A02178:4285
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 Grievous is the pain and untolerable is the the grief of hell fire, to be burned is the1 most grievous and painful death that can be, it is terrible to every part of the body for a man to feel his blood and his fat to drop away from him. If we were threatened to hold our hand over a fire of wood, it would make us do any thing, yea things unlawful to avoid it without Gods especial grace assisting us: but alas this is nothing to hell fire, and yet we will not avoid sin, which will kindle a fire unquenchable, and our bodies shall never be consumed. Nebuchadnezzar had twenty seven provinces, Daniel 3. and yet but three men amongst all them refused to fall down to worship the golden image for fear of fire. But we need not go to Nebuchadnezzars time, we may look back but into Queen Mary's time and see many that for fear of fire did undergo things unlawful against their own conscience to their despair. And yet this was but a material fire, but of the Lords fire we must conceive otherwise. In Isaiah he saith, he will have it made with pitch to make it noisome to our members, and he will have a river of brimstone to feed it, that it shall not be drawn dry. If this be the reward of our neglect, why do we heap to our selves, an heap of chaff; If fire come, why will we be as stubble▪ If this argument, this fiery argument will not cause us to fear, nothing will cause us. If (as it is said) in the school nothing moveth more than that, which hath both reason and sense, then surely fire may2 move us, which both reason and sense do cause us so to fear. More plainly, there are but three things in the world, which will bring a man from wickedness, shame, grief, and fear: Shame prevaileth a little now adays, because there be so many wicked, that will cover another's shame: & grief is put to silence, for if that come, we say it is an humour, and whether it be so or no, they will drive it away, if they can, with merry company. But when it comes to fear, no mirth will serve the purpose, as we see in malefactors condemned to death, no mirth will make them merry. Nay the most sluggish beast the Ass, and though ye beat him, until he die, ye shall not get him to go into the fire for fear, and yet we more unsensible than any beast, will not be moved a whit.