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,…

But is this loss all•no, there is loss of other things, there is I say, a punishment joined with the loss, for it is not as in outward things, if that your enterprise take not effect, it is but the loss of so much labour, but here is purchased an unspeakable punishment, which the Apostle after specifieth, that we eat and drink judgement to our selves, according to the proportion of the fault, as either for neglect of the¹ mean, in which manner Moses offending for not circumcising his son, was corrected: or else for contempt of it: and then are we not acquitted from condemnation, & we are in² danger to be with Judas in the full and entire possession of the devil. So then in both these respects jointly now considered, both in respect of the reverence of God himself, and in regard of the profit that we shall surely have, it shall be good for us, duly to prepare our selves, knowing as it is 2. Chro•. 20. that the want of success in things of the Church, dependeth³ on the want of preparation. For this cause these holy men the virtuous predecessors, were always careful in every particular mean to be prepared, as namely going about to pray, they had their ejaculations, that is, certain short prayers, before they entered into⁴ the solemn action, and they took half the day before the sabbath to prepare them to it. Now if preparation be necessary at these things in several, seeing all these concur in the Sacraments, excuselesse must he be that runneth to the Sacraments unprepared. Now as the Commandment doth bind us to this Examination: So the contrary inferred,⁵ shuts out four sorts of people. First, if any for want of years, as children, be not able to examine themselves, all such are removed: Secondly, if any for want of wit, discretion, judgement, the use of r•sa•on, and such internals, the defect whereof (howsoever they are in age) makes them as children, cannot try themselves, as foolish and furious persons, these are also excluded: Thirdly, if they have a natural conceiving with gifts of reason and humane understanding, and yet are ignorant in the grounds of Religion, and in the doctrine of the Sacraments, which chief points of salvation are necessary to be known; if I say, they have not attained to these rules, all such are debarred;