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.

§. 2. The 2^d part of prayer is, Petition for

• our selves.
• others.

1. We petition for pardon of sin.

* 1.1LOrd, pardon our iniquities, and our sins, and take us for thine inheritance: See 2 Sam. 24.10. Neh. 4.5. Psal. 119.132. Isa. 1.18. Isa. 44.2, &c.

For his holy Names sake.

* 1.2Do it Lord, for thy names sake:—See Ezek. 14.22. and 20.44. Psal. 25.11, &c.

For his Promise sake. * 1.3Thou hast said, In those days, and in that time, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found, for I will pardon them whom I reserve:—See Neh. 9.17. Isa. 55.7. Jer. 5.1. and 33.8. and 50.20. Mic. 7.18.

For his Mercies sake. * 1.4Make thy face to shine upon thy servants; O save us for thy mercies sake:—See Psal. 25.7. Psal. 79.8, &c.

For Christs sake. * 1.5O that God for Christs sake would forgive us our sins:—See John 1.29 Psal. 51.7. Isa. 55.7. Jer. 33.20, &c.

2. For sealing of this pardon in our Consciences.

* 1.6Shew us the salvation of God: — See 2 Cor. 1.22. Exod. 14.13. and 33.13, 18. Psal. 35.3, &c.

3. For Peace of Conscience, and joy in the holy Ghost.

* 1.7Give us joy in the holy Ghost:—And the answer of a good Conscience towards God:—See Psal. 51.8, 11, 12. Rom. 8.15, 16, &c.

4. For justifying and lively faith.

* 1.8Give us ever that gift of God, a soul-saving and justifying faith: See Ephes. 6.16. Phil. 3.9. Tit. 1.1. Heb. 11.1. Mat. 6.39.— 7.20, &c.

5. For repentance unto life.

* 1.9Give us to repent, and to turn our selves from our idols:—See Psal 6.6. Ezek. 36.25, 26, 27. Mat. 11.21. Acts 11.18. 2 Cor. 7.10. Rev. 2.21, &c.

6. For saving knowledge.

Give us the Spirit of truth, who will guide us in all truth:* 1.10—

Incline our ears to wisdom, and our hearts to understanding, that we may understand the fear of the Lord, and finde the know∣ledge of God, that we may be enabled to cry unto thee our God, We know thee:—See Hab. 2.14. Eph. 1.17, 18. Psal. 25.14. 1 John 2.20. Ephes. 3.17, 18, 19.

7. For love to God, Saints, Enemies.

Thou hast said, Thou wilt circumcise our hearts,* 1.11 and the hearts of our seed, to love the Lord our God, with all our heart, and with all our soul:—Give us also to love one another, as Christ hath loved us:—Cause us to love our very enemies, to bless them that curse us:—Luke 7.47. Ephes. 3.17, 18, 19. Phil. 1.9, &c.

8. For lively Hope, ardent Zeal, filial Fear, Patience, Perseverance, &c.

Give us to set our hope in God,* 1.12—to be zealously affected al∣ways in every good thing:—Let the fear of the Lord be upon us;— Make us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith:—Help us to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering:—See Prov. 14.32. Psal. 146.5. John 2.17. 2 Cor. 9.2. 1 Pet. 4.12, 13. Rom. 8.18. Phil. 1.29. Prov. 37.23, 24. Isa. 46.4. Psal. 48.14, &c.

9. For growth in Grace.

Guide us continually, and satisfie our souls in drought: O make fat our bones, that we may be like a watred garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not: See Mal. 4.2. Prov. 4.18. Hosea 14.5, 6. Isa. 44.3, 4, &c.* 1.13

10. For the means of Grace, as the Word, Sacra∣ments, Sabbaths.

Let the word of God grow mightily and prevail:* 1.14—Teach us to keep thy Sabbaths, and to reverence thy Sanctuary:—See Psal. 19.7. Prov. 20.12. Isa. 55.10, 11. and 50.4. and 53.10. Psal. 36.8. Isa. 26.8. Heb. 4.12, &c.

11. For a blessing on our outward callings.

Establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea,* 1.15 the work of our hands establish thou it:—See Gen. 28.20, 21. 1 Chron. 4.10. Neh. 1.11. Psal. 91.11, 12. Jer. 10.23, &c.

12. For sanctifying of all afflictions to us.

O Lord, see our afflictions,* 1.16—and let our tribulations workout

patience,* 1.17 and patience experience, and experience hope: See Psal. 68.20. Zech. 2.5. Heb. 12.20. Jer. 46.28. 1 Cor. 10.13. Isa. 27.9. 2 Cor. 4.16, &c.

