A02178:4688
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.
9 We must not think that sin will go from us of it self, or that salvation will be wrought with a trice, but we must deal forcibly with nature, because when sin and the word cannot dwell together, Satan will take such order, as he will by all means hinder us from the word: which if he cannot do, then he stirreth up a fight in us, like the struggling of the two children in Rebeccaes womb, so as sometime we are ready to say with Rebecca, 1had I known of this, I would never have done so; I would never have heard the word. Rebecca had two nations in her womb, Paul had two Princes in him, and we have two Monarchs2 dwelling within us. We can be content to hear, until the word rifle us. But as a purging potion, as long as it is a drinking, is but as another drink until it work, and then we could be content to cast it up again; or as a drawing plaster seemeth favourable enough until it worketh, and after we could willingly put it off again: so we can quietly3 hear the word, until it works upon us, and then we could forsake it. But if ye be such, as because ye will not for your health suffer a little pain, but will cast up your purgation, and scratch off your plaster, go to, ye shall be seared, and a crust shall be upon you, and ye shall not feel it, but in death the crust shall be taken off. This fight must be in us, as it was in David, Psal. 42. and in Paul, Rom. 7. whose heirs if we will be, we must follow their steps. But here is the help, many will keep off the word, that it shall not have a full blow, and so they shield and ward that stroke, that should martyr and crucify sin in them. Let us thrust the word upon him, by hearing and meditation: but alas, many give so few blows, or so weak strokes in using these exercises so seldom, that they prevail little. But thou wilt4 say, Christ hath overcome for thee. True it is, but had he suffered a thousand times, he never overcame for thee, unless in some measure he overcome in thee. Now we must overcome, even as Christ (