The Mystery of Redemption, Title page – Table of contents
THE MYSTERIE OF Redemption.
OR THE PARTICVLAR manner how Man is Redeemed from Sinne, Iuſtified before God, and made partaker of euerlaſting Life.
DESCRIBING THE Nature, Cauſes, Parts, Properties and Effects of Iuſtification.
WITH DIVERS SWEET AND comfortable Prayers interpoſed betweene euerie Chapter.
AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston, for VVilliam Cotton. 1607.
TO THE WORSHIPFVLL, MY euer-honored Mother Mris ELIZABETH POVVEL, all Prosperitie and Happines externall, internall, eternall.
IT is a ſpeciall point of the duty of Children towards their Parents, as in preſence by ſeruiceable offices, ſo in abſence by other effectual ſignifications, to yeeld proofe of their thākful minds: which neither any Child can omitte, without touch of ingratitude; nor any Parent forbeare, vvithout iuſt reproofe. Wherefore (moſt louing and deare Mother) leſt I ſhould ſeeme to neglect the roote, out of which I brā ched, to forget the ſecondary Auctor of my being, or not to remēber her, to whō I owe my ſelfe; after a long purſuite in a painfull chace, I now returne you ſuch a pray, as you were wont to louelove, deſiring therby, to procure your Bleſſing. You are not ignorant, that theſe many yeares paſt I hauehave ſtudied and practiſed ſpirituall Phyſicke, trauelling in the Scrutinie of the maladies & medicines incident & proper to Soules: & heere I offer vntounto you a preſent of my profeſſion. I hauehave prepared abundāce of the bread of Angels, for the repaſt of your Soule, that your kindneſſe in ſome part my bee counteruailed, and my dutie in ſome ſort not left vnperformed. Hitherto I hauehave principallie labored for others: but who hath more intereſtin the grape, then ſhee that planted the vine? & who more right vntounto the crop, then ſhee that ſowed the corne? Deſpiſe not the tē dernes of my years, neither deeme that God meaſureth his indowments by nū ber of daies. Hoarie ſenſes are oftē couched vnderunder greene lockes; & ſome are riper in the Spring, then others in the Autumne of their age: a litle cloud may caſt a large ſhowre, and oftentimes GOD reuealeth that to Babes, which he cōcealeth from the VViſeſt: which I alleage not to clayme any prerogatiue ſurmounting the rate of vſuall habilities, but to auoide all touch of preſumption, in aduiſing my Elders. You hauehave the preheminence in carnall conſanguinity; but in ſpiritual alliance, wee are of equall proximitie to our heauenly Father. And hee may bee a Father to the Soule, that is a Son to the Body, & requite the benefit of his temporarie life, by teaching his Parent how to eſchew eternall death. Neither do I ſpeak this, as if I were ignorāt you were alreadie impathed in your voiage towards the Celeſtiall Hieruſalem, the firſt ſteps wherunto your ſelf taught me, but that there may be ſome rubbes in the way, which I happily, by reaſon of my more diligēt ſearch therin, being a profeſſed Guid, may ſooner deſcry, & without diſhonour to your age, or diſparagmēt to your perſon, giuegive you warning to auoid thē. Thus, dear Mother, recōmending vntounto you my moſt bounden duty, and hūbly deſiring that my ſincere affectiō may finde excuſe of my boldnes, I take my leaue.
From LONDON-HOVSE, this 18. day of Nouember, 1606. Your most obedient and affectionate Sonne, Gabriel Powel.
TO THE CHRIſtian Reader.
CHriſtian Reader, Jf thou doest ſeriouſlie deſire, to learne the Mystery of thy Redemption, to vnderstand the holy Scriptures, to bee cleanſed frō thy ſins, to bee filled with graces, to bee enriched with vertues, to gouerne thy ſelfe in proſperitie, to be comforted in aduerſitie, to triumph ouer thine enemies, to be enflamed in meditatiō, to perſeuere in deuotiō; briefely, to dye happily, and to liue eternally: Exerciſe thy ſelfe in this ſmall Manuall, wherein is the direct way vntounto Heauen plainly diſcouered, the paſſage euidently cleared, the lets perfectly remoued, and the Trauailer exceedingly comforted. Farewell.
THE CONTENTS of this Booke.
A Praier for Grace and Wiſedome, to vnderſtand the Mystery of our Redemptiō. pag. 3
CHAP. I. What Iuſtification is. pag. 8
Confeſsion of Sinnes with Prayer for Remiſsion. pag. 19
CHAP. II. The manner and order of Iuſtification. where alſo is handled of Vocation. pag. 29
The Sinners Reſignation of himſelfe into the hands of his Redeemer. pag. 42
CHAP. III. Of the Cauſes of Iuſtification; and firſt, of the Efficient Cauſe. pag. 48
A Prayer for Faith. p. 85
CHAP. IV. Of the Material Cauſe of Iuſtification. pag. 88
A Prayer for liuely ſenſe and aſſurance of our Iustification. pag. 96
CHAP. V. Of the Formal Cauſe of our Iuſtification. pag. 100
A Thankeſgiuing for our Iustification intermixt with Confeſsion and Prayer. pag. 106
CHAP. VI. Of the Finall Cauſe of Iuſtification. pag. 112
A Prayer for eternall life. pag. 114
CHAP. VII. Of the Parts of Iuſtification. pag. 120
A patheticall Prayer against the temptations of Satan. pag. 152
CHAP. VIII. Of the Properties of Iuſtification. pag. 157
A Prayer for Sanctification. pag. 173
CHAP. IX. Of the Effects of Iuſtification. pag. 180
A Thankeſgiuing for our Redemptiō ioyned with Prayer. pag. 193
A Morning Prayer for a priuate Familie. p. 204
An Euening Prayer for a priuate Familie. p. 212
A Prayer to be ſaid for a Sicke-man, or by the Sicke-man himſelfe, altering but only the perſon. pag. 221
THE MYSTERY of Redemption.
QVESTION.
Seeing all men by nature are ſinners, (Rom. 3.24.) deſtitute of the glorie of God, and conſequētly ſubiect vntounto temporall and eternall death: how may we eſcape this fearefull and heauie Judgement?
ANSVVERE.
Wee cannot eſcape Gods Iudgements againſt vsus for our ſinnes, except we bee reconciled vntounto him and iuſtified in his ſight.
Which that wee may the better apprehēd and attaine vntounto; it is neceſſarie that we conſider both the Nature and Properties of Iuſtification, and alſo the meanes and manner how it is wrought in vsus.