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. 9.

§. 1. Of Prophets Historical. Ioshua: Consider—

Joshua contains

• 1. His calling to the Government. [Chap. 1]
• 2. His acts in his Government,
  • 1. time of War; where note
    • 1. The sending of the Spies. [Chap. 1]
    • 2. Their miraculous passage over Jordan, with the consequents. [Chap. 3, 4, 5.]
    • 3. The besieging and winning of Jericho. [Chap. 6, 7.]
    • 4. Winning of Ai. [Chap. 8]
    • 5. Covenanting with the Gibeonites ignorantly. [Chap. 9]
    • 6. Victory over five Kings. [Chap. 10]
    • 7. Battel with the remnant of the Canaanites. [Chap. 11]
    • 8. All repeated. [Chap. 12]
  • 2. In time of Peace,
    • 1. Division of the Land. [Chap. 13, to 21.]
    • 2. Dismission of the Trans-Jordanians. [Chap. 22]
    • 3. Celebration of the Parliament. [Chap. 23]
    • 4. Death of Joshua. [Chap. 24]

§. 2. Iudges: Story of the Jews under the Government of the Judges.

Judges contains

• 1. The occasion of that Government. [Chap. 1, 2.]
• 2. Narration of the Peoples state
  • 1. Under Governors,
    • ...Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar. [Chap. 3]
    • ...Deborah. [Chap. 4, 5.]
    • ...Gideon. [Chap. 6, 7, 8.]
    • ...Abimelech. [Chap. 9]
    • ...Jephtha. [Chap. 10, 11, 12.]
    • ...Samson. [Chap. 13, to 17.]
  • 2. Without Governors; wherein of their monstrous sins and Civil Wars. [Chap. 17]

§. 3. Ruth, a Moabitish woman; of her Piety.

Ruth contains Her

• 1. Conversion. [Chap. 1]
• 2. Conversation. [Chap. 2]
• 3. Marriage,
  • 1. Procured. [Chap. 3]
  • 2. Celebrated. [Chap. 4]

§ 4. Hitherto of the state of the Jews under Judges: Now under Kings till the Captivity.

• 1. As the Kingdom was united, in Books of Sam. where the Kings are by
  • 1. Election, 1 Sam.
  • 2. Succession, 2 Sam.
• 2. As it was divided, in the Books of Kings, under
  • Solomon, 1 Kings.
  • Other Kings, 2 Kings.
• 3. As it was in both states, more fully considered in the Books of Chronicles.

§. 5. First Book of Samuel. Jews state under Kings Elect.

1 Samuel contains

• 1. Time of change of Government in Samuels days; whose birth is described [Chap. 1, & part 2.]
• 2. Occasion of the change; viz. wickedness of the Sons of
  • Eli, which is
    • Threatned. [Chap. 2, 3.]
    • Punished. [Chap. 4, 5, 6, 7.]
  • Samuels Sons. [Chap. 8]
• 3. Story of the Kings.
  • 1. Saul; of whose
    • 1. Election, as he was
      • Called. [Chap. 9]
      • Confirmed by
        • 1. Inauguration. [Chap. 10]
        • 2. Consent of the People. [Chap. 11]
        • 3. Resignation of Samuel. [Chap. 12]
  • 2. Rejection, with the true causes of it. [Chap. 13, 14, 15]
• 2. David his
  • Prosperity,
    • His vocation to his Kingdom. [Chap. 16]
    • Victory over Goliah. [Chap. 17]
  • Adversity,
    • 1. His exile and ba∣nishment,
      • 1. The cause of it. [Chap. 18]
      • 2. The kindes of it, viz.
        • In his own Country. [Chap. 19, 20.]
        • Out of it, amongst
          • ...Philistims. [Chap. 21]
          • ...Moabites. [Chap. 22]
    • 2. His persecutions; wherein
      • 1. The grievousness appears
        • 1. By the diversity of places whither he fled. [Chap. 23, to 27.]
        • 2. Flight to his enemies, with whom he lived. [Chap. 27, to 30.]
      • 2. The end of them. [Chap. 31]

§ 6. Second Book of Samuel under the Successive Kings.

2 Sam. contains

• 1. The tidings of Sauls death. [Chap. 1]
• 2. The unlawful Successor of Saul, Ishbosheth, whose
  • Promotion. [Chap. 2]
  • Dejection. [Chap. 3, 4.]
• 3. The true Successor (David) whose
  • Inauguration. [Chap. 5]
  • Government
    • Good,
      • 1. In Religious things. [Chap. 6, 7.]
      • 2. In War. [Chap. 8]
      • 3. In Political things. [Chap. 9, 10.]
    • Bad, where his sins
      • 1. Committed. [Chap. 11]
      • 2. Confessed. [Chap. 12]
      • 3. Punished with judgements
        • Internal.
        • External.
          • 1. Internal or domestick punishments,
            • 1. Amnons incest. [Chap. 13]
            • 2. Absoloms sedition,
              • The occasion. [Chap. 14]
              • Beginning. [Chap. 15]
              • Progress. [Chap. 16]
              • Issue. [Chap. 17, 18, 19]
          • 2. External and publike,
            • 1. The kindes of it,
              • 1. Sedition of Ziba. [Chap. 20]
              • 2. Famine. [Chap. 21]
            • 2. Events of it,
              • Good, as
                • Thanksgiving. [Chap. 22]
                • Prophesie. [Chap. 23]
              • Evil. [Chap. 24]

§. 7. Kings two Books treat of the Kingdom as divided.

