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,…

4 Youth especially is to take heed of pleasure: for though fire be good, yet in fl•xe or tinder it is not good; so though pleasure be good, yet pleasure in youth is not good. We¹ need not plough for weeds, they will grow fast enough in the fallow. But some will take their pleasure in their youth especially, and they purpose to become good, and to live gravely hereafter in their age. This is to make a covenant with the devil, as the devil said² to Christ, I will come out: but the time is not yet come: so we will leave pleasure when the time comes, and in the mean time he keepeth us in a purpose. Young men make their sins of a double die, Crimson sins, they become a disease of the bones, and custom is³ turned into a necessity; whereupon divers say, I would fain but I cannot leave them, of these if one recover, forty rot away.

4 Youth especially is to take heede of pleasure: for though fire be good, yet in fl•xe or tinder it is not good; so though pleasure be good, yet pleasure in youth is not good. We¹ neede not plough for weedes, they will grow fast enough in the fallow. But some will take their pleasure in their youth especially, and they purpose to become good, and to liue grauely hereafter in their age. This is to make a couenant with the diuell, as the diuell said² to Christ, I will come out: but the time is not yet come: so we will leaue pleasure when the time comes, and in the meane time he keepeth vs in a purpose. Young men make their sinnes of a double die, Crimzen sinnes, they become a disease of the bones, and custome is³ turned into a necessitie; whereupon diuers say, I would faine but I cannot leaue them, of these if one recouer, fortie rotte away.