A02178:4515
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.
6 The Calling of the Ministry is an alluring Calling, and, as I may say, a Calling that calleth men unto it, a lovely Calling, such a Calling, as the beams of it are able to ravish1 an eye: yet some being to marry this Virgin, think her but hard favoured, and therefore before hand will be sure of a good portion with her, or else they will none of her: but she is full of grace even down to the feet, in their eyes that love her, and full of Majesty & terror even to the dust of her feet, unto all them that despise her, which more respect the reward than the work: but this I confess withal, that our eyes are so dazzled with the golden stone, and the horsseaches daughter, Give, Give, cries so in our ears, and ever since Adam did eat the apple, all the mouths of his posterity are so out of taste, that we can neither hear, nor see, nor taste any thing that good is. True it is, that if we look upon this calling with an eye of flesh, it looks even like Christ for all the world. Isaiah. chap. 53. like a withered branch, and like a root in the dry ground, and there is neither beauty nor favour in it, that we should desire it. I am sure the eye of a carnal man can see no good in it, unless it be good to clean unto the Lord: or it is good for me that I have been afflicted: and such like, which are like pills, and will not (to die for it) down with a carnal man. Well, Christ saith this Calling is good. We see, what is thought in heaven of this Calling. Howsoever it be shut up in contempt of the men of this generation, that though they say not, it is not good, yet by shrinking from it, they proclaim so, louder than a trumpet, that they think it is not2 good. Let them laugh, we know, that even an Ass, if she could laugh, would laugh at any, whosoever he were, that eateth not thistles. Let them judge, when mans judgement3 is done, we shall receive the fruit of a better Fountain. Let them spoil Church livings, and devour the Lords portion, let them swell with disdain, and burst with contempt against us, a blessed contempt it is, that fashioneth these days of my vanity into the similitude of the age of Christ. Christ doth not only say this Calling is good, but he hath magnified this Calling in his own Person. He himself saith Paul Roman. chapter 15. verse 8. was a Minister of the Circumcision with us.