A02178:2741
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.
Vers. 24. Also thy testimonies are my delight, and my counsellors.
Vers. 24. Also thy testimonies are my delight, and my counsellours.
BY this means had he help by the Word, by making it his delight and counsellor: for this the devil in trouble will go about▪ to bring men to their wits end; or else to break their hearts, and make them faint, and a wounded spirit who can bear? He put not away craft with craft, but made the commandments his counsellors, whereby he first learned wisdom, & then good means to withstand the wicked. Hereby then we shall not only have wisdom but also comfort: we are not come yet to be called afore Princes, yet who so will live godly in Christ, shall have troubles, though not always in goods, nor life, nor banishment, yet in reproach and contempt, even from thy wife, thy servants, thy children, thy neighbours, &c. The word teacheth, that reproach is not without cause: for when the ways of a man please the Lord, the righteous shall be his friend, & the beasts of the field shall be at league with us: therefore there is some sin in us which the Lord by this means would correct; then let us first look to that, and then seek to the word, that there we may find comfort & wisdom to sustain us. For this is the cause that we are without comfort in our trouble, because we meditate not in his statutes, & make them our counsellors. If thou be Gods child and despisest lighter troubles, he will send greater, till he have broken thy heart: but if thou belong not to God, the curse shall be hid from thee, & thou shalt be eaten up before thou be aware. Thou must not strive with the devils weapons, as to requite evil for evil; for fire is not quenched with fire, but with water: evil is not overcome with evil,1 but with good; and therefore rough speeches must be overcome with gentle: and ever when thou art uncourteously dealt with, then consider thine own sins, and labour to feel them, and thy heart shall be brought down: for then shalt thou be brought to the presence of God who will not suffer thee to be honoured, because thou hast not honoured, him, &c. yet consider that he doth but fatherly correct thee, and therefore put thy trust in him. Mark what wisdom he hath given to his children in the like troubles, and then go to him by prayer, and lay open thy self to him with hope and faith, and thou shalt have comfort.