A02178:4107
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.
For though at the prayer of Joshua the Sun stood ⟨p. 660⟩still, which is wonderful swift; yet the time of mans life stood not still, but even then a d•ies journey went forward. Solomon considering of mans life, called it vain, and then as not thinking that a sufficient word, he corrected himself, & called it Vanity it self. But David going further, Psal. 62. saith, man is lighter than vanity too. If we add this, that nothing befalls us all our life long, but it may befall us any day, or every day, we shall confess this1 life is vain. The calculating of this time is good, but the increasing of our account is the cause of all evil. Matt. 25. the envious servant was overtaken in his account, be thought he had many days to come, which he had not, before his Lord appeared. The Virgins were truly foolish, that dreamed of a day, which was denied them. Luk. 12. the rich man overshot2 himself, and was prevented contrary to his account: It is the usual complaint of the Prophets, that men say, The prophecy is deferred, the plague shall not come yet; and we say in our hearts, the Bridegroom will not come yet, our Lord will be long in coming, the burden of the Lord shall overpass us, & so forth. It is good reason to remember the prayer of Moses, Psal. 90. 12. that we beguile not our selves in the computation, who crieth, Lord teach us to number our days. For numbering of people David is an example: for numbering our money, our sheep, our lands, and our frames, every man can be an example:3 But to number our days is a rare kind of numbering, it is a strange Arithmetic, what rearages we are fallen into with the Lord, for our time not spent to his glory▪ this is a numbering, wherewith we are unacquainted. Oh that we knew what it were to account of time, surely this I will say, if there were many worlds in the possession of some that are departed, they would give them us for one day or hour, which we have in such plenty, and so little esteem of. Well, in the numbering of our years we need take no great pain, for Moses hath set it down to be 70. years. If our life last but so long, a little Arithmetic will cypher it out, and we know it is a matter of no great art to number our years, even from our first father to this age.