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,…

yea, then shall we deal uprightly with others, so that if then others deal evilly with us, and we pay them the things which we never took, we have the comfort of our conscience and are blessed because we suffer for well-doing.

yea, then shall wee deale vprightly with others, so that if then others deale euilly with vs, and we pay them the things which we neuer took, we haue the comfort of our conscience and are blessed because we suffer for wel-doing.

15 In manners, men will first listen to wicked counsel, then take pleasure in their company, till at last they communicate with them in their evils: an• as they grow in liking of those evil counsellors, so do they loathe those that give good counsel and despise them: yea, when the Minister speaketh privily to them by admonition, or openly out of the word; they think he speaketh of purposed malice and hatred against them: and so shut their ears, and harden their hearts when any thing is spoken for their amendment: but if a word be spoken which concerneth another, or else may cherish them in their sins, that do they greedily snatch and lay hold of. All which showeth that men are the cause of their own hardness: for when the Lord cannot prevail by his word▪ then leaveth he men unto themselves, which stay not till they come to hardness. This must teach us with fear to examine our hearts, to prove what love of the truth remaineth in us, and what liking we have of lies, what hearts we bear to those which give us wholesome counsel to reclaim us from sin, or whether we rather incline to those that feed our ears with such words, as may serve to nuzzle us in our sins, because the child of GOD may come to this through often infirmity: but when he seeth it, it is time to bestir himself, and to fear least those fearful beginnings do bring him at the last, utterly to fall away.

15 In manners, men will first listen to wicked counsel, then take pleasure in their companie, till at last they communicate with them in their euils: an as they grow in liking of those euill counsellers, so doe they loathe those that giue good counsell and despise them: yea, when the Minister speaketh priuilie to them by admonition, or openly out of the word; they thinke hee speaketh of purposed malice and hatred against them: and so shut their eares, and harden their hearts when any thing is spoken for their amendement: but if a word be spoken which concerneth another, or else may cherish them in their sinnes, that doe they greedily snatch and lay hold of. All which sheweth that men are the cause of their owne hardnes: for when the Lord cannot preuaile by his word then leaueth he men vnto themselues, which stay not till they come to hardnes. This must teach vs with feare to examine our hearts, to proue what loue of the truth remaineth in vs, and what liking we haue of lies, what hearts we beare to those which giue vs wholesome counsell to reclaime vs from sinne, or whether wee rather incline to those that feede our eares with such wordes, as may serue to nouzell vs in our sinnes, because the childe of GOD may come to this through often infirmitie: but when hee seeth it, it is time to bestirre himselfe, and to feare least those fearefull beginnings doe bring him at the last, vtterly to fall away.