beholding; suppose they could weare out their eyes at the eye-holes in beholding
Christ, they should still desire to see more. O the lovelinesse of Christ ravishes the
souls of the glorified.”^226 Therefore, while contemplative gazing provides both a brief
glimpse of God’s presence and a desire to see God more fully while a person is on
earth that fullness is reserved for heaven.^227
Contemplation in the Other Writings of Isaac Ambrose
There are three remaining works of Ambrose. Redeeming the Time and the
twin 1662 works War with Devils and Communion with Angels. In Redeeming the
Time Ambrose mentions that Lady Margaret had books for contemplation without
identifying them. Further, he mentioned a primary way for redeeming the time was to
exercise “ejaculatory Duties, as suddenly to look up to Heaven.”^228 In War with
Devils Ambrose addresses his epistolary dedication to Justice Orlando Bridgman. He
praises Bridgman for his heavenly-mindedness and once again equates the “Duty of
looking unto Jesus” with contemplation.^229 Chapter 3 demonstrated that one of the
greatest barriers to contemplation was the devil’s temptation. The best antidote to
counter this was to “have your conversation in heaven, be much in meditation of
those surpassing joys, so will you frustrate Satans hopes, and escape the worlds
intanglements or snares.”^230 Closely related to the devil’s temptations are worldly
anxieties and cares. Therefore, Ambrose maintains that “heavenly-minded
Christian[s]” should “pray also for heavenly-mindedness” to protect them from being
(^226) Ambrose, Looking Unto Jesus (^) , 481.
(^227) Ambrose, Ultima in Prima, Media, Ultima (1654), 203, 214-7 and Looking Unto
Jesus 228 , 1096-9 for Ambrose on the beatific vision.
229 Ambrose, Redeeming the Time, 28, 19.^
230 Ambrose, Ambrose, WarWar with Devils with Devils, Epistle Dedication, [1, 3]., 111-2.