The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…

So that albeit in respect of thy self to persevere,¹ it seems impossible, yet with him it is both possible and easy. What if thou hadst a multitude of sins, that thy corruption did swell till it burst? Mary Magdalen had seven² Spirits, and yet of all women she was most devout, most loving, most honoured to have the first sight of Christs resurrection. What if thou hast bin a brawned and infamous sinner, so that the name of sin hath been notoriously written in thy forehead? the Lord Jesus called and crowned Matthew the Publican with the dignity of an Evangelist. What if thy sin³ had taken a purple die and crimson colour in the blood of the Saints? Paul of a most grievour persecutor of Christ, was made a most glorious preacher of Christ. It may be thou fearest the corruption drawn from thy native country, the Cretans were converts, and the⁴ Corinthians became Christians. It may be yet thine hereditary, and natural corruptions cause thee to despair of comfort: consider the Lord can change the nature of a Wolfe into⁵ the nature of a Lamb, & the course of a corrupt nature in thee to the power of a supernatural grace. Oh there is one thing that troubles thee, many promises, few performed. Thou lookest for peace of mind, and behold a wound of the Spirit; thou art the Lord of the whole earth, and the heir of heaven, and yet hast not wherewith to help thy necessity:⁶ thou art a Lord of liberty, and yet put in prison. All this I grant, & yet in all this Christ is thy redemption; not suffering thee to be overcome of any of these in thy life, and who lie⁷ freeing thee from them in the life to come. Admit that thou wert cruelly persecuted, cannot he, that made the fire not to burn at all the children in the furnace, make the fire so easily to consume thee, as thou shalt comfortably bear it? Will not he that made the Lyons being hungry, not once to open their mouths on Daniel, to crush thee so gently, that thou shalt willingly sustain it? Now the means are the Word, Prayer, the Sacraments, and discipline of the Church. The Word even crucifieth Christ a new in thine hart, Prayer giveth thee a feeling of thy faith, the Sacraments confirm both thy faith and feeling;

So that albeit in respect of thy selfe to perseuere,¹ it seemes impossible, yet with him it is both possible and easie. What if thou hadst a multitude of sinnes, that thy corruption did swell till it burst? Mary Magdalen had seuen² Spirits, and yet of all women she was most deuout, most louing, most honourd to haue the first sight of Christs resurrection. What if thou hast bin a brawned and infamous sinner, so that the name of sinne hath bene notoriously written in thy forehead? the Lord Iesus called and crowned Matthew the Publican with the dignitie of an Euangelist. What if thy sin³ had taken a purple die and crimson colour in the blood of the Saints? Paul of a most grieuour persecuter of Christ, was made a most glorious preacher of Christ. It may be thou fearest the corruption drawne from thy natiue countrey, the Cretians were conuerts, and the⁴ Corinthians became Christians. It may be yet thine hereditarie, and naturall corruptions cause thee to despaire of comfort: consider the Lord can change the nature of a Wolfe into⁵ the nature of a Lambe, & the course of a corrupt nature in thee to the power of a supernaturall grace. Oh there is one thing that troubles thee, many promises, fewe performed. Thou lookest for peace of minde, and behold a wound of the Spirit; thou art the Lord of the whole earth, and the heire of heauen, and yet hast not wherwith to helpe thy necessitie:⁶ thou art a Lord of libertie, and yet put in prison. All this I graunt, & yet in all this Christ is thy redemption; not suffering thee to be ouercome of any of these in thy life, and who lie⁷ freeing thee from them in the life to come. Admit that thou werst cruelly persecuted, cannot he, that made the fire not to burne at all the children in the furnace, make the fire so easily to consume thee, as thou shalt comfortably beare it? Will not he that made the Lyons being hungry, not once to open their mouthes on Daniel, to crush thee so gently, that thou shalt willingly sustaine it? Now the meanes are the Word, Prayer, the Sacraments, and discipline of the Church. The Word euen crucifieth Christ a new in thine hart, Prayer giueth thee a feeling of thy faith, the Sacraments confirme both thy faith and feeling;

1. 13 Sanctification.3 Sanctificatiō.
2. 2Mary Magdalen.
3. 3Matthew.
4. 4Cretans.Cretians.
5. 5Natural corruption.Naturall corruption.
6. 6Promises.
7. 74 Redemption.

and discipline continueth us in the obedience, both of the Word, and of Prayer, and of the Sacraments, and consequently, is a means to continue us in all those comforts, which by the other means are to be found in Christ.¹

and discipline continueth vs in the obedience, both of the Word, and of Prayer, and of the Sacraments, and consequently, is a meanes to continue vs in all those comforts, which by the other meanes are to be found in Christ.¹

1. 1The most holy have need of Christs righteousness: and the most righteous of his holiness.The most holie haue need of Christs righteousnes: and the most righteous of his holines.

