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,…

And surely God his children, who hath been made drunken as it were with this spiritual gladness, are often weaned from it, either for their trial, how highly they esteem it, or to punish them for some sin past, or else to forewarn them of some sin to come. Wherefore when any such morse of our spirits and extraordinary deadness doth come upon us▪ let us thus commune with our own hearts; Surely all is not well, I must look out, I have not heard the word cheerfully, I cannot rejoice with his Saints, I am subject to some trouble, and must prepare my heart for some cross, I must rouse up my self & raise up God his spirit in me, that I may recover that life which is in Christ, without the with I am thus dull, or rather dead. The Prophet David (as we know, Psalm. 119.) finding in himself this untowardness to good exercises, the want of this delight, the loss of God his countenance, counteth himself as dead; and having these things he thought himself alive. It is a wonderful thing to see, it is a wonderful thing, I say, to see how natural a thing it is to all men to seek a quiet mind, and glad heart; how unnatural it is to wish for sorrow of mind, and grief of heart; and on the other side, to behold the security of men in neglecting the means of true joy, and their undiscreete plunging of themselves in endless and easeless sorrows, in pulling upon themselves sorrow after sorrow, and that with fantastical delights; all which kind of pleasures have either their present pain, or pain to come accompanying them; and therefore worthily are they compared to the cracking thorns under the pot, which make a sudden blaze, and are quickly out. So the pleasures of fools vanish away without any issue, yea they are so far from bringing any joy in the hour of death, that even then most will they sting and accuse us for dishonouring of God.

And surely God his children, who hath been made drunken as it were with this spirituall gladnesse, are often wained from it, either for their triall, how highly they esteeme it, or to punish them for some sinne past, or else to forewarne them of some sinne to come. Wherefore when any such morse of our spirits and extraordinarie deadnes doth come vpon vs▪ let vs thus commune with our owne hearts; Surely all is not well, I must looke out, I haue not heard the word cheerefully, I cannot reioyce with his Saints, I am subiect to some trouble, and must preprare my heart for some crosse, I must rouse vp my selfe & raise vp God his spirit in me, that I may recouer that life which is in Christ, without the wich I am thus dull, or rather dead. The Prophet Dauia (as wee knowe,