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. 5. Of the Use and Ends of Duties.

ANd canst thou not, O my Soul, be saved by thy Duties? to what end shouldst thou pray, or hear, or sorrow, or repent, or meditate, or examine, or confer? I answer, There are many ends and purposes, for which Christians may, and must perform Duties.

1. That herein, and hereby, they may express their obedience to Gods will:* 1.1 Rejoyce evermore, pray without ceasing, in every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concern∣ing you (saith the Apostle;) and this was the ground of Davids inference,* 1.2 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently: And what then? O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes.

2. That God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ may be honored by the performance of these Duties: Herein is my Father glorified,* 1.3 that you bear much fruit; and as the Apostle, Ye are a chosen Generation,* 1.4 a royal Priesthood, an holy Nation, a peculiar People, that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Abra∣ham believed, and gave God glory: So we should pray, and me∣ditate, and hear, and all should tend to the glory of God. In∣deed, Hypocrites ayms are at other ends, by giving alms, and praying,* 1.5 and fasting, that they may have glory of men,— That they may be seen of men, — That they may appear unto men,—But the childe of God ayms at the glory of God. I confess, it s Gods grace to account of mans Duty as his glory, seeing it is so defective.

3. That Duties may be as Evidences of Gods everlasting love to them who are in Christ Jesus: They cannot save, but they let the foul into Christ, and follow, and accompany such a man as shall be saved. We hear of some that boast of joys, feeling, gifts, Spirit,* 1.6 and Grace; but if they walk in the commission of any one sin, or in the omission of any one known duty, or in the slovenly ill∣favored performance of Duties, they can have no assurance (say what they please) without slattering of themselves: If these things be in you (saith Peter) and abound,* 1.7 they will make you that you shall never be barren, or unfruitful in the knowledge of

our Lord Jesus Christ; and he that lacketh these things is blinde:— Wherefore, Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. Duties bring you in to Christ, and are Evidences when you are in Christ, that the Lord and mercy is yours, even as at the Sacrament, the Elements of Bread and Wine are out∣ward signs to bring Christ and the heart together; indeed, the heart must not rest in these signs, but when the soul is let in to Christ, then Faith must let go the outward Elements, and close, and treat immediately with the Lord Jesus Christ. So Grace and Duties are signs inward, and whiles men make use of them onely, as bare signs, to let them come in unto Christ, and their rejoycing is not in them, but in Christ, their confidence is not pitcht upon them, but upon Christ, there is and will be no dan∣ger at all in making such use of signs; especially seeing in na∣ture, the effect is a sign of the cause: Neither is it more deroga∣tory to Free-grace, or to Christs honor, for God to make such effects Signs of our union with him, then it was to make out∣ward Signs of his presence: It's true, these are not full testimo∣nies without the Spirit of Christ.

4. That they that use and exercise Duties may obtain the Promises:* 1.8 Godliness is profitable unto all things (saith the Apo∣stle) having the promises of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. There are many Promises scattered up and down in the Word, and hereby if God be not a debtor unto thee, yet he is to himself, and to his own faithfulness. Reddis debita, nulli debens, cryed Austine; Thou Lord payest debts, and owest to none; it was free for thee before thou hadst promised, whether to to give me heaven, or no: but now the word is out of thy mouth, I use Duties as means, though I adhere onely to thee, and to thy faithfulness, who hast promised. To prevent mistake, Duties are considered in a double relation: First, as services, in respect of the command; and Secondly, as means to obtain and procure blessings at Gods hands, in relation to his promise: Now the most in the world perform Duties as acts of obedience onely, and so rest in the present performance; but if we do them in Faith, we shall have an eye to the Promise, and look on Du∣ties as means to obtain some mercy, yea, Salvation it self at Gods hands, Phil. 2.12.* 1.9 Romans 10.10.* 1.10 2 Cor. 7.10.* 1.11 1 Pet. 1.9.* 1.12

But is not this to be saved by Duties?

No such thing: For herein we speak not of Duties originally, or per se, but instrumentally, and with relation to the Lord Jesus Christ; not as meritorious causes, but as subordinate means of our salvation in the name of Christ: The best of Duties carry no such lustre, beauty, and Energetical vertue in their own faces and natures; they are but meer empty pits, and dry chanels (of themselves) though never so curiously cut out, but Christ fills them (and as some desire Ministers to do) so I am willing for my part to say and express thus much of Christ,* 1.13 that the peo∣ple may clearly understand and remember so much, and be guided explicitely to the Fountain it self, Christ alone.

