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,…

Let us look to fall, but on our knees, because Gods hand doth hold us up Let us look to be humbled, but in mercy, because the Lord sustaineth us, & as we are assured, where mercy hemmeth us about on every side, it is our part continually to confess before the Lord, that we ever give new occasions, that he should follow us with new punishments, and that our sins do often shake off the wings of Gods mercy, under the which we have bin long comforted. For Gods children acknowledge themselves without ceasing, that God hath rods in a readiness (though they see no present evil) to beat them from their sins: & bend all their care, how they may rather suffer adversity to Gods glory, than to sleep securely in prosperity unto their own pleasure. Now when the Lord doth, as it were hold us on the rack for these causes before named, we must pray unto him, that howsoever he keepeth us in the press) we may have a breathing while to consider our days spent in pleasure, and to examine our unthankfulness, which shutteth up the door of Gods mercy from us. And because our afflictions are the sorer when they come the nearer to the soul, we may with our selves conclude to hold on the way of our thorough-fair: & though we see nothing but thorns of temptations, and briers of evil affections, so as we must be fain to leap over hedges, rocks & ditches; yet must we not cease to continue in Gods service. For if that were not, what trial & examination of our faith should there be, were we as in a fair meadow, that we might run on along by the water side in a shade, and that there might be nothing but pleasure and joy all our life time, who could vaunt that he had served God with good affection? But when God¹ doth send us things clean contrary to our desires, that we must be fain one while to enter into a quagmire, and another while to march upon ragged rocks and stones; then we shall have the use of a well exercised mind in prayer, in repentance, and in contempt of this life. And why doth the Lord sometime suffer us to pine away, and to languish in continuance of grief, seeing that he could clean rid us at the first? doubtless to this end, that we might confess his mercy more freely, and bite of his justice more sharply.

Let vs looke to fall, but on our knees, because Gods hand doth hold vs vp Let vs looke to be humbled, but in mercie, because the Lord sustaineth vs, & as we are assured, where mercie hemmeth vs about on euery side, it is our part continually to confesse before the Lord, that we euer giue new occasions, that he should follow vs with new punishments, and that our sinnes doe often shake off the wings of Gods mercie, vnder the which we haue bin long cōforted. For Gods children acknowledge themselues without ceasing, that God hath rods in a readinesse (though they see no present euill) to beate them from their sinnes: & bend all their care, how they may rather suffer aduersitie to Gods glorie, than to sleepe securely in prosperitie vnto their own pleasure. Now when the Lord doth, as it were hold vs on the racke for these causes before named, we must pray vnto him, that howsoeuer he keepeth vs in the presse) we may haue a breathing while to consider our daies spent in pleasure, and to examine our vnthankfulnes, which shutteth vp the doore of Gods mercie from vs. And because our afflictions are the sorer when they come the neerer to the soule, we may with our selues cōclude to hold on the way of our thorough-faire: & though we see nothing but thornes of temptations, and briers of euill affections, so as we must be faine to leape ouer hedges, rocks & ditches; yet must we not cease to continue in Gods seruice. For if that were not, what triall & examination of our faith should there be, were we as in a faire medow, that we might run on along by the water side in a shade, and that there might be nothing but pleasure and ioy all our life time, who could vaunt that he had serued God with good affection? But when God