A02178:2181
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.
Are we less given to oppression, to hard dealing one with another, and more just, righteous, and careful to maintain the good estate of our brethren? Are we not backbiters, slanderers, or sowers of discord, causers of contention among our neighbours? being far off from maintaining love, unity, and the good name of our brethren? The cause why we cannot see further into these things, is, because we flatter our selves,1 and because we compare our selves with our selves and with others, but not with the rule of Gods word. Let us then learn to accuse our selves, and to judge our own consciences. For if God see us condemn our selves, he will not condemn us; if we accuse our selves,2 God will not suffer Satan to accuse us; if we judge our selves, God will acquit us from the fearful judgement to come; if we be displeased for our sins, God will be pleased with us in Christ his righteousness. On the contrary, whilst we lie in our sins, we lie in our own blood; if we judge not our selves, God will both judge us, and be revenged of our sin; he will set our house on fire, he will send enemies, he will send earthquakes, he will send famines to consume our goods, he will make friends foes, he will send sickness and soreness upon our bodies, & a troubled spirit into our souls, he will send us an ill name: thus will he bring plague upon plague until we repent, and come to a feeling of our sins. And why doth God all this? because we will not come to judge our selves. For this cause (saith the Apostle, 1. Cor. 11. 30.) that is, because we judge not our selves, many are weak, and sick among you, and many sleep. 31. For if we would judge our selves, we should not be judged. 32. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Likewise the Prophet, Psal. 89. and 30, 31. 32. 33. But if his children for sake my law, and walk not in my judgements, if they break my statutes and keep not my commandments: then will I visit their transgression with the sword, and their iniquity with strokes: yet my loving kindness will I not take from him, neither will I falsify my truth. For as a father withdraweth from his child sometimes his love, and whippeth him with the rod of correction: so the Lord dealeth often with his children, and scourgeth their naked conscience.