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. 7. Of the Saints delights in Duties.

* 1.1MY yoke is easie, and my burthen is light, saith Christ; and that which makes it so, is, The delights which the Saints have in Gods service:* 1.2 I have delighted in the way of thy testimo∣nies, saith David: I have? yes, and I will delight in thy statutes: I will? yes, and Thy testimonies are my delight: They are? yes, and My delight shall be in thy Commandments: They shall be? how long? even to perpetuity it self; I will delight continually in thy statutes. These are the strings David beats upon, and they make heavenly Musick; Musick even cheering him in the midst of his sorrows:* 1.3 Trouble and anguish are upon me, yet are thy

Commandments my delight: and, Ʋnless thy Law had been my delight, I should have perished in my affliction.

Now the reason why Gods people finde such delight in Du∣ties, is, 1. Because in Duties they come to see the face of God in Christ: Hence Duties are called The face or presence of God;* 1.4 the Worship of the Jews was called, An appearing before God: David breathes out his desires in the same expression, When shall I come and appear before God?* 1.5 The Queen of Sheba counted it an high favor to stand before Solomon, What high favor then is this to stand before Jesus Christ, and to hear wisdom it self speak to our souls? 2. Because in Duties they have converses, and com∣munion with God, who is the God of all Consolation; and with the Spirit of God, who is called the Comforter: Now as a man that walks amongst Perfumes, must needs smell of the Perfume; so they that converse with the God of all joy, must needs be filled with all joy: and therefore David calls God His exceeding joy. The Saints look upon Duties (the Word,* 1.6 Sa∣craments, Prayers, &c.) as Bridges to give them a passage to God, as Boats to carry them into the bosom of Christ, as means to bring them into more intimate communion with their hea∣venly Father, and therefore are they so much taken with them: When they go to the Word, they go as one goes to hear news of a friend; when they go to Pray, they go to talk with a friend; when they go to Read, they go to read a Letter from a friend; when they go to receive, they go to Sup with a friend: They look upon Duties and Ordinances, as those things whereby they have to do with God and Christ, and therefore are Duties so precious. Indeed, to them who have to do with nothing but Duty in Duty, but Prayer in Prayer, but Hearing in Hearing, to them Duties are dead, and dry, and spiritless things; but they that have to do with God and Christ in Duty, to them Duties are passing sweet and precious. This seems a Riddle to unre∣generate men, they wonder what the Saints finde in Duties, where the sweetness, what the comfort is, what secret golden Mines they finde in these diggings, when themselves finde no∣thing, but burthensom Stones, and Clay: Oh! the Saints meet with Christ in Duties, and therefore they cannot but finde great treasure: Davids soul was athirst, not for a Kingdom, but for God, for the living God, Psal. 42.2. It is the highest reward,* 1.7 the

very wages which the Saints look for in Duties, to finde God in them:* 1.8 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy Courts: We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy Temple.

A good Caveat in these days, when so many do cry down Duties: What, My Brethren, Shall we look upon that as our burthen, which is our delight? our bondage, which is our Priviledge? What is the happiness of a glorified Saint, but that he is always under the line of love, ever in the contemplation of, and converses with God? And shall that be thought our bur∣then here, which is our glory hereafter? Take heed of this; take heed you do not think it an hell, a pain, a vexation, to be in God-approaching, and Christ-meeting Duties. I know weariness may be upon the flesh, there are weaknesses, and distempers there, but chide them away, entertain them not: Number it among your choysest Priviledges, Comforts, Delights, to converse with God in Christ: Consider if there be an Heaven, it is the very presence of this God in Christ. Hence they who meet with God in duty, usually finde their hearts sweetly refreshed, as if Heaven were in them:* 1.9 For in thy presence there is fulness of joy, and at thy right hand there are pleasures evermore.

[Obj. 1] But if there be such delight in Duties, what is the reason that wicked men account it a wearisomness, and burthen, and snuff at it:* 1.10 Behold, what a weariness is it? and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord.

[Ans.] A wicked man cannot delight in Gods service, because it is above his capacity: Whiles he is at Duty, he is like a fish out of his Element; the Duty is heavenly and Spiritual, but he is worldly and natural, no wonder therefore he delights not in it. But more particularly, a wicked man delights not in Duties, —

1. Because of his ignorance of the worth and excellency of Duties, he cannot possibly delight in what he knows not: So much as we know, so much we desire and delight, and no more.

2. Because of his infidelity: Faith is the main organ of com∣fort, and therefore no wonder (as it was said of the Jews) if the word preached do not profit him,* 1.11 not being mixed with faith in him that heard it.

3. Because of the absence of the all-seeing and quickning Spirit: It is the Spirit that quickneth, the flesh profiteth nothing;* 1.12 the words that I speak to you are Spirit and life: As the Body is dead without the Spirit, so Duties without Christs quickning Spirit, are dead and lifeless.

