A02178:2628
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.
If there were no other reward but this, yet it were a happy thing to be religious, even in this respect, that we shall be set at liberty from such a service. This point is evident from1 the Apostles words, where he speaketh thus: God be thanked, that ye have been the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart unto the form of doctrine, whereunto ye were delivered. Whereby we see, that this was not the least privilege that they had being Gods servants, but indeed a matter for which he was greatly to be magnified; that whereas they had been the slaves of sin, and (as base drudges) at the command of every vile and wretched lust: by the virtue of the word powerfully preached unto them, & faithfully received by them, they had been delivered from that bondage, and made the servants of God in righteousness, and holiness of life and conversation. And therefore in that same Chapter, verse. 14. it is promised unto Gods children, as a special favour, That sin shall not have dominion over them. It may sometimes tyrannously usurp authority in them, but the strength of grace, and the operation of the holy spirit of God, will still diminish, and at last abolish the force and violence thereof: so that it shall never bear such sway over them, as in the time of their unregeneracy it did.
If there were no other reward but this, yet it were a happy thing to be religious, euen in this respect, that we shall be set at liberty from such a seruice. This point is euident from1 the Apostles words, where he speaketh thus: God be thanked, that yee haue beene the seruants of sinne, but ye haue obeyed from the heart vnto the forme of doctrine, whereunto ye were deliuered. Wherby we see, that this was not the least priuiledge that they had being Gods seruāts, but indeed a matter for which he was greatly to be magnified; that whereas they had beene the slaues of sinne, and (as base drudges) at the command of euery vile and wretched lust: by the vertue of the word powerfully preached vnto them, & faithfully receiued by them, they had beene deliuered from that bondage, and made the seruants of God in righteousnesse, and holinesse of life and conuersation. And therefore in that same Chapter, verse. 14. it is promised vnto Gods children, as a speciall fauour, That sinne shall not haue dominion ouer them. It may sometimes tyrannously vsurpe authoritie in them, but the strength of grace, and the operation of the holy spirit of God, will still diminish, and at last abolish the force and violence thereof: so that it shall neuer beare such sway ouer them, as in the time of their vnregeneracie it did.