The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…

And assuredly this error is in all heretics in the world, that they are persuaded of some pure naturalities in them still. And therefore if men will be fruitful to hear and receive Gods word, we must labour to circumcise the foreskin of our hearts. Now the first way to take away this foreskin¹ is to restrain our thoughts, and not to be deluded with the doting opinion of the world, to think that thoughts are free.

And assuredly this error is in all heretikes in the world, that they are perswaded of some pure naturalities in them still. And therefore if men will be fruitfull to heare and receiue Gods word, we must labour to circumcise the foreskin of our hearts. Now the first way to take away this foreskinne¹ is to restraine our thoughts, and not to be deluded with the doting opinion of the world, to thinke that thoughts are free.

1. 1Thoughts not free.

5 If the heart be set on a thing, no reason can be made but we have a fetch beyond it, and no persuasion so strong but we have crinkes to go beside them. The Lord is well pleased with their intents, which prepare their hearts to seek him.

5 If the heart be set on a thing, no reason can be made but we haue a fetch beyond it, and no perswasion so strong but wee haue crinkes to goe beside them. The Lord is well pleased with their intents, which prepare their hearts to seeke him.

6 When the heart is upright, though there be some fault: yet the Lord respecteth more the faith and uprightness of the heart to crown it, than he doth the fault to curse it: as appeareth in Rebecca and Jacob when they stole the blessing, &c.

6 When the heart is vpright, though there be some fault: yet the Lord respecteth more the faith and vprightnes of the heart to crowne it, than he doth the fault to curse it: as appeareth in Rebecca and Iacob when they stole the blessing, &c.

1. 1The tenth commandment.

8 He was desirous still to keep himself from deadness, and tried his heart with thankfulness, ⟨p. 707⟩by speaking somewhat (after meat received) to the glory of God, if God gave any good matter into his mind so to take it, if every one were silent, then to raise up some good occasion of speaking by reading, or singing which were so used, that when other things came in place to the aforesaid end, they were surceased from, because customable sticking to any thing bringeth less reverence and profit. And among other things he was very glad to speak somewhat to such, whom he thought after, God might make instruments to teach it to others more effectually than he could express it, which thing he said we should learn of the Apostle Paul, 2. Tim. 2. 2.

8 He was desirous still to keepe himselfe from deadnes, and tried his heart with thankfulnes, ⟨p. 707⟩by speaking somewhat (after meate receiued) to the glorie of God, if God gaue any good matter into his minde so to take it, if euery one were silent, then to raise vp some good occasion of speaking by reading, or singing which were so vsed, that when other things came in place to the aforesaid end, they were surceased from, because customable sticking to any thing bringeth lesse reuerence and profit. And among other things he was very glad to speake somewhat to such, whom he thought after, God might make instruments to teach it to others more effectually than he could expresse it, which thing he said we should learne of the Apostle Paul, 2. Tim. 2. 2.

CHAP. XXXVI. Of hearing Gods Word.

TF the Psalmist (Psal. 94.) could make his argument, He that hath planted the ear, shall he not hear, much more may we argue thus: He that hath planted the ear, shall not he be heard? Shall not he hear, saith David, shall not he be heard, say we? And surely in his creation he planted the ear to this end, and therefore by the title of creating us he¹ hath good interest to the ear: but if the title of creation will not serve, yet in respect that he preserveth us continually, which we call his providence, that interest may serve: but if that serve neither, yet Adam having through² sin alienated himself from God, his soul, his body, and so his ears too: by the right of Redemption the Lord having purchased us a new, and buying every jot of us again as³ it were at the second hand, in this right he may surely claim our ears. Now if he may claim them, as they be his, and in truth they be his, then must we hear him: or if they be not his, and by no right appertain to him, then we are not the Lords Israel. But if we be the Lords, then I say the Lord hath said, he cannot abide, that a candle being light should be put under a bushel, and that our ears, which appertain to him; should be put to no use: which if they be, they little or nothing differ from a carved image, who hath eyes and seeth not, ears and heareth not. He will not have us come to the Church, and the word beat and beat upon us, and no more stir us than it doth the pillars or seats we sit on, wherein we show our selves to be but idol Christians, or counterfeit professors. Then if we must needs hear, the next thing to be inquired of, is the special subject or object of our hearing. We can hear a noise as of the beating of the air, of the wind, of⁴ the thunder or such like, though it be not a voice: but alas a bare sound can do nothing. Secondly then we hear a voice. but this is common to us with beasts, and what can the⁵ bellowing of oxen or the bleating of sheep do us good? So then neither a noise nor a voice is here to be stood upon, which can do us no good. How then? there is yet a better thing, and that is a word, wherein one may express the excellent meaning of his mind to

