A02178:2083
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.
and did the Israelites walk in the wilderness forty years in the same apparel which waxed not old; whereas othersome having meat in abundance, yet are hunger-starved, and being laden with clothes, yet quake for cold: shall we not yet learn that the blessings of God are all in all, and that the other are but means provided for our weakness? David proved by experience, that the righteous seed of the righteous parents, were never forsaken, nor begged 1their bread. If we no doubt could come to such measure of obedience as they did then, and ⟨p. 254⟩if we could be righteous as in his time men were, the Lord would provide for us as well as he did for them, and we should have as good experience hereof as ever had David. To this2 providence of God, we must bring a patient mind, which first must be contented with whatsoever the Lord sendeth, & always acknowledge godliness to be great riches. For we ought not to seek great matters, nor suffer our desires to be carried after high things: for this did the Lord by his Prophet Jeremiah rebuke in Baruch▪ And CHRIST giveth us another rule, when he teacheth us to pray for daily bread; which when we have, then must we be contented. This mind was in our father Jacob, when he prayed for nothing else but meat and clothing. And this doth Paul generally command to be in all, saying, When we have meat & clothing let us be contented. We must first therefore seek the kingdom of God,3 and the righteousness thereof: we must first labour for the forgiveness of our sins in Christ, that so we may be in the favour of GOD▪ and enjoy the light of his loving countenance;4 which when we have, and feel, let us esteem it above all earthly treasure, as David doth: let us receive it though it come alone, yea, though it bring troubles with it, & then for outward5 things, we shall possess our souls in patience. If the Lord give plenty of them, we shall take it as an overplus of his favour: but if he give the less, yet shall we be contented, because we bind not his favour to these outward things: but if we cannot rest in the favour of God, though we want these outward things, it is certain we never truly esteemed the favour of God, neither did we ever feel the forgiveness of our sins, if we could not when we felt it be therewith contented, and ready to forgo all other things.