5. That these Duties may turn to our comforts: Not so, as to put confidence in them, to take comfort from them as a cause; that cannot be, for who can look upon any thing he doth with that boldness? but as the testimony of Gods eternal love to us.* 1.14 Thus Hezekiah, not as a proud Pharisee, but as a thankful acknowledger of what was in him, prayed, I beseech thee, O Lord, remember me, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight: Some suppose, that such a temptation as this might fall on He∣zekiah, that when he had labored to demolish all those Supersti∣tions, and now became dangerously sick, that he had not done well; and therefore he comforts himself in his heart, That he did those things with a perfect heart, not absolutely, but compa∣ratively perfect: We may therefore take comfort from Duties, not so as to rest in them, but so as to praise God thereby. It's a good way, nesciendo scire, in not knowing, to know, that so we may praise God for them; and sciendo nescire, in knowing, not to know, that so we may be humble in our selves.

6. That others might receive good, and thereby be occasioned to glorifie God:* 1.15 These things are good, and profitable unto men, saith the Apostle; and, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorifie your Father which is in heaven. Christ doth not here encourage vain glory, but he pro∣pounds the true ends of our visible holiness; for godliness being light, it ought not (in suitable Duties) to be hid under a bushel: My goodness extendeth not to thee,* 1.16 but to the Saints that are on the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. Hierome

said of Augustine, That he loved Christ dwelling in Augustine; so ought we to walk, that others may love Christ dwelling in us.

There's an Exhortation to wives, so to walk,* 1.17 that their hus∣bands may he won to the Lord: Sweet soul, it may be thou pray∣est for thy husband, in a carnal condition, thou desirest him to go to hear such a Minister, such a Sermon; go on in these Duties, adding this to the rest, See that thy life also may convert him.

7. That Duties may carry us to the Lord Jesus,* 1.18 the onely Sa∣vior; he alone is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him (i.) in the use of the means: Hear a Sermon to carry thee to the Lord Jesus; Fast, and pray,* 1.19 and get a full tide of affections in them, to carry thee to the Lord Jesus Christ (i.) to get a more love of him, more acquaintance with him, more union in him, and communion with him; use thy Duties, as Noahs Dove did her wings, to carry thee to the Ark of the Lord Jesus Christ, where onely there is rest: If she had never used her wings, she had faln in the waters; and if she had not return∣ed to the Ark, she had found no rest: So, if thou shalt use no Duties, but cast them all off, thou art sure to perish; and if they convey thee not to Christ, thou mayest lie down in sorrow: or as it is with a poor man, that is to get over a great water for a treasure on the other side, though he cannot fetch the Boat, he calls for it, and useth it, to carry him over to the treasure: So Christ is in heaven, and thou on earth, he doth not come to thee, and thou canst not get to him, now call for a Boat; though there is no grace, no good, no salvation in a pithless Duty, yet use it to carry thee over to the treasure, The Lord Jesus Christ: When thou comest to hear, say, Have over, Lord, by this Ser∣mon; when thou comest to pray, say. Have over, Lord, by this Prayer to a Savior: But this is the misery of people, like foolish Lovers, when they are to woo for the Lady, they fall in love with her Handmaid, that is onely to lead them to her: So men fall in love with, and dote upon their own Duties, and rest con∣tented with the naked performance of them, which are onely Handmaids, to lead the soul unto the Lord Jesus Christ.

8. That the Lord Christ may be exalted, and advanced by Duties. The main end of Duties, is the glory of him who hath Redeemed us with the price of his blood, and by the power

