A02178:1884
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
Part 2 › Treatise 8: A TREATISE OF GODS FEAR.Part 2 › Treatise 8: A TREATISE OF GODS FEARE.
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.
Hitherto we must understand, it is one thing for man to determine of knowledge, and another thing for God to judge of it; as Isaiah pronounced a difference between our esteeming of fasting and Gods judging of it, Isaiah 58. for that if we see a man abstain from meat, we think he is a good devout faster, but the Lord determines otherwise: so we may pronounce a difference between the valuation of knowledge in our eyes & in the Lords eyes. It is nothing for us to say, this have we quoted, thus have we read, this have I uttered, and therefore I know this; for this is nothing in Gods judgement: for as he determineth of the fast, so will he determine of the knowledge of them that pass the ancient Rabbins of the Jews, and outreach the wise men of the Heathen. And no marvel, for as we say there is a wise kind of ignorance, a learned unskilfulness: so surely there is an ignorant knowledge,1 a sottish kind of wisdom; and this now possesseth the whole world. And that we may walk within our warrant, we shall fetch our proof from the sixth of Isaiah, which place, for the excellency of it, is oft repeated in the new Testament. Matthew 13. Acts 28. and Rom. 11. where we see there may be a seeing without seeing, a kind of hearing, and yet no hearing indeed: Even so there may be a knowledge, and yet no knowledge before God,2 the cause is for that the Lord accounts of no knowledge, which comes not into practise: and if we have never so much knowledge, and practise it not, it is nothing in Gods book. And according as this is God his reckoning, so it is our usual account; for if we have taken pains to put precept unto precept, and to teach one that hath not profited by our pains, how attentive soever he seem; yet we account him, and accuse him as one that heard not at all. Better is no candle, than a candle under a bushel: and the Lord accounts no light under a bushel for light. Better to have no ears, than the ears of an Idol. And indeed they are no ears, for they hear not: so it is no knowledge that is separated from practise. We do beguile our selves in our accounts, when we think we have a great knowledge, for that we have heard many Sermons, whereunto because we have not joined