A02178:459
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.
12 Unto one that was tempted with worldly shame, and thought the distemperature1 of his mind proceeded thereof, he said on this sort: First know, that Satan hath no absolute power, but a power by permission to try us: against which we must arm our selves ly faith; which will assure us, that either the Lord will mitigate our temptation, if our power and patience be not great: or else, if he ••large the trial, he will increase our strength according to the proportion of our temptation. We must also pray, that the2 Lord give not out that measure of leave to the devil, which we give out to sin, to work3 rebellion in us against his majesty: but that he would rather make Satan a Chirurgeon to show us our sins, than a Sergeant to confound us for them. It is the policy of the adversary, to persuade many that the weakness of their body, and feebleness of their brain4 proceedeth of their temptations; when indeed it cometh of their unstained minds, wandering too much after the motions of the devil, in that they not resting on the word, nor depending on Christ, nor contenting themselves to be tried, nor comforting themselves by meditation, attend too much, and confer too often with the devils illusions and temptations, and so they complain of the effects, and not of the causes of the temptations, being more grieved for their present sufferings, than for their sins past. The root of this worldly shame, is pride, and haughtiness of mind, which is a privy evil, and hardly will be beaten into the head of them that are infected with it. But sure it is that we would never be so grieved for the loss of a thing, if we did not too much desire it, and too immoderately use it, whilst we had it, Joh. 12. 42. Which sin of haughtiness, the Lord seeing in his children, that they are more humbled with the loss of worldly credit, than with the sense of their sins, and loss of his glory; he striketh them with the want of that thing which is most precious unto them, because they made no conscience of that honour which is most precious unto him. Wherefore this is the best remedy, rather to be grieved that we feel not our sins to be pardoned with God, than that we are known to be sinners against men: