A02178:2081
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 3 › Sermon 2: OF MURMURING THE SECOND SERMON.Part 3 › Sermon 2: OF MVRMVRING THE SECOND SERMON.
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 fifth thing we must stay our selves upon, when murmuring doth assail & tempt us, is faith in Gods providence. This providence is general or particular, in both which we1 must be throughly grounded, if we will withstand all occasions of murmuring, and not break out, in temptations, into impatience. The general providence of God must be considered, first in creation of all things: secondly, in preserving them. Do we then believe2 ⟨p. 253⟩3that the Lord made all things of nothing, and shall we not believe that he will preserve them▪ Now seeing they are made, do we believe that God made all men, and shall we then stand in fear of men▪ When God created light, before the Sun, the Moon and the Stars; and when he made grass to grow upon the earth, before th•re was either rain or dew to water them, he did thereby teach us: first, that we should not put too much trust in them whilst we have them: and again, that rather then we should suffer hurt by the want of light, grass, or other such things, the Lord both could and would provide for us without them. Yet now if we should not have the Sun, we would think▪ that light were taken from us; and if we wanted rain, we would soon think we should neither have grass nor corn, nor any fruit of the earth: but the Lord hath ordained these means to serve his providence, not for himself, for without them he can as easily help us, but for our weakness, which otherwise could not easily be assured of his goodness. Secondly,4 we must believe that God preserveth all, as well as he created them: yea the small sparrow doth not fall upon the earth, without his providence, and he hath a great care over the very beasts of the field: doth the Lord provide for these, and will he not also provide for man? Hath he care of beasts? yea indeed he hath, because they were made for man: and shall he not much rather have care over man, for whom things were made? Men say they do believe all this: but whilst there is such doubting of Gods providence, and such repining against God, they do plainly show, they do not believe this first article of their faith, neither in creation, nor in the universal government and preservation of all things.