A02178:4202
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.
17 As a mans desire to any thing groweth or decreaseth; so doth his endeavour and labour1 for the means. If thy desire be strong, then shall not light occasions withdraw thee from the means, but it must be a violent occasion and let, that shall stop the passage of thine endeavour and seeking after the means. This may be a rule to measure thy self by, and to examine thy proceeding in Christianity. If thy desire to the word of God be but weak, then is thy care and travail but small: but if thy desire be doubled, then it becomes love, which putteth out of us a vehement and careful travail, and seeking after it,2 and of avoiding the contrary means that may withdraw thee from it, or quench thy desire. None can hunger but he that feeleth himself empty: no marvel then if he have no hunger, which feeleth not his own wants, seeing that feeling is the fountain of hunger, as if our feeling be of sin, then our hunger is after righteousness and holiness. For the feeling of sin, is the mother of hunger after righteousness. So that where hunger after3 righteousness is, there must be also feeling of sin, and where there is exceeding hunger, there must be needs an exceeding feeling: and on the other side, where there is a4 ⟨p. 681⟩small and feeble hunger, there is a small and feeble •eeling, and it is unpossible to be otherwise. For he that feeleth his own deadness, wants, and impurity in every commandment, it is unpossible, but this touch of glory and dread of the bondage of sin, should breed, and as it were engender in his mind an extreme hunger and desire of uprightness, and obedience in every commandment. The children of God have then to comfort themselves,5 in that they feel their impureness of heart, and want of uprightness in every commandment, and deadness to goodness For this fear of bondage to sin and Satan, and this feeling of our own wants and impurity is quickness, and living; and this quickness and life is by the spirit of Christ, and where the spirit of Christ is, there is life or living, and this is called regeneration and life everlasting.