[Obj. 2] But if there be such delight in Duties, what is the reason that the Saints themselves do miss of their comforts in Duties

[Ans.] I answer, 1. There are none of Gods people but they do sometimes or other finde comfort, either in Duties, or from Duties. 2. If at any time they miss of comfort, it is because they do not meet with God, whom they came to converse withal: As when a man goes to meet with a friend, and meets him not, he comes away sadded in his Spirit; so when a childe of God comes to some Duty, hoping to enjoy sweet com∣munion with God in it, and then fails of his expectation, this must needs fill him full of sadness. It was an excellent speech of Bernard, I never go from God without God; happy Christian,* 1.13 that when he goes to converse with God in some Duty, can say, I never go from God without God; I never go to God, but I meet with God; and, I never go from God, but I carry God with me.

[Obj. 3] But if no comfort, no delight without God in our Duties, What then is my case, that have no sence, no feeling of Gods presence in Duties? When I have done all I can, methinks I cannot finde God, I cannot meet with Christ.

[Ans.] I answer, Hast thou indeed no sence of Gods presence, and yet hast thou a sence of Gods want? It is good then to observe the different effects of Gods presence, or else thou mayest wrong God, as well as thy self; to say he was not with thee, when yet he was: As 1. There are manifest and evident fruits of Gods presence in Duties; as, Much liberty of Spirit, much Joy, much Peace, assurance of Faith. 2. There are more inward and reserved fruits of his presence; as, Sence of want, sorrow for want, desire of enjoyment, willingness unto further Duties, to finde that which we want in some other: In the former, God is with us, and we know he is with us; in the latter, God is with us, and we know not so much: This was the case of the two Di∣sciples going to Emmaus, Their eyes were holden,* 1.14 that they could not know Christ; yet afterwards when they did know him, they

remembred, that they had sufficient evidence of his presence, even when they knew him not,* 1.15 Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and opened to us the Scri∣ptures? Now whence was that fire, but from the Spirit of Christ conveyed in his Word?

[Obj. 4] But what is the reason that Gods people do sometimes miss of Gods comfortable presence in Duties?

[Ans.] I answer, They miss of Gods comfortable presence, 1. Be∣cause (it may be) they bring no vessels at all to hold the Conso∣lations of God; I mean, no hunger after Gods presence in the Ordinance: or 2. Because they bring vessels so little, and so narrow-mouthed, that they will hold but very little water; I mean, they bring so little hunger after God, that God will not vouchsafe to satisfie it: or 3. Because they bring their ordinary hearts, their carnal and worldly hearts to heavenly and Spiritual Duties, hearts unsuitable to the Duties, hearts unsensible of the Duties: Thus a man findes no sweetness in his meat; the reason is not, Because his meat is unsavory, but Because his taste is distempered; the Ordinances are sometimes sweet, and wound always be so, were the souls pallate always in the same temper: or 4. Because there is some Achan unstoned, some sin unre∣pented of that eclipseth the light of Gods countenance, some Spiritual obstructions; these, and such like are the causes, why the Saints sometimes miss of their comforts. — But the fault is never in the Duty, which is brim-full of rare and ravishing com∣fort;* 1.16 that as Bernard relates the story of himself, Sometimes when he went to his Prayers, he found himself dull, and heavy; but after he had strugled a little with his dulness, all on a sudden he was visited with the visitations of the Almighty: I should ac∣count my self happy (said he) if these visitations would always last; but Oh, it continues but a while! And Austine relates this story of himself, that Ʋpon a time, when he and his Mother Monica were discoursing together about the joys of Heaven, and the comforts of Gods Spirit, they were so filled with joy, that Austine useth these words,* 1.17 Lord, thou knowest in that day, how vilely we did esteem of the world, with all his delights. — The comforts of the world are not worthy to be named that day that we speak of these comforts: O the pure, the undefiled comforts and delights that are to be found in Duties, when

God is found in them: Can a man who is cold, come to the fire and not be warmed? Can he that is in the dark, come into the open Sun and not be enlightened? God is the spring of Com∣fort, and therefore surely our hearts will be comforted, if we meet with God in our Duties.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mat. 11.30.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 119.14.16.24.47.117.143.
• * 1.3

  92.
• * 1.4

  Exod. 23.17.
• * 1.5

  Psal. 42.2.
• * 1.6

  Psal. 43 4.
• * 1.7

  Psal. 42.2.
• * 1.8

  Psal. 65.4.
• * 1.9

  Psal. 16.11.
• * 1.10

  Mal. 1.13.
• * 1.11

  Heb. 4.2.
• * 1.12

  Ioh 6.63.
• * 1.13

  Nunquam abs te recedo Do∣mine sinc te.
• * 1.14

  Luke 24.16.
• * 1.15

  Luke 24.32.
• * 1.16

  Beatum me predicarem, &c. Sed rara hora, brevis mora, oh si duraret. Bernard.
• * 1.17

  Quàm mundus eviluit cum omnibus suis delectationibus. August.