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 Souls Quaere's in this case.

[Quare. 1] 1. IF this be so, O my soul, what is thy case? are not most of thy Duties performed with many fillings, infirmities, hardness of heart, straitness of Spirit, distracting thoughts? and is there any healing for such a Duty as this?

[Answ.] O yes! For first, in every Duty we perform, there are two things; there

is the sacrifice, and there is the obedience in offering of the sacri∣fice; the sacrifice may be imperfect, and yet our obedience in offering the sacrifice may be perfect with Gospel perfection. Secondly, God deals with our Duties as with our persons; though he finde a great deal of ungodliness in them, yet he imputes his righteousness unto them, and so he justifies our Duties, which in our eyes are most ungodly. This indeed is a wonder; did we ever hear or read of any seal, that when it was set upon the wax, would change the wax into its own mettal? or did we ever hear or read of any stamp, that being set upon brass, it would change the brass into silver, or being set upon silver, it would change the silver into gold? O but when Christ comes unto a Duty, and sets his own stamp, and his own righteous∣ness upon a Duty, that which was brass before, (i.) full of failings, and much unrighteousness, he changes it into silver, into gold; he onely hath the Philosophers Stone (as I may so speak) and all that Christ toucheth, it presently turns into gold; he turns all our Duties into golden Duties, and so presents them unto God the Father.

[Quare. 2] 2. But how should I know that Christ thus takes my Duties and heals them, and mingles them with his own incense, and carries them in unto God the Father?

[Answ.] Consider, didst thou never finde a Spiritual fire come down (as it were) upon thy heart in Duty, or after Duty? In the times of the Old Testa∣ment, if they offered up a sacrifice, and a material fire came down from hea∣ven, and burnt up the sacrifice to ashes, it was a certain testimony that the sacrifice was accepted: Now in the times of the Gospel, we must not ex∣pect material fire to come down upon our Duties, but hath the Lord at any time caused an inward and Spiritual fire to fall down upon thy heart, warm∣ing thy Spirit in Duty? there the Lord speaks thus much to thee, That thy sacrifice is turned into ashes, and it is accepted by Iesus Christ.

[Quare. 3] 3. O but whence comes this fire now in these Gospel times?

[Answ.] It issues from the blood and intercessions of Christ our Great high Priest; it is the efficacy of his blood, and power of his glorious intercession, that when thou feelest any good in Duties, doth at that very instant prevail with God the Father for what thou feelest: say then, Do I now in this Ordinance, or in this Duty, feel my heart warmed, or savingly affectect? O I see, I am bound to believe, that the Lord Jesus who sits in glory at the right hand of God, now, now he remembers me a poor worm on earth; now I feel the fruit of his death and intercession in Heaven; now I feel his spirit, power, grace, comfort, presence, sweetness; now I taste, I drink, I enjoy, and am abundantly satisfied with his rivers of pleasures: And if this presence of Christ be so sweet, what is himself then? O my soul, if ever thou dost thus relish the blood and spirit of Christ upon thy spirit in Duties, go thy way, and give glory to God.