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,…

Teach me thy judgements, &c. As if the man of God should say, This is one thing, whereunto I will give over my self, even to see how thou doest punish the wicked, and conductest¹ thy children. So that we must learn, that as it is necessary to understand the law and the Gospel, so is it requisite to discern Gods judgements. For as we cannot learn the one without observing of Gods mercy; so we cannot attain to the other, without marking his vengeance. We must see always by the peculiar teaching of Gods spirit, how the Lord punisheth in justice, and yet in mercy; in wrath, and yet in love; in rigour and hatred of our sin, humbling us with one hand; in pity and compassion to our salvation, comforting us with the other hand. We see then how the Prophet prayeth, both to see them, and to mark them: we need teach this often, because we dream so much of fatal necessity, and of the connections of natural causes, or else because we cannot discern between the crosses of the godly and the ungodly: so that as the wise man saith, Eccl: 9. 2. All things come alike to all men: and the same condition is to the just and to the wicked: to the good, and to the pure, and to the polluted, and to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner, he that sweareth, as he that feareth or reverenceth an oath. This is then a singular gift of God to discern, how by the self-same means the Lord both humbleth the good, and overthroweth the wicked.

Teach mee thy iudgements, &c. As if the man of God should say, This is one thing, wherevnto I will giue ouer my selfe, euen to see how thou doest punish the wicked, and conductest¹ thy children. So that we must learne, that as it is necessarie to vnderstand the law and the Gospell, so is it requisite to discerne Gods iudgements. For as wee cannot learne the one without obseruing of Gods mercie; so wee cannot attaine to the other, without marking his vengeance. We must see alwayes by the peculiar teaching of Gods spirit, how the Lord punisheth in iustice, and yet in mercie; in wrath, and yet in loue; in rigour and hatred of our sinne, humbling vs with one hand; in pittie and compassion to our saluation, comforting vs with the other hand. Wee see then how the Prophet prayeth, both to see them, and to marke them: wee neede teach this often, because wee dreame so much of fatall necessitie, and of the connexions of naturall causes, or else because we cannot discerne betweene the crosses of the godly and the vngodly: so that as the wise man saith, Eccl: 9. 2. All things come alike to all men: and the same condition is to the iust and to the wicked: to the good, and to the pure, and to the polluted, and to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner, hee that sweareth, as hee that feareth or reuerenceth an oath. This is then a singular gift of God to discerne, how by the selfe-same meanes the Lord both humbleth the good, and ouerthroweth the wicked.