if we meet God in the course of his Providence, or in the improvement of the means he hath appointed, then we may set it down, That God will do whatsoever he hath promised to give, in his own way, or otherwise not.
3. Some Promises are indefinite; as that in Jam. 5.14, 15.1 Is any sick among you? let him call for the Elders of the Church, and let them pray over him: — and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up: In this case God may sometimes, yet doth not always perform promise according to the letter, though a man may be truly qualified with the conditions specified in that Promise, toties quoties, again and again. It only intends thus much, That God may, and sometimes will save the sick, and raise him up at the Churches prayers, but he will not ever do so. Now as God doth not always perform, so neither are we absolutely, or infallibly, or universally to conclude, The Promise is not universal, but indefinite, and accordingly our conclusions should not be universal, but indefinite: we should indeed, because of the Promise, adventure our selves upon God in such a condition, not knowing but in his outward dispensations he may make it good to us, yet with submission to his pleasure, if otherwise he dispose of us: And as this is all we must do, so this is all we can say, or conclude in such a case as this is.