A02178:4241
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.
4 When our friends will not speak to us, the Lord calleth to us, he will enter some long speech with us, and denieth us not all the comforts, which the promises of the Gospel may afford. When our familiar acquaintance will scarcely lend us a potsherd to scrape off our scabs, the Lord by his Sacraments reacheth out the surest pledges of his eternal good will towards us. But yet behold another work of affliction, it bringeth us to the1 contempt of this world, and breedeth in us the love of the world to come, whereunto in prosperity we are very hardly brought. For besides that we see few noble, rich, healthy, strong and honourable men desire death, or to be weary of this life, be it never so long, if we consider how loath such men are to depart, how gladly they would indent, that their life and term of their lease might after an hundred years expired, be renewed for an hundred years longer, we shall see prosperity will persuade all and overcomes many to die in the nest. Nay which more is, affliction can hardly call us away or knock us off, we grow so deaf, and take hold so fast of the world: For who is so sick, but even in pain he would rather wish to live the longer, than to die the sooner? who so clogged with poverty.2 that to be freed from his clog would desire to die? If the Israelites panting and breathing under the yoke of most servile impositions and travels were hardly drawn towards the promised land of liberty, and easily would have retired to the former labours of their servitude, what think you should have allured them out of Egypt, if they had lived there in some preferment and ease, as did Joseph in the court? what could Moses and Aaron have done to have driven them out of the place? And I pray you, if we being never so sick, never so poor, can still be content to have our abiding in this life, what will we do, if the Lord still grant us friends, leave our conscience untouched, our bodies unharmed, our goods unconsumed? Surely we would not have leisure to think of death, much less to die, as our common speeches of our wise, strong, and wealthy men do show, who, when death dealeth ⟨p. 688⟩with them, cry out, what must I needs away, alas I never thought of any other heaven, I am not fit to depart, I am very loth to die?