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,…

Wherefore as these men seem to be half healed, when any man of knowledge can be brought, who by experience hath cured the like malady in like degrees in others: so these sorrowful souls are not a little by hope refreshed & strengthened to look for some ease, when they see none other temptation to have overtaken them, than such as having fallen into the nature of man, have found mercy at the hands of God, that he might be feared. This ground work framed, it is good (to build up & repair the decayed joy of the mind) partly by the law, to make a preparative for these joys, if the mind not truly humbled, be not fit to be truly comforted: & partly by the Gospel, if the conscience kindly thrown down, is become a fit subject to apply the sweet promises of God in Jesus Christ unto it. And here again to answer them that deny the law wholly or at all to be used, when we would breed comfort in one: I demand whether if it be necessary to maintain the righteousness ⟨p. 110⟩of Christ, it be not also as necessary to preserve the righteousness of the law? Seeing the righteousness of the law, of us not fulfilled, will draw us unto the righteousness of Christ to us imputed: & sith the righteousness of Christ to us imputed, is never throughly and truly esteemed, until we see the righteousness of the law of us to be unperformed. Again, if our Saviour Christ did foreshow his Disciples, that the first work of the holy Ghost at his coming, should be to convict the world of sin, to make men know, that without Jesus Christ there is nothing but sin, & then, that he should rebuke the world of righteousness, that they might see how Christ died not for his own sins, but for the sins of others: I see not why it should not be very convenient, first to lay open the righteousness of the law¹ that men may see their sins; and then the righteousness of Christ, that men may see their sins discharged in him. Besides, where the Lord saith by his Prophet: At what time soever a sinner doth repent of his sins from the bottom of his heart, I will put all his wickedness out of my remembrance: it may well be gathered, that there must be first a sound sorrow for sin; and then a true joy of sins pardoned, may more freely by virtue of his promise be both hoped for, and looked for afterward.

Wherefore as these men seeme to be halfe healed, when any man of knowledge can be brought, who by experience hath cured the like maladie in like degrees in others: so these sorrowfull soules are not a little by hope refreshed & strengthened to looke for some ease, when they see none other temptation to haue ouertaken them, than such as hauing fallen into the nature of man, haue found mercy at the hands of God, that he might be feared. This ground worke framed, it is good (to build vp & repaire the decayed ioy of the mind) partly by the law, to make a preparatiue for these ioyes, if the mind not truly humbled, be not fit to be truly comforted: & partly by the Gospell, if the conscience kindly throwne downe, is become a fit subiect to apply the sweete promises of God in Iesus Christ vnto it. And here againe to answere them that denie the law wholy or at all to be vsed, when we would breed comfort in one: I demaund whether if it be necessarie to maintaine the righteousnes