A02178:2126
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 second occasion is inward, which although no man can find out, yet the Lord for thy good doth cause men to speak evil of thee for it. This inward occasion is, when thy heart hath either given some full consent to do evil, or at the least hath much wandered in thinking of it. Here the Lord doth take thee betime; and suffereth men to report of thee that thou hast done that, which indeed thou hast not done, yet in thy heart thou hast taken pleasure in it. Then the way to profit by this, is to confess the goodness of the1 Lord, who will not have thee to fall into such sin, as might deserve discredit. For such is the nature of man, that if any evil thought do long tarry in the mind, it will hardly be restrained before it come to the outward act. Again, by this report raised on us, we must take occasion to call back our selves, if we have consented to evil, and with grief to be sorrowful for it: or if we have not as yet consented, we must labour to repress the heat of our affections, and quench them by the moisture of the word. And thus much shall be sufficient for those reports which arise of some just ground and occasion.
The second occasion is inward, which although no man can finde out, yet the Lord for thy good doth cause men to speake euill of thee for it. This inward occasion is, when thy heart hath either giuen some full consent to doe euill, or at the least hath much wandred in thinking of it. Here the Lord doth take thee betime; and suffereth men to report of thee that thou hast done that, which indeed thou hast not done, yet in thy heart thou hast taken pleasure in it. Then the way to profit by this, is to confesse the goodnesse of the1 Lord, who will not haue thee to fall into such sinne, as might deserue discredit. For such is the nature of man, that if any euill thought doe long tarie in the minde, it will hardly be restrained before it come to the outward act. Againe, by this report raised on vs, we must take occasion to call backe our selues, if we haue consented to euill, and with griefe to be sorrowfull for it: or if we haue not as yet consented, we must labour to represse the heate of our affections, and quench them by the moysture of the word. And thus much shall be sufficient for those reports which arise of some iust ground and occasion.
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