The Excellency of the Mystery of Christ Jesus, Title page – Dedication
THE Excellencie of the myſterie of Christ Jeſus.
Declared in an expoſition, or meditation vponupon the 16. verſe of the firſt Epiſtle of Saint Paul vntounto Timothie.
Epheſ. 3.14. &c.
For this cauſe I bow my knees vntounto the Father of our Lord Ieſus Christ,
15 (Of whome is named the whole familie in Heauen and in earth)
16 That he might graunt you according to the riches of his glorie, that yee may be ſtrengthened by his Spirit in the inner man,
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that yee being rooted and grounded in louelove,
18 May be able to comprehend with all ſaints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height:
19 And to knowe the louelove of Christ, which paſſeth knowledge, that yee may be filled with all fulnes of God.
AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Orwin, for Raphe Iackson, and William Young. 1590.
To the two right Honorable ſisters, the Lady Margaret, Counteſſe of Comberland, and the Lady Anne, Counteſſe of Warwicke; grace, merciemercy, and peace, be multiplied from God the father, and from the Lord Ieſus Chriſt his ſonne.
S Ʋndrie reaſons mooued me (most Honourable Madames) both to publiſh this ſimple treatiſe, and to dedicate the ſame vntounto your Ladyſhips. First of al, I wiſhed with Iob that my wordes were written, Iob. 11.23.yea that they were imprinted in a booke; not, for that J longed to bring foorth ſome new diſcourſe into the world (which is pestered with infinit vnneceſſary pamphlets and treatiſes) but, for that I greatly deſired to ſpread that Doctrine farre and nere, wherein onelyonly the fountaine of Saluation, and the flower of al ſounde conſolation conſisteth. Secondly, in theſe days (wherin is ſo much diſorder and diſtractions) I deemed it a moſt neceſſarie thing, euē in open ſtreet (as it were) to point again vntounto that Lambe of God, which taketh avvay the ſinnes of the VVorlde, that the ſimple may knowe what to ſtick vntounto, & where to begin the building of the ſpirituall houſe of their profeſſing the word, and ſeruing God aright. Thirdly, howſoeuer the fixing of ſuch a rude ſtock, as this homely diſcourſe is, in the ground of the Lords orchard, is indeed a work of no ſuch art or cunning, as whereby the learned may be increaſed in knowledge, yet may it bee a meanes to ſtir vp ſome Paules or Apolloes, hereupon to ingraft more choice and excellent ſiens, and hereafter to ſet ſuch noble plāts of the tree of life, out of which most precious fruites may ſpring, to the benefit & cō fort of the Church, after that once the Lorde hath powred down his bleſſing on thē. For indeed the Doctrine of the myſtery of Chriſt Ieſus, is ſuch a treaſure houſe of al good things and ſuch a root of true & eternal happines, that whereſoeuer it is taught with wiſdome and with power, and receaued with reuerēce & obediēce, there glory will aſſuredly dwell and remaine. Yea there ſuch proſperity ſhal aboūd in citie & coūtry, that grace & faith ſhal meet together, righteouſnes and peace ſhall kiſſe each other, Pſa. 85.11.12.faith ſhall bud out of the earth, and righteouſnes ſhal looke dovvn from heauen.
Theſe were (Madames) the chiefeſt of thoſe reaſons, whereby I was brought at last, after long withholding this my meditation from the preſse, to permit & commit it thereunto, albeit in mine owne opinion most vnworthy to come vnderunder it, but (in the iudgement of certaine ſpecial friends of mine, vntounto whō a ſight thereof hath bin imparted) conuenient, yea almost neceſſarie to be publiſhed.
Now as concerning the cauſes which made mee be ſo bold, as to dedicate this ſimple treatiſe vntounto your Ladiſhips, they neither are in number fewer, than thoſe which induce me to let it come abroad, nor leſſe weighty in importāce. First, for aſmuch as the Lorde hath cast vponupon you all kindes of Honour in a manner, ſo that you ſeeme to ſtand amidſt the multitude of innumerable Chriſtians, or members of the Church among vsus, as Paragons preferred in degree aboue the rest, & Counteſſes of excellent and high account; me thinketh, if any hauehave gathered an heape of ſweet & pleaſant flowers out of the Scripture, for the vſe or comfort of the profeſſors of the goſpel, that ſuch a garland is first to be proffered vntounto your right honorable heads, & muſt needs beſt fit, & most ſeemely become your noble temples.
Againe, ſeeing the fauour which you hauehave vouchſafed to beare and expreſſe toward mee hath been ſpeciall, J thought it my duety to repay ſome token of thankefulnes, firſt and especially vntounto your Ladiſhips: of whome what remembrance J hauehave, and toward whome what reuerence J beare. Finally, vntounto whom how great proſperity J wiſh, J knowe not by what meanes better to declare or teſtifie, than by dedicating a treatiſe vntounto you, to giuegive you occaſion, both to knowe Christ Jeſus more fully, and to growe in him more firmely. Laſt of all, whereas, albeit your estates are full of the riches of Gods merciemercy, yet they are not ſo free from all aduerſitie, but that the Lorde of late hath exerciſed you with ſuch loſſes and croſses, as the Prophets ſpeake of, when they mention the tender mother bewailing hir first borne,Zac. 12.10 and the louing yoke-fellowe girding hir ſelfe with ſackcloth for the huſband of her youth:Ioel. 1.8. it may bee that in the myſterie of Chriſt Ieſus, through the bleſſing of the Lorde, you ſhall finde ſome cordiall powder, which ſhall driue away your dolefull penſiueneſse in ſome parte: yea if you ſearch it throughlie, and make it your owne, it will vndoubtedlie giuegive you an Ornament in place of aſhes, Eſa. 61.3, 4an oyntemēt of ioye in ſteed of mourning, a Garment of praiſe in lievv of a broken ſpirit, that ye may be called the oakes of righteouſnes; that as the plants of Iehoua yee may glorie; that yee may builde the auncient vvaſt places, that ye may reſtore the old deſerts; that yee may renew the deſolate cities, the deſerts of manie generations.
Accept then (Christian Madames) from thankefull heart, and reuerens hand, this little booke concerning the excellencie of Christ Jeſus, preſented vntounto your Ladiſhips, (not for that J ayme at anie preferment, or ſuch by-markes as it …) but onelyonly for the cauſes before alleadged. Vouchſafe to protect it with your fauour, to pardon the defects and faults therein eſcaped: to conclude, to profit by thee mysterie there in deſcribed. Being now aſſured you will doe aboue that which is requested, J most hū bly commend your Ladiſhips to the tuition and heauenly bleſſing of that good God, who hath ſo loued man in his Sonne Christ Jeſus, as to prepare for him, thoſe thinges which neither eye hath ſeene, nor eare hath heard, nor … conceaued: … be all1. Cor. 2.9. …
… P.M.