A02178:3368
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.
Vers. 127. Therefore love I thy commandments above gold, yea, above most fine gold.
Vers. 127. Therefore loue I thy commandements aboue gold, yea, aboue most fine gold.
Mark here the spirit of the man of God. Do we not see that this is a common rate,1 the less religion is esteemed, the less it is of the most regarded; the greater the corruption of manners is, the greater is the folly: then this is a rare blessing of God, when religion is in every place hated, even then to love religion; when manners are every where corrupted, even then to be of good conversation. When in our time then we see so many kinds of religion, as papistry, the sect of the Jesuits, the family of love, Anabaptists and such like, it is a singular grace of God, to be established in the love of true religion: When we look into their manners, whether we turn us to Magistrates or subjects, we shall neither find zealous government, nor faithful obedience. If we lived in a heaven among Angels, or in a paradise with Saints, and would defile our selves with sin, we were worthy to be cast out of Paradise with Adam, and out of the Church with Cain. But to live with Noah uprightly, and to walk before God with him, when all flesh hath corrupted his ways; or to live justly with Lot in the middest of filthy Sodomites; or to keep a pure religion or worship of God with Elijah, when not one can be found that hath not bowed to Baal▪ or to live in keeping judgement and justice with David, where are so many oppressors of the truth▪ to have in this case an heart upright both in religion and manners, o consider this to be an especial work of grace.