A02178:3165
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.
Shall we think now that every man believeth this to be true? No, for if they did, they would do otherwise. If they felt this in affection in any measure, would they not come1 out of their prison to the liberty of Gods saints, would they not avoid the darkness to see the bright sun? What a folly were it for a man, who having scales and gleamy diseases2 on his eyes might be cured, and will not? This is a double fault, that when men may know, they will lie in errors and ignorance, and when they may be converted they will dwell still in Heresy. Oh what a thing is this, wilfully to remain in darkness, and to sleep at the hearing of the word, when the Lord giveth them a lantern for their feet, and offereth knowledge; and yet to be no better than the stocks they sit on? If it pleased the Lord who3 giveth understanding to the ignorant, and draweth light out of darkness to reveal the light into their dark consciences, they should know that when light came unto them, they4 refused it, and that they are lovers of darkness more than of light. But he that worketh all things mightily i• all men, must show this light unto their darkness, because they that are in hell think on none other heaven, & they that lie in unrighteousness, think of no other righteousness, and sitting in the valleys of death, they remember none other life. We must therefore pray, that the Lords glorious light of the gospel may open the eyes of their consciences, and let every man examine his own heart, that he may pray to have his judgement cleared by the true knowledge of the word, and his affections renewed to the due obedience ⟨p. 474⟩of the same. For how much knowledge we have, so much light have we; and look how much we lie in ignorance, so much we lie in darkness. We know but in part, when we are at the highest in this life, how great then is that darkness, when we know not so much as the word may instruct us in? When a man seeth as much in a Papist, as in a block, let him consider, that as little as the care is, which we have of the word, and as small as our conscience is in the obedience of the same; so little is his light in heavenly things. Yea, though we have knowledge, and live not after it, we are yet in darkness, we grope as it were a far off, who having knowledge, have no conscience.