A02178:5104
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.
Wherein if I may stand you in any stead (rather for the good opinion you have of me, then for any great matter I am able to perform) I shall be ready to offer any office of love unto you, as God shall enable me, and so far forth as I shall be instructed in your particular estate, by some letters sent from you by convenient messengers. That which I presently perceive by M. S. letters, is, that you are afflicted with the blindness of your mind, and hardness of your heart, which cannot be moved either with the promises of God his mercies, or fear of his judgements; nor affected with love and delight of the things which be good, or with hatred and loathing of the evil. Great cause you have of grief I confess; but no cause of despair dare I grant, because I am persuaded, that your persuasion is somewhat false, partly for want of a sound judgement of your estate, and partly for some defect of faith, somewhat through your own default. First therefore know you for a certainty, that this is no other temptation, than such as divers of Gods children have for a time bin humbled with, & afterwards have had good issue out of. And if it please God to move you to credit me, I myself have known others as deeply this way plunged, ⟨p. 860⟩as you can be. Remember therefore that God is faithful, and will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you shall be able to bear, &c. 1. Cor. 10. 13. And yet further to confirm you herein, the holy Scriptures do record that this way God heretofore hath humbled his own people: In whose person the Prophet Isaiah lamentably thus complained, chap. 63. vers. 15. O Lord look down from heaven, and behold from the dwelling place of thy holiness, and of thy glory. Where is thy zeal, and thy strength, the multitude of thy mercies, and of thy compassions▪ they are restrained from me. And afterwards: O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? And in the next chapter, vers. 6. We have been all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness is as filthy clouts, and we all do fade like a leaf, and our iniquity like the wind doth take us away; and there is none that calleth upon thy name, neither that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. And afore in the 59. chapter, vers. 10.