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,…

20 It ever hath been and is, that prayer, or coming to the divine Service, as they call it, and resorting to the Sacraments have been more accounted of, than the word, & hearing of it preached. Many of superstition may thus come to prayer, and of custom resort to the Sacrament, who either do not at all hear the word, or else they hear it at their leisure, or else they do it but in ceremony without understanding; or if they understand it,¹ they do not practise it; or if they practise it, it is done coldly and not in power. And yet their own practise in some things, is somewhat strange: they will grant, that to come to ⟨p. 54⟩the Sacrament requireth a mo•e solemn preparation, & yet they dare boldly venture on prayer and on the hearing of the word oftentimes without any preparation at all. But certainly as the abuse of the Sacrament bringeth judgement, so the abuse of prayer & of the word will procure it. For as the prayer of faith is a sweet oblation to the Lord, so the prayer of the unbeliever is an abomination to the Lord. We must not only bring the ear of understanding, but we must also bring the ear of remembrance, and of practise, and beware that by little and little the word wax not less precious unto us, as honey to the mouth, that is satisfied. And this is sure, when and how much the word preached doth prevail, so much our prayers and our sacrifices do prevail; look how much the word doth profit, so much do we profit in prayer and in the Sacraments; and whensoever our delight in the word waxeth faint, our prayers and all good exercises are like shortly to decay. Prayer bringeth a feeling, and the Sacraments a more continuing of that, which we hear in the word. We must beware therefore, that we be not too qu••• •• sin, that we please² not our selves in a general good course, in a persuasion we have heard enough, but still let us labour for the word: for I dare say, that all our power in prayer cometh from the word.

20 It euer hath beene and is, that prayer, or comming to the diuine Seruice, as they call it, and resorting to the Sacraments haue beene more accompted of, than the word, & hearing of it preached. Many of superstition may thus come to prayer, and of custome resort to the Sacrament, who either doe not at all heare the word, or else they heare it at their leisure, or else they doe it but in ceremonie without vnderstanding; or if they vnderstand it,