Well, then a sound is a thing inferior, a voice is somewhat more excellent, but a word is without question the best of all to increase our knowledge. Now if the word be the most principal, I would gladly know of him, that is farthest from God, if there be any word better or more worth the hearing than the word of God. Then if we ascend from a sound to a voice, and from the voice to a word, and from a word to the word of God, we see the word of God to be most principal, and good cause there is why it should so be, the speaker of it is above all creatures, and therefore¹ his word must be above the word of all other creatures. Whereunto if we join but the consideration of our reverend regard in hearing but a Prince or a meaner Magistrate, how² we listen, mark his speech, scan and stand upon every word he speaks to us, to see what most concerns us, this will surely condemn us for our negligence and carelessness in hearing the word of the Lord. But seeing the word is the best thing, we will draw out another reason, which is, that we then best employ our ears, when we hear the word, and in hearing can say: Now I hear the best thing that I can hear, this is the sweetest sound, and now mine ears are put to the best use, I hear not only a sound but a voice, a word. ⟨p. 708⟩and the very word of God: so are our hands best employed, when they are receiving the sacraments, our eyes when they are reading, our feet when they bring us to the house of God. When we thus have once set our selves in work we may well say, All that I have, is in their best estate, and put to the best kind of duty, because our senses and the parts of our bodies are about the business of saving of our souls, & about the business of the Lords glory. The Heathen said, that the goodly ornaments of the world and frame of all things, was most worthy the seeing, as though a man were borne, and came into this life only to³ take a view of them, and so to depart without having any use or profit of them; & though he never felt the power of the Sun, or the sweetness of flowers, or any other thing: much more may I say so much of the word, though a man should never have benefit by it, yet so good it is, of it self, that it is most worthy the hearing, though it be nothing but heard.

But besides our hearing, the Lord hath joined a special profit to the word, as either the saving or condemning of our selves, so that the word is therefore more carefully to be heard, because it is accompanied with such a benefit as the saving of our souls: God (saith John) so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son for us, that whosoever believeth in him; should not perish, but have everlasting life. But how shall we believe, saith Paul, Rom. 10. if we hear not? how shall we hear without preaching? and how shall they preach, unless they be sent? So that it is preaching that brings hearing, hearing breeds believing, and by believing we are saved,¹ and so howsoever the jolly fellows of this world and others account thereof to be but madness or foolishness, this same foolishness of preaching, saith Paul, bringeth salvation;² this foolish thing, (I say) of preaching, and this slender thing of hearing is the way to salvation. But yet a degree further. Naaman refusing the commandment of the Prophet concerning the washing himself in a river, which was not at home in his own country, his servant saith unto him, Father, if he had commanded thee a greater thing, wouldest thou not have done it? and why then is it much to wash in this river? So may we say of the word, If we will not do so much as hear the word, which is so easy a matter to do, what would we have done, if we should have climbed up to heaven to have fetched it from thence, or digged to the hells to fetch it thence, or crossed the seas to have had it thence? But the Lord, saith the Apostle, Rom. 10. hath dealt more mercifully for us, and provided better for our ease, we need not take such pains as to go up to heaven, or down to hell for the word; but it is brought even to us, and preached familiarly: and therefore in respect of the right that the Lord hath unto us, in respect of the best employing of our senses, in respect of the dignity of the word, and in regard of our easiness in hearing, we must needs hear the word. Another argument is this, because, when I called upon and stretched mine arm daily to you, saith the Lord by his Prophet, and ye would not hear me: cry as long as ye can cry, I will not hear you. But if we do hear the Lord, he will hear us, and communicate unto us the graces of his holy spirit, and whatsoever is needful for our salvation.

