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,…

It was undoubtedly the great mercy of God to David then to pray, that no affection of¹ revenge might enter into him. Oh how needful then is it for us, when the wicked shall deal with us unreasonably, to pray to the Lord to be kept in judgement from policy, and in affection from revenging, and that we may stay our judgement on Gods promises, and our affections on his dealings?

It was vndoubtedly the great mercie of God to Dauid then to pray, that no affection of¹ reuenge might enter into him. Oh how needfull then is it for vs, whē the wicked shall deale with vs vnreasonably, to pray to the Lord to be kept in iudgement from policie, and in affection from reuenging, and that we may stay our iudgement on Gods promises, and our affections on his dealings?

1. 1Against desire of revenge.Against desire of reuenge.

Thirdly, if all means be wanting to us, then will the devil move us to despair, and therefore great need have we to pray, that we may be delivered from the darkness of despair, by the lantern of Gods word. We see how necessarily the man of God prayed: not to be tempted above his strength, and that the rod of the wicked should not fall on his lot, least he should put his hand unto wickedness; and therefore craved wisdom in Gods word, faith in his promises, and patience in his goodness. We see then the plain meaning of the man of God in this verse, if we call to mind in this word very sore afflicted, that which we have heard before, that his eyes failed, his heart fainted, his spirit panted, his natural powers melted, and to be brief, that he was an image of death. As a man cannot abide great prosperity, no more can he abide great adversity. For as we are puffed up with the one, so we are cast down with the other, by mistrust in Gods providence, and despair of his promises. Experience teacheth us, that as a little prosperity maketh us to forget God, so many inconveniences by affliction may befall us, as either dullness, deadness, blockishness, or wicked shifts, or ungodly doubts. Wherefore the man of God here teacheth us, that if he used such remedies in the greater troubles, then how much more should we use them in the less. We are here besides to accuse our unbelief, bewrayed in small things, seeing the Prophet in so great extremities exercised his faith, against all the reasons of flesh and blood. As the Lord giveth not so great graces unto us, as to him; so he will not press us with so great temptations, as he did him. And if the Lord did help his Saints in great afflictions, surely he will also help us, if we likewise strive against mistrust. We may see, the Saints of God were never so delicately brought up, that they never wanted; so that if the Lord hath so dealt with his most excellent and faithful servants, what will he do to us unfaithful ones? if he did so to them which were under the law, to whom were made greater promises of outward things; what will he do to us, to whom are promises made of spiritual things under the Gospel, as of the forgiveness of sins, of the renewing our hearts,