A02178:2213
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.
Now every one the greater treasure that he findeth the more he doth rejoice, and so every one the nearer that he draweth unto salvation, the more joyful and glad he is. For the kingdom of God doth not keep one, and the same tenor in all men. This joy is not1 in all the children of God alike, God he doth sometime hide his loving countenance from them, some times he giveth comfort, and sometimes again more sorrow. And as we see that the Lord sendeth sometimes wet weather, and sometimes again more fair weather, sometimes he sendeth storms, tempests, and boisterous weather, and by and by most calm and still: even so dealeth he with his children, sometime he hideth his graces from them, which other sometimes he maketh apparent unto them. And as after storms and tempests come fair weather; so after sorrows and troubles, joys and pleasures do come unto the children of God: after their anguish and pains are past, great calmness and peace of mind and quietness in conscience ariseth unto them. And as it is said ⟨p. 294⟩in Psalm 30. 5. The anger of the Lord endureth but a while, but in his favour is life: Weeping 2and sorrow may abide for an evening, but joy cometh in the morning. Wherefore every one is to examine himself whether he hath this joy or not: for whosoever hath it not, certainly he hath not his salvation. Yet it may be that he may have some sight of it, but it was never hid deeply in his heart. And here we are to know that there are two sorts of joys in receiving3 the word: There is a joy in the wicked in hearing of Gods word, but it having but a small crust of the earth to nourish it, it withereth quickly away and remaineth but for a time, as is showed in this chapter in the parable of the seed, which fell in hard stony ground: There is another joy which endureth and continueth unto the end, which although it have many intermissions, yet it doth not altogether cease, but will at the length have the victory against all sorrow whatsoever. The one of these is the joy of the mind, the other is the joy of the heart. The first is deceitful, the second is effectual, A man may therefore be deceived in joy, and think that he hath it before he hath found it, and that there is a joy when a man thinketh that he hath found a treasure, when he hath not, and another joy when he knoweth indeed he hath found it: