The Great Mystery of Godliness Opened, Title page – Publishers note
The Great MYSTERY OF Godlineſſe Opened.
BEING AN EXPOSITION UPON The whole Ninth Chapter of the Epiſtle of Saint Paul to the ROMANS, By the Late Pious and faithful ſervant of Jeſus Chriſt, Mr. EDWARD ELTON, Bachelor in Divinity, and ſometimes Preacher of the Goſpel at Mary Magdalens Bermondſey neer London.
Jacob have I loved, but Eſau have I hated, Rom. 9.13.
O the Depth of the riches both of the wiſdom and knowledge of God, Rom. 11.33.
Great is the Myſtery of Godlineſſe, God manifeſted in the fleſh, justified in the Spirit, ſeen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory, 1 Tim. 3.16.
Licenſed, Entred, Printed, and Publiſhed, according to Order.
LONDON. Printed by J. L. for Chriſtopher Meredith, and are to be ſold at his Shop at the ſign of the Crane in Pauls Church-yard. 1653.
To the Courteous and Chriſtian Reader.
Good Reader,
THis Book which the good hand of God hath put into thy hand to read, is ſuch of which thou mayeſt juſtly ſay as Jacob did of his pretended veniſon,aGen. 27.19; 20. the Lord hath brought it to thy hand, riſe up therefore and eat of this ſavory meat, ſuch as thy ſoul loveth, or ſhould do at leaſt. It was the work of a moſt Pious and skilful Scribe, excellently inſtructed to the Kingdom of God,bMatth. 13.52. he was a burning and a ſhining light:cJoh. 5.35. burning with zeal for Gods glory, and ſhining as a light in that crooked Generation wherein he lived,dPhil. 2.15. but he is now triumphing in heaven, and therefore ſtandeth not in need either of thy prayers or my praiſes, who being dead yet ſpeaketh,eHeb. 11.4. ſo that his own works may juſtly praiſe him in the gates,fProv. 31.31. Leaving therefore the Author (who is now at reſt with the Lord) I come to the book it ſelf, wherein if thou do not meet with new Truths, yet thou ſhalt find old Truth confuting old and new Errors; ſin ſharply rebuked, holy Duties earneſtly and ſeaſonably preſſed, the power of Godlineſſe advanced, and the great Myſtery of Godlineſſe ſweetly opened, evidences of Election cleerly diſcovered; here thou mayeſt know whether thy name be written in heaven,gLuk. 10.20. onelyonly let me adviſe thee to follow the Authors method, who beginneth firſt with the Complaint of a Sinner combating and conflicting; then cometh to the Chriſtian Triumphing, and ſo cometh to open the Great Myſtery of Godlineſſe; ſo do thou read the firſt Treatiſe to learn to complain of thy corruption, and then thou mayeſt be ſure at laſt to Triumph with the true Chriſtian, and ſo be the fitter to look into the great Myſtery of Godlineſs, for to ſuch is the promiſe made by our Saviour, that to them it ſhall be given to know the Myſteries of the Kingdom of HeavenhMatth. 13.11.; and again if any man be a doer of Gods will, he ſhall know of the doctrine whether it be of GodiJoh. 7.17.: ſo that he that is ready to imbrace the power of Godlineſſe, and is daily converſant in the practiſe of it, is moſt likely to be skilful in the myſtery of it; get thy heart therefore ſtored with the graces of the Spirit that accompany Salvation; add to thy Faith Vertue, and to thy Vertue Knowlege, and to Knowledge Temperance, and that Patience, and to that Godlineſſe, and to that Brotherly kindneſſe, &c. For ſo an entrance ſhall be made unto thee abundantly, into the everlaſting Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſtk2 Pet. 1.5…; &c. 11.: beſides let me recommend unto thee a fit Treaſure for a Chriſtian, to be laid up in heaven, where the Ruſt and Mothes cannot corrupt, nor Thieves break through, nor ſteallMatth. 6.20.. In a word, let me adviſe thee to ſtore up in thine heart, ſoundneſſe of Knowledge, ſtrength of Faith, purity of Heart, clearneſſe of Conſcience, holineſſe of Life, aſſurance of Gods favour, contempt of the world; many ſanctified Sabbaths, fervent prayers, holy Conferences, Heavenly Meditations, dayes of Humiliation, ſincere love of the Saints, righteous dealing with the Brethren, a ſincere love of Jeſus ChriſtmEpheſ. 