1 Kings contains

• 1. The increase of the Kingdom under Solomon, wherein
  • 1. His institution to be King. [Chap. 1]
  • 2. Conservation in the Kingdom. [Chap. 2, 3.]
  • 3. Administration of it:
    • Where his glorying in his
      • Family. [Chap. 4]
      • Buildings. [Chap. 5, ad 9.]
      • Riches. [Chap. 10]
• 2. Decrease:
  • 1. Occasion or causes,
    • Sins of Solomon.
    • Justice of God. [Chap. 11]
  • 2. Beginners of it,
    • 1. Authors of the division, Rehoboam and Jeroboam: [Chap. 12, 13, 14]
    • 2. Their Successors, whose reigns are handled
      • Briefly. [Chap. 15]
      • More largely in reign of Ahab.* 1.1

§. 8. Second Book of Kings; of the decrease of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

2 Kings contains

• 1. Their continuance of defection together.
  • 1. Of the Kings of Israel apart,
    • ...Ahaziah. [Chap. 1]
    • ...Joram. [Chap. 2, ad 9.]
    • ...Jehu. [Chap. 9, 10.]
    • ...Joash. [Chap. 11, 12.]
    • ...Jehoahaz-Joas. [Chap. 13]
  • 2. Of both Kingdoms together. [Chap. 14, ad 18.]
• 2. A special story of the defection of the Kingdoms of Judah,
  • 1. Their decay. [Chap. 18, ad 22.]
  • 2. Their repair. [Chap. 22, 23.]
  • 3. Their final destruction. [Chap. 24, ad fin]

§. 9. First Chronicles.

1 Chron. contains

• 1. The beginning of the Kingdom of Israel, wherein
  • 1. Genealogy of the world from Adam to Jacob. [Chap. 1]
  • 2. Particularly of the Nation of Israelites in 12 Tribes. [Chap. 2, ad 9.]
• 2. The Administration of the Kingdom
  • 1. Under Saul. [Chap. 9, 10.]
  • 2. Under David, whose
    • Entrance
    • Acts
    are described.
  • 1. Davids entrance into his Kingdom,
    • His inauguration. [Chap. 11]
    • His followers. [Chap. 11, 12]
    • Care of Religion. [Chap. 13]
    • Confirmation in his Kingdom. [Chap. 14]
  • 2. Davids Acts,
    • 1. In the progress of his reign,
      • Good, for
        • Religion, and Gods service. [Chap. 15, 16, 17]
        • War. [Chap. 18, 19, 20]
      • Evil. [Chap. 21]
    • 2. Towards end of his reign, in his old age.
      • 1. His courses again for Religion. [Chap. 22, ad 26.]
      • 2. His order for the Commonweal. [Chap. 27]
      • 3. The Parliament a little before his death, and events of it. [Chap. 28, 29.]

§. 10. Second Chronicles.

2 Chron. contains

• 1. The increase of the Kingdom under Solomon, whose
  • 1. Vertues. [Chap. 1]
  • 2. Buildings both
    • Sacred. [Chap. 2, ad 7.]
    • Civil. [Chap. 8]
  • 3. Condition and death. [Chap. 9]
• 2. The decrease in the the reign of
  • Rehoboam. 10, 11, 12.
  • Abia. 13.
  • Asa. 14, 15, 16.
  • Josaphat. 17, 18, 19, 20
  • Joram. 21.
  • Ahaziah. 22.
  • Jo••••h. 23, 24.
  • Amaziah. 25.
  • Uzziah. 26.
  • Jotham. 27.
  • Ahaz. 28.
  • Hezekiah. 29, ad 33.
  • Manasseh. 33.
  • Amon. 33.
  • Josiah. [Chap. 34, 35.]
  • Jehoaz.
  • Jehoiachim.
  • Jechoniah. [Chap. 36]
  • Zedochiah.

§. 11. Ezra, of the return of the People from Babylon.

• 1. Of the maner of it. [Chap. 1, 2.]
• 2. Of the end of it; viz. Restoring of Religion and Government. [Chap. 3]
• 2. Of the hindrance,
  • 1. Raised by the
    • ...Samaritans. [Chap. 4]
    • 2. By the Governors of the Land of Canaan. [Chap. 5]
  • 2. Removed by
    • 1. Cyrus. [Chap. 6]
    • 2. Ezra, of whose
      • Journey. [Chap. 7, 8.]
      • Reformation which he wrought. [Chap. 9, 10.]

§. 12. Nehemiah treats of

• 1. The repair of the buildings, the
  • 1. Causes of it. [Chap. 1, 2.]
  • 2. Work it self, which was
    • Begun. [Chap. 3]
    • Hindred. [Chap. 4, 5, 6.]
    • Finished. [Chap. 7]
• 2. Reformation, Political and Ecclesiastical. [Chap. 7, ad 14.]

§. 13. Esther contains a story of a miraculous deliverance of the Jews.

• 1. The means of it; viz. Esther. [Chap. 1, 2.]
• 2. The maner of it,
  • 1. The greatness of the danger. [Chap. 3, 4]
  • 2. Degrees of the deliverance
    • 1. The intercession of the Queen. [Chap. 5]
    • 2. Frustrating the advice of Haman. [Chap. 6, 7.]
    • 3. Confirmation of the deliverance.
      • 1. Revoking the Decree. [Chap. 8]
      • 2. Punishing adversaries. [Chap. 9]
      • 3. Peace of the Jews. [Chap. 10]

Hitherto of the Books Legal and Historical.

Now of the Books Dogmatical or Sapiential, which concern either

• A singular subject, as Job.
• A common subject, as
  • Davids Psalms.
  • Solomons
    • Prove••bs.
    • Ecclesiastes.
    • Canticles.

Notes

• * 1.1

  ad finem.