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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.
6 To one that complained of the hardness of his hart, he said. You must wait for comfort & know, that you can now no more judge of your self, than a man sleeping can judge of things which he did waking: or a man ⟨p. 200⟩wandering in the dark, can discern of bright colours. For as the one may whilst he was waking do excellent things, and yet now neither himself knoweth of them, nor any other can espy them in him: & the other may be environed with fresh and flourishing colours, & yet for want of light, can have no use of his eyes, nor pleasure in the objects; so you have done great good things, whilst god gave you a waking heart to put them in practise, and the light of his spirit, to discern his graces in you: though now, you have neither the sight nor sense of them. And this is the thing that deceiveth and disquieteth many; they look for that discerning of themselves, when the graces of God are more cold, which they had when gods spirit wrought in the sweetest & fullest measure in them. And because there is some intermission of the work of their new birth, they think there is a •lat amission in them of the spirit of God. But as it is a token of a mind to presumptuous, & infatuated, in time of a dead security, to persuade our selves still of that safety, in having those graces which sometimes we had: so it is a sign of a mind abject, & too much despairing; to think, that because we have not in present feelings these joys, glorious & unspeakable which we have had; therefore we never had them heretofore, or that we shall never have them again hereafter.
6 To one that cōplained of the hardnes of his hart, he said. You must wait for cōfort & know, that you can now no more iudge of your selfe, than a man sleeping can iudge of thinges which he did waking: or a man ⟨p. 200⟩wandring in the darke, can discerne of bright colours. For as the one may whilest he was waking doe exccellent things, and yet nowe neyther himselfe knoweth of them, nor any other can espie them in him: & the other may be enuironed with fresh and flourishing colours, & yet for want of light, can haue no vse of his eies, nor pleasure in the obiects; so you haue done great good things, whilst god gaue you a waking heart to put them in practise, and the light of his spirit, to discerne his graces in you: though now, you haue neyther the sight nor sence of them. And this is the thing that deceiueth and disquieteth many; they look for that discerning of thēselues, whē the graces of God are more cold, which they had when gods spirit wrought in the swetest & fullest measure in them. And because there is some intermission of the work of their new birth, they thinke there is a lat amission in thē of the spirit of God. But as it is a token of a mind to presumpteous, & infatuated, in time of a dead security, to perswade our selues still of that safety, in hauing those graces which somtimes we had: so it is a signe of a minde abiect, & too much dispairing; to thinke, that because we haue not in present feelings these ioyes, glorious & vnspeakable which we haue had; therfore we neuer had thē heretofore, or that we shall neuer haue thē again hereafter.