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,…

How canst thou still boil in thine anger, when thou doest remember how mildly Christ crucified suffered the bitter anger of his father for thee? Doest thou look for great matters in this world, considering Christ to be borne for thee so basely, to live so poorly, and to dye for thee so painfully? Surely thou mayest appertain to Christ in secret election, but thy sins thus with delight reigning in thee, thou hast no assurance of Christ by thy walking. Well on the contrary, doest thou, thou poor sinner, feel the lusts of thy flesh loathsome unto thee, that thou even quakest to remember the place, the time, the occasion where sin overtook thee, and feelest more terror to think of them, than ever thou fel•st pleasure in doing of them? then for thy comfort remember, thy sins are pardoned, the precious flesh of Christ was torn for thee, and that thou seeing the wrath of God due to thy defiled flesh, shalt receive mercy, because the crucified flesh of Christ doth acquit the filthiness of thy flesh, and the punishment due unto it. Again, doth the world begin to be vile in thine eyes, and thou art ashamed that thine heart hath been so long set on things below, & the thorny cares do now prick and wound thine heart with sorrow? then remember the head of Christ was planted with thorns, and Christ for thee despised the world, his hands and feet for thee being nailed, his side pierced, his whole body for thee being crucified. Art thou angry with thy self that thou hast been so much given to anger, and canst willingly take judgement of thy self, because thou hast abused God his presence, and defiled his holy house in coming thither with an angry heart? then remember how Christ for thee sustained the anger of God his wrath to take from thee the imputation of thine anger▪ Canst thou not be content to be a worm of men, and as it were trodden on? thinkest thou more vilely of thy self than of any other? art thou now afraid of hypocrisy, and feelest thy self troubled that thou didst not more earnestly seek God, and never didst so much desire the favour of men, as now thou desirest the favour of God, and thinkest it a great mercy to have one foot in the earth?

How canst thou still boyle in thine anger, when thou doest remember how mildly Christ crucified suffered the bitter anger of his father for thee? Doest thou looke for great matters in this world, considering Christ to bee borne for thee so basely, to liue so poorely, and to dye for thee so painfully? Surely thou maist appertaine to Christ in secret election, but thy sinnes thus with delight raigning in thee, thou hast no assurance of Christ by thy walking. Well on the contrarie, doest thou, thou poore sinner, feele the lusts of thy flesh loathsome vnto thee, that thou euen quakest to remember the place, the time, the occasion where sinne ouertooke thee, and feelest more terrour to thinke of them, than euer thou felst pleasure in doing of them? then for thy comfort remember, thy sinnes are pardoned, the pretious flesh of Christ was torne for thee, and that thou seeing the wrath of God due to thy defiled flesh, shalt receiue mercie, because the crucified flesh of Christ doth acquite the filthines of thy flesh, and the punishment due vnto it. Againe, doth the world begin to be vile in thine eyes, and thou art ashamed that thine heart hath been so long set on things below, & the thornie cares doe now pricke and wound thine heart with sorrow? then remember the head of Christ was planted with thornes, and Christ for thee despised the world, his hands and feete for thee being nailed, his side pearced, his whole body for thee being crucified. Art thou angry with thy selfe that thou hast been so much giuen to anger, and canst willingly take iudgement of thy selfe, because thou hast abused God his presence, and defiled his holy house in comming thither with an angrie heart? then remember how Christ for thee sustained the anger of God his wrath to take from thee the imputation of thine anger Canst thou not be content to bee a worme of men, and as it were troden on? thinkest thou more vilely of thy selfe than of any other? art thou now afraid of hypocrisie, and feelest thy selfe troubled that thou didst not more earnestly seeke God, and neuer didst so much desire the fauour of men, as now thou desirest the fauour of God, and thinkest it a great mercie to haue one foote in the earth?