3 Thou must ever beware of two extremities: The one, that thou labour not so for righteousness, that thou forget CHRIST to be thy holiness; the other, that thou so travel not for holiness, as that thou shouldest not remember him also to be thy righteousness. And so behave thy self in both, that thou beest most righteous in Christ, & yet thou must endeavour also to be holy, and though thou beest never so holy, yet know thou standest in need of the righteousness of Christ. Now to come to these things, thou must diligently attend on the word, whereby Christ Jesus is crucified a fresh in thine heart, on prayer, which worketh a feeling of thy Faith, on the Saints, which confirm thy Faith, and increase thy feeling.

3 Thou must euer beware of two extremities: The one, that thou labour not so for righteousnes, that thou forget CHRIST to be thy holinesse; the other, that thou so trauell not for holinesse, as that thou shouldest not remember him also to be thy righteousnes. And so behaue thy selfe in both, that thou beest most righteous in Christ, & yet thou must endeuour also to be holy, and though thou beest neuer so holy, yet know thou standest in neede of the righteousnes of Christ. Now to come to these things, thou must diligently attend on the word, whereby Christ Iesus is crucified a fresh in thine heart, on prayer, which worketh a feeling of thy Faith, on the Saints, which confirme thy Faith, and increase thy feeling.

5 Two things are necessary, truly to espouse us to CHRIST; the one is to use the pure means: the other, to use those means with a pure heart.

5 Two things are necessarie, truely to espouse vs to CHRIST; the one is to vse the pure meanes: the other, to vse those meanes with a pure heart.

CHAP. XIX. of Death and Judgement.

CHAP. XIX. of Death and Iudgement.

Many make no account of the death of the soul, because they feel it not as they do¹ the death of the body. Every man feareth a Palsy, an Epilepsy, and an Apoplexy, because they strike dead: but if a man be in a consumption, where he shall be decaying seven years, he thinks nothing of it. Likewise if an house fall suddenly, we say it perisheth, but if it moulder away we little regard it. In Hosh. 5, vers 7. 12. The Lord threateneth ²to be a Lyon to Israel, and a moth to Judah. Surely, when the wrath of God, as a moth hath secretly fed on us ere we know it, our souls do as it were bleed to death. For as he that bleedeth to death feeleth little, until suddenly his strength faileth; so in the death of the soul, a man doth not perceive how his strength is gone, or ever he be aware. It may be³ the Lord will not be unto us as a Lyon, but as a moth, we shall not happily die of an Apoplexy, but of a consumption, and CHRIST the Saviour shall laugh at our destruction.

MAnie make no account of the death of the soule, because they feele it not as they doe¹ the death of the bodie. Euery man feareth a Palsie, an Epilepsie, and an Apoplexie, because they strike dead: but if a man be in a consumption, where hee shall be decaying seuen yeares, he thinks nothing of it. Likewise if an house fall suddenly, we say it perisheth, but if it moulder away we little regard it. In Hosh. 5, vers 7. 12. The Lord threatneth ²to be a Lyon to Israel, and a moath to Iudah. Surely, when the wrath of God, as a moathe hath secretly fed on vs ere we know it, our soules doe as it were bleede to death. For as hee that bleedeth to death feeleth little, vntill suddenly his strength faileth; so in the death of the soule, a man doth not perceiue how his strength is gone, or euer he be aware. It may be³ the Lord will not be vnto vs as a Lyon, but as a moath, we shall not happily die of an Apoplexie, but of a consumption, and CHRIST the Sauiour shall laugh at our destruction.

2 We can better away to meditate on Death which Satan covereth with eternity following,¹ then on the day of Judgement, where we must all make our account.

2 We can better away to meditate on Death which Sathan couereth with eternitie following,¹ then on the day of Iudgement, where wee must all make our account.

1. 1Meditation of Judgement.Meditation of Iudgemēt.

3 The bare meditation of Death doth so far move us from suffering our delights to dwell on earthly things, as that Reason dissuadeth us not to make any cost about a Tenement¹ where we know we shall dwell but a while. Yet such bare imaginations of Death may build up in the mean time the kingdom of pride in us. Wherefore it shall be more² available, if with our meditation of putting off this earthly tabernacle, we think also of putting on the heavenly Tabernacle, and of putting on the royal robe of Christs righteousness, without which we shall never stand with comfort before the great Throne of Gods Judgement.

3 The bare meditation of Death doth so farre moue vs from suffering our delights to dwell on earthly things, as that Reason disswadeth vs not to make any cost about a Tenement¹ where wee knowe we shall dwell but a while. Yet such bare imaginations of Death may build vp in the meane time the kingdome of pride in vs. Wherefore it shall be more² auailable, if with our meditation of putting off this earthly tabernacle, we thinke also of putting on the heauenly Tabernacle, and of putting on the royall robe of Christs righteousnes, without which we shall neuer stand with comfort before the great Throne of Gods Iudgement.

