A02178:4398
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.
What joy soever we have else, if we think upon judgement, then we say unto our mirth, thou art madness, Ecclesiast.1 chap. 2. The second kind of joys, Chrysostom calleth petty joys: Hilary termeth them the solace of prisoners, who eat and drink for a while, but shortly the judge cometh and condemneth them, and they are executed. This Solomon called bitter sweet joys, Proverbs 14. 13. This is certain, every one will have the one or the other: if they cannot get Penelope, they will be suitors to her maidens: these be seeming joys, and we think2 them to be great, because we know no better. For if we knew the joys of the righteous, we would laugh at these vain joys. It is noted in Cain, after he had lost his place in Heaven, he got him as good a place in earth as he could. Jubal he found out organs to make his Grandfather merry. What is it then unlawful? I will tell you what the Fathers said concerning it: The believer can never find time for laughter. Hilary saith, that whatsoever we love in the world, we take thereby occasion of laughter in prison; and this is frenzy. If these men lived now, they would be accounted precise fools, Storks, blocks without affections, for these be the opprobrious speeches which the wicked use against good men: but if any man can rejoice in Psalms and spiritual songs, if he can find an honey-comb in the word, and with David can dance before the Lord; God forbid, that I, or any should play Michol to mock him. Nay, I will say with Moses, I would all the Lords people were as these be: and took pleasure in these things, for thus we ought to be, and I will say with Paul, would to God you would practise these things which I teach But where the Spirit is carnal (as Bernard saith) where there is a mouldy soul, a dry heart, where the Spirit is turned3 into flesh, there men love these petty joys, and bitter sweets. But yet (not to foster any mans imperfections) the Church hath children of perfect age, she had babes, yea, even such as are in their lump like the Bears whelp, we cannot come from Beersheba to4 ⟨p. 726⟩