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,…

Our hands having been lift up to false gods, being full of blood, violence, concupiscence, bribery, deceit, and false dealing, are now to be stretched out to the true God, and to show forth his power in relieving the needy, in giving of alms, in helping the afflicted, in punishing all filthiness, bribery, and falsehood unto the uttermost.

Our hands hauing been lift vp to false gods, being full of blood, violence, concupiscence, briberie, deceit, and false dealing, are now to bee stretched out to the true God, and to shewe forth his power in relieuing the needie, in giuing of almes, in helping the afflicted, in punishing all filthines, briberie, and falsehood vnto the vttermost.

Lastly, our feet that have run so swiftly to sacring and to the resurrection, that have run so fast to Idol service, to huntings, bear-baitings, and interludes on the Sabbath day, that have been so full of contemptuous disobedience, so ready to shed blood, so swift and nimble in dancing, so expert in carrying the things of other men, must now run to the Church of God, to the hearing of the word, to offer pure prayers, to receive the Sacraments, and must now run as fast from those profane exercises on the Lords day, they must now carry us to prisons, to sick persons, to the house of mourning, we must from henceforth number our steps, and order them a right, to the glory of God, and the good of our brethren. Thus it behoveth us to do, that will make claim with comfort to the death and resurrection of Christ, namely, as we desire to have our sins pardoned by his cross, so must we desire to have our sins in some measure pared away by the virtue of his cross; and as we desire to have the imputation of Christ his righteousness by his resurrection, so must we pray for the communication of his holiness in some measure to work in us righteousness by the power of his resurrection, labouring from henceforth to have our conversation in heaven, and being risen with Christ, to seek those things that are above, where Christ fitteth at the right hand of God, Colloss. 3. 1. But alas, many men would have him a Christ to answer for their sins, that they may be justified, but they labour not that he should crucify sin in them, whereby they might be mortified, and what is this, but to make a mock of Christ? And yet I do not here mind to exclude the forgiveness of sin by Christ, nay I rather grant a continual forgiveness of sin through Christ, adding only this, that as we desire to have our sins pardoned, so we should desire to have them purified. Neither do I dream of being clean without sin, or of any imagined perfection in this life; but I require that we should not wittingly and willingly lye in sin; and though we cannot come to perfection, yet to strive to come to perfection. For we are said to be new creatures not in being perfectly renewed, but in that we are in renewing, and finding the remnants of sin withstanding the work of new birth, we look for Christ a Redeemer to make an end of sin in us.