Light from Heaven, Title page 1 – Part 1
THE FOVNTAINE OPENED: OR, THE MYSTERIE OF GODLINESSE REVEALED.
BY The late learned & reverend Divine RICH. SIBS, Doctor in Divinitie, Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and sometimes Preacher at GRAYES-INNE.
JOEL 3.18.
And a Fountaine shall come forth of the House of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim.
EPHES. 3.3.
He hath made knowne the Mysterie unto me, which in other ages was not made known unto the sonnes of men.
LONDON, Printed by E. Purslow for N. Bourne, at the Royall Exchange, and R. Harford, at the gilt Bible in Queenes-head Alley, in Pater-noster-Row. 1638.
THE FOUNTAINE OPENED. OR, The Mysterie of Godlinesse REVEALED.
1 TIMOTHY 3.16.
And without Controversie, Great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse.
God manifest in the flesh.
Iustified in the Spirit.
Seene of Angels.
Preached unto the Gentiles.
Releeved on in the World.
Received up to Glorie.
THERE are two things that God values more then all the World besides; the Church, and the Truth: the Church, that is the Pillar and ground of Truth, as it is in the former Verse; the Truth of Religion, that is the Seed of the Church.The scope of the words. Now the blessed Apostle S. Paul being to furnish his Schollar Timothie to the Ministeriall Office, he doth it from two grounds especially; from the dignitie of the Church, which he was to instruct and converse in, and from the excellencie of the Mysteries of the Gospel, that excellent Soule-saving Truth: hereupon he doth seriously exhort Timothie to take heed how he conversed in the Church of God, in teaching the Truth of God. The Church of God, it is the House of God, a companie of people that God cares for more then for all mankind besides; for whom the World stands, for whom all things are; It is the Church of the living God, the Pillar and ground of Truth. And for the Truth of God, that must be taught in this Church, that is so excellent a thing, that we see the blessed Apostle here useth great words, high stiles, loftie expressions concerning it. As the matter is high, and great, so the holy Apostle hath expressions sutable; a full heart breeds full expressions. As no man went beyond S. Paul, in the deepe conceit of his owne unworthinesse, and of his state by nature; so there was no man reached higher in large and rich thoughts, and expressions of the excellencie of Christ, and the good things we have by him: as we see here; setting forth the excellencie of the Ministeriall Calling, being to deale with Gods Truth towards Gods people, he sets forth Evangelicall Truth gloriously here; Without controversie, great is the Mysterie of God…linesse; God manifest in the flesh, &c.
The words divided.In these words then there is, a Preface; and then, a particular explication; there is the Fountaine, or Spring, and the streames issuing from it; the Root, and the Branches; there is (as it were) a Porch to this great House. Great Buildings have faire entrances; so this glorious description of the Mysteries of the Gospel, it hath a faire Porch, and entry to it: Without controversie, great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse.
Then the Fabrick it selfe is parcelled out in six particulars:
God manifest in the flesh.
Iustified in the Spirit.
Seene of Angels.
Preached unto the Gentiles.
Beleeved on in the World.
Received up to Glorie.
First, for the Preface; whereby he makes way to rayse up the spirit of Timothie (and in him us) unto a reverent and holy attending to the blessed Mysteries that follow.
Without controversie, great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse.
In this Preface, there is first the thing it selfe, Godlinesse.
Then the description of it, it is a Mysterie.
And the adjunct, it is a great Mysterie.
And then the seale of it; it is a great Mysterie without all controversie: by the confession of all, as the word foreign signifies, there are none that ever felt the power of godlinesse, but they have confessed it to be a great Mysterie.
Godlinesse is a Mysterie, and a great Mysterie; and it is so, under the seale of publike confession: to observe somewhat from each of these.