A02178:3883
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
Part 4 › MEDITATIONS ON PROV. 4. VERS: 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 2… › Part
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.
This doctrine hath two special uses; First, to humble us: secondly, to comfort us. We1 have good cause to be humbled, seeing that it teacheth us, that the very cause of all our sins is in our selves, & cannot be laid upon any other. It is our own corruption which causeth us to sin, whilst it giveth place to the suggestions of Satan, to the policies of perverse ⟨p. 618⟩men, and to the temptation of our own flesh. If this corruption were not in us, no temptation should prevail against us: if this corruption were not rooted in our hearts, we should overcome evil through goodness. Christ was free from all sins, and void of all corruption, therefore satan by temptations could not prevail against him; no, satan could not prevail against our first father, until his hart through unbelief was corrupted: but we through our corruption do yield unto our temptations, and therefore we are the cause of our own sins. That saying therefore is altogether unsavoury, which thieves and others have often in their mouths, when they say woe be to such a man or to such a woman, that ever I knew them; for if I had never fallen into their company, I had never come to this stay and woeful state. For albeit evil company might be a great occasion of their fall, and though such men and women did sin greatly in tempting them to sin, yet their own corruption caused them to be overcome by evil company, and therefore the cause of their sin resteth upon themselves. Secondly, this doctrine doth greatly comfort us, seeing •t giveth assurance of victory against all temptations; if we be renewed in our inward man; if our hart be purified by Faith, and if we labour against them by flying unto Christ. And this shall seem comfortable indeed, if we consider that every man hath some corruption either more or less in his heart, according to the measure of his regeneration. And again, if we consider that the devil as a deadly enemy, goeth about to overthrow him, and to subvert his Faith by means of that corruption. These things if we think of, it will be very comfortable to know, that we shall persevere and continue, not able finally to be overcome2 of any temptation:
This doctrine hath two speciall vses; First, to humble vs: secondly, to comfort vs. We