13. Against all evil of sin, the Devil, World, Flesh, our special sins.

* 1.18O Lord, deliver us from evil,—from all the wiles of the Devil,— from the worlds allurements; for what will it profit us to gain the whole world, and to lose our souls?—from all the filthiness of the flesh,—especially from our darling lusts: See Rom. 6.11, 12, 22. 2 Cor. 10.5. 1 John 5.18. John 16.33. 1 John 5.4. Rom. 8.8. Psal. 13.1, 2, &c.

14. Against all evil of punishment

• National.
• Personal.

* 1.19Thou hast plagued our Nation; The stout-hearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep, and none of the men of might have found their hands:—O heal the Land;—Let no evil befall us, nei∣ther let any plague come nigh our dwellings:—Our souls are among Lyons, our soul also is sore vexed, but thou, O Lord, how long? See Psal. 57.3. and 6.2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. and 25.16, 17, 18. Mat. 26.39.

15. For all that belong to Gods election, though un∣called as yet.

* 1.20Look upon Zion the City of our solemnities.—Call home the Jews; thou hast revealed that they shall be graffed in again, and thou art able to graff them in again:* 1.21—Bring in the Gentiles; thou had said, I will lift up my hands to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people,* 1.22 and they shall bring their sons in their arms, and their daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders:—Convert prophane and ignorant Christians,* 1.23 search thy sheep, and seek them out,— that there may be one fold, and one shepherd:—See Isa. 49.16, 17. A•• 1.—5.15. Ezek. 34.12, 13. Isaiah 2.2. and 60.3, 5, 8. and 54.1, 2. and 60.18, 19, &c.

16. For those called in forreign Countreys.

* 1.24Awake, ••wake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake as in the ancient days, in the generations of old:—Jer. 12.9, 10, 11. Psal. 17.7, 8, &c.

17. For our own Churches.

* 1.25Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness, and of thy glory; where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels, and of thy mercy towards us?—See Jer. 14.

19, 20, 21. Daniel 9.19. Jer. 12.7. Amos 9.11, 12. Mic. 2.12. Psal. 5.12, &c.

18. For our King, Queen, Seed-royal.

Let thy mercy and truth preserve our King,* 1.26 and let his throne be holden up with mercy:—See Psal. 72.1. Prov. 22.6. 2 Sam. 25.19. Psal. 89.29.

19. For Magistracy, Ministery, People.

Set godly Magistrates and Judges amongst us,* 1.27 which may judge according to the Laws:—Give the Ministers fully to preach the word of God, even the mystery which hath been hid from ages, and from generations, but now is made manifest to thy Saints:—Bless all from Dan to Beershebah,* 1.28 call them thy holy people, the Redeemed of the Lord: — See Proverbs 11.14. Isaiah 11.2. 2 Chron. 23.20. Psalm 105.22. Amos 5.24. & 6.12. Isaiah 53.10. 2 Samuel 17.11. Eccles. 12.10, 11. Isaiah 62.6, 7, &c.

20. For all afflicted in soul or body.

Give power to the faint, and to them that have no might:* 1.29— Let them wait on thee, and renew their strength, and mount up with wings as Eagles:—See Isaiah 40.29. Psalm 41.31. — 68.20. — 79.11. Isaiah 30.26, &c. Thus far Pe∣tition.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Exod. 34.9.
• * 1.2

  Ezek. 20 9.
• * 1.3

  Ier. 50.20.
• * 1.4

  Psal. 31.16.
• * 1.5

  Eph. 4.32.
• * 1.6

  Psal. 50.23.
• * 1.7

  Rom. 14.17. 1 Pet. 3.21.
• * 1.8

  Eph. 2 8.
• * 1.9

  Ezek. 14.6.
• * 1.10

  Iohn 16.13. Prov. 2.2, 3, 5.
• * 1.11

  Deut. 30 6. Iohn 13.34. Mat. 5.44.
• * 1.12

  Psal. 78.7. Rom 12.11. 2 Chro. 19.7. Heb. 12.1, 2, 3. and 10.23.
• * 1.13

  Isa. 58.11.
• * 1.14

  Acts 19.20. Lev. 19.30.
• * 1.15

  Psal 90.17. Iob 10 15.
• * 1.16

  Iob 10.15.
• * 1.17

  Rom. 5.3, 4.
• * 1.18

  Mat. 6 13. Eph. 6 11. Mat. 16.26. Cor. 7.1.
• * 1.19

  Psal. 76.5. 2 Chro 7.14. Psal. 91.10. and 6 3.
• * 1.20

  Isa 33.20.
• * 1.21

  Rom. 11.23.
• * 1.22

  Isa. 49.22.
• * 1.23

  Ezek. 34.11. Iohn 10.16.
• * 1.24

  Isa. 51.9.
• * 1.25

  Isa. 63.15, 16.
• * 1.26

  Prov. 20.28.
• * 1.27

  Col. 1.25, 26.
• * 1.28

  Isa. 62.12.
• * 1.29

  Isa. 40.29, 31.