A02178:2347
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.
Affliction is either of the body or of the mind; of these the Lord sometime to humble us doth send the one, sometime the other, sometime both, and all to humble us before his Majesty: when as he seeth by reason of the corruption of our nature, that the preaching of the law is not sufficient to humble us, & to strike that terror into our hearts which might make us duly prepared to receive into our hearts the sweet and comfortable promises made to us in Christ, that it might be so rooted, that it might still grow up even to the full ripe and perfect age of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; because I say our loving father seeth that the law will not suffice us, therefore it pleaseth him in mercy, who will leave no way unassayed for the salvation of his children, to prepare us by afflicting us, which can not by the hearing of his law be truly prepared.
Affliction is either of the body or of the minde; of these the Lord sometime to humble vs doth send the one, sometime the other, sometime both, and all to humble vs before his Maiesty: when as he seeth by reason of the corruption of our nature, that the preaching of the law is not sufficient to humble vs, & to strike that terror into our hearts which might make vs duely prepared to receiue into our hearts the sweete and comfortable promises made to vs in Christ, that it might be so rooted, that it might still grow vp euen to the full ripe and perfitage of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ; because I say our louing father seeth that the law will not suffice vs, therefore it pleaseth him in mercie, who will leaue no way vnassayed for the saluation of his children, to prepare vs by afflicting vs, which can not by the hearing of his law be truly prepared.
Now if affliction be such a notable thing, and the Lord worketh even eternal life thereby oftentimes to those whom he hath elected and called to be his, how lovingly ought they to embrace it to whom the Lord so fatherly doth offer it? and how patiently and cheerfully ought they to bear it, inasmuch as they thereby may assure themselves that God hath severed them from the world, and from those on whom he meaneth to show no mercy in the day of his wrath?