of his Spirit; this sets the Crown on his head: Behold King Solomon,* 1.20 with the Crown wherewith his mother crowned him. How many perform Duties, not to set the Crown on Christs head, but to set the Crown on their own heads? So do hypo∣crites, that seek their own praise, and credit, and profit; so do all, especially that do any thing with a conceit of meriting at Gods hands. Now this is the main end of right obedience, That the Crown may be set on Christs head, that he who is King of Saints, may have the honor given him, due to his Kingly Office. In this respect, I cannot blame them who blame others, for cry∣ing up, and magnifying mans works in their own name. To say that Christ is always supposed as principal,* 1.21 is no sufficient Apology: For why onely supposed? why not he named, as well as Duties, and Righteousness? Certainly, it is not good ma∣ners (to say no worse) to forget him, whiles his poor Instru∣ments are so highly remembred. When Servants bring Presents from their Masters to any, they do not say, I bestow such and such a thing on you, but, My Master sends it you; if he should take it on himself, he should go for an arrogant fellow: nor will it salve the matter, when he is taxed for such arrogancy, to say, My Master should have been supposed, when he gave no hint of him. Me think it were comely (saith the Author rightly in this) in extolling of Mans Righteousness, explicitely to ascribe all the praise to the glory of Christ,* 1.22 and his grace: And, I see not (saith another ingeniously) but that Ministers may be humbled, that they have pressed religious Duties, but not so as to set up Christ: and hereby people have been content with Duties, and Sacraments, though no Christ in them: but as vessels were to be of pure Gold in the Temple, so ought all our Duties to be of pure and meer Christ for acceptation. Again, If Bernard said, He did not love to read Tully, because he could not read the Name of Christ there; how much rather may we say, That in many Sermons, in many a mans Ministery, the drift and end of all his preaching is not, that Christ may be advanced. And again, Let Christ be the matter of our Righteousness and Comfort, more then he hath been; you know the posts that were not sprinkled with blood, were sure to be destroyed, and so are all those persons and duties that have not Christ upon them. How sweet is the harmony of Dissenting Brethren? Me thinks, I would not lose a shred of that gold

which both Authors (so strongly my heart beats and pants after unity) give out to be weight in the Ballance of the Sanctuary: It is observed by the former, That when the Church grew into credit, then Religio peperit Divinitas & filia devoravit matrem; I may as truly say, Christus peperit Justitiam, & filia devoravit matrem: just as if a King should promote a Favorite, and then he should be so applauded for his usefulness to the Subjects, that the King must be dethroned, and he Crowned in his place: — In all exigences, wants and extremities, how few followers hath Christ himself? how rarely are men sent to shelter themselves under the shadow of his wings? In the mean while, what hi∣deous outcryes for Prayers, Mournings, Fastings, &c. to help men at a dead lift? What sending and posting to them in extre∣mities, as if they kept a Court by themselves? for Christ is sel∣dom heard of, at least not set up so high as to do all; and that this Righteousness is but meerly his ministring servant: What the Apostle said of himself, I may as truly say of the best Righte∣ousness best assisted, What is Prayer, Mourning, Fasting, Hear∣ing, but ministers by whom ye believed, and received mercy?* 1.23 and if but as ministers at best, shall they be greater then the Lord? Let me not be mistaken, I intend no derogation to Righteousness, but the bringing of it into it's own place, namely, that it is to be used as that, where according to Christs directions we may meet with him, from whose hands alone we may expect whatever we pant after, according to his will; reserving a submission to be disposed of otherwise, if he see fit. Again, it is not the Spi∣ritualness, nor the fervency in the performance of Duties that carries it, but when Duties are performed as to the Lord, and for the Lord, and not to and for our selves; O my soul, in re∣spect of all these ends, use and exercise Duties, but be sure of Christ in all, above all, more then all: O let Christ have the Crown set on his head, give him all the glory. Cast not away Du∣ties, but cast them down at the feet of Jesus Christ, as the Twenty four Elders cast their Crowns, saying, Thou art worthy,* 1.24 O Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power: for thou hast cre∣ated all things (all Duties) and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1 Thess. 5.16, 17, 18.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 119 4, 5.
• * 1.3

  Iohn 15.8.
• * 1.4

  1 Pet. 2 9.
• * 1.5

  Mat. 6.2.5.16.
• * 1.6

  Sheph. ibid.
• * 1.7

  2 Pet. 1.8, 9, 10.
• * 1.8

  1 Tim. 4 8.
• * 1.9

  Phil. 2.12.
• * 1.10

  Rom. 10.10.
• * 1.11

  2 Cor. 7.10.
• * 1.12

  1 Pet. 1.9.
• * 1.13

  Dr. Crisp on Phil. 3.8.
• * 1.14

  2 King. 20.3.
• * 1.15

  Tit. 3.8. Mat. 5.16.
• * 1.16

  Psal. 16.2, 3.
• * 1.17

  1 Pet. 3.1.
• * 1.18

  Heb. 7.25.
• * 1.19

  Shepherd ibid.
• * 1.20

  Cant. 3.11.
• * 1.21

  Dr. Crisp in Phil. 3.8.
• * 1.22

  Mr. Burges Vindiciae legir.
• * 1.23

  1 Cor. 3.5.
• * 1.24

  Rev. 4.11.