The Wonderful Mystery of Spiritual Growth, Title page – Dedication
THE WONDERFVLL MYSTERIE OF SPIRITVALL GROWTH.
Deſcribing the Neceſsitie, Nature, Manner, Meaſure, and Markes thereof.
AS ALSO, Laying downe neceſſarie Rules for the wiſe diſcerning of the ſame.
And reſoluing many ſpeciall Caſes of Conſcience incident hereunto, tending to the comfort of diſtreſſed Spirits, and ſo to the attaining of perfect Holineſſe.
Diuided into two Bookes.
LONDON, Printed by Bernard Alſop, and are to be ſold at his houſe in Diſtaffe Lane, at the ſigne of the Dolphin. 1622.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE MY very good Lord, the Lord Cranfield; L. high Treaſurer of England, Maſter of his Maieſties Wards and Liueries, and one of his Priuie Councell: All encreaſe of Honour and true Happineſſe.
RIGHT HONORABLE:
AS the Soule is far more … excellent then the Bodie; this being but of the Earth earthly, but the other of the Heauen heauenly: ſo whatſoeuer concernes the adorning of the pretious Soule, is farre preferred before all bodily furniture and complement whatſoeuer. And ſeeing our wiſe God, though he hath conioyned the Soule and Body to ether, to make one perfect Creature, yet he hath ſubiected the Body to the Soule, for the perfection thereof: therefore herein doth conſiſt the perfection of the Creature, when the bodie and the things concerning the ſame, performeth it due homage to the ſoule, and imployeth it beſt meanes for the adorning thereof, which as it cannot doe without the information and actuating of the ſoule, by which it is enliued, and therefore ought in all duty and th…nkefulneſſe to returne it ſtreames to the fountaine, and honour the ſoule with that power which it receiued from the ſame: ſo hereby doth it procure true honor to it ſelfe, when it in all things furthers the ſoule to that end to which it was created. Now as the Soule is the life of the Bodie, ſo God is the life of the Soule. And as the maine vſe, and end of the Bodie, is to doe homage to the Soule: ſo the end of both ſoule and bodie, is to glorifie God. And by how much the bodie more furthers the ſoule herein, by ſo much more doth it attaine the end of it Creation, and ſo aſpires to that glorious eſtate, that this corruptible may put on incorruption, and this mortall may be ſwallowed vp of immortalitie. And this is that true happineſſe to which man was created: as of nothing of himſelfe, becauſe he was a creature, ſo by nothing in and of himſelfe effectuall to this happineſſe: becauſe hereunto hee muſt become a new creature in Ieſus Chriſt. Indeed the Lord made man righteous at the firſt, and ſo capable of this happineſſe: but he ſought many inuentions, and tooke the forbidden way, and ſo loſt the true ſubſtance of happineſſe, while he hunted after the ſhadow thereof. And ſo it was good for him to be loſt in himſelfe, that he might be found in Chriſt: who is made vntounto him Righteouſneſſe, and Sanctification, and Redemption: that he which reioiceth, might reioice in the Lord.
Behold the end of our Creation, God made all things for his glory. Behold the Meanes to accompliſh this end: Man muſt be ſtript of all glorie in himſelfe, by his fall, that being Redeemed by the pretious bloud of Ieſus Chriſt, he might wholly conſecrate himſelfe in all holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, to the glorie of his Redeemer, as being wholly enabled by the power of Chriſt hereunto, and perfectly accepted by the righteouſneſſe of his Chriſt imputed vntounto him; and led forward by the free grace of God in Ieſus Chriſt to the finiſhing of his ſaluation in the feare of God, as hauing all things working together to the beſt vntounto him, and being kept by the mightie power of God through faith vntounto ſaluation.
This is the ſubiect of this Treatiſe. This the maine vſe thereof: euen to teach a Chriſtian wherein conſiſts his true happineſſe, namely in Chriſt, and not in himſelfe, and to informe him how to trie himſelfe, whether he be in Chriſt or no: namely, if he grow vp in Chriſt which is his Head, vntounto a perfect ſtature. And this alſo is an vndoubted triall, that all outward encreaſe is ſanctified vntounto vsus: namely, if it further our Spirituall Growth in Chriſt, that we may lay vp a good foundation thereby, againſt the life to come. The reaſons why I hauehave conſecrated theſe Meditations to your Honours Protection; Are, firſt: Becauſe the Lord hauing aduanced your Honour marueliouſly by the great fauour of our Soueraigne, to moſt high and eminent Place and Honour; you may hereby lay vp a good foundation againſt the life to come, by honouring the Lord with your greatneſſe, and kiſsing his glorious Sonne Ieſus, in countenancing his Word, and patronizing his ſeruants, and worthily oppoſing the Enemies of the Goſpell: which through our ſecuritie and remiſneſſe hauehave renewed and encreaſed their hopes in this day of their abaſing. Surely, as it is ſtrange that darkeneſſe ſhould en…reaſe in the midſt of ſo glorious a light: ſo it is more then time to labour the ſpeedie diſpelling thereof, leaſt it obſcure more and more our glorious light, and in the end baniſh the ſame.
And who more fit to encounter this darkeneſſe, then ſuch glorious ſtarres that are aduanced in the Firmament of our ſtate? May it not be ſaid vntounto ſuch as Mardokey ſaid to Heſter, being aduanced in ſuch times: who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdome for ſuch a time: I hope I ſhall not neede to adde what Mardokey premiſeth. If thou hold thy Peace at this time, comfort and deliuerance ſhall appeare to the Iewes, out of another place: The Lord knoweth how to deliuer his in the day of Tentation, and to catch the wicked in their owne ſnares. Bleſſed be God, that as he hath ſuckled your Honour, euen from the cradle, with the ſyncere milke of the Word: ſo no doubt, by this time, he hath made you a ſtrong man in Ieſus Chriſt: and as he hath furniſhed you with all outward meanes for the maintenance of the Truth; ſo he will enable you by his grace to improue your Place and Authoritie more and more hereunto: that ſo you may grow vp more and more as well in fauour with God, as with men, and ſtabliſh your outward greatneſſe, by encreaſe in goodneſſe and care to aduance the Kingdome of our Lord Ieſus. And this I ſhall not ceaſe daily to pray vntounto our good God for: humbly entreating your Honour to accept of my poore endeuours hereunto: who as heretofore for many fauors, ſo now eſpecially much more ſhall reſt bound vntounto your Honor for this Protection. And ſo commending your good Lordſhip to the euerlaſting tuition of the Almightie; I reſt euer in him
At your Honours and the Churches ſeruice Th. Cooper.