6.24., an univerſal hatred of every known ſin, and of all alſe waiesnPſal. 119.104., the true fear of God, and the power of Godlineſſeo2 Tim. 3.5.. This counſel obſerved and followed, will enable thee to live Chriſtianly, and to dye comfortably, with full aſſurance that when the earthly houſe of this Tabernacle ſhall be diſſolved thou ſhalt have an houſe not made with hands, eternal in the heavensp2 Cor. 5.17.; where you ſhall be ever with Lord q, who ſitteth at the right hand of his Father, where there is fulneſſe of joy, and pleaſures that laſt for evermorerPſai. 16. ult.; ſuch as eye hath not ſeen, nor ear hath heard, nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive, the excellencies of thoſe joyes, that God hath prepared for them that love hims1 Cor. 29.: let me earneſtly entreat thee, and affectionatly beſeech thee good Reader, ſpeedily to fall to work, and firſt ſeek the Kingdom of God and his righteouſneſſetMatth. 6.33., for herein delayes are moſt dangerous; for the longer thou ſtayeſt, thou ſhalt finde, that God groweth more angry, Satan more ſtrong, thy ſelf more unable to repent, ſin more unconquerable, thy converſion more difficult, and thy ſalvation more impoſſible; a ruinous houſe the longer delayed, the more coſtly will the repairing be; the nail of ſin, the more ſtrokes are given to it, by frequent acting, the more difficult to get out of that precious ſoul of thine; oh then begin ſpeedily becauſe delayes are ſo dangerous; and continue conſtantly, having once begun in the ſpirit, do not make an end in the fleſh, leſt you labour and ſuffer all in vainuGal. 3 3, 4., give me leave therefore to preſſe thee effectually in the words of the Apoſtle; that having ſuch glorious hopes, and ſo many precious promiſesw2 Cor. 1.4.; endeavour to cleanſe thy ſelf from all filthineſſe of the fleſh and Spirit, perfecting holineſſe in the fear of Godx2 Cor. 7.1., alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as I can aſſure thee that thy labour ſhall not be in vain in the Lordy1 Cor. 15.58., onelyonly be ſure to fight a good fight and keep ſound in the faith, till thou finiſh thy courſe, and I can aſſure thee of an immortal crown which Jeſus Chriſt that righteous judge wil be ready to ſet upon the head of all ſuch as love his appearingz2 Tim. 47, 8, 9., againſt whoſe glorious coming that thou mayeſt be the better prepared, let me adviſe thee (once more) to a ſerious peruſal of this and the two former Treatiſes; in the reading whereof my hearty prayers ſhall be with and for thee at the throne of grace, that hereby thy judgement may be rightly enformed, thy life and converſation throughly reformed, thy corruptions mortified, thy graces increaſed, thy love and zeal inflamed, and thy ſoul at laſt eternally ſaved; let me beg thy prayers, for my ſelf in requital of my pains, and thy beſt wiſhes at the throne of grace, in behalf of the Stationer for his labour, and his honeſt care and coſt beſtowed herein; and herein forget not to go to God for his bleſſing upon thy reading this work, and all our endeavors herein, that all may tend to his glory. In hope whereof I commend thee to God and to the word of his grace, and the book once more to thy ſerious reading and practiſe; heartily taking leave I haſten to write my ſelf.
Albourn, this preſent March 12 h. 1652. Thine in Chriſt Jeſus William Harriſon.
There is lately Printed Gods holy mind touching matters Moral, which himſelf uttered in ten Words or ten Commandments; alſo Chriſts Holy Minde touching Prayer; which himſelf taught unto his Diſciples, diſcovered by the light of his own holy Writ, and delivered by Queſtions and Anſwers, by the late learned and faithful Preacher of Gods word Mr Edward Elton, B. D. and Paſtor of St. Mary Magdalen Bar monſey near London.
A true Relation of the murders committed in the Pariſh of Clunne in the County of Salop by Enoch ap Evan, upon the bodies of his Mother and Brother, with the cauſes moving him thereunto, by Richard More Eſquire. Printed by order of a Committee of Parliament.