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,…

Again, what can be more comfortable to a man than this is, this will glad him at the heart, and this will turn his b•d in all his sickness. ¹In poverty also he is soonest and most holpen which hath the best name, and hath obtained through virtue most favour with men. For good men do consider their own ⟨p. 261⟩case in him, and therefore are most ready to help him: yea even the evil and ungodly² men, although they bear him no great good will, yet they are forced to help him, partly because his godly life doth witness unto their souls, that he doth deserve to be holpen, and partly because the Lord doth turn their hearts to favour him. The widow therefore that came to Elijah for help, used this argument to persuade Elijah; O man of God (saith she) my husband is dead, and died in debt, yet he feared God; therefore help I pray thee, seeing the creditors are come: and immediately Elijah helped her. On the other side, if a man be evil reported of, if he be an adulterer, an Atheist, an Idolater, a riotous person, or a man of hard dealing, and if such a one be once brought into some low estate, if he once³ fall into poverty and need, then the hearts of men are shut up against him, no man will pity him, and all men will see and say, his own sin is brought upon him. And thus hath the testimony of the Prophets, who did often threaten such kind of punishments to ungodly men, so that no man should say, Ah my father, or ah my mother: but the whole city should be glad of their departure. This did the heathen people see in some part, and therefore all of them did greatly desire a good name: and as every one of them did excel in strength and in courage, or in wit, or any kind of knowledge; so they did labour by that thing to get some credit to themselves. And to conclude this point, though a man have many good things in him, though a Magistrate do fear God greatly, though a Minister be excellent in many points, though a Physician or Lawyer be skilful in their profession, yet if they have not a good name, they can do little good with their gifts. All this doth teach us that indeed to be true which Solomon here saith, that a good name is to be chosen above great riches, and loving favour above silver and gold. Now the instructions which we may gather out of this place are chiefly two.