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 repeating the same again, which he had said before, the man of God here useth two words, the righteousness of thy testimonies: whereas before he useth this one word: thy righteousness: so that he meaneth here nothing else, but the righteousness of God revealed to us in his word. For they be called testimonies, both in respect that they be records of Gods love towards us, as also they are testimonials of our obedience towards God. So the words may bear this sense: true it is Lord, that that part of thy word, where in thou hast comforted us with thy promises, is everlasting; and that part of thy word, wherein thou hast set down our duties, is also everlasting.

IN repeating the same againe, which hee had saide before, the man of God here vseth two words, the righteousnes of thy testimonies: whereas before he vseth this one word: thy righteousnes: so that he meaneth here nothing els, but the righteousnes of God reuealed to vs in his word. For they bee called testimonies, both in respect that they bee records of Gods loue towards vs, as also they are testimonials of our obedience towards God. So the words may beare this sense: true it is Lord, that that part of thy word, where in thou hast comforted vs with thy promises, is euerlasting; and that part of thy word, wherein thou hast set downe our duties, is also euerlasting.

And I shall live: That is, what do men desire but life? that I may live therefore in godly pleasure, Lord teach me to understand thy testimonies. See the man of God doth rest his life in this understanding of the word. They then that are ignorant are dead in sin, ⟨p. 557⟩Ephes 2. They sit in the shadow of death, Luk▪ 1. they are bound in the chains of •••••, as Paul witnesseth of the widows that live delicately. For as we call him a man of death, on whom not the Judge, but the law, or not the law but the fact hath already given judgement: so they are subject to the spiritual death, on whom not God but his word, or not the word, but the sin hath pronounced guilty. What is then life? surely this was life, the estate wherein Adam lived before he fell, his other life afterward, which now is common to us, is a death, and we in him are all dead. For when there was no sin, there was no shame: when there was no shame, there was no trouble, when no trouble, no death. Wherefore sin bringeth in shame, trouble, and death, and hath left us dead spiritually, by cutting us off from God. For as a civill life is when we are obedient to the civill laws; so we live in God, when we live according to his law. And as he is dead civilly, that by transgressing the laws of the realm, hath cut off himself from the common people: so we are spiritually dead, when sin hath cut us off from God.