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.

Vers. 126.

It is time for thee Lord to worke: for they haue destroyed thy law.

AFter the man of God in the verses going before had praied for himselfe, now he com∣meth to pray against his enemies, & after he had prayed for ease of his trouble, which he had amōgst his enemies, when he himself in the meane time had deserued well of them, and had prayed that his knowledge might be ratified both in the law and Gospel of God; he now commeth, & sheweth a reason why he would the Lord should so do with him, euen because of the generall flood of iniquitie, and vniuersall corruption both in religion and maners, as knowing that it was now high time to keep, and to be taught the statutes & testi∣monies of the Lord, to be confirmed both in obedience & faith, because happy were they that now could beleeue the law, and keep the couenants, when on no side one might finde examples of the one or of the other. His meaning then briefly is this: O Lord, seeing there is no further place left for prayer for them, seeing I haue executed iudgement and iustice* 1.1 euen to the failing of mine eyes, seeing for all that I can do or say, they wax worse & worse, and whereas before they had some reuerence of thy iudgements, and now they are growne to the contempt and confounding of thy law, seeing mercy will not preuaile with them, but the longer thou bearest with them, the more they are hardned, but iudgement must be vsed, it is time O Lord, to put to thy helping hand. The man of God we see breaketh not out suddenly into this prayer, but vpon the great neede which vrged him thereunto.

We are here to learne first, that though at all seasons it be needfull to pray, to be guided* 1.2 in the true vnderstanding, and due obedience of Gods word: yet then especially, when through the generall floods of iniquitie all without y^t especiall grace of God, all are like to be carried away. For as common and vniuersall floods sweepe all away before them with

their swift and violent course: so in the common floods of corrupt religion and manners, euery man thinkes that the best religion, which most men doe hold, and that those things are most lawfull, which are most vsuall. But this is a peculiar and speciall grace of God, to be exempted from that generall corruption, as was Enoch, who was preserued to walke be∣fore the Lord in that corrupt age; Noah reserued, when all flesh had corrupted his waies; and Lot who liued a iust man euen among the filthie Sodomites. If then we shall be preser∣ued from corrupt religion, when religion is vsed but of custome, and not of conscience, when it is vsed coldly, and there is no heate in it; if when mens manners are generally be∣come corrupt, so that there is no humilitie, no mercie, no pitie, no chastitie, no puritie, no righteousnesse, no true dealing, no care of our neighbours credit; we can walke in the loue of God, and obedience of his will, doubtlesse this is a speciall grace of God. In this sense the Prophet prayed on this sort: Therefore haue I doubled my prayer, because I see so little helpe among men. I cannot see any good example to edifie me, Lord helpe me: It is time for thee O Lord to worke, for men haue destroyed thy law. We see then how well this dependeth on that which goeth before For in the beginning of this Portion he prayed, that he might not be oppressed of his enemies, now he prayeth that his enemies might be suppressed.

At the first sight this would seeme not to be a charitable kind of dealing, to pray against enemies, because loue requireth that we should pray for our enemies: how then doth this agree with the rule of loue? or shall we thinke that the man of God did any thing here a∣gainst* 1.3 the law of charitie? We haue shewed, that the children of God were neuer inkind∣led with wrath for their owne cause, but for the breach of the law of God: so this man of God had no respect of himself, but of Gods law: his cause was good, his persecutors cause was euill, he hurt them not, but laboured by all meanes to ouercome them with good, he did not for a while, but continued long in it; he was not wearie of his wel doing, but went forward, euen to the very failing of his eies, yea his eies, as he saith in the last verse of Port. 7. gush out with teares, because their sins were so great; he sought peace, & ensued it, and yet he saw no amendment, but that they were worse and worse: wherefore, seeing their sinne was past recouerie, and that there was no ordinarie help on earth, he prayeth God to deale with them from heauen. Neither doth he pray here for their confusion and vtter perdition, as some may falsely thinke, but rather sheweth, that it is now time, that the Lord should vse some chastisement, that they may know that there was a God, and that they had broken the lawes of God, that they might come to a sight and feeling of their sins, that they might be punished, if it were so the wil of God, to their conuersion, or at the least, that they might* 1.4 be no more a plague to the world, and a reproch to the word.

