A02178:3778
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.
There is indeed a fear without this faith, but it is a servile and slavish, far differing from that childish and filial fear which is here understood. For as a servant may obey and do his outward task rather for fear of stripes of his master, if he should not do it, then for any pure love; and the child is in all things obedient, not so much that he is afraid of the rod, as he is loth to have the least displeasure of his loving father: so we may use the outward obedience in a carnal fear, trembling at the severe threatenings of God, as of a judge, but without this, we shall leese the care to please him, as loth to be deprived of his fatherly countenance and affection towards us. So that without this faith we are in danger to walk either in secret pride, or else in slavish fear. But faith maketh us come liberally and cheerfully •o obedience, when we shall see, that he will not deal roughly with us, as judging us according to our deserts, but as bearing with our infirmities, and sparing us as a merciful father. Neither, as dare I affirm, did ever any truly obey God, which in some measure had not this fear of God before his eyes, where by they feared him as a God, and loved him as a father.
There is indeede a feare without this faith, but it is a seruile and slauish, farre differing from that childish and filiall feare which is here vnderstood. For as a seruant may obey and doe his outward taske rather for feare of stripes of his master, if hee should not doe it, then for any pure loue; and the childe is in all things obedient, not so much that hee is afraide of the rod, as he is loth to haue the least displeasure of his louing father: so wee may vse the outward obedience in a carnall feare, trembling at the seuere threatnings of God, as of a iudge, but without this, wee shall leese the care to please him, as loth to be depriued of his fatherly countenance and affection towards vs. So that without this faith we are in danger to walke either in secret pride, or else in slauish feare. But faith maketh vs come liberally and cheerefully •o obedience, when wee shall see, that hee will not deale roughly with vs, as iudging vs according to our deserts, but as bearing with our infirmities, and sparing vs as a mercifull father. Neither, as dare I affirme, did euer any truely obey God, which in some measure had not this feare of God before his eyes, where by they feared him as a God, and loued him as a father.