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,…

9 If we waste our strength and spend our prayers, and are not answered, we suffer then some grief in withstanding a secret solicitation to mistrust. Grief would fain have ease, whereof it is, that it laboureth always to lay it self open, and to move pity, it feareth nothing more then to be hidden. And for this cause nature hath given more helps to bewray¹ this affection then any other, as heaviness of the countenance, hanging of the forehead, moving of the eyes, sighs and groans. It teacheth eloquence, and maketh us to change our speeches, and so we learn to amplify the causes of our woe. Hereof it cometh, why falling upon the object of grief, we are loath to depart from speaking of it, we double our speeches on that Theme. We know the matter of Hezekiah's grief forced his tongue to touch it twice: The tongue, the tongue shall praise thee, &c. When Christ spake words of doctrine and exhortation to Jerusalem, once to name it was enough: but when he spake in an Argument of grief, then he must needs say, Jerusalem, Jerusalem. Do we not see how David in his heaviness dwelt upon the name of Absalom? Habakkuk, chap. 2. he strikes twice on one string, and speaks not only to show his mind, but to satisfy his grief.

9 If we waste our strength and spend our prayers, and are not answered, wee suffer then some griefe in withstanding a secret sollicitation to mistrust. Griefe would faine haue ease, whereof it is, that it laboureth alwayes to lay it selfe open, and to moue pitie, it feareth nothing more then to be hidden. And for this cause nature hath giuen more helps to bewray¹ this affection then any other, as heauines of the countenance, hanging of the forehead, mouing of the eyes, sighes and groanes. It teacheth eloquence, and maketh vs to change our speeches, and so wee learne to amplifie the causes of our woe. Hereof it commeth, why falling vpon the obiect of griefe, we are loath to depart from speaking of it, we double our speeches on that Theame. We know the matter of Ezeckias griefe forced his tongue to touch it twice: The tongue, the tongue shall praise thee, &c. When Christ spake words of doctrine and exhortation to Ierusalem, once to name it was enough: but when hee spake in an Argument of griefe, then he must needes say, Ierusalem, Ierusalem. Doe we not see how Dauid in his heauines dwelt vpon the name of Absolon?