When our affections are mingled with our cause, we are to suspect our selues; but other∣wise when we haue a good cause, and see that we haue perseuered in executing iudgement and iustice, and yet the iniquitie of our aduersaries laieth it selfe so open, that it groweth desperate, then we may desire the Lord to take his cause into his owne hand.

And here we are to obserue, the Prophet saith, They haue &c. where he noteth not any particular person, nor maketh mention of the destruction of any singular man, but vseth a generall rule; wherefore for our instruction, these rules are more diligently to be obser∣ued. First, we are to looke that our cause be good, and our aduersaries cause be euill. Se∣condly,* 1.5 that we be not incensed with anger, because we are contemned, but because Gods word is despised, that is, that the cause why we pray against them be Gods, and not ours. Thirdly, that we keep our selues in well doing, and thereby heape coales of fire vpon their head, that we beare them, euen to the breaking of our backes. Fourthly, then, when we* 1.6 haue vsed curteous admonitions, and by the ministerie of the word, or Magistracie, if the* 1.7 matter so require, and may be obtained, haue sought to turne them. Fiftly, when we haue* 1.8 prayed for their amendment, and wept for their sinnes, and yet all these things will not* 1.9 serue, we may say as in a last refuge, Lord take the rod into thine hand, spare them not; al∣waies* 1.10 prouiding this, that we pray not against any particular person, but leaue them to Gods secret iudgement. Thus we see here is no breach of charitie.

But now adaies we may hereby see, men reuenge rather their owne affections, than de∣fend

Gods glorie. Wherefore when we haue prayed ill against them, for whom we neuer* 1.11 prayed for good, I say to them, tremble and feare: for this is not the zeale of Eliah; this is not the zeale of Dauid; it is a zeale of the flesh and not of the spirit, it will worke their sin∣gular woe, vnlesse they repent.

It is time. That man of God here teacheth Gods children, that when Gods law is de∣stroyed, it is time for the Lord to wake. This euery man may confesse: but blessed are they that can say in a good conscience, I haue liued iustly, I haue vsed no ill against mine ene∣mies, I haue prayed for them, I haue deuoured many iniuries at their hands, I neuer re∣uenged.

Secondly, we are here to learne, that when the law of God is once brought into con∣tempt,* 1.12 whether it be in a nation, in a countrie, in a citie, or particular person, let that nation, countrie, citie, or particular person know, that the wrath of God is not farre off either to their amendment, or to their further and more speedie destruction. If we goe through the doctrine of the Prophets, we shall see this to be true As first we may see in the first, second, third, sixt, seuenth, and eight of Esay, the Prophet of God threatneth the Israelites, that be∣cause they came to worship of a custome, but lay still in their sinnes, because they were re∣bellious, giuen to pleasure, and contemners of the word, they should be led captiue of the Assyrians, and denounceth many plagues against them, which all came to passe in the daies of Ahaz, they were carried away captiue, and were no more a people of seuentie yeares after, as may appeare Esay 6. And although Gods children haue their infirmities, and euen they which are Gods children by calling, may fall into grosse sinnes: yet because there is in them no general falling from honestie, but they haue in them a special care and feare of Gods word, so that they loue nothing more, they feare and tremble at nothing more than at it, though it may be in the meane time they fall into sinne, yet they will not fall from sinne to sinne; surely the Lord will in time draw them out of their sins, and spare them from the common destruction, as he did here Dauid, who though not this generall contempt of the word, yet some sinne he had. This is then in the children of God truely called, that although sometime more carnall than spirituall, and slide into many wants and infirmities, yet they fall not from one sinne to another sinne; but they tremble being rebuked by the word, they esteeme reuerently of the prayers of the faithfull, they thinke highly of the Sacraments vsed in the congregation, & are obedient to all discipline of the Church: in these there is great hope that they shall be reclaimed from sinne, and exemp∣ted from the punishment of the same. But when we ioyne sinne with sinne, and draw sinne to vs as it were with cart-ropes, when we contemne true religion, when we pray in cu∣stome, and care not for the Sacraments, when we make no account of the discipline of the Church, then the Lord will surely punish vs.

