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,…

Now, whereas he prayeth, that the secret mass of corruption which lieth in him, may not break out in him, he noteth, that they who are careless of their final perseverance, make little conscience of their former corruptions But such are greatly to fear, least that in the latter end of their regeneration, they be cast our of Paradise with Adam, and thrown out of the Church with Cain. For if Adam sinned in Paradise, whilst as yet he was perfect, how easily may we fall, which are in the days wherein iniquity doth reign, and are full of imperfections? Again as we touched briefly before, God his children do not tarry so long as to labour for life, and strive for breath in temptations: but in the beginning they espy their errors; whereby they see how they might sail further, were it not that Gods spirit mightily did preserve them. And surely every man by experience shall find, that the sooner we begin to […] the more speedily and easily we shall prevail against it; whether it be that we are tempted to leave good things undone, or to do things not to be done. For let a man once leave the searching of his heart, & upon some great necessity cease from the ransacking and rifling of his conscience, when he hath not happily slipped notoriously: we may see, we may find our recovery to our exercises again: But if we have omitted these exercises a long time and often, when we should come to practise them, and put them in ure again; what a strange thing will this seem to us? how hardly shall we get our hearts to yield to it? our flesh is unwilling, this thing is so uncome unto us, that we are fain to sweat again, for those practises of prayer and private examination, which by using we had with ease; and by not using we had almost lost.

Now, whereas he prayeth, that the secret masse of corruption which lieth in him, may not breake out in him, he noteth, that they who are carelesse of their finall perseuerance, make little conscience of their former corruptions But such are greatly to feare, least that in the latter end of their regeneration, they bee cast our of Paradise with Adam, and throwne out of the Church with Cain. For if Adam sinned in Paradise, whilest as yet he was perfect, how easily may we fall, which are in the dayes wherein iniquitie doth raigne, and are full of imperfections? Againe as we touched briefly before, God his children doe not tarrie so long as to labour for life, and striue for breath in temptations: but in the beginning they espie their errours; whereby they see how they might sail further, were it not that Gods spirit mightily did preserue them. And surely euery man by experiēce shal find, that the sooner we begin to the more speedily and easily we shall preuaile against it; whether it be that we are tempted to leaue good things vndone, or to doe things not to be done. For let a man once leaue the searching of his heart, & vpon some great necessitie cease from the ransacking and rifling of his consciēce, when he hath not happily slipt notoriously: we may see, we may find our recouery to our exercises againe: But if we haue omitted these exercises a long time and often, when we should come to practise them, and put them in vre againe; what a strange thing will this seeme to vs? how hardly shall wee get our hearts to yeeld to it? our flesh is vnwilling, this thing is so vncome vnto vs, that we are faine to sweate againe, for those practises of prayer and priuate examination, which by vsing we had with ease; and by not vsing we had almost lost.