A02178:4396
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.
8 By many means come we to joy, saith Chrysostom: the wise men of Greece wished men to rejoice; and the Poet saith, Without joy life is no life. So it may seem joy is life's1 life, and therefore men seek it so much. He that avoideth not something that is not evil, must needs do much evil: In riding, we will not ride so near the edge of the ditch as we can, but leave a good deal between, least both our horse and we fall in. This is our policy in riding, I would it were so in living. It is not Christian wisdom to go as near evil as we can. Well is mirth evil then? Too much use of mirth is naught. We must not study for mirth. If it be not a present jest, it looseth his grace, Deut. 29. If he be thirsty he will drink till he be drunken. Those things we desire too much, we will keep too2 fast, we came not (faith Tully) into the world to make merry. One saith, when ye would be merry, this you may do, but make no occupation of it. It is the worst end of a good wit to invent mirth, and yet we see daily, how many think this is their portion in this life. Ambrose giveth them a fit name, he calleth them superfluous creatures, and so they be: for the world if they were gone, were well rid of them. And Hierom saith, God cast not man out of Paradise that he might here build him another, but that with swear, &c. ⟨p. 725⟩our recreation must not be thus, to make it our profession to move mirth and laughter, a very Idolatry, if one may call it so. This joy is but a bastard kind of joy. Hilary saith, it one laugh when he is going to prison, every man will count him a fool. So if we will rejoice, let us rejoice in that that cannot be taken from us, for when those things perish we must perish also.
8 By many meanes come we to ioy, saith Chrysostome: the wise men of Greece wished men to reioyce; and the Poet saith, Without ioy life is no life. So it may seeme ioy is lifes1 life, and therefore men seeke it so much. He that auoideth not something that is not euill, must needes doe much euill: In riding, wee will not ride so neere the edge of the ditch as wee can, but leaue a good deale betweene, least both our horse and wee fall in. This is our policie in riding, I would it were so in liuing. It is not Christian wisedome to goe as neere euill as wee can. Well is mirth euill then? Too much vse of mirth is naught. We must not studie for mirth. If it be not a present iest, it looseth his grace,