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 maner of Watchfulness over special sins.

THat we may watch over our special sins, our Dalilah sins, our darling-delights, observe we these Rules:

1. Endeavor we the mortifying of this sin: Some one sin there is in every soul of us that is most predominant. Now it is the main work of a Christian, as to fall out for ever with all sin, so especially to improve all his Spiritual forces and ayd from hea∣ven, utterly to demolish, and to beat down to the ground this hold, this bosom-sin.

2. Lay we load of deepest groans, and strongest cryes for

mortifying grace against this dominiering sin; especially every Morning and Evening strive with God in our Prayers for a com∣fortable conquest over it, inforce and inlarge that passage with an extraordinary pang of fervency, cry we mightily to God for power and strength against this lust, that continually wars against the soul.

3. Bend we our selves against the special acts, occasions, and opportunities of this sin; as suppose rash anger, the sin which a man sifteth, and pursueth to the extirpation of it; in this case, he should resolve with himself, not to speak harshly, nor to look fiercely, nor to use any churlish behavior, whether his Servant displease him with negligence, or his Friend offend him with un∣faithfulness, or his enemy provoke him with ill language, or some malicious dealing.

4. As oft as we finde any motion of this sin to stir, and shew it self in us, it will be convenient, not onely to with-hold our consent, but withal to exercise some act of contrary holiness: As suppose Desire of revenge be the sin, which stirreth up our blood, and boileth within us, we must not onely forbear to avenge our selves, but also bend our selves to pray for him that hath offended us; and if he hunger, to feed him, if he thirst, to give him drink.

5. Settle we in our selves a purpose of heart to forbear it for time to come: In undertaking of which purpose, it will be ex∣pedient to set our selves some short space of time, in which we may force our selves to the forbearance of it, as for a day, or a moneth, or the like; and when the prefixed time is come, we should then question our selves, How well we have performed? or how, or wherein we have failed? and then begin a new pur∣pose, and prescribe our selves a like time, for shunning of the same sin; and so on from time to time, till we have gotten a full victory.

6. If in our daily or monethly review, we finde that we have been defective in performing of what we had purposed, then with an holy revenge we should correct our former errors, beg pardon for our defects, and punish our selves for such slothful∣ness, or wilfulness, by abstinence from meat, ease, recreation; Keeping under our bodies, and bringing them into subjection, by mulct, or forfeiture of some portion to the poor, whereby we

may feel smart: This holy revenge is commended by the Apo∣stle, 2 Cor. 7.11. as a worthy fruit of serious Repentance.

7. Above all, without which all the rest are as nothing, Be∣lieve the Promises of pardon in the blood of Christ: It is Faith in the Promises which will be able to cleanse, and purge the heart from this sin; If the blood of Bulls and of Goats (saith the Apo∣stle) and the ashes of an Heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your Consciences from dead works, to serve the living God? the sence is, When a man hath once applyed the blood of Christ for his Justification, this effect will follow it, That there will accompany it a certain vigour, vertue, power, and ••••rength, which will also purge his conscience from dead works; there will go a power of the Spirit together with this blood, that shall not onely forbid him, and shew him that he ought not to do such and such evil things, but it shall cleanse his conscience from those roots of dead works, those corrupt lusts, and sinful affections that are in him, and that dispose him to that evil: Now this power is gotten by applying the blood (i.) by ap∣plying the Promise of pardon and forgiveness by the blood of Jesus Christ: Let no man think by his own strength to prevail against any lust; it is not our endeavoring, praying, bending our selves against the special acts and occasions, exercising some acts of contrary holiness, purposing to forbear it, punishing our selves for it (if gone about by our own might, and power, and strength) will ever kill this sin; no, no, we must do all these at the feet of Christ, and draw vertue from Christ; we must Be∣lieve the Promises, get assurance of pardon, get assurance of Gods love to us in Christ; we must labor to delight in God, to get communion with Christ, and then our hearts will grow to an application of the Commandment; and whereas before they resisted it, rebelled against it, they will then cleave to it, and love it, and delight in it, and receive an impression from it. This I take it is the meaning of that Text, Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust; q.d. by believing the Promises we are made partakers of the godly nature, and we overcome our

corruptions and lusts: Consonant to which, is that of the Apo∣stle, Know ye not, that as many as are baptized into Christ, are baptized into his death? q.d. as many as are baptized into Christ, for reconciliation with God, must needs be baptized into his death; they must be dead to sin, as he was dead: We cannot be baptized into him for Reconciliation or Justification, but we must be baptized likewise for Mortification of the flesh, and for Resurrection to newness of life. To winde up all in a word, He that hath the strongest Faith, that believes in the greatest de∣gree, the Promises of pardon and remission, he hath the holiest heart, the most mortified life: Sanctification and Mortification arise from that root of Justification. The blood of Christ hath not onely a power to wash us from the guilt of sin, but also to cleanse us, and purge us from the power and stain of sin▪ And therefore I say, the best way to get a great degree of Sanctifica∣tion, the best way to get a greater measure of the graces of the Spirit, the best way to mortifie our sinful lusts, the best way to watch over our special sins, is to labor to grow in Faith, in the belief of those Promises of the Gospel of Christ; and this would be well observed by those that are a little legally byassed, or car∣ryed to mortifie sin onely by Vows, Promises, shunning occasions, removing temptations, strictness and severity in Duties, fear of Hell and Judgements, scarce rising so high for their Mortifica∣tion, as Christ. Now these in themselves are but empty, weak means of prevailing against sin, like the mighty Sails of a Ship, without wind and tide; no question but shunning occasions, strictness and severity in Duties, watchfulness, &c. dwell in their place and order, like Oars in a Boat (See Saltmarsh, Free-grace, page 68.) which though it be carryed with the Tide, if well ma∣naged, yet they may help it to go the faster: Howsoever, it is Christ crucified which is the power of all in all; it is Christ lift∣ed up, as Moses lifted up the Serpent, which strikes more sound∣ness into the wounded beholder, then any other way; wherein some have toiled all their time for power over corruptions, and like Peter, have caught little or nothing, because Jesus Christ was not in the company.

Notes

• 1 Cor. 9.27.
• Heb. 9 13, 14.
• 2 Pet. 1.4.
• Rom. 6.3.
• Saltmarsh Free-grac••, page 68. who though a per∣fect adversary, y t here brings truth abed.