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,…

It followeth in our text: In the last days, saith God. All the Scriptures are worthy to be heard, because they proceed from God, and not from man, although man may be the pen of the holy Ghost. Wherefore it is said, 2. Pet. 1. 20. 21. First know this, that no prophecy in Scripture is of private motion. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost. The Prophets wholly to disauthorise themselves, in all their weighty embassages, use to say: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Thus saith the Lord the holy one, and such like: whereby they would purchase the greater credit, whilst they remove the imagination of men from all dreaming of mans doing, and set ⟨p. 220⟩their faith a work in acknowledging it to proceed from God. Wherefore we must so hear the word, as though we heard God himself speaking to us, yea as though we either went up to heaven, or God came down to us. Likewise whether we read, hear, or meditate privately, we must still think our selves in the presence of God, who narrowly watcheth over the pure use of his holy word, remembering that holy speech of Cornelius, Act. 10. vers. 33. unto Peter the Apostle, Now are we all here present before God, to hear all things commanded thee of God. It is also said in that exhortation to the Church to praise God, Psal. 95. vers. 2. Let us come before his face with praise, &c. This is that which will humble us, when we know that we come before God and his Angels, whose presence is described Ezek. 1. and therefore the Apostle. 1. Cor. 11. 10. to move the women of Cor. the more, telleth them, that they are in the presence of the Angels. This meditation breedeth religion in hearing, without which whilst, we behold a man speaking as of himself and by himself alone, we are never moved, threaten he, promise he, menace he, comfort he, exhort he, reprove he never so much. No, we cannot throughly be wrought upon, until we can say; Surely it is the Lord speaketh to us▪ it is the word of the most high God uttered by man, we will not receive it as the doctrine of men, but of God, either as the doctrine to save our souls, or to confound us; it is the mighty power of salvation, if we believe; it is a mighty power to cast us down to the hells, if we do not believe. It is the word of God that moveth, not the word of man.