A02178:4564
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.
5 There are divers plain Israelites that will suffer a veil to be put before their faces, and they will use them as the Pharisees did John Baptist, to object him against Christ; John and his Disciples fast: and why do others so, but to have a cloak for their wickedness? These are abused for want of wisdom, and would mislike their practises in their heart, if they could sound the depth of them: Praestat esse caudam Leonis, quam caput vulpis: Better to be the tail of a Lion, than the head of a Fox. Well, it is good to be just and wise, but yet not for our selves: but yet such as will not keep their wisdom to themselves, but tell it out, or write it, come to wrack. Because he will not follow the counsel of Amazias, See not, he hath the reward of the Prophets, & all the Prophets except four perished. The cause was, they were more wise than was for the Princes advantage. In respect even of God his permission, it is just that the just should perish: we may say, is this his reward? but we must know that when for corruption of time, God his children cannot live without hazard of their hazard, he taketh them away: neither in so doing doth he break his promise, that gives them for a long life, eternal life; for a bag of silver, a bag of gold: for in so doing he promiseth the less, and performeth the more. We would indeed be the Lords servants, if we saw his service would always prevail; but because sometimes we see their seats without honour that serve God, we will be none of his servants, or we learn by reason to judge no action by the person: yet we say, if he prevailed not, he took no good course, or if we cannot but say, he is wise, we say he is too wise. The Prophet (Prou. 30.) saith, he will write his vision to Ithiel, and if Veal be with him, to him too, or else not: the meaning is, Ithiel is God with us: he would write it to please God: Veal is to prevail: if that be with the other, he will have1 both, else keep to the other, and let Veal alone. When a man goeth to the market cum ob• lo, if he like lettuce, he may take them, & give his ebolum, if he like his halfpenny better, he may keep it; but if one would have both ebolum & lactucas: so if we have upright dealing,2 and will esteem the favour of men in authority better, we may change it for that: