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,…

It remaineth to speak somewhat of these observations, which may fitly be drawn out of the general speeches of the holy Ghost, either to our comfort or humbling. Let this •e our first lesson then, not too greedily to desire prosperity, nor being in some good case either¹ of body or mind, to be too quiet in our selves, as resting securely in the good thing possessed: but rather let us learn in most ease, to watch most over our own hearts, in the greatest testimony of Gods grace and favour towards us, to be most humbled in our selves, to be most jealous & suspicious over our selves, least our hearts being by some privy pride stolen away, we give not God that glory which is due unto him, whilst unthankfulness breedeth security, security bringeth privy pride, and privy pride prepareth² us for destruction. True it is, that prosperity in it self is the good gift of God, and never hurteth but when our own sin in immoderate desiring it, or our corruption in vaingloriously possessing it, do abuse it to our hurt, and so turn it to our harm. And surely besides that, in long prosperity we contract and gather much dross of security, we shall find that the long want of adversity, meeting with security, will flatter us and blindfold us with a persuasion of impunity, and so infatuate us, that we shall think how that because we have long escaped, we shall never be punished. But seeing we learn to judge no otherwise of sin, but by the punishment of it, we must mark this strain, that God doth no more punish presently every sin, than he doth reward presently every good deed: and by how much his long suffering striveth the more with us, and his mercy tarrieth the longer for our repentance; by so much when they fall, his judgements are more³ fearful and sudden, coming as the lightning out of the clouds. And so far off it is that our long prosperity should either shadow us from the plaguing hand that we should not be espied, or shelter us that we should be spared; that rather as high Oaks amongst low shrubs, we lie more open to be seen, and the more ready to be stricken when the Lord shall send forth his thunder-bolts. Hereupon it cometh, that so many are either stricken suddenly dead in the streets or in their houses, or else have their hearts hardened on their death-bed.