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,…

Indeed knowledge, reading, and hearing are sweet even to a natural man: •ut to¹ confer, to be admonished, to pray, to give thanks, be things hard and difficult. It may be that some can pray to serve the times, because of the law which constrained them: but how many shall we find that do it privately, in trueth, and voluntarily? Some read, and they rest in the general rules, not making any use of it to themselves, and so learn that which is another mans, not appropriating it to themselves for want of meditation. Whereof it cometh to pass, that we see many make a learned sermon in general precepts, who when they come to particulars, to comfort those that lye sick, or to raise up them that are tempted, for want of practise in themselves can say nothing. The very Heathen² could grant, and you know who speak it, that a m••s life was a cogitation of death. But because we can meditate of death, for that we join with it the hope of immortality, I say, that a Christian mans life m•y well be said to be a meditation of the law of God▪ and how he shall stand before Gods judgement seat. Which meditation in this man of God showeth, that even from the heart he loveth the law of God. If we examine our selves, we shall find our tongues to cleave to our teeth, and to the roof of our mouths▪ whereby we see, that we³ cannot say this with the prophet, that from the abundance of the heart our mouth speaketh For we find by practise, that we hear, read, and sing so coldly, as we show, that our affections are almost dead within us.

Indeede knowledge, reading, and hearing are sweete euen to a naturall man: •ut to¹ conferre, to be admonished, to pray, to giue thankes, be things hard and difficult. It may be that some can pray to serue the times, because of the law which constrained them: but how many shall wee finde that doe it priuately, in trueth, and voluntarily? Some read, and they rest in the generall rules, not making any vse of it to themselues, and so learne that which is another mans, not appropriating it to themselues for want of meditation. Whereof it commeth to passe, that wee see many make a learned sermon in generall precepts, who when they come to particulars, to comfort those that lye sicke, or to raise vp them that are tempted, for want of practise in themselues can say nothing. The very Heathen