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,…

4. Last of all, he must not refuse to give his life for them.

4. Last of all, he must not refuse to giue his life for them.

Concerning the first, that Ministers must give themselves diligently to reading, as it¹ is manifest in the fourth chapter of the first Epistle to Timothy, where he exhorteth Timotheus, with these words: Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine. ²If that reading the word of God were not very needful, yea, and the first point of the Ministers of God, this faithful servant of God Saint Paul, would never have willed Timotheus to use▪ such diligence therein, who never moved any to do those things which were not profitable, and himself for the example of others, used the same: therefore it is certain that Saint Paul using great diligence therein, found such commodity as moved him to exhort Timotheus, and in him all other Ministers thereunto. But if Saint Paul, who was more than a Minister, even an Apostle, called thereunto extraordinarily, by the mouth of Jesus Christ himself from heaven; if he I say, which was placed in so high an office, and ⟨p. 343⟩called with so worthy a calling, gave himself diligently to reading and studying the word of God: how much more ought the Ministers, which have not so excellent a calling³ as he had? The Prophet Malachi showeth a reason hereof: The Priests lips should preserve knowledge, and the people should seek the law at his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts: if the people must learn the will of God at the Ministers mouth, it is requisite that he himself study and read the w•rd of God diligently, where his holy will is revealed, that he may be able to declare the same unto the people, to the which end the Lord hath placed them over his people. So that he must be as it were the storehouse of the Lord, and the children of God must come to learn, and he must minister necessary doctrine unto them, as occasion shall be offered, that all several heresies may be rooted out of the peoples hearts, and so be brought unto God, to serve him in true holiness according to perfect religion; & hereby we may know, that whosoever doth not thus, is not the servant of the Lord. The reading and meditating in Gods word is so necessary, that the Lord commanded Joshua being a civill Magistrate, That the book of his law should never