A02178:5010
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.
Apt similitudes in scrip ture sorting and fitting all callings to instruct all degrees concerning Gods kingdom.
Apt similitudes in scrip ture sorting and fitting all callings to instruct all degrees concerning Gods kingdome.
IT pleaseth God in speaking to men of their salvation, to use the terms of their vocation, to whom he speaketh. And there is no sort of men, but God speaketh unto them on manner. Therefore to Kings he speaketh, likening the kingdom of heaven to a King, making a marriage: to Merchants, likening the kingdom of heaven to a Pearl: and even to the baser sort, and them that are in the kitchen, when he likeneth it to Leaven, and Mustard seed: and when he speaketh to Husbandmen, he frameth his parable of the Sower; as Jerem. 4. when the Lord might have said plainly, Prepare your hearts, ye men of Judah and Jerusalem: but he rather speaketh unto them in the terms of their calling, that as ⟨p. 849⟩they are diligent and painful in matters of this life, so they might be painful in matters of their salvation, and that men might try themselves, whether their care of eternal life be answerable to their care of things concerning this life. And we must think that of what vocation he useth the terms to men, unto that vocation he specially speaketh. For example in many places of the Scripture, he speaketh of husbandry, that men by it might be drawn to think of better things. For when we go into our field, and behold our grounds, and find them that they are fruitful, and plentiful, and that even the valleys do so exceed with corn, that men sing for mirth, then every man must think thus with himself:1 Surely my Harvest is very plentiful, and my corn which I have sown yieldeth her increase with very great measure; Now am I as plentiful & fruitful an harvest unto God? Am not I rather a barren and dry ground, yielding no fruit? Surely, if our Harvest be fruitful unto us, and we which are Gods Harvest are not fruitful unto him, then our harvest shall condemn us. For the means of Husbandry, as Plough, Cart, &c. we are careful to have them, we bestow cost to repair them, and then must we thus think: See, I have all the instruments of my Harvest in very good order, have I the means of my salvation as well? If I have not, the very Harrow, and horses harness will accuse me. Thirdly, if we have a Tree, whereas we bestow cost to cut it, and to prune it, and because it bringeth forth no fruit, we say, if thou wilt not serve me for my taste, thou shalt serve me for building: