A02178:3800
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.
We cannot then bless God before he instruct us. When the Lord rectifieth our knowledge with clear judgement, and reneweth our hearts with holy affections, we are most ready to praise the Lord, according to that in the Psalm: Lord open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show thy praise. And Rom. 8. 29. The spirit helpeth our infirmities: for we know not how to pray as we ought, &c. Wherefore if we live to eat, to drink, to sleep, and not to praise God, we live no better than brute beasts, or rather worse: for they praise God in their willing serving of mans necessities, and according to their kind in their ways. But man, to whom the Lord hath given eyes to look to heaven, ears to hear his word, speech to sound his praises, a mind to conceive his glorious works and blessed word, seeing he hath these gifts above beasts, it is certain there must be thankfulness in man above that which is in beasts, unless man will be judged even by the brute beasts, to be more guilty of his condemnation. For as there is no more praying in us, than there is believing: so there is no believing without knowing God, and there is no thanksgiving, without both knowing and also believing in God. If in any measure therefore we will praise God, we must in some measure know God; if we will praise God more than the common sort of men, we must labour to know more than the common sort of men.
We cannot then blesse God before he instruct vs. When the Lord rectifieth our knowledge with cleere iudgement, and renueth our hearts with holy affections, wee are most readie to praise the Lord, according to that in the Psalme: Lord open thou my lippes, and my mouth shall shew thy praise. And Rom. 8. 29. The spirit helpeth our infirmities: for wee knowe not how to pray as we ought, &c. Wherefore if wee liue to eate, to drinke, to sleepe, and not to praise God, we liue no better than bruit beasts, or rather worse: for they praise God in their willing seruing of mans necessities, and according to their kinde in their waies. But man, to whom the Lord hath giuen eyes to looke to heauen, eares to heare his word, speech to sound his praises, a mind to conceiue his glorious works and blessed word, seeing he hath these gifts aboue beasts, it is certaine there must be thankfulnes in man aboue that which is in beasts, vnlesse man will be iudged euen by the bruit beasts, to bee more guiltie of his condemnation. For as there is no more praying in vs, than there is beleeuing: so there is no beleeuing without knowing God, and there is no thankesgiuing, without both knowing and also beleeing in God. If in any measure therefore we will praise God, wee must in some measure know God; if we will praise God more than the common sort of men, wee must labour to know more than the common sort of men.