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,…

I have sworn, and will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgements. Concerning this binding of himself with an oath, which the man of God here useth, it declareth his care to keep a good conscience, in laying the judgements of God which were past, & the judgements of God to come, up in his heart. We see then, that as when men swear voluntarily,¹ it is a token of their good conscience; so it appeareth most in good men, who setting so much by the glorious name of God, can sustain any private discredit, and swallow many troubles to maintain the credit of it. Wherefore Gods children, though they are carefully to avoid all sins, yet make a greater conscience of this sin, than of any other; and when they take an oath, though before they made a conscience of that thing, yet now they make a greater conscience. If he had found no weakness, no mistrust, or doubtfulness in himself, then needed he not so strictly to have bound himself For if he had been always careful, what needed he to have used an oath? But the care which he had to meet with this weakness, was the cause of his solemn covenant, which teacheth us, that such infirmities as are in us, were in him, who because of the vanity and sluggishness,² which he felt in his corrupt nature, did provoke and stir up himself to a greater care by an oath.

I haue sworne, and will performe it, that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements. Concerning this binding of himselfe with an oath, which the man of God here vseth, it declareth his care to keepe a good conscience, in laying the iudgements of God which were past, & the iudgements of God to come, vp in his heart. Wee see then, that as when men sweare voluntarily,¹ it is a token of their good conscience; so it appeareth most in good men, who setting so much by the glorious name of God, can sustaine any priuate discredit, and swallow many troubles to maintaine the credit of it. Wherefore Gods children, though they are carefully to auoid all sinnes, yet make a greater conscience of this sinne, than of any other; and when they take an oath, though before they made a conscience of that thing, yet now they make a greater conscience. If hee had found no weakenesse, no mistrust, or doubtfulnesse in himselfe, then needed he not so streightly to haue bound himselfe For if he had been alwaies carefull, what needed he to haue vsed an oath? But the care which hee had to meete with this weaknesse, was the cause of his solemne couenant, which teacheth vs, that such infirmities as are in vs, were in him, who because of the vanitie and sluggishnesse,