A02178:3277
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.
Here we may also learn, how to discern between their persons, wherein they bear1 the image of God and their callings, which are the ordinance of God, and between their lives, which are full of corruptions. If we look but into the first commandment, we shall see how hard a thing it is to keep Gods law, unless we sequester ourselves from the society of sin How shall we believe among unbelievers, or pray to the Lord among profane persons, or trust in the Lord among such shifters? For as evil men continuing in the company of godly men, shall suddenly at one time or other be coloured with their good things: so the godly abiding in the meetings of the wicked, unless they be very circumspect,2 and suspect their own weakness, will suddenly be taken. We know that Joseph being in Pharaohs Court, began to be coloured with the Egyptians corruptions. If then we have any just cause of meeting with the wicked, we must not avoid their company; but we must mislike their manners, we must rebuke, reprove, & cry against their sins; we must fear our selves, and in every thing suspect them. But let us see how dangerous a thing it is to be with the wicked, and what means there be with them for our destruction: Whether we be friends, and in league with them, or foes and at defiance with them, all is one. For if we be at defiance with them, how will they bring our persons in contempt, and raise many calumnious speeches against us, and affray us with injuries? If we be in friendship with them, in what danger are we least they should inveigle us, allure us, and take us slyly away from a good conscience. If we be at defiance with them, they will dismay us with threatenings:3 if we be in friendship with them, we cannot deal so roughly against their sins, we can hardly gainsay them in their wickedness, we are drawn away by them, and wax cold by little and little in those things wherein we have been zealous. Oh here then appeareth the wonderful and unspeakable mercy of God to his children in this world to keep them as sheep among wolves, and to save them from the infection of sin, in the middest of a wicked and sinful generation.
Here wee may also learne, how to discerne betweene their persons, wherein they beare1