Let vs now looke into particular examples: we shall see in many places of the Scrip∣tures,* 1.13 that the Lord rendreth this reason of his comming to vengeance, euen because his word was forlorne. As Genes. 6. where we may see that after they had begun to corrupt re∣ligion, as in the last verse of the fourth chapter of Genesis appeareth, and thereby they be∣gun to mix themselues in corrupt marriage, and after sinne had growne to such perfecti∣on, when not a few, but almost all men; not in a few things, but in all things; not at one time, but at all times, euen then in this generall flood of iniquitie, the Lord threatned to send a generall flood of destruction. And as this is apparant in the whole world, now let vs see it in more particular places and persons. The Lord complaineth, Genesis 18. that the sinnes of Sodome and Gomorrah cryed out to heauen for iudgement, where sinne was so high, that there was no difference betweene Magistrate and subiect, like people like priest, all were defiled, then came fire and brimstone from heauen.

To come yet to more particular iudgements, if we looke into the common-wealths of Iudah and Israel, whether when they liued vnder their Iudges, or vnder their Kings, we shall finde that before they were punished, mention is made either of their idolatrie and corrupting of religion, or of their vnthankfulnes and like corrupt manners. When the land was diuided into Iudah and Israel, we shall reade, 2. King. 17. that notwithstanding the Lord testified to Iudah and to Israel, by all the Prophets, and by all the Seers, that they

should turne from their Idolatrie, & keepe his statutes, they, for the contempt of the word, were taken prisoners of the Assyrians. Likewise 2. Chron. 36. 17. we may reade, that though Israel fell, yet Iudah was not amended, and though the Lord shewed compassion vpon it in sending his Prophets, yet Iudah contemned their admonitions, and when there could be no remedie, the wrath of the Lord waxed hot against them, and they were carried captiue to Babell: so that we see ere the Lord purposeth a generall sweeping away, he set∣teth not downe simple sinnes, one or two sinnes, but lincked and chained sinnes, the con∣tempt of his religion, the mocking of his Prophets and Preachers. As this is true in the de∣struction of societies, so is it also true in the ouerthrow of priuate persons. And although* 1.14 we may see out of the word seuerall denunciations of seuerall plagues to seuerall persons, yet we may learne it euen in our common prouerbe; There is no goodnes in him, he will come to naught; he is a common malefactor, he will come to some shame; he is so com∣mon and vsuall a sinner, that there will some plague light on him. The seruants of Nabal told Abigail their Mistres that he railed on them, and they added, that euill lucke would come vpon their maister, and vpon all his familie: for he was so wicked that a man could not speake to him, and indeed he liued not long after. So if we looke into Pharaoh, or into Saul, 1. Chron. 10. we shall see the pride of their sinnes went before the height of their pu∣nishments.

