A02178:2391
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.
Again the spirit of God in that he saith, they must watch over mens souls, declareth a1 wonderful care, that the Minister ought to have over his own soul: for if he be bound to watch over other mens souls to the end he may be saved and not perish, if in the mean time he letteth his own perish, what shall he get? truly it will no whit profit him though all his flock be saved, if he himself be condemned. It is manifest in the first Epistle to the Corinths and 6. Chapter, that no unrighteous person shell inherit the kingdom of heaven. Therefore the Minister must of necessity (according to the admonition of S. Peter) give diligence to make his calling and election sure by his godly life and good works as well as other, if he will approve himself the child of God, and heir of everlasting life. It were a vain thing to flatter himself in sin, because of his office, and think that God will deal the more mercifully with him therefore; when as it is most certain, that as the salvation of mankind cometh by the merits of one which is Jesus Christ, so is there but one mean for man to attain thereunto, that is, by a true and lively faith in Jesus Christ; and whosoever cannot assure himself in this life by the trial of his faith, that he is the child of God, although he can persuade and flatter himself never so much with other vain hope, all is to no purpose: for he may be assured whatsoever he be either Minister or other, that he shall never taste of the joys laid up for the children of God. In the 20. of the ⟨p. 347⟩Acts, where S. Paul giving charge of the Church and flock of Gods people unto the overseers thereof, giveth this charge first: Take heed therefore unto your selves, and to all the flock, 2whereof the holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased 3with that his own blood. The Minister must watch over the souls of his flock, but first, over his own, for he that cannot keep his own soul, can much less keep the souls of others: he that cannot govern himself, cannot rule another. The Minister must watch over the souls of his flock, so carefully and warily feeding them with wholesome and necessary doctrine, and so hungering after the salvation of all, that he must not suffer one through his default to perish: therefore above all it is requisite that he keep his own very sure.