A02178:3285
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 the man of God desireth, that the Lord would keep him safe and sure, and that he would confirm him and strengthen him in his word: where we see he prayeth for a thing mentioned before. Faith is not a sleeping thing, lying dead in us, but it is quick1 and is nourished by the word. For Gods children do not so believe, but that they are often troubled with unbelief: yea the Lord doth often suffer them to see their unbelief in themselves to strive against it.
HEre the man of God desireth, that the Lord would keepe him safe and sure, and that he would confirme him and strengthen him in his word: where we see he prayeth for a thing mētioned before. Faith is not a sleeping thing, lying dead in vs, but it is quick1 and is nourished by the word. For Gods children doe not so beleeue, but that they are often troubled with vnbeliefe: yea the Lord doth often suffer them to see their vnbeleefe in themselues to striue against it.
- 1The godly often troubled with unbelief.The godly often troubled with vnbeliefe.
We see here, how the man of God felt some wavering in himself, he was not always in one estate, his faith was not ever at one stay, his belief had some unbelief with it, and believing he was afraid of himself. Thus we know, Gods children are such, as do not presume, but they suspect themselves, & think humbly of themselves, which maketh them often to pray, that they may be confirmed to persevere. For when we begin to be secure, and to think too well of our selves, then we cast off prayer, and lay aside all trust in Gods word, so that God casteth us off for our pride, and Satan is ready to beguile us. We must not then satisfy our selves, if we believe, but our faith must make us to grow in fear, & to be more careful to please, and more grieved to displease God; we must desire of God to have his promises confirmed and ratified in us, because we are in a very slippery estate. For as a man walking on slippery ice, and not heedful to his steps, nor fearing himself, is most ready to fall; so we in this world, unless we look very circumspectly to our selves, are in great danger of sliding down. So fickle and frail is the world, that in every place we may take a fall: and as they which are on an high hill and steep, are in peril of falling down; so in the world, which hath such a downfall, unless we be very wary, and stay our selves on Gods word, we are most ready to slip.