A02178:4442
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.
4 All our disobedience cometh of this, that we know not the Lord. And wheresoever the word of the Lord is, he will move those that be his to believe, though he did the same things from the wise of the world.
4 All our disobedience commeth of this, that we knowe not the Lord. And wheresoeuer the word of the Lord is, hee will moue those that be his to beleeue, though he did the same things from the wise of the world.
5 There is none almost but at one time or other do seek God; though the common1 sort, at the last cast in extreme danger, when health and friends fail them, go to him. But Malachi saith, GOD is a King, and will have his Seniority: & in this order of seeking many good men are deceived, for so they deal not falsely, they think they may scratch worldly riches, but the Lord will not have us take the silver of worldly things, before gold of godliness; Neither must the servant first wait some hours on himself, and then on his master, but contrarily; because as there is a seeking, so in seeking there is an order: And this is Gods prerogative to be sought first Matth. 23. he is a fool which thinks the gold of the temple, that is riches, better then the Piety of the temple, which sanctifieth riches▪ Solomons chair must be our direction. Abraham sought obedience before his own country Joseph and Moses sought GOD rather then Pharaoh: but we seek preposterously, giving youth to pleasure, old age to God, we make our eldest children Lawyers, the second or youngest, divines; whereas our fathers made the first-borne to serve in the Priesthood. In our contracts, we first seek wealth, and then religion; a cursed match: well, while we thus seek God, we shall never find him. Wherefore let us seek God in his word, and that not in a piece of the word, but in all the word: not making conscience of some sin, and yet •etaining other sin, God will not be divided, nor quartered in qualities, because he is indivisible in substance. Many use a restrained obedience, and the world hath ever a placard for some sin. Such a one was he that would have a dispensation for kneeling in the house of Rmmon with his master. Ananias would keep some part to himself, GOD will be sought totally in respect of his Word, as also he requireth an universality in seeking of himself. We must not seek God and the world together, we must not have two strings to our bow: having one eye on the word and another on the world. We must not think if we have God it is well; if we have him not, it is no great harm, purposing a piety to out selves, so long as we be in the Church, and promising to our selves immunity being out of the Church.