A02178:411
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.
14 When thou art afraid thou shalt go out of thy wit, because thou fearest sin; when thou canst dispute and preach more fearfully against thy self, then all the preachers in the1 world: remember how Christ Jesus having no holiness by the flesh, by being of his own2 mother (to the testification whereof it pleased him to be borne of such a one, whose progenitors were notable sinners, to keep company with such as were the most miserable wretches, to call to the greatest dignity in the Church, the profanest toll▪ gatherers, persecutors & worldlings) hath given thee an holiness unperfect, & would not have thee to look for any great things in thy self, seeing he having put on thy flesh, got no gain thereby at all. It may be the multitude of thy sins trouble thee, & therefore thou thinkest, now3 it is hard to make thee an holy one. Consider how Mary Magdalene had seven spirits, and yet of all women was made most devout; & after Christ his resurrection received greatest4 dignity to see him first. It may be the great continuance of thy sin troubles thee: remember how Christ called Matthew, who long time had weltered in worldliness. It may be the greatness of thy sins fear thee: consider how the greatest persecutor of the Church was5 made of all other, the most glorious preacher of the Gospel. It may be thy sins drawn6 from thy country grieve thee: the Cretans were good Christians, and the filthy Corinthians, 7became most faithful professors. It may be thine hereditary sins by nature move thee to despair of help: consider, he that can so far overrule nature, that the wolf shall dwell with the Lamb, the Leopard lie with the kid, Isaiah: 11. 5. 6. he can also change that course of nature in thee, by a supernatural grace. And yet as I would have thee to beware, so to trust in Christ his righteousness, as thou forget not, he is also thine holiness: and so to labour for thine holiness in him, that thou forget not he is thy righteousness: but so to labour for both, as if thou beest righteous, thou must also be holy: and being never so holy, yet to seek for thy whole righteousness before God in Christ only.