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. 134.

Deliuer me from the oppression of men, and I will keepe ••hy precepts.

AS we haue oft declared, it is the lot of Gods children to bee troubled with the vngod∣ly, and therefore this man setteth himselfe down as a patterne therein, and seeing the Lord Iesus hath made himselfe a chiefe exāple in the house of example, who is our head; it is meere that we who are his members should also suffer troubles, that wee may be made like vnto him. What is the cause then, why wee are so much at quiet with our selues, both Minister and Magistrate, people and subiect; but because we doe not so much resist Sathan, fight against the world, & striue against our selues. For we beginning to rebuke the world* 1.1 of sinne, the world cannot away with vs; and when we stir vp our selues against the diuell, he setteth himselfe and all his impes against vs, and when wee checke and controll our selues, we can neuer finde quiet. True it is, that sometimes wee shall haue quiet; but this is but a breathing time; yet that must be fulfilled in the members, which was begunne in the head, that we being like to him in suffering, may also be like to him in glorie, remembring alwaies that which is in Psalm 125. The rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righte∣ous. So that the man of God prayeth here, that his affliction might not hinder his glorie. And no maruell, for his enemies first laboured to daunt his faith, then they went about to loade him with iniuries, either subtilly to circumuent him, or openly to oppresse him: when these things would not serue, they striued to bring his person to contempt, and his cause to discredit, as also they went about to bring themselues into estimation, and their cause into credite. No maruell then though he thus prayed, least that they resisting him too long, hee should be ouermatched. Wherein we are to learne, that wee must not ouer∣come ill with ill, subtiltie with subtiltie, violence by violence, but by praier. And seeing the Lords eares are open to the prayers of the iust, and his eyes vpon them that feare him, see∣ing his eares are shut to the wicked