A75287:918
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. Distribution.
There is a twofold love, one of desire, which is an earnest longing after that which we believe would do us much good, if we could attain to it; another of complacency, when having attained that which we desire, we hug and embrace it, and solace our selves in the fruition of it: Now the first of these loves is an Introduction to the second, and both of them (in relation to Christ) issue from a proportionable act of faith precedent: 1. That affectionate longing, and thirsty love, wherewith we pant and gasp after Christ, proceeds from the first acts of faith, whereby we assent to all Gospel-promises, as true and good in themselves, and better unto as then any thing in the world, could we but once be assured that they belong unto us. 2. That other love of complacency, when (with the Psalmist) we return unto our rest, 1because the Lord hath dealt bountifully with us; when sweetly we repose our selves in the lap of our Saviour, with content ⟨p. 143⟩unspeakable, and full of glory, it proceeds from the last act of faith, whereby we are actual persuaded by those welcome whistlers of the Spirit of adoption, that certainly Christ is our Saviour, & that our debts are cancelled to the very last mite; only observe (O my soul) these two things of this love: 1. That 'tis subject to all variations or changes, ebbings and flowings of that persuasion; sometimes in a violent temptation, or in a sensible desertion, our persuasion fails, and so this love of complacency is either stupefied, or it falls back into that thirsty anxious love of desire. 2. That this love of complacency admits of degrees, proportionable to the degrees of our persuasion; if that be clear and strong, this love is more cheerful and pleasant; if that be weak and obscure, this love is more cold, with many fears and jealousies,—whence this love of complacency may not unfitly be subdivided into an Ordinary and Heroical love; ordinary love proceeds from a weak degree of that last act of Faith; Heroical love springeth from a more eminent and transcendent pitch of persuasion, concerning our own reconciliation in particular: It is called Ordinary, because most Christians (though effectually called) do ordinarily feel but such a timorous love in themselves;