A75287:828
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. We must eye the inward graces to which the Promises are made, not that we must be too much carried away with the signs of Christ in our hearts, and not after Christ himself; as ⟨p. 119⟩pleasures that are lawful in themselves, may be unlawfully used, when our thoughts and intentions are too long, or too frequent, or too vehement in them; so that to dead the heart either to the present delighting in God, or pursuing after him with the joint strength of our Souls, as our only chiefest good; so an immoderate recourse unto signs (barely considered as such) is as unwarrantable, when thereby we are diverted, and taken off from a more constant actual exercise of daily thoughts of Faith towards Christ immediately, as he is set forth to be our Righteousness; and yet the minds of many are so wholly taken up with their own hearts, that as the Psalmist says of God, Christ is scarce in all their thoughts: Let these consider, what dishonour this will be to Christ, that his train and favourites (our Graces) should have a fuller court, and more frequent attendance from our hearts then himself, who is the King of glory: Now to rectify this error, the way is not wholly to reject all uses of such Evidences, but to order them rightly; as thus,—
2. We must eye the inward graces to which the Promises are made, not that we must be too much carried away with the signs of Christ in our hearts, and not after Christ himself; as ⟨p. 119⟩pleasures that are lawful in themselves, may be unlawfully used, when our thoughts and intentions are too long, or too frequent, or too vehement in them; so that to dead the heart either to the present delighting in God, or pursuing after him with the joynt strength of our Souls, as our onely chiefest good; so an immoderate recourse unto signs (barely considered as such) is as unwarrantable, when thereby we are diverted, and taken off from a more constant actual exercise of daily thoughts of Faith towards Christ immediately, as he is set forth to be our Righteousness; and yet the mindes of many are so wholly taken up with their own hearts, that as the Psalmist says of God, Christ is scarce in all their thoughts: Let these consider, what dishonor this will be to Christ, that his train and favorites (our Graces) should have a fuller court, and more frequent attendance from our hearts then himself, who is the King of glory: Now to rectifie this error, the way is not wholly to reject all uses of such Evidences, but to order them rightly; as thus,—