A02178:5108
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.
the words seem to run as belonging but to Peter, (viz. I have prayed for thee, that thy Faith should not fail) yet that he prayed as well for the rest of the Apostles, yea, for all the faithful. For first he saith not, Simon, Satan hath desired to winnow thee, but you. Why then (saith he) I have prayed for thee? Verily, because he should more grievously offend then the rest (although their offence was very great) therefore his and our most blessed Saviour applied to him the promise, but did not impropriate it to him only, and restrain it from the rest. Compare with this place, Joh. 17. 20. and you shall see that the heavenly verity affirmeth, that he prayed not only for the Apostles, but for all those which should believe through their word. Yea further, our Lord Jesus Christ was yesterday; is to day, and shall be for ever. And as the fore-fathers were baptized into him, and did eat his Flesh and drink his blood, so was his prayer effectual even unto them under the law, much more unto us under grace. And when you can find testimony of your heart, that when you would do well, evil is present with you, and that when you do the evil you would not, then do you not it, but sin in you, when it leadeth you captive, Rom. 7. much more then when Satan worketh withal, buffeting you, assure your self that God hath pity on you, that the virtue of his power shall be perfect in your weakness, 2. Cor. 12. 9. If you believe, according to your faith it shall be done unto you. But you will say, you cannot believe that this vile and crooked hardness of your heart, can be remitted and renewed: and even this was the second point, which in the former part of my letter I gave you to understand, was the cause of your excessive distress. I beseech you, and I charge you in the name ⟨p. 862⟩of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you will not willingly lie, nor offer injury to God his spirit, nor to your self who have received it: tell me, what is the reason why you think you have no faith? Verily because you have no feeling, nor no other fruits thereof, as you think. Well, first then agree with me herein (as you must, if you will not disagree with the truth) that feeling is but an effect, and a fruit of faith.