A02178:3952
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.
2 Many think youth as the flower of our age, to have a privilege above other ages. But alas, it is an age of great confidence; All this have I done, saith the young man in the1 Gospel. So dangerous is their case, that they must not do things indifferent, for fear they make them sad; and we know, that ordinary things denied, argue an extraordinary peril. The prodigal son did walk his four stations, and as Ambrose saith, he had four provocations: first, his portion; secondly, his fathers indulgency; thirdly, ill company, but youth more than all; Psalm 119. 19. David abruptly with an Apostrophe breaketh off his meditation into this: Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his ways? Upon which place all the Fathers agree, that the accent is upon a young man; for he hath fewest means. The word which David useth for cleansing, is very effectual; by cleansing, signifying the cleansing of glass, and therefore compareth he young men to glass, which though it be very2 clean, yet it will gather filth, even in the Sun-beams, and of it self, which noteth the great corruption of this age: Prou. 22. 13. he hath a bundle of folly bound close in his hart, Eccles. 11. Children and youth are vanity: vanity is not in them, but the age it self is vanity. Such is the stream of affections in them, as the heathen thought it best policy to let them have their course a little. But let us consider their corruption in one measure further.3 Not only the common sort, but the best wit, who is thought to be of an excellent disposition. 2. King. 22. And not only the best in civill gifts, but those that are best in spiritual graces, find it hard, as Timothy, who brought down his body, that Paul was fain to write to him to drink wine, and for all that he wrote Flee new-fangled lusts. This Timothy was such a one, as that saith Bernard, Give me one Timothy in these days, and if he will eat4