A02178:3511
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.
Wherefore we must make Gods friends our friends, without any respect of persons, howsoever they be otherwise far distant from us, either by place, or familiarity, or nature, or howsoever: and on the contrary, whosoever is Gods enemy, must also be ours, howsoever we are joined together, yea, though we lie both together in one womb.
Wherefore we must make Gods friends our friends, without any respect of persons, howsoeuer they be otherwise farre distant from vs, either by place, or familiaritie, or nature, or howsoeuer: and on the contrarie, whosoeuer is Gods enemie, must also be ours, howsoeuer we are ioyned together, yea, though we lie both together in one wombe.
This would seem an hard doctrine to flesh and blood, and yet our Saviour Christ hath manifestly and plainly taught it us, Matth. 10. 37. and 16 14. Luke 14 26. If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea and his own life, he cannot be my disciple: What? would he have us to cast off all natural affection? and so the Scripture should repugn; whereas it is set as a note of them that should come in the last perilous times, 2. Tim. 3. 3. That they should be void of natural love and affection: and might be contrary to that Exod. 20. Honour thy father and thy mother, &c. No, he meaneth nothing less; but he meaneth, that we should so be joined in natural love, as he speaketh of himself, Who is my mother? who is my brother? even he that heareth the word. So that though we be never so far asunder, we must love them that love God; and though that we be never so near, we must hate them that hate God: yea, and so far as our friends would pull us from God and from his truth, we must shake off all natural affections; not because they be joined to us in the flesh, but because by no means they will be joined with us in the spirit.