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,…

then observe this one thing, which I have therefore placed indifferently between those commandments which concern mine own honour, and the comfort of thy brethren. The second reason is derived from the authority of the lawgiver,¹ whereby the Lord urgeth our obedience, and is expressed in these words, the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. The third is inferred of the equity of this law:² wherein the Lord dealeth with men as it were by conference, and disputeth by plain ⟨p. 130⟩reason, that justly we cannot deny him the seventh for his own glory, who hath not denied us six days to travel in our own affairs. And this is gathered when he saith, Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work: but the seventh day, &c. The fourth and last reason is borrowed from proportion of the Lords own example, that as in six days he made all things, and in the seventh ceased from creating, though not from preserving them: so in six days we may have a natural use of the creatures of God, but on the seventh day we ought to have a spiritual use of them. Under these may be couched another reason derived from the time, wherein the Lord first commanded the Sabbath, which was in mans innocency: so that if before transgression it was an effectual means to keep out sin, then after mans fall it must needs be of force to withstand sin. It may seem the best way to some, first to entreat of the commandment it self, and then of the reasons. Howbeit, because the Lord his wisdom sometime prefixeth the reason, as in the first commandment, and seeing it is a thing of small effect to urge the use to them who are not grounded on the doctrine, and it is hard to overmatch the affection until judgement³ be convinced: we will first arm the matter with reasons, and then show both how this law is kept, and how it is broken. This order is commended unto us by the holy Ghost, 2. Timoth. 2. 16. and for want of this order, many excellent Sermons have little effect: for where judgement, by the truth is not convinced, there many exhortations fall to the ground: for which cause also the holy use of the Sabbath so little prevaileth with many, in that they are not grounded with judgement in the true knowledge of the same.