If then the matter stand so upon our obedience to the Lord, that we shall reap so great a benefit, because he requires but even by the law of nature, to do to him, as we would have him deal with us; it is good equity, that if we will not hear the Lord when he speaks, speak we never so loud or long, we should not be heard of him. The last reason is this, when Mary was occupied in hearing our Saviour Christ, and Martha was busied in ministering things about her house, Christ saith flatly, Mary hath chosen the good part, and why? It shall not be taken away from her. Martha's part in death shall be taken away, and come to nought, and so may we safely say of all our things concerning our trades in this life, they must cease, and when death comes, they shall have an end; but Mary's part shall not be so, that is, whatsoever faith, love, or obedience we have attained by the word preached, it shall abide by us with peace of conscience in this life, and afterward it will accompany us even to the kingdom of heaven. But Martha was Martha for Christ, we are Martha's for Martha, we are all for the world, but this shall be taken from us Every man may therefore safely reckon thus with himself: Surely, all my pain, my profits, my trade, and all will end in death: this is not the good part, therefore I will hear the word, and this shall never be taken from me. So that as in the former we are made partakers of the omnipotency of God, if we hear his word: so here we see we shall communicate in the eternity of God, if we choose ⟨p. 709⟩Mary's part: but if we prefer the other, we must go; but our part must tarry after us, and be taken from us. Good cause then have we to hear the word: but who is he that thinks himself happy to have the word, or thinks not himself more happy to get a good bargain? who being in a journey or sick in his body, thinketh it a special cross, and finds in himself a grief that he could not come to the congregation of the Lord?

If then the matter stand so vpon our obedience to the Lord, that we shall reape so great a benefit, because he requires but euen by the law of nature, to doe to him, as we would haue him deale with vs; it is good equitie, that if we will not heare the Lord when he speakes, speake wee neuer so loud or long, we should not be heard of him. The last reason is this, when Mary was occupied in hearing our Sauiour Christ, and Martha was busied in ministring things about her house, Christ saith flatly, Mary hath chosen the good part, and why? It shal not be taken away from her. Marthas part in death shall be taken away, and come to nought, and so may we safely say of all our things concerning our trades in this life, they must cease, and when death comes, they shall haue an end; but Maries part shall not bee so, that is, whatsoeuer faith, loue, or obedience wee haue attained by the word preached, it shall abide by vs with peace of conscience in this life, and afterward it will accompanie vs euen to the kingdome of heauen. But Martha was Martha for Christ, we are Marthas for Martha, wee are all for the world, but this shall be taken from vs Euery man may therfore safely reckon thus with himselfe: Surely, all my paine, my profits, my trade, and all will end in death: this is not the good part, therefore I will heare the word, and this shal neuer be taken from me. So that as in the former we are made partakers of the omnipotencie of God, if wee heare his word: so here we see we shall communicate in the eternitie of God, if we choose

2 Many reading in the sermons of the Prophets & Apostles, how they exhort to the hearing¹ of the word, marvel at it. And if at this day we be spoken so to hear, we can say, Why, we sit here for no other end, we came hi•her for that purpose, our feet made hast to hear, and therefore it seemeth to be a vain speech. Wherefore we must understand, that this word (hear) hath a further meaning than so, Ezekiel chap. 3. saith, L•t him that hath ears to hear, hear: so that there are two kinds of hearing, else this had been a frivolous speech. We must know therefore that (Job. 42) there are two hearings. There is an hearing of the ear, and there is an hearing of the heart: there is a speaking to the ear, and there is a speaking to the heart. •o• said▪ he heard the Lord but with his ears, with his gristles only, and afterward he heard the Lord better, and that was with the hearing of the heart. We must learn then to draw up our hearts up to our ears, that so one sound may² pierce both at once. But to hear with the heart there are four things to be performed: the first is set down, Eccles. 4 17. Look to thy feet, when thou goest into the house of the Lord. And 2. Chron. 34. because men did not prepare their hearts in their houses at home, or by the way abroad, all was in vain, they lost their success in heavenly things. The first thing³ then is preparation And coming to the Church, every man is to deal thus with himself: I shall now go where I may sit among reprobates, least therefore I should set on more on the bill and beadroll of my sins, I will prepare my self, and pray in serious⁴ manner, and earnestly for the grace of God to teach me The second thing is, that we must hear the word as good Catholics, that is, we must not hear the word by parcels and by clauses as we list, and give our ear until it come to our special sin, and sit quietly till our body be touched: but we must hear universally as well the things that mislike us, as the things that please us. We must be affected to hear the word, as the people were to hear the Lord in the mountain, who said; Speak the Lord what he will, we will hear him. This is a good kind of hearing, and it pleased the Lord so well, that he said: Oh that this heart were always in this people, &c.

