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,…

So to conclude this point in a word, when a man by the spirit of God hath been enlightened¹ unto a certain and sufficient knowledge of Gods will: when he findeth his affection,² chiefly and above all other things set upon God: when he findeth a pure and sincere³ love of God in his heart, not for wages, but for the work of grace, which after an unspeakable manner doth move him thereunto: & when he doth thankfully acknowledge⁴ mercies received, as he doth carefully attend and wait upon the Lord: till he bestow some greater measure of graces upon him; then may he be undoubtedly persuaded, that he hath found the spirit working in him in a more effectual manner, and that therefore it shall never be taken from him. But what then? may such men cast off all care? No, for⁵ unto them doth S. Paul give this charge, That they do not quench the spirit. And not without cause doth he give them this charge: for though the spirit it self can never be taken utterly from them, yet doubtless if they wax proud, if they grow secure, if they fall into sin, then the graces and gifts of the spirit may decay and dye in them, their clear understanding, their feeling, their affection and all may be gone; so that in their own judgement and in the judgement of others, it may seem that they have quite quenched, & put out the spirit. Neither must this seem so strange; for if the image of God, which was more perfectly placed in Adam, than it is now in us: If I say, this image might quite be lost and blotted out, as we see it was; then no marvel if the graces of the spirit of God be for a time, as it were dead and drowned in us. And that we may be the less offended herewith, the Scriptures do offer unto us such examples of men, as having been once effectually called and truly borne again, have yet afterward through some sins, lost the graces of the spirit: such were the Galatians, for they were truly called, and effectually regenerate by the spirit and Gospel of God, as may appear by this, that for the words sake they reverenced the Apostle as the Angel of God; yet they were snared with false doctrine, and fell very dangerously to the choking and quenching of the graces of Gods spirit in them. The spirit it self was not taken from them, nay, Christ did still continue in their hearts: but yet for want of godly graces, he was as it were without fashion or form: