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. 6. Of the maner of watchfulness over our Hearts.

THat we may watch over our hearts, observe we these dire∣ctions:

1. Guard we the windows of our soul, the Senses: I made a Covenant with mine eyes (said Job) why then should I think up∣on a maid? Turn mine eyes from beholding vanities (said David) and quicken thou me in thy way. It is incredible, what a deal of pollution and ill the Devil conveys insensibly into the heart, through these floodgates of sin, and therefore we had need to watch over the Senses.

2. Go we down into our hearts, and consider well all our thoughts; these, if good, will bring forth good fruit; and if evil, they are the parents and begetters of all sins, the first plotters and contrivers of all Treasons and Rebellions of our life, the bellows and incendiaries of all inordinate affections, the Panders to all other lusts, that take thought to provide for the satisfying of them, the disturbers in all good Duties, that inter∣rupt, and soil, and fly-blow all our Prayers, that they stink in the nostrils of God; and therefore consider and weigh well all our thoughts, for as our thoughts are, so be our affections, prayers, speeches, actions.

3. Let us make Conscience of our thoughts: By them espe∣cially do we sanctifie, or sin against God; by them especially do we evidence our selves, to be sincere-hearted Christians, or dissem∣bling hypycrites; by them especially will the Lord judge us at the last day, when he will make manifest the counsels of our hearts; by them especially (if we will not make Conscience of them) will God lash us in Hell to all eternity, even by thoughts accusing; there shalt thou meditate terrors, and study Gods wrath, toge∣ther with thy own sins and miseries, for ever and ever.

4. Resist and crush we every exorbitant thought which draws to sin, at the very first rising: Is the temptation strong? en∣counter it with this dreadful Dilemma, If I commit this sin, either I must repent, or not repent; if I repent, it will cost me more heart-break and spiritual smart, before I can purchase assurance of pardon and peace of Conscience, then the sensual pleasure can

be worth; if I never repent, it will be the death and damnation of my soul.

5. Lodge we not so much as light thoughts, unprofitable or vain thoughts in our hearts; they will still be entring in, whilest we are in these houses of clay, yet lodge they must not. Hence the Apostle, Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath; q. d. if thoughts of anger come in, in the morning or day time, they must be turned out ere night; or if idle thoughts offer to come to bed to thee, let them not lodge with thee. I deny not but many good thoughts and motions may pass, as strangers through a bad mans heart, and multitudes of vain thoughts and motions may make a through-fare of a Believers heart, and disturb him in good Duties, by knockings, and interruptions, and breakings in upon his heart, but still they lodge not there, they are not there fostered and harbored.

6. Forget and stifle we all thoughts of sinful actions already passed: The minde is very apt to run over the passages and cir∣cumstances of the same sins, long since committed, with a new and fresh delight; this argues wickedness of heart, and such as when it is ordinary with the heart to do so, is not compatible with grace: What fruit had you of those things whereof ye are now ashamed? All that the Saints reap out of such fruits, is shame and sorrow, and many a sad sigh: When Ephraim remembred his sins, he was ashamed and repented; a truly sanctified soul will hate the appearance of his former sins, and will have his heart inflamed with a zeal and revenge against it. What, do you repeat to your selves your old sins with delight? this provokes God exceedingly, you thereby stand to, and make good your former act; you shew a delight to rake in those wounds you have given Christ already, and therefore in hell it will prove the greatest gall, to remember your old sins; every circumstance in every sin then, will be as a dagger in your hearts. O study not these thoughts, forget them, stifle them!

7. Entertain all good motions put into your heart by the blessed Spirit, howsoever occasioned; whether by the Ministery of the Word, mindefulness of Death, Christian admonition, reading some good Book, some special Cross, or extraor∣dinary Mercy; feed, enlarge, and improve them to the ut∣most, so shall we preserve our hearts in a soft, comfortable

temper, and heaven-ward, which is a singular happiness.

8. Endeavor we to preserve and keep up lively, holy, and Spiritual affections, and suffer them not to cool; or if we have grown remiss, endeavor to recover those affections again: Thoughts and affections are mutual causes of each other; Whilest I mused, the fire burned, said David: and again, How love I thy Law? It is my meditation day and night. First, his thoughts were the bellows that kindled and inflamed his affections: And secondly, his affections inflamed, made his thoughts to boyl, and to meditate on Gods Law day and night. Hence it is that men newly converted to God, having new and strong affections, can with more pleasure think of God then any else can.

9. Let us captivate and conform all the thoughts and imagi∣nations of our heart, to the Rules and Soveraignty of grace; Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ: If thy change in words, actions, and all outward carriages were An∣gelical, yet if thy thoughts be sinful and unsanctified, thou art a limb of Satan still: Purity in the inward parts, is the most sound evidence of our portion in the purity and power of Christ. O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved: How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? God seeth (saith the Psalmist) and understandeth our thoughts afar off: And hence it is that many humble souls, sensible of their secret sins, in the presence of Gods pure eye, are more grieved (setting aside ill example and scandals) for the rebelliousness of their thoughts, then the exorbitancy of their actions, for of these the world sees the worst; but concerning the other, it cuts them to the heart, that they are not so well able to preserve their inward parts in purity, towards the all searching eye of God, as their words and actions in plausibleness towards man.

10. Get we our hearts possest with deep, strong, and power∣ful apprehensions and impressions of Gods Holiness, Majesty, Omnipresence, and Omniscience: If any thoughts be of power to settle, fix, and draw in the minde of man, they are thoughts of him. What is the reason that Saints and Angels in Heaven have not a vain thought to eternity, but that their eye is never off him? we finde it by experience, a blessed means to avoid distra∣ctions in Prayers, to inlarge a mans thoughts in his preparations before, or at the beginning, if with a consideration of Gods

Attributes and Relations to us, he sets on the Duty.

11. Let us elevate, and often lift up our hearts towards hea∣ven: Consider the blissful depths of Gods boundless Mercies in Christ; Consider the glory, the everlastingness, the unutterable excellencies of that immortal shining Crown above, which after this life (and this life is but a bubble, a smoke, a shadow, a thought) shall be set on our heads by the hand of God; a very glimpse whereof is able to sweeten the bitterest griefs that can be, and to dispel those mists of fading vanities, which the world (heated by the fire of inordinate lusts) is wont to evaporate, and interpose betwixt the sight of mens souls, and the bliss of heaven.

12. Let us spend some thoughts, yea many thoughts, about the saving excellencies of Jesus Christ: Consider the wonder of our Redemption, the most admirable, and most astonishing plot of the blessed Trinity, sitting in Councel about the saving of our souls; a Mystery which the Angels stoop down to pry into, an Orient Pearl, that will out-shine all the sparkling Jewels of the whole Creation; Consider the Love-letters of Christ in his glorious Gospel; the Love-tokens he hath sent to our dear souls: And ah! what flames of divine affection? what raptures of zeal? what ravishments of delights? what brinish sorrows, and great indignation against sin? what extasies of obedience can be enough for our blessed Lord, and dearest Redeemer?

Notes

• Iob 31.1. Psal. 119.37.
• 1 Cor 4.5.
• Isa. 33.8,
• Eph. 4.26.
• Rom. 6.12.
• Psal. 39.3.
• Psal. 119 97.
• 2 Cor. 10 5.
• Ier. 4.14.
• Psal. 139.2.