We will commend any that will please our humours, and preach such things as follow our appetite. As if oppression be spoken against, and we be oppressed of some, this common place is very plausible to us, because it is against one that hath injured us. Or else we come to the word as Herod came: Let John speak as much as he will, I will hear him: but if he come to this, that I may not have my brothers wife, I will not hear him. But if he come to teach the Lord to speak, & to teach him wisdom, and prescribe him to say this, and not to meddle with that, we shall never hear fruitfully. A third thing is continual hearing: the word is a rare thing, therefore¹ we must have a continual hearing. Will ye hear how God hath taken answer for this? it is said, Psal. 95 Heb. 3. To day if ye will hear his voice. This we know is read to day, and to morrow, and every day, and so •or ever, and yet all is but to day. We cannot exempt our selves, this binds our hearts, and will have us hold out, as long as it is said to day. So then as we must pray and be prepared to hear, and come with a purpose to hear universally,² so must we hear continually. Yet we must add a fourth thing, and that is, we must bring a desire to practise the things we hear. And every man must come thus affected: I have prepared my self to hear, I will hear all, as well that which is misliking, as that which liketh me: but beware of this last, come what come will, I will not obey. But if we vow not to hear, to lay up in our memory, that our memory may call upon our conscience, and our conscience call upon us to put it in practise, we cut off the sentence by the half: He that heareth the word, and keepeth it, is blessed: and keeps it, here is a conjunction copulative, and in no case we must leave it out. And there is good reason it should be so: for as Augustine saith, The word is compared to an hammer, to a fire, to a sword, and not for nothing. The hammer bruiseth, so the word must soften our hard hearts; the fire purgeth and purifieth, so the word purgeth our gross affections, and purifieth our hearts; ⟨p. 710⟩

The word is a word of power, and l•t every man reckon with himself, If in hearing the word I draw not nearer to the mercy of God, I shall draw nearer to his wrath, if not to my salvation, sure to my destruction.

The word is a word of power, and l•t euery man reckon with himselfe, If in hearing the word I draw not neerer to the mercie of God, I shall draw neerer to his wrath, if not to my saluation, sure to my destruction.

3 We oft hear the word, but not as the word of the Lord, and therefore we hear it¹ but in part, because we think it is the word of Isaiah, of Peter, or of the Minister, we think it is Hose, or Paul that speaks, but not the Lord. Well, if we will tarry until the Lord himself come, we shall not hear nor see him, until the heavens roll up together as a scroll, and a globe of fire consume the face of the earth, until the Sun be turned as black as a pot, and the sea boil as a pot of oil, and then we must rather give an account of our hearing, than stand to hear again. Well then how are we said to hear the word of the Lord? First we must know, that Christ received a commission from the Lord, This is my beloved Son, hear him. Here is his commission. Then our Saviour Christ being to go to his Father, left a commission with his Apostles, Who so heareth you, heareth me, who so receiveth you, the same receiveth me: but who so refuseth you, refuseth me. So that to hear the Ministers is to hear Christ, and to hear Christ is to hear the father; so that to hear the Ministers is to hear God. And the words of Hose, and of Peter, they be the Lords words. And all this word sent from God shall be as effectual by the mouth of the Ministers, to convert, as if they were spoken by Christ himself. And we know that Christ being the Minister of circumcision, converted not all his auditors, nay he converted but a few of his hearers. Peter converted more at one sermon, who was but his Apostle, than we read that he himself ever converted all his life long. But if it will not be, but still we think it is the word of the Preachers, surely by our own imaginations the Lord will punish you, that is, it shall be unto you a mans word, Hosea's word, or Peters word, not the word of the Lord. And then if we hear it not as the word of God, but as the word of man, it will never do us good, it may breed some little purpose in us, but it will never breed in us any great practise to our comfort. So then if we hear it but as from men, we shall •ot in our sin, and so lye still, until the Lord find us out in the searching day of his judgement.

3 We oft heare the word, but not as the word of the Lord, and therefore wee heare it¹ but in part, because we thinke it is the word of Esai, of Peter, or of the Minister, wee thinke it is Hose, or Paul that speakes, but not the Lord. Well, if we will tarrie vntill the Lord himselfe come, wee shall not heare nor see him, vntill the heauens roll vp together as a scrole, and a globe of fire consume the face of the earth, vntill the Sunne be turned as blacke as a pot, and the sea boile as a pot of oyle, and then we must rather giue an accompt of our hearing, than stand to heare againe. Well then how are we said to heare the word of the Lord? First we must know, that Christ receiued a commission from the Lord, This is my beloued Sonne, heare him. Here is his commission. Then our Sauiour Christ being to goe to his Father, left a commission with his Apostles, Who so heareth you, heareth me, who so receiueth you, the same receiueth me: but who so refuseth you, refuseth me. So that to heare the Ministers is to heare Christ, and to heare Christ is to heare the father; so that to heare the Ministers is to heare God. And the words of Hose, and of Peter, they be the Lords words. And all this word sent from God shall be as effectuall by the mouth of the Ministers, to conuert, as if they were spoken by Christ himselfe. And we know that Christ being the Minister of circumcision, conuerted not all his auditors, nay he conuerted but a few of his hearers. Peter conuerted more at one sermon, who was but his Apostle, than we reade that hee himselfe euer conuerted all his life long. But if it will not be, but still we thinke it is the word of the Preachers, surely by our owne imaginations the Lord will punish you, that is, it shall bee vnto you a mans word, Hosees word, or Peters word, not the word of the Lord. And then if we heare it not as the word of God, but as the word of man, it will neuer doe vs good, it may breede some little purpose in vs, but it wil neuer breede in vs any great practise to our comfort. So then if we heare it but as from men, we shall ot in our sinne, and so lye stil, vntill the Lord finde vs out in the searching day of his iudgement.

