A75287:933
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. Complaint.
But alas! where is my soul? how dull is my understanding? my affection? how careless, how peevish is my soul, in a business which concerns it so much? how prejudicate is my opinion? how vain are my conceits? O my soul! how ignorant art thou of the incomparable worth, and delightful sweetness that is in the Lord Jesus? how secure, and sleepy, and senseless art thou? O this hard heart of mine! thou canst mourn for losses and crosses of this life, but for the loss of Christ, thou canst not mourn one jot: Didst thou, O my soul, truly affect Christ, the pillow would be washed with thy tears for thy want of Christ, and for thy want of assurance: Woe, and alas, that my mind is taken up with a confluence of worldly lusts, worldly cares, and worldly desires! O it is this that quencheth the Conjugal love of my soul to her bridegroom; my loves are now become very adulterous loves: woe, and alas, that I have loved the world, 1and the things that are in this world, that I have followed my base lusts, and adulteries, and abominations; that in stead of loving Christ, I have loathed him, and whipped him, and scourged him, and crucified him, and preferred the vilest lust (any sin whatsoever) before the Lord Jesus. And now I am musing of this love of Christ, ⟨p. 148⟩alas, I feel it not, or if I feel a little, little love of desire, yet I have no sense, no taste, no relish of that love of complacency; there is no such fire, no flames in my breast towards the Lord Jesus.
But alas! where is my soul? how dull is my understanding? my affection? how careless, how peevish is my soul, in a business which concerns it so much? how prejudicate is my opinion? how vain are my conceits? O my soul! how ignorant art thou of the incomparable worth, and delightful sweetness that is in the Lord Jesus? how secute, and sleepy, and sensless art thou? O this hard heart of mine! thou canst mourn for losses and crosses of this life, but for the loss of Christ, thou canst not mourn one jot: Didst thou, O my soul, truly affect Christ, the pillow would be washed with thy tears for thy want of Christ, and for thy want of assurance: Wo, and alas, that my minde is taken up with a confluence of worldly lusts, worldly cares, and worldly desires! O it is this that quencheth the Conjugal love of my soul to her bridegroom; my loves are now become very adulterous loves: wo, and alas, that I have loved the world,