A02178:5150
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.
Grace and peace in Jesus Christ.
Grace and peace in Iesus Christ.
MY very good and loving friend in the Lord Jesus, I understand by M. H. who oft travaileth into those parts, that you require of me letters of comfort for relief of your afflicted and distressed conscience. Wherein I could be glad to perform any duty that is within the compass of my poor ability. But your best and soundest comfort (as I take it) lieth in those that have themselves been exercised with that trial: who from the comforts of Christ that1 have abounded in them, are best able to comfort those that are in like sort afflicted by the hand of God. Again, I have written unto you many times of this argument: if my Letters remain with you, they may always speak for me that which I am able to say to that point. If you require more than I have written before this; then were it reason you should send me my former letters, that I might know where to begin that which remaineth. My leisure is not great, as you know, and there is nothing whereinto I enter more unwillingly, than into this labour of writing. Yet that you may understand that I have not altogether forgotten your old love towards me, nor have suffered mine affection towards you utterly to decay; I will endeavour at once as briefly as I may to remember unto you, so far as I can call to mind, the sum of all that I have written unto you heretofore. The question (as I take it) that lieth in controversy between your conscience and the enemy, is of the assurance of your salvation. Wherein I would have you first to consider what is, or at any time past hath been the testimony2 of the spirit of God unto your spirit, and then I doubt not, but either from present sense of the same spirit of God, crying in your hart, Abba Father; or from the remembrance of the days of old, wherein you had a comfortable assurance of Gods favour, you shall be able to repel the force of this temptation, considering that the holy Ghost cannot lie, that God, whom he loveth, unto the end he loveth, and because his gifts and calling (as the Apostle saith) are such as whereof he doth not, nor cannot repent him. Then consider the nature of faith, which how weak and unperfect soever it be, it cannot be divided