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,…

Our conversion to the Lord, must be with our whole heart, without exception,¹ inward without hypocrisy, speedy without delay, continual without Apostasy, in faith without despair. First it must be of the whole heart: many repent, but they will except one sin. David saith, Cleanse me Lord from all my sins, but we will have the Lord dispense with some sin. 1. Corinth. 5. A little leaven will sour much, a little Serpent will sting much. Origen writeth very well, that Christ did cast out, not six, but seven devils out of Magdalen, for all must be cast out, a clean riddance must be made,² as seven devils out of her, so all sins out of us. Secondly, it must be inward, many have³ cleansed their hands, but not their hearts, such sins as stare a man in the face, are too⁴ palpable, we must be doing against little sins. For sin is a Serpent, whose tail⁵ many have cut off, but few have touched the head: nay many have a whole and untouched Serpent, who neither touch tail nor head, who proclaim with a Trumpet their re probation. We must not cleanse the outside of the platter only, but we must say in our conscience; This action (oh Lord) have I presented to thee with simplicity. Thirdly, we⁶ must do it speedily. For though the Lord saith: At what time soever a sinner doth repent, &c. ⁷so he saith, Blessed is the man that hath borne the yoke from his youth, for to give the prime days to the devil, and our dog days to the Lord, what is but to pour out the wine to⁸ the world, and to give the dregs to God? But if we serve God when we may serve the devil,⁹