A02178:3946
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.
CHAP. III. Of Adultery and youthful Affections.
CHAP. III. Of Adulterie and youthfull Affections.
IF that after often falls in the sin of Adultery, the Lord give a man the sight of the grievousness and greatness of this sin, and fill a man with the fears of his judgements, and then this fear cause the power of this sin1 to abate in him, and cause him to fear all occasions, and to love chaste persons, then such a man may be well comforted, the Lord will give him2 the victory of that sin. But yet remember to proceed, & in affection let that unclean life be as loath some unto thee as it hath bin pleasant, & to the end that thou mayest know how to keep and possess thy vessel in holiness and honour, begin to delight in the Lord Christ, & to use with fear & reverence the means of thy salvation, the Word, Prayer and Sacraments; & then the Lord will seal unto thine heart the pardon of this sin: for this is not obtained before we have thus repented. And when thou hast found these effects of Gods grace in thee, thou mayest reason thus against Satan: If the Lord would have destroyed3 me for this sin, he would not have given me a sorrow or ha•red of this sin, therefore I am now well assured he doth, and will accept me for his adopted son, in his true son Jesus Christ. That a man may do this, and learn this sin with repentance, he is first to consider,4 I say, the mercy of God, which striveth with us till we be brought so far as is aforesaid. Secondly, we must consider the justice of God, which will confound those that will resist. The mercy of God appears in fearing thee, and punishing others, in giving thee the means, and not others, in punishing thee lightly, and confounding others. This will greatly