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Paramythion two treatises of the comforting of an afflicted conscience, writtenParamythion tvvo treatises of the comforting of an afflicted conscience, written
Paramythion two treatises of the comforting of an afflicted conscience, written by M. Richard Greenham, with certain epistles of the same argument. Hereunto are added two sermons, with certain grave and wise counsels and answers of the same author and argument.Paramythion tvvo treatises of the comforting of an afflicted conscience, written by M. Richard Greenham, with certaine epistles of the same argument. Heereunto are added two sermons, with certaine graue and wise counsells and answeres of the same author and argument.
London: printed by Richard Bradocke for Robert Dexter, 1598
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.
and if thou groan in a godly care, both how thou mayst be able to wage battle against sin in the plain field, and how thou mayst prevent sin in all his policies, thou hast a further assurance that sin, although it be as great as Goliath, yet it hath not hitherto prevailed against thy poor and little David, I say, against those few and small graces, which the good spirit of God hath bestowed upon thee: but the last is most certain, and that is this. When thou art careful to redeem that, which by thy fall thou hast lost, & hast a care to run so much faster forward, by how much more thou hast been letted by thy fall: then it doth appear that the spirit is in thee, yea lively and mighty in operation, and such as shall never be taken from thee, until the day of Christ. Thus may we in some good and competent measure try and prove, whether we have the spirit of GOD or no: for where these fruits are to be found, there is also the spirit of GOD. For further confirmation whereof, we may note the manner of speech, where he saith, Quench not the spirit. ⟨p. 153⟩We do commonly use to say, the fire is quenched, when the light and heat thereof is taken away; and indeed nothing can properly be said to be quenched, but the fire. Now whereas the Apostle saith, Quench not the spirit, he giveth us to understand, that the spirit is in some respect like unto fire: therefore if we do but a little consider of the nature of fire▪ we shall a great deal better judge of the spirit, And among others, these properties we find to be in the fire. First of all it will burn up, and consume things that may b• burned and consumed: and therefore lighting upon shawe, stubble, sticks, or such like, it bringeth them to ashes, and doth make them as though they had not been at all. Secondly, it doth purge and purify those things that can abide to be purged: and this it doth, first by taking away the superfluity of dross, that hath over covered the thing to be purged. Then by fining the thing it self, and by making it purer and purer: Thirdly, it giveth light even in the most dim & darkest places: And last of all, it giveth heat, and with all doth as it were put life into those things which are capable of life:
and if thou grone in a godly care, both how thou mayst bee able to wage battaile against sinne in the plaine fielde, and how thou mayst preuente sinne in all his pollicies, thou hast a further assurance that sinne, although it be as great as Goliah, yet it hath not hitherto preuailed against thy poore and little Dauid, I say, against those fewe and small graces, which the good spirite of God hath bestowed vppon thee: but the last is most certaine, and that is this. When thou art carefull to redeem that, which by thy fall thou hast lost, & hast a care to runne so much faster forwarde, by how much more thou hast beene letted by thy fall: then it doth appeare that the spirite is in thee, yea liuely and mighty in operation, and such as shall neuer be taken from the, vntill the day of Christ. Thus may wee in some good and competent measure try and prooue, whether wee haue the spirite of GOD or noe: for where these fruits are to bee founde, there is also the spirite of GOD. For further confirmation whereof, wee may note the manner of speach, where hee saith, Quenche not the spirite.