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,…

Joseph though he had good graces of God, yet least the violence of unbridled youth should carry him away, he was humbled, the iron pierced¹ his soul, his feet were in the stocks, his place was among the imprisoned: yet after some time of trial he was exalted, not meanly, but very highly. Moses albeit he had some instinct of the Lord that he should be the governor of the Lords people, besides his forty years in the court, had forty years travail in the desert, and afterward was advanced. After that David had received many pledges of Gods favour towards him, as being anointed king, and in that he obtained great victories in overmatching the Bear and the lion, in over throwing the furious Philistine, after he had cured the raging spirit of a mad man by his sweet music: yet as one not sufficiently prepared for the work of the Lord,² he was preferred by humility. If we consider of all the Kings of Judah and Jerusalem, as of Hezekiah, Josiah, Asa, and others, we shall see how Hezekiah wept sore, confessed his sins, & was much humbled, before the health of his body was restored unto him. Josiah before³ the Lord did use him in the reformation of his Church, had his hart broken. Yea, before the ⟨p. 270⟩Apostles received that great gift, the sending down of the holy Ghost upon them, they were humbled with the Jews, they were shaken with a great wind, and after so solemn a preparation, they were endued with sweet graces of the spirit. And throughout the⁴ whole volume of the book of God it is manifest, that when the Lord would appear by visions or Angels to his holy people, he humbled flesh and blood before, as we see in I• cob, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary the blessed virgin.

Ioseph though he had good graces of God, yet least the violence of vnbridled youth should carrie him away, he was humbled, the iron pearced¹