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,…

2 First therefore, let us examine our selves in this unkindness of our friends to us, whether heretofore we have not offered some unkindness unto our friends, whereby God in his just judgement should meet with us, and by raising us up others to deal unnaturally with us, to punish our unnatural dealing with others. If herein our conscience condemn us not, let us reach out this examination a degree further, and let us see whether we have not sought the favour of man more then the favour of God, whether we loved not our friends rather carnally than spiritually, and whether we have not been instruments to them of sinning, or we ourselves lie not in some secret sin unrepented of. If in any of these¹ we be guilty, we are to think, that the Lord by the unkindness of our friends correcteth somewhat in us, either our preposterous and fleshly love, or our hypocrisy, or our corruption, loving for back and belly. Well, if in all this our hearts do acquit us, it may be the Lord will try our faith, whether we love him for his own sake, or for hire, whether we follow him, so long as our well doing is rewarded, or whether we are careful for the zeal of his own glory, even in our afflictions to walk with him: although he utterly uncase and strip us out of all his ornaments. Such indeed is our Faith, as it is in temptation, such are our fruits, as they be in the trial, and then we give a clear testimony of our faith to the world, when being destitute of all help we can behold God taking us up, and say: Though my father and my mother will forsake me, yet God will take me up. Psal. 27. when the help of man forsaking us we doubt not of the help of Angels, when the world frowning on us, we see the Lord favouring us. To which end the Lord oft sequestereth our friends, far from us, to knit and glue us nearer to himself. For it is a common corruption in us to stay our selves too confidently in our friends, as the child too trustingly and wholly to depend on his fathers providing for him, as the wife only to see & search help in her husband, as a servant to count his master as his God in relieving him:

2 First therefore, let vs examine our selues in this vnkindnes of our friends to vs, whether heretofore wee haue not offered some vnkindnes vnto our friendes, whereby God in his iust iudgement should meete with vs, and by raising vs vp others to deale vnnaturallie with vs, to punish our vnnaturall dealing with others. If herein our conscience condemne vs not, let vs reach out this examination a degree further, and let vs see whether wee haue not sought the fauour of man more then the fauour of God, whether wee loued not our friends rather carnally than spiritually, and whether wee haue not beene instruments to them of sinning, or we ourselues lie not in some secret sin vnrepented of. If in any of these