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,…

7 The Lord doth try his people many ways, yet but with one thing at once: as some times with want of bread, or with want of meat, or with want of water, he doth not pour all his punishments at once, to let them see the corruption of their harts, because they are ready to distrust for every thing: and again, to let them see, that for many things they cannot be thankful. This is the ordinary dealing of the Lord with us, he doth us good many ways, he trieth us sometime one way, sometime another way: & doth not lay all his punishments on men at once, unless their sins be come to the full, and they deserve it: or else if he be minded to take some singular trial of men, as he dealt with Job, & thus he dealeth with us, to bear with our weakness, and to try us, whether the having of many blessings would move us rather to follow the Lord, than the want of some one thing would cause us to forsake him. This may be seen in particular trials, as when he giveth a man many things, and¹ letteth him want his health. If we consider this, we shall see that we are as ready to murmur as ever they were: for if the Lord give a man two years health, yet one years sickness doth more make him to murmur, than many years of health doth make him thankful. For the want of this will make men deny God, and the Gospel, and to be ready to go to witches for their health, and will not look for help at the Lords hands. The infidelity of the Israelites was greatly herein bewrayed, for did God make the waters of Egypt blood? dried up the red sea? made bitter waters sweet? would not that God also make waters to come out of the rocks in the wilderness? their murmuring is here therefore very manifest, and our murmuring is now as great as theirs was. For though men think that this people did evil to murmur, & think that now there are greater occasions than they had: let us consider their temptation, and we shall see it will excuse them, and greatly accuse us. For what temptation was it to have many children and cattle, and not to know where to have water for them? We upon less occasions will murmur, for though we confess that we are in better case than our fathers were, yet because some have less than others have, therefore they are ready to murmur, though they have otherwise sufficient:

7 The Lord doth trie his people many waies, yet but with one thing at once: as some times with want of bread, or with want of meate, or with want of water, he doth not powre all his punishments at once, to let them see the corruption of their harts, because they are ready to distrust for euery thing: and againe, to let them see, that for many things they cannot be thankfull. This is the ordinarie dealing of the Lord with vs, he doth vs good many waies, he trieth vs sometime one way, somtime another way: & doth not lay all his punishments on men at once, vnlesse their sins be come to the full, and they deserue it: or els if he be minded to take some singular triall of men, as he dealt with Iob, & thus he dealeth with vs, to beare with our weakenes, and to try vs, whether the hauing of many blessings would moue vs rather to follow the Lord, than the want of some one thing would cause vs to forsake him. This may be seene in particular trials, as when he giueth a man many things, and