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,…

Vers. 118. Thou hast trodden down all them, that depart from thy statutes, for their deceit is vain.

Vers. 118. Thou hast troden downe all them, that depart from thy statutes, for their deceit is vaine.

Among all things to be spoken of, I think nothing more necessary than this, that God will one day come a righteous judge to men, that are so slow to keep a good conscience. All men are at quiet with themselves, and cry peace, peace, our long enjoying of the Gospel, our tranquility and peace, our abundance of the things of the earth, make us drunken with the love of this life, and cause every man to think thus with himself: I am none of the worst, when troubles arise, I hope to shift for one: but in whom (I pray you) is the Lord delighted? even in him that hath a contrite heart, Isaiah 66. and in such as tremble at his word. The Prophet saith in the verse following a little after, that he trembled for fear¹ ⟨p. 499⟩of Gods judgements, what had he a more tormented conscience than others▪ no, he had such a continual feeling of his own corruptions, that it made him afraid For as the best flesh² is most tender, & where it is most corrupt, there it is most hard; and where the flesh is nearest to healing, there it will more speedily, and more freshly bleed: so the nearer we are to God, the more fearful we are; the more precious our consciences be, the more tender they are; and those things which being used in greater measure, will nothing fray a wicked man being urged, but a little will dismay the conscience of the godly. The mind of the prophet is this, thou hast done away the wicked, thou hast trodden them down, and swept them away, I am as brittle as they, and as ready to fall unless thou uphold me Portion 16. 6. he saith, It is time for thee Lord to work, for they have destroyed thy law: where he complaineth as it were, that the Lord deferreth his judgements, because the wicked had brought all things to such a confusion. And in the 7 portion 4. verse he saith: I remembered thy judgements of old O Lord, and have been comforted, as if be should say, though thy children be had in contempt, though thy Church be kept under, and the wicked are set aloft; yet I remember how in old time thou hast been a just judge, & hast punished sin. This comforteth me, both because of thy mercy, which thou wilt show to me, and because of thy justice whereby thou welt confound the wicked, and also makest me to fear my self: for both thou canst do as thou hast done, and thou wilt do as thou canst do. We must learn then in these two verses, thus much.