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. 2. Of the gathering of Experiences.

THat our Experiences may further us in the way to Heaven, we must learn 1. To gather them: 2. To improve them. 1. For the gathering of them, the onely way is —

1. To mark things which fall out; To observe the beginnings and events of matters, to eye them every way, on every side, that they may stand us in stead for the future: This observation and pondering of events, with the causes that went before, is the ripener of wit; Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken for the time to come? Whoso is wise, and will observe those things, even they shall understand the loving kindeness of the Lord.

2. To treasure up, and lay in these observations, to have ready in remembrance such works of God as we have known and observed. The Philosopher saith, that Experience is multi∣plex memoria, A multiplied memory, because of the memory of

the same thing often done, ariseth Experience: I remember the days of old, saith David; I remember how thou didst rebuke Abimelech, and overthrew Nimrod, and Pharoah, and Ahito∣phel: and thus would we treasure up Experiments, the former part of our life would come in to help the latter, and the longer we live, the richer in Faith we should be; even as in Victories, every former overthrow of an Enemy, helps to obtain a suc∣ceeding Victory. This is the use of a sanctified memory, it will lose nothing that may help in time of need, or in the evil day; it records all the breathings, movings, stirrings, workings of a soul towards Christ, or of Christ towards a soul.

3. To cast these things thus marked and laid in under several Spiritual heads, of Promises, Threats, Deceits of the heart, Sub∣tilties of Satan, Allurements of the world, &c. I might inlarge the Heads into any thing that is good or evil: 1. Into any thing that is good, whether it be God, or the things given us by God; his Spirit, his Councels, his Ordinances, his Work of Sanctifica∣tion, and all the fruits of the Spirit. 2. Into any thing that is evil, whether it be Sin, or the fruits of Sin, as Corruption, in∣ability to good, vanity of all the Creatures, the Judgements of God. Thus we must sort our Experiences, as the Apothecary sorteth his Drugs.

Notes

• Isa. 42.23. Psal. 107.43.
• Psal. 143.5.