1. 1Simile.
2. 2Meditation of death.

4 The cause why we be so loth to die is, because we cannot find in our conscience that¹ we have done that good thing for which we came into this life.

4 The cause why we beso loth to die is, because we cannot finde in our conscience that¹ we haue done that good thing for which we came into this life.

1. 1Loth to die.

5 If there be a desire in thee to die in respect of some injury, shake it off; it is better to¹ be a living dog, than a dead Lion: for so long as thou livest, there is time to repent, but after death there is none. Therefore labour for to feel his favour in Christ, which if thou do, thou shalt never fail till thou come to him.

5 If there be a desire in thee to die in respect of some iniurie, shake it off; it is better to¹ be a liuing dog, than a dead Lion: for so long as thou liuest, there is time to repent, but after death there is none. Therefore labour for to feele his fauour in Christ, which if thou doe, thou shalt neuer faile till thou come to him.

1. 1Wherefore some desire to die.

6 God dealeth contrary to the course of our common Physicians, which first give one¹ medicine, and then if that will not serve, a stronger: but God giveth the strongest first. The argument of judgement is the last that can move us. That argument moveth most in Logic which hath the best reason and most sense: howsoever it seemeth to some, yet sure I am the argument of judgement hath the most sense, or shall have, and may best serve to move all sensual men. There be three things to move even evil disposed men in that great judgement, shame, grief, and fear. Let it move us for shame; and if this will not, let us remember the fear which then shall possess us; if we want this, our state is lamentable, for then neither Prophets, nor Apostles, nor the holy Ghost can tell what to say unto us.

6 God dealeth contrary to the course of our common Physitions, which first giue one¹ medicine, and then if that will not serue, a stronger: but God giueth the strongest first. The argument of iudgement is the last that can moue vs. That argument moueth most in Logicke which hath the best reason and most sense: howsoeuer it seemeth to some, yet sure I am the argument of iudgement hath the most sense, or shall haue, and may best serue to moue all sensual men. There be three things to moue euen euil disposed men in that great iudgement, shame, griefe, and feare. Let it moue vs for shame; and if this will not, let vs remember the feare which then shall possesse vs; if wee want this, our state is lamentable, for then neither Prophets, nor Apostles, nor the holy Ghost can tell what to say vnto vs.

1. 1Judgement. Morbus magnus magnum remedium. P•dor, Dolour, Timor, Augustine. Maxima est poena timorem amisisse judicij.Iudgement. Morbus magnus magnum remedium. P•dor, Dolor, Timor, Augustine. Maxima est poena timorem amisisse iudicij.

7 Many are of opinion (that teach without discretion) that it is evil to do any thing¹ for fear of judgement, but all for love: and if we abstain from any evil for fear, that we are in a wrong course. I have been of this error my self, but the holy Ghost is content to use this as a good reason, and will be beholding to us, if we fear to do evil for judgements sake. Hear what Augustine saith: Do this for fear of punishment, if thou ca•st not as yet obey for the love of justice. Bernard likens the fear of God to a needle, and the love of God to a thread: first the needle entereth, and then followeth the thread: First, fear keepeth us from doing, next, love causeth that we do not, even then, when we can do. This is t•• means as Augustine saith, A timore bonavita, à bona vita bona conscientia: inde nullus timor, atque ita dulcescit Deus peccanti, &c. First we are Gods enemies, then his servants, ⟨p. 657⟩& if we behave our selves well in his service we shall be made his adopted children.²

7 Many are of opinion (that teach without discretion) that it is euill to doe any thing¹ for feare of iudgement, but all for loue: and if we abstaine from any euill for feare, that we are in a wrong course. I haue been of this error my selfe, but the holy Ghost is content to vse this as a good reason, and will bee beholding to vs, if wee feare to doe euill for iudgements sake. Heare what Augustine saith: Doe this for feare of punishment, if thou ca•st not as yet obey for the loue of iustice. Bernard likens the feare of God to a needle, and the loue of God to a threed: first the needle entreth, and then followeth the threed: First, feare keepeth vs from doing, next, loue causeth that we doe not, euen then, when we can doe. This is t•• meanes as Augustine saith, A timore bonavita, à bona vita bona conscientia: inde nullus timor, atque ita dulcescit Deus peccanti, &c. First we are Gods enemies, then his seruants, ⟨p. 657⟩

