A02178:1886
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.
Two things hinder ripeness of knowledge, the one is that men are proudly ignorant,1 persuading them falsely to know that they know not; the other is hardness of hart, whereby they are obdurated against the true profit of knowledge: for either we think we have some deep knowledge, or else we become stony and senseless; that if Gods judgements be spoken we fear not, if his promises be offered we rejoice not, whatsoever is spoken we move not: into such an heart, how much knowledge soever is poured in, though it seem to run over, yet the quantity of it will amount to nothing.
Two things hinder ripenes of knowledge, the one is that men are proudely ignorant,1 perswading them falsely to know that they know not; the other is hardnes of hart, whereby they are obdurated against the true profit of knowledge: for either wee thinke we haue some deepe knowledge, or else we become stonie and senselesse; that if Gods iudgements be spoken we feare not, if his promises be offered we reioyce not, whatsoeuer is spoken we moue not: into such an heart, how much knowledge soeuer is powred in, though it seeme to runne ouer, yet the quantitie of it will amount to nothing.
- 1Why we profit not by our knowledge.
Because we will not see Gods wrath, as it is, we see it in justice: for by Gods wrath is justice ⟨p. 197⟩signified unto us. And surely howsoever other qualities in God do not affect us sometime, yet wrath stirs us up. Affections are commonly stirred up by their objects, as fear by wrath: Now if we fear the anger of a man, and specially of a Prince, because the wrath of a Prince seemeth so great a thing to us; what shall we think of the wrath of God,1