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.

SECT. 3. Of the second Priviledge, viz. Reconciliation.

THe second Priviledge is Reconciliation: This I called the state or condition which a Believer in his Justification is put into; and here I consider it as a Priviledge, which in order of nature follows pardon of sin, as pardon of sin in order of na∣ture follows Imputation of Christs righteousness: Being justi∣fied by faith, we have peace with God; (i.) Christs righteousness

being imputed, and sins pardoned, we have peace with God; not onely peace from God in our Consciences, but peace with God in our reconcilement to him, and in his favor towards us; in our Imputation and Pardon the Lord accounts us just, in our Reconciliation the Lord accounts us friends: Indeed our meri∣torious Reconciliation is by Christs death; as the Kings Son, who procures his Fathers favor towards a Malefactor, who yet lies in cold Irons, and knows it not; and this is before actual pardon, or actual being: But actual and efficacious Reconcilia∣tion, whereby we come to the fruition and possession of it, is (to my weak conception) after pardon of sin. Now this Re∣conciliation consists in two things: 1. In our peace with God, whereby the Lord lays by all acts of hostility against us. 2. In the love and favor of God: he now loves us not onely with a love of good will, as in our Election, but with a love of com∣placency and delight. O consider what a blessed state is this!

1. That God should be pacified with us after anger, after provocation by sin, after such wrath, which like fire hath con∣sumed thousand thousands, and burnt down to the bottom of Hell, and is now, and ever shall be burning upon them in Hell.

2. That God should be pacified wholly and throughly, that there should be no consuming fury left for us to feel: Fury is not in me, saith God; indeed bryars and thorns (i.) obstinate sinners, that prick and cut him to the very heart by their impe∣nitency, he will burn them together: God out of Christ is a consuming fire, but in Christ he is Love; and though there may be fatherly frowns, chastisements, reproofs, and rods, though he may for a time hide his face, shut out our Prayers, defer to fulfil Promises, yet all these are out of love to us in some sort, and we shall see it, and feel it so in the latter end.

3. That the Lord should be pacified eternally, never to cast us off again for any sins or miseries that we fall into: This is wonderful. Those whom men love, if their love be abused, or if their friends be in affliction, they many times forsake, but the Lords love and favor is everlasting: The mountains may de∣part, and the hills be removed, but my kindeness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the Co••enant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee: Nay, that which is some∣thing

more, the abounding of our sin, is now the occasion of the abounding of his grace; our very wants and miseries, are the very objects and occasions of his bowels and tender mercies: O what a Priviledge is this! Did the Lord ever shew mercy to the Angels that sinned? Did not one sin cast them out of favor utterly? and yet that so many thousand thousand of sins should gush out of my heart, and thy heart that readest, against the mercy, love and kindeness of our good God, and for all this he not be incensed; that the Lord who poured out all his anger upon his own Son for us, cannot now pour out, nay hath not one drop left (though he would) to pour out upon us for any one of our sins! Stand amazed ye Angels, and all the Host of Heaven at this!

4. That the Lord should be thus pacified with enemies: A man may be easily pacified with one that offends him but a little, but with an enemy that strikes at his life (as by every sin we do at the living God) what can we say to this?

5. That he should be pacified by such a wonderful way as the blood of Jesus Christ: This is such a love, as one would think the infinite wisdom of a blessed God could have devised no greater: It is enough to burst the heart with astonishment and amazement, to think that the party offended (who therefore had no cause to seek peace with us again) should finde out such a way of peace as this: Wo to the world that despise this peace.

6. That being thus pacified, we may come into Gods presence with boldness at any time, and ask what we will; I wonder what he can deny us, if he love us: This is the confidence that we have in him, That if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.

7. That all Creatures should be at peace with us: Thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee: As when the Captain of the Army is pacified, none of the Soldiers must hurt or strike that man; so no Creature must hurt us, nay all the Creatures that seem our enemies, shall be forced to do us good: O Death, where is now thy sting? O Grave, where is thy victory? All our wants will make us pray the more, our sorrows humble us the more, our temptations make us exercise our graces, our Spiritual desertions make us long for heaven, and to be with Christ; not

onely Paul, and Apollos, and the world, and life, but death it self is ours, to do us good: We may now sleep, and none shall make us afraid; we shall not be afraid of evil tidings, our hearts are fixed, trusting in the Lord.

Notes

• Rom. 5.1.
• Isa. 27 4.
• 1 Iohn 4.16.
• Isa. 54.10.
• Rom. 5.20.
• 1 Ioh. 5.14.
• Iob 5.23.
• 1 Cor. 15.55.
• Iob 11.19. Psa. 112.7.