A02178:1575
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,…
The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham, minister and preacher of the Word of God collected into one volume: revised, corrected, and published, for the further building of all such as love the truth, and desire to know the power of godliness. By H.H.The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham, minister and preacher of the Word of God collected into one volume: reuised, corrected, and published, for the further building of all such as loue the truth, and desire to know the power of godlinesse. By H.H.
London: printed by Thomas Snodham and Thomas Creede for William Welby, 1612London: printed by Thomas Snodham and Thomas Creede for VVilliam VVelby, 1612
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Now when we shall see the wound of the spirit to arise of any certain and known sin, it is either for some sin already committed, wherein we lie; or else for some sin as yet not committed, but whereunto we are tempted. For the former; it pleaseth God oftentimes to bring old sins to mind, when we had not throughly repented of them before; that so (as it were) representing them to us afresh, we might fall into a more misliking of them. And yet herein is not all, to mislike our selves for some particulars, although it be good to be occupied about some special sins: for as it is not sufficient for the avoiding of hypocrisy, to see sin generally: so it is not enough to eschew the deceivableness of the heart, ever to be ⟨p. 108⟩poring busily in one particular, and to be forgetful of our great and general sins. But1 let us learn by the particulars to pass to the generals. When any such one sin then doth pursue thee, rest not only therein, but say thus rather to thy self; Oh Lord, is this one sin so grievous? and doth my God punish this one sin so sorely? How great then should be my punishment, if thou shouldest (O Lord) so deal with me for all my other sins. Let us labour to have a sense both of general and of particular sins, least in time our grief pass away without fruit, whilst that not being displeased as well with one sin, as with another, we either look too superficially to generals, and not to particulars; or else too superstitiously observe particulars, and not the generals.
Now when we shall see the wound of the spirit to arise of any certaine and knowne sin, it is either for some sin alreadie cōmit•ed, wherein we lie; or else for some sin as yet not committed, but whereunto we are tempted. For the former; it pleaseth God oftētimes to bring old sins to minde, when we had not throughly repented of them before; that so (as it were) representing them to vs afresh, we might fall into a more misliking of them. And yet herein is not all, to mislike our selues for some particulars, although it be good to be occupied about some speciall sinnes: for as it is not sufficient for the auoyding of hypocrisie, to see sinne generally: so it is not enough to eschue the deceiueablenes of the heart, euer to be ⟨p. 108⟩