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,…

Our wants must be considered either in our selves, or in others: and in our selves, either in respect of faults in us, or of good things which we want: and in others, either in respect of the whole state, or of some particular persons. And for our sins we have ever great need to pray, and the great barrenness of good things ought to force us unto prayer. And the great wants which we see in our selves, as the emptiness of good things: & again, the great danger of the temptation of the flesh, the world and the devil. And therefore when Christ had taught his Disciples to pray for the forgiveness of sins, in the next words he biddeth them pray for the deliverance from temptation. Now our Creed teacheth us to believe that our sins are forgiven us; and we have need to pray, Lead us not into temptation: therefore even after we believe the forgiveness of sins, we may be tempted to evil: & so Peter, so soon as he had confessed CHRIST to be the Son of God, was tempted to dehort his Master from suffering; yea, to deny him, as he did indeed. And therefore whilst they have not looked to this, the children of God, when they have most flourished, have folly fallen: as Noah, when he had bin delivered from the flood by the Ark, yet fell into drunkenness. So Adam, Lot, Peter, and others. Therefore these manifold infirmities of our souls ought to move us to pray. And as the soul hath in it the root of all sin, so the body hath in it the root of all diseases: and therefore to pray against sudden death, which hath sometime reigned in the Church, though now we be free from it, and manifold diseases, which now we are subject to; these things seeing they are in our selves▪ therefore in respect of our selves we have need to pray.

Our wants must be considered either in our selues, or in others: and in our selues, either in respect of faults in vs, or of good things which we want: and in others, either in respect of the whole state, or of some particular persons. And for our sinnes wee haue euer great neede to pray, and the great barrennes of good things ought to force vs vnto prayer. And the great wants which wee see in our selues, as the emptines of good things: & againe, the great danger of the temptation of the flesh, the world and the diuell. And therefore when Christ had taught his Disciples to pray for the forgiuenes of sinnes, in the next words hee biddeth them pray for the deliuerance from temptation. Now our Creede teacheth vs to belieue that our sinnes are forgiuen vs; and we haue neede to pray, Leade vs not into temptation: therefore euen after we belieue the forgiuenes of sinnes, wee may be tempted to euill: & so Peter, so soone as he had confessed CHRIST to be the sonne of God, was tempted to dehort his Maister from suffering; yea, to denie him, as hee did indeede. And therefore whilest they haue not looked to this, the children of God, when they haue most flourished, haue foulie fallen: as Noah, when he had bin deliuered from the flood by the Arke, yet fell into drunkennes. So Adam, Lot, Peter, and others. Therefore these manifold infirmities of our soules ought to moue vs to pray. And as the soule hath in it the roote of all sinne, so the bodie hath in it the roote of all diseases: and therefore to pray against sudden death, which hath sometime raigned in the Church, though now wee bee free from it, and manifold diseases, which now wee are subiect to; these things seeing they are in our selues therefore in respect of our selues we haue need to pray.