8 This word judgement I would no man would let it pass without judgement, and yet there is no word read with less judgement. In the law the title de judicio is best studied: and it is a great title. Chrysostom saith, if we had that care which they have that be arraigned before an earthly judge, we should do well. Though his judgements be as the great deep, as the Psalmist saith; yet they may be brought to four heads, and first into two, the¹ judgement of man, and the judgement of God: the judgement of man, either when another gives judgement of us, or we give judgement of our selves: the judgement of God, either in this life, or eternal. Job, chap. 29 speaketh of some young men in his days, that feared his judgement. This fear is to be seen in heathen men, as in him that ran further into² the Tavern to avoid the sight of the Philosopher. The boys of Bethel, that wanted this fear, and reverenced not Elisha the Prophet, were so far gone, that it was time to cut them³ off. He cursed them, and two she-bears came out of the wood and slew them. But as Lucina saith of the consistory of Christians, this is a miserable Consistory, a poor judgement: every man will plead with the friar, We are exempted Lord: yet true it is. they⁴ that shall judge the world, can best judge, but they shall be judged also. The second is the judgement seat within us, which God hath made to make us esteem his the more. It is counted an absurd thing for a man to be his own judge. This is our own conscience. This is Gods register that registereth all things which we do or speak, and it is also our remembrancer, when we are alone. Blessed is the man that despiseth not this judge: no man can⁵ have a more severe judge than himself, albeit a man do acquit himself: the wicked is sometimes secure, but never in safety. This is that, whereby God would call us home. Every⁶ sinner is his own tormentor: Here be surdo verbera, strokes that cannot be heard, and yet strokes indeed. Then if there be within them such torments, why are wicked men so merry? Surely I must answer them thus: Peccator est sui carnifex: but these are removed

And as for young mens consciences, Augustine compareth them to water¹ in a basin, the water is stirred, and there is no face seen: but so soon as maturity of years come, then it will stand still, and we shall see our faces, and cry with David and Job, Lord wipe away the sins of my youth. The third judgement may be compared to a² quarter sessions, that doth consist in depriving of commodities, the mulct is the loss of Gods grace, an unsensible punishment, but so great, that if all the creatures should³ mourn, saith Chrysostom, it were not sufficient, when grace is taken away from one⁴ man. If we will not be moved with the loss of that, which God makes account of, he will take away that which we make account of, as by taking away our preferment, wit, &c. for I account that man to have lost his wit, which is turned into a Fox, which hath nothing⁵ but craft and subtlety. Then he sendeth sickness, reproaches and hearts grief to humble us, or some singular sharp judgement on some, of very good hope, and love, and taketh them out of this life, to warn us that are a great deal worse, to the terror of the wicked, and⁶ that they might not see the punishments he is to bring upon the ungodly for sin. Now for as much as a man in the first judgement is condemned, in the second quited, in the third reprieved: Therefore the Lord hath appointed a fourth judgment, which shall pay them home: and that may be compared, if I may so say, to the gaole delivery, and this is called the day of judgement. In comparison whereof other judgements are as nothing. Then God will take⁷ the matter into his own hand, then shall there be a new Quest, then all th•se matters that are shuffled up, and evil judged, shall be judged again. Now is the day of affections, but then the day of judgement: in it we shall lose all that is to be lost. Now for this day & this judgement,

For the first, they be apicesiuris, points in law, they undo all ⟨p. 658⟩justice, a cavilling justice: but apices juris in calo non excusant. And for the witnesses they¹ shall not deliver him, for they shall be true witnesses, the book shall then be opened. No persuasion shall then serve, because God is not subject to any affection. Thirdly, there shall be no corruption, for though the Judge could be corrupted, what could we give him, when the whole world shall be destroyed? Lastly, we must look for no favour, for it is the day of judgement and not of mercy. The night before the blowing of the Trumpet, there shall be preached mercy, but then there shall be none: let no man flatter himself, for² so he shall find it. To escape a sentence here on earth is either by appeal to an higher court,³ or by re•racting: but there can be no appeal, for who is higher than God: neither shall there be any reversion of the sentence, for there shall be no more sitting, because there is no second judgement. Thirdly, there is an execution, which is most fearful. And execution⁴ there shall be, well, let it come, will we say, for a punishment must be ours: & then what is there to help us to escape punishment, but either resistance, or if that will not serve, flight; if we cannot fly, patience, or mitigation, or our comfort is hope: but there is none of all these can stand us in any stead: for the first, if we were, as Job saith, hard rocks, as we are potshards, we were not able to resist, for if the Lord did but touch us, we would smoke. But his wrath shall be poured upon us, and who is able to abide it? Secondly, it boots us⁵ not to fly, for the Lord is every where round about us, we are as it were in a circumference, the further we are from one part, the nearer we are to the other. We fly from the God of peace to the God of wrath, there is no escaping: Christ saith, Take the unprofitable servant,