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 followeth in the Psalm, vers. 2. O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my welldoing extendeth not to thee. In this conference with his soul, David setteth down the reason more at large, why he trusteth in God, that he will preserve him: first, he acknowledgeth his own unworthiness: secondly, he giveth himself to the Saints, Thou hast said unto the Lord. Here he confesseth that whatsoever good thing he had, he received it of the Lord. And this he doth not barely or barrenly with his lips from the teeth outward, but unfeignedly in his soul, also from the heart inward: and in that he passeth from the conference with his soul to speak unto the Lord, he showeth that God knoweth how his soul lieth not: and that he did behold the sincerity and simplicity of his heart herein. So that he dealeth not before men alone, or with his lips, but with God also, and travaileth with his own soul: wherein he cleareth himself of hypocrisy, and by his own practise convinceth and condemneth those kind of men, who say one thing with their lips, and mean another thing in their hearts. Wherefore we are to learn, that in our prayers we deal not with men, but with God. We must not so much labour for a set order of words as for a well ordered heart; and we must not use these words as before men alone with our lips, but in our souls and in the presence of God; to wit, Lord thou hast redeemed me, Lord thou hast saved me: and I say to my soul, that it should acknowledge thee to be my Lord, my Redeemer, and my Saviour, and therefore should use all things to thy glory. Thou art my Lord, my soul, O Lord, hath tasted of thy goodness, and by good proof I find that thou doest govern me. My welldoing extendeth not to thee: oh what shall I render unto thee, my God, for all thy benefits towards me? what shall I repay? alas I can do thee no good, for mine imperfect goodness cannot pleasure thee, who art most perfect and goodness it self: my welldoing can do thee no good, my wickedness can do thee no harm: I receive all good from thee, but no good can I return to thee: wherefore I acknowledge thee to be most rich, and my self to be most beggarly in welldoing: so far off is it that thou standest in any need of me.

It followeth in the Psalme, vers. 2. O my soule, thou hast said vnto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my weldoing extendeth not to thee. In this conference with his soule, Dauid setteth downe the reason more at large, why he trusteth in God, that he will preserue him: first, he acknowledgeth his owne vnworthinesse: secondly, he giueth himselfe to the Saints, Thou hast said vnto the Lord. Here he confesseth that whatsoeuer good thing he had, he receiued it of the Lord. And this he doth not barely or barrenly with his lips from the teeth outward, but vnfainedly in his soule, also from the heart inward: and in that he passeth from the conference with his soule to speake vnto the Lord, he sheweth that God knoweth how his soule lieth not: and that he did behold the sinceritie and simplicitie of his heart herein. So that he dealeth not before men alone, or with his lips, but with God also, and trauaileth with his owne soule: wherein he cleereth himselfe of hypocrisie, and by his owne practise conuinceth and condemneth those kinde of men, who say one thing with their lips, and meane another thing in their hearts. Wherefore we are to learne, that in our prayers we deale not with men, but with God. We must not so much labour for a set order of words as for a well ordered heart; and we must not vse these words as before men alone with our lips, but in our soules and in the presence of God; to wit, Lord thou hast redeemed me, Lord thou hast saued me: and I say to my soule, that it should acknowledge thee to be my Lord, my Redeemer, and my Sauiour, and therefore should vse all things to thy glorie. Thou art my Lord, my soule, O Lord, hath tasted of thy goodnesse, and by good proofe I finde that thou doest gouerne me. My weldoing extendeth not to thee: oh what shall I render vnto thee, my God, for all thy benefits towards me? what shall I repay? alas I can doe thee no good, for mine imperfect goodnesse cannot pleasure thee, who art most perfect and goodnesse it selfe: my weldoing can doe thee no good, my wickednesse can doe thee no harme: I receiue all good from thee, but no good can I returne to thee: wherfore I acknowledge thee to be most rich, and my selfe to be most beggerly in weldoing: so farre off is it that thou standest in any neede of me.