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,…

Thus we see how the man of God showeth his earnestness and his affection to the law of God, teaching us, why many do not so love the word, as to make it a lantern to their feet, either because they have not such vehement affection, or else they be not so permanent: and therefore we are to pray both against our coldness to the law, and our inconstancy.

Thus we see how the man of God sheweth his earnestnes and his affection to the law of God, teaching vs, why many doe not so loue the word, as to make it a lanterne to their feete, either because they haue not such vehement affection, or else they be not so permanent: and therefore we are to pray both against our coldnes to the law, and our inconstancie.

It might seem strange to some, that he should swear to keep Gods judgements: but we must know, that this keeping is not so much in outward show as in inward virtue. Again we see, that as in making this holy oath Gods children do not exclude, but include the forgiveness of sins: so they do it not, but first presupposing the grace of God, by prayer to be obtained for the keeping of it. Besides, no particular or accessory covenant can take away the principal and general, because the one includeth the other. But here we must note, that then no secondary cause can take away the first, when we sin but of humane frailty, and not of presumption, and when we so crave for mercy, that our hearts be set to recover our selves, and we will not be sluggish in our sins hereafter, because then is the oath broken, and covenant disannulled, when we make a final breach. We must therefore fight against scrupulosity herein, knowing that God will spare us as a father doth his children, in that the whole breach of our covenant is a general relinquishing of the same. When then there ariseth a fear in our hearts to come so near unto the Lord (although it may be good) no more to pour this precious liquor into frail consciences, than to put new wine into old bottles, and rather appertaineth to them of greater graces: yet we must consider, that there were great infirmities in this man of God, against which he would strive by this mean, and so provoke himself to come nearer to the Lord. So that as we must not undertake this thing without advice: so we must not always please our selves in these beginnings, and when as concerning the time we should be teachers, we