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,…

5 Seeing God created all things, nothing hath virtue in it, but as God giveth it; and when it pleaseth him he taketh it away. Our father Adam lived with herbs, and yet should have lived for ever; but we have many other things for our nourishment, and yet live not. Again, our fathers before the flood lived longer than we do, yet had not so many ••shes as we have. The children of Israel lived forty years with Manna, and Moses and Elia▪ lived forty days without meat: all these teach us, that man liveth not by bread only, and that the want of the creatures doth not necessarily cast us into diseases, but that it is our si•••e which casteth us into them. Meat doth not nourish us, Physic doth not heal us, and the creatures do not strengthen us, but the Lord doth all in all, as it pleaseth him, to try his children, or to punish the wicked.

5 Seeing God created all things, nothing hath vertue in it, but as God giueth it; and when it pleaseth him he taketh it away. Our father Adam liued with hearbs, and yet should haue liued for euer; but we haue many other things for our nourishment, and yet liue not. Again, our fathers before the flood liued longer than we do, yet had not so many ••shes as we haue. The children of Israel liued fortie yeeres with Manna, and Moses and Elia▪ liued fortie daies without meate: all these teach vs, that man liueth not by bread onely, and that the want of the creatures doth not necessarily cast vs into diseases, but that it is our si•••e which casteth vs into them. Meate doth not nourish vs, Physick doth not heale vs, and the creatures doe not strengthen vs, but the Lord doth all in all, as it pleaseth him, to trie his children, or to punish the wicked.

6 In corporal blessings, if we have not the spirit to teach us, that by the word, and by prayer they are sanctified unto our use, if we cannot receive even every morsel of meat at Gods hands, as tokens and pledges of his favour, surely we shall either at the last be brought to loathe them, or to set our hearts too much upon them: so that the Lord shall be constrained to take them from us, to make them ot, melt, and stink, so that we shall not find them, nor have any good, holy and profitable use of them. Contrariwise, if the spirit do teach us, and assure our hearts, that all the creatures of God are sanctified unto us by the word, and by prayer: then shall we give God due glory in them, find profit by them, and have them so long continued unto us, as shall be expedient for us. Some do look on the word of God only to get knowledge, or to be as others are, at the last it will