4 Because the doctrine of accusing, condemning, and threatening, is a scripture unwillingly¹ received of men, and we shall see in most of the Prophets so long as they prophecy peace, and speak of heaven, of grace, of mercy▪ they are willingly heard: but if at any time they strike on the other string, the people would no longer hear, but oft break forth, and say, prophecy peace unto us: because (I say) the people having made a league with death and hell, cannot abide to hear such unsavoury and nipping speeches, it must needs be, that the Lord sometime use speeches of quarrel and controversy, and of his falling out with the people. I know that besides that it is the general corruption of nature, it is a special fault of these times and of this age, that if the Minister of God thunder out the threatenings of God, he shall be straight discharged to be a Minister of Christ, he shall be now² the Minister of the Law and of Moses. For the words of grace, mercy, and salvation are sweet words, and men can well away to hear them: but the Son of God hath not always a stream of milk and honey running out of his mouth, but sometime a two edged sword, Apocal. 1. and it is as profitable for God his children sometime to have a song of Sinai, as a song of Zion, and then specially is this requisite, when the mercies of God come not by the ^*hin, or by the peck, or by small portions, but by the Go••er, by the Ephah, and in full measure. Because then we may be drawn into forgetfulness, and therefore least these things should cloy us, it is good for every man in the day of peace to think of the day of controversy, & in our most quietness to know the Lord hath an indictment and an action against us, though when this age is ripped up, we shall see the Lord his indictment rightly framed, and his •isiprius, justly put up against us: yet when the day of the judgments of God be threatened, we must not say they appertain to strangers, we must take the action⁴

5 Though the Ministers take the Lords quarrel in hand and judge his cause, as the Lord biddeth Ezekiel to avenge his quarrell• though the Prophets, I say, do this, or if they cease to do it, the very stones, and creatures shall do it against unbelievers; yet as ⟨p. 711⟩other times we see in the Prophets how all cease, and the Lord himself pleads the controversy. Though therefore we could arm our selves and make our part good against the creatures, and could shift off his Prophets; yet the Lord himself entering his action against us, we had need now diligently to look about us: for as Paul saith, God will not be mocked, we must not dally with him. Now the time when the Lord will do this, is when no man else will plead for him, & that is partly for the negligence of his advocates the ministers, and partly for the untowardness of the people, who regard not the writs of his Prophets, but the Lord must be fain to come^* himself. Woeful experience proves now a days, that if the ministers of the Lord rebuke us, or if any man shall take upon him to admonish us, we are ready to rebuke them again, & to set them to school too. When we see this wilfulness in the people, that speak the Prophets what they will, they can securely shift them off, and though writs come never so thick they care not for them, they think their feet shall never slip, and being taught they will teach again, being rebuked they rebuke again: when it cometh to this, I say, the Lord ceaseth to deal any longer by his attorneys, but he will descend, and plead his own controversies. On the other side, because there be some Prophets who cannot be admitted to plead, and others they will not plead though² they be admitted, but say with Balaam they will neither bless nor curse: and some if they do speak they have Heltes spirit, and say nothing, but O my brother, you do not well to do so, you must do otherwise, they have not Hosea's spirit to tell them of their sin to their faces: I say when it falls thus out, that he that rebukes the world shall be stung, and have a swarm of Bees, or of Wasps about him, who will not only show the tongues of Shimei, but will set the Prophets to school:

5 Though the Ministers take the Lords quarrell in hand and iudge his cause, as the Lord biddeth Ezechiel to auenge his quarrell though the Prophets, I say, doe this, or if they cease to doe it, the very stones, and creatures shall doe it against vnbeleeuers; yet as