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,…

In that he useth as it were a doubling of the word trouble and sorrow, he showeth his grief to be the greater. It is •n hard matter not to forget God in trouble, but a far greater matter then to have a delight and a pleasure in the word, yet so it is that if we can come near the one, we shall also come near the other. Here is our strength, if we forget not the word, and nourish not unbelief, joy and delight will come after; because it is the mercy of the Lord inwardly to recompense that which outwardly he detracteth from us.

In that hee vseth as it were a doubling of the word trouble and sorrowe, hee sheweth his griefe to bee the greater. It is •n hard matter not to forget God in trouble, but a far greater matter then to haue a delight and a pleasure in the word, yet so it is that if we can come neere the one, wee shall also come neere the other. Here is our strength, if wee forget not the word, and nourish not vnbeleefe, ioy and delight will come after; because it is the mercie of the Lord inwardly to recompence that which outwardly hee detracteth from vs.

Thy word is my delight, or my delight is in thy word. This is the same that the Apostle reporteth of himself, Rom. 7 22. I delight in the law of God concerning mine inner man. The way to come to this, is to fight against unbelief, & to believe the word is most pure and holy. It is a singular comfort to us, though our mind be troubled, when we should do good; yet to do it, sith after we have done it, it leaveth a pleasure behind in contrariwise how sweet soever sin is in committing, the pleasure will depart, but the sting of sin remaineth with us still. And surely it is a great quickening to a man when he doth do well. True it is that this quickening cometh from the peace of conscience: But when we cannot only rejoice in the forgiveness of sins, but feel a special comfort arise when we do well, this is a double quickening. For what can be more comfortable, then to be fruitful in good works in time of trouble? When did faith, love, patience, constancy, meekness, and boldness, more abundantly flourish in the Church than in trouble? In prosperity we defer and delay from day to day, from to morrow to next day to do well; but when the hand of the Lord is upon us, it setteth us forward to the work This then must mitigate our grief in time of trouble, and make us jealous of our prspriie, because we are fuller of the exercise of welldoing in trouble than otherwise. Besides a preacher may better persuade good things in time of trouble, than in prosperity. Well, as it is a general rule in all things that a good beginning is as good as half done so as it is in all godliness, likewise is it in this part of godliness. What is the cause, why men cannot come to this joy in trouble, even because in the very entrance of it, they straight forget the word, and so they either despair, or use unlawful means. This is a thing needful to be considered of.