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,…

At the first sight this would seem not to be a charitable kind of dealing, to pray against enemies, because love requireth that we should pray for our enemies: how then doth this agree with the rule of love? or shall we think that the man of God did any thing here against¹ the law of charity? We have showed, that the children of God were never enkindled with wrath for their own cause, but for the breach of the law of God: so this man of God had no respect of himself, but of Gods law: his cause was good, his persecutors cause was evil, he hurt them not, but laboured by all means to overcome them with good, he did not for a while, but continued long in it; he was not weary of his well doing, but went forward, even to the very failing of his eyes, yea his eyes, as he saith in the last verse of Port. 7. gush out with tears, because their sins were so great; he sought peace, & ensued it, and yet he saw no amendment, but that they were worse and worse: wherefore, seeing their sin was past recovery, and that there was no ordinary help on earth, he prayeth God to deal with them from heaven. Neither doth he pray here for their confusion and utter perdition, as some may falsely think, but rather showeth, that it is now time, that the Lord should use some chastisement, that they may know that there was a God, and that they had broken the laws of God, that they might come to a sight and feeling of their sins, that they might be punished, if it were so the will of God, to their conversion, or at the least, that they might² be no more a plague to the world, and a reproach to the word.

At the first sight this would seeme not to be a charitable kind of dealing, to pray against enemies, because loue requireth that we should pray for our enemies: how then doth this agree with the rule of loue? or shall we thinke that the man of God did any thing here against¹ the law of charitie? We haue shewed, that the children of God were neuer inkindled with wrath for their owne cause, but for the breach of the law of God: so this man of God had no respect of himself, but of Gods law: his cause was good, his persecutors cause was euill, he hurt them not, but laboured by all meanes to ouercome them with good, he did not for a while, but continued long in it; he was not wearie of his wel doing, but went forward, euen to the very failing of his eies, yea his eies, as he saith in the last verse of Port. 7. gush out with teares, because their sins were so great; he sought peace, & ensued it, and yet he saw no amendment, but that they were worse and worse: wherefore, seeing their sinne was past recouerie, and that there was no ordinarie help on earth, he prayeth God to deale with them from heauen. Neither doth he pray here for their confusion and vtter perdition, as some may falsely thinke, but rather sheweth, that it is now time, that the Lord should vse some chastisement, that they may know that there was a God, and that they had broken the lawes of God, that they might come to a sight and feeling of their sins, that they might be punished, if it were so the wil of God, to their conuersion, or at the least, that they might