The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…

Now let us show how we may prevent, and by what means Gods children falling into¹ some degrees of it (for if it rage in extremity, it is an evil most dangerous) may safely and quietly be delivered from it. And here a just complaint is to be taken up, and it is a wonder to be marked that we see many so careful and watchful to avoid other troubles, and so few or none take any pains to escape the trouble of mind which is so grievous. We see men loving health and loathing sickness, in diet temperate, in sleep moderate, in ⟨p. 99⟩Physic expert, skilful to purge, and to avoid such corrupt humours, which in time may breed (though presently they do not bring forth) some dangerous sickness: yet to avoid the diseases of the soul, no man abateth his sleep, no man abridgeth his diet, no man prepareth Physic for it, no man knoweth when to be full, and when to be empty, how to want and how to abound. Others carried away with the love of riches, and very^* sly to fall into poverty, will not stick to rise early, and take sleep lately, to fare hardly, to tear and taw their flesh in labour by land and by water, in fair and foul weather, by rocks and by sands, from far and from near: and yet to fall into spiritual decays, to avoid the poverty of conscience, no man taketh such pains; as though salvation and peace of mind, were not a thing worthy the labouring for. Some ambitiously hunting after honour, and not easily digesting reproaches, behave themselves neither sluggishly nor sleepily; but are active in every attempt, by^* love and by counsel, by prudence and prowess, by wit and by practise, by labour and learning, by cunning and diligence to become famous, and to shun a civill reproach: yet to be glorious in the sight of God and his Angels, to fall before the heavens, & in the presence of the Almighty to be covered with shame and confusion of conscience, we make none account, as they, who neither use any means to obtain the one, nor avoid those occasions which may bring the other.

Now let vs shew how we may preuent, and by what meanes Gods children falling into¹