A02178:4320
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.
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.