This doctrine is seene easily in other men and confessed of all, but in the meane time,* 1.15 few profit little by it in themselues. We haue great eyes to see other mens sinnes, but we scarse will see our owne at all. We haue many eyes to spie an hole in another mans coate, but we can hardly haue an eye to see them in our owne. We can see the moate in another mans eyes, but we leaue beames in our owne: we make mountaines of other mens faults, but we thinke our owne scarsely to be molehils. But Gods children are most studious in iudging themselues, although all the world besides lay nothing to their charge: but this thing much deceiueth vs, we thinke we are not the worse kind of people, and thinke there are worse than we are, because as yet we are vnspied and spared. But shall we thinke that the whole world, that Sodome, Iudah and Israel, that Saul and Pharaoh were at the first at the height of their sinnes, but that rather they grew by little and little as by degrees, and after one sinne followed many sinnes, and after few sinnes a great number of sinnes, which being ioyned with the rest moued the Lord to vengeance. This then deceiueth vs, that we compare our selues with the worst, and herein appeareth our madnes, and we shew our selues to be brainsicke, that we doe not perceiue our sinnes at the first, but by falling from one sinne to many, from small to great, at the length we become hardened. It may be thou doest not dispraise the word of God: but thou esteemest not so reuerently of it, as thou shouldest doe: thou wilt not speake ill of the Sacraments, but thou hast little care whether thou vse them or no: thou wilt not despise the Prayers of the Church, but thou makest no conscience of them: thou darest not speake against discipline, but thou doest lightly e∣steeme it: thou art not yet at the height of sinne, but thou canst commit one sinne after another, and yet not be grieued. But let vs know, that they were not at the first in the highest degree of sinne, but stepped from few sinnes to make no conscience of many sinnes, and from pettie sinnes, they brast out into grosse sinnes: Wherefore Gods children iudge themselues seuerely, and secretly; they haue rather particular sinnes than vniuersall; they striue against their sinnes, they loue religion, and maintaine the fauourers of it; they hope to recouer themselues by grace in Christ. But if by securitie the loue of Gods word, the liking of prayer, the delighting in the Sacramēts, the care of discipline be stolne out of our hearts; if we can now sweare, that could sometimes not suffer an oath; if we can now be content to heare the word with sleeping, which were wont to receiue it with teares; if we can now prophane the Sabbath, which could not abide to breake it: if these degrees creepe into vs, let vs feare our selues, sinne will deceiue vs, and deceiuing vs will harden vs; sinne will make fat our hearts that we shall not perceiue it, it wil blinde our mindes, that we cannot see it. This is then the wisedome of Gods children, not to tarrie whilest their sinnes* 1.16 be great, but to striue against the least, to esteeme of the word as of the ordinance of God to saluation, to thinke of the house of God as of their paradise or inheritance, which if we

could feele, vndoubtedly the Lord would giue greater blessings vpon the preachers, and greater graces to the hearers. But if we pray of custome, without a feeling of our wants, and sorrow of our sinnes, if we haue no loue of the Sacraments, no care of discipline, if our hearts be hardened, all is not well either some iudgement of God is at hand, or else we are to feare to be cast into some heresie or such like euill.

I finde that after Esay had prophecied a long time, The Lord God who would not haue his name plasphemed, seeing no amendment in his people comes with a greater maiestie, and bids the prophet Esay. 6. to tell them that they should heare, but not vnderstand, they should plainly see, but not perceiue: hee commandeth him moreouer, to make their hearts s••t, to make their eares heauie, and to shut their eyes, least they should see with their eyes, heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts: And because they would not make the word of God the sauour of life vnto life, it should bee vnto them the sauour of death vnto death. As this is especially meant of the vngodly: yet surely the godly escaped not but by repentance. It is the wisedome of God to vse all meanes, and then to vse destruction when his word wil not serue. We may be comforted euen at this day: that the Lord yet giueth a scattering of his people, and giueth vs some good ministers and magistrates: but if we cōsider of the Lords long suffering of vs, of the peace, abundance and many other graces bestowed on vs, and yet so small amendment; we trust for the remnants sake, that the generall iudgement of God shall not as yet come vpon vs: yet this sore saying should make vs afraide, it is time for thee Lord, to put to thine hand, &c. This may be much for the comfort of Gods children, and for the discomfort of the wicked.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Coherence to be noted.
• * 1.2

  Simile. Constancie in the faith in generall backesliding.
• * 1.3

  How to pray against ene∣mies.
• * 1.4

  Note.
• * 1.5

  Rules for prayer a∣gainst ene∣mies.
• * 1.6

  1
• * 1.7

  2
• * 1.8

  3
• * 1.9

  4
• * 1.10

  5
• * 1.11

  Some prayed with the zeale of the flesh.
• * 1.12

  When men proceed to the vtter contempt of the word, God will rise against thē.
• * 1.13

  Generall plagues for the contempt of the word.
• * 1.14

  Contempt of the word in priuate per∣sons.
• * 1.15

  Vse of the doctrine.
• * 1.16

  The wise∣dom of Gods children to preuent sin.