A02178:2038
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
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.
THE FIRST SERMON.
Quench not the spirit. 1. Thess. 5. 19.
All the doctrine of the Scriptures may be briefly referred to these two heads. First, how we may be prepared to receive1 the spirit of God. Secondly, how the spirit may be retained when as we have once received it. And therefore Saint Paul having laboured to instruct the Thessalonians, in the former part of this Epistle, how they may receive the spirit, doth here teach them how to keep and continue this spirit unto the end. And this the Apostle doth by giving them a charge and commandment, that in no wise they do Quench the spirit: thereby doubtless teaching, that as the shunning of evil, is the first step unto goodness; so the ready way to continue the spirit of God in our hearts, is to labour that it be not quenched. Now the Apostle upon great & weighty consideration, doth here deliver this precept: For first of all, though all those be worthily and justly condemned, that never tasted of the spirit of God: yet as our Saviour Christ saith; A more just and fearful condemnation is like to come upon them, that having once received it, do afterward lose the same again. Moreover, without this spirit of God, no holy exercise can have his full effect: for the word2 worketh not, where the spirit of God is wanting; prayers have no power to pierce into the presence of God: the Sacraments seem small and silly things in our eyes, and all other orders, and exercises which God hath granted & ordained for man, they are unprofitable to man, where the spirit is not present to convey them into our hearts, there to seal up the fruit of them. Last of all, we are fit to receive no good grace at Gods hand: nay, we do not esteem Gods graces, when we have not the spirit to teach us to set a due price upon them: