A02178:3894
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.
Vers. 5. A true witness will not lie: but a false witness speaketh lies.
Vers. 5. A true witnesse will not lie: but a false witnesse speaketh lies.
THE righteous man knowing that his tongue was given to him speak the truth, will make conscience of a lie even in1 the least things. But if the matter be of more weight, or if it come into the place of judgement, then he will much more heartily abhor all lying and deceitfulness: yea, then he will not be brought to speak any thing whereof he hath not a certain ground. As for the ungodly, it is not so with them: for they having no care of trueth in light and common matters▪ do soon cast off all care & conscience even in greatest and most weighty causes. This agreeth with the saying of our Saviour Christ, Luke 16. 10. He that is faithful in the least, he is faithful also in much. Which may be thus particularly applied: he that for conscience sake doth speak the truth in common and small matters, he will also speak the truth in matters of great importance: and he that is not ashamed of a lie in his private dealing, he will also without shame bear false witness before the Judge. Here then we be taught in the least things, to inure our tongues to speak the Trueth: So shall we be better preserved from false witness bearing: for the Lord would not have us to dally with sin. Therefore in his righteous judgement, he doth leave men that make no conscience of a lie, and suffereth them to fall, and to offend in some open and known trueth. Again, whereas men take great liberty in lying, if the matter be secret and unknown; 2the Lord doth hate this hollowness and hypocrisy of men, and doth often bring it to light, that by the sorrow for, and shame of that sin, (if it be possible) they may be caused to make greater conscience of a lie for ever after. Therefore if we would not have the Lord to punish our lesser frailties with greater sins: if we would not have him to punish our secret sins and faults, with open and notorious offences, then let us be afraid to tell a lye in the very lightest and most secret causes. But if this will not at all move us, yet let us be overcome with the consideration of those fruits which will come of true speaking, specially let us consider of these two. First, the love of the Trueth doth breed and beget in us a great and singular comfort, when we see that herein we resemble our heavenly Father, who is the God and author of Trueth. Secondly, the love of the trueth is a special help to revoke us from sin.