A02178:4188
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.
3 If we cannot rest by faith in the favour of God, though we want outward things, it1 is certain that we never truly esteemed the favour of God: and those never felt truly the forgiveness of their sins, which having it, cannot be content to forgo other things: we must then learn to rest in the favour of God whatsoever it bringeth with it.
3 If we cannot rest by faith in the fauour of God, though we want outward things, it1 is certaine that we neuer truely esteemed the fauour of God: and those neuer felt truly the forgiuenes of their sinnes, which hauing it, cannot be content to forgoe other things: we must then learne to rest in the fauour of God whatsoeuer it bringeth with it.
- 1Contentation.
4 This is true faith when we yield to the word and believe it, though we feel not the1 effect: for when we believe after experience, this is experimental and hath not such ⟨p. 679⟩commendations. And this is so also in the threatenings, when we measure them not by our senses: but when we hear him threaten us for some sin which is in us, then we certainly believe that he will punish, and therefore we tremble and study to prevent that wrath. And as we prevent the threatenings, by giving credit to the bare word: so that is true faith2 in the promises when we believe them, though we feel not the effect: for feeling is the effect of faith. Therefore when we are in misery, even then hearing and recording Gods promises, we must believe them and rest in them, though we feel not present comfort. And this is the cause why we cannot see God when he accomplisheth his promise, because at the first we did not believe his word when we heard it. And this is the cause that sinners cannot yield when they are punished, but do make a stumbling block of that which should lead them to repentance. And this is the cause that any of Gods children do profit in humility before God by afflictions, because they first gave some credit to the word, though in much weakness & dullness. But the wicked are so by the devil bewitched, that they can profit nothing by their afflictions, because they first hardened their hearts against the word.