A02178:2880
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.
With my whole heart. He showeth that he is not an hypocrite: And then shall we know that we are not, when our hearts are set before God, and we pour them out before him, as much as we have uttered in words before men. This maketh the children of God to sigh when they pray, because they have to do with God: and this maketh the hypocrites ⟨p. 427⟩that they cannot see themselves, because they know not that they have to deal with God. And when the children of God cannot come to show their hearts to God, then if they sigh and groan for want of a heart; this is a testimony that we pray in the Spirit, Rom. 8. But when men pray as though they prayed not, and hear as though they heard not: nothing doth the Lord hate more than this.
With my whole heart. He sheweth that he is not an hypocrite: And then shall we know that we are not, when our hearts are set before God, and we powre them out before him, as much as we haue vttered in words before men. This maketh the children of God to sigh when they pray, because they haue to doe with God: and this maketh the hypocrites ⟨p. 427⟩that they cannot see themselues, because they know not that they haue to deale with God. And when the children of God cānot come to shewe their hearts to God, then if they sigh and groane for want of a heart; this is a testimonie that wee pray in the Spirit, Rom. 8. But when men pray as though they prayed not, and heare as though they heard not: nothing doth the Lord hate more than this.
Have mercy. This is the chief of his prayer, and the first, that God would give him mercy; not to crown his work wrought, contrary to the Papists which plead merits: for though the Lord do give new grace, yet not of merit, for that we have is defiled by us, but because he hath a love to crown his own gifts. He doth not pray for mercy of fashion, but even in the presence of God, because the true feeling of his need did drive him to make this prayer. For as when we in the feeling of our heart can long after mercy, this may be a pledge that we shall find mercy: so they that have no feeling of their infirmities, cannot long for mercy; and therefore have no assurance that they shall have mercy: for it is the feeling of our misery that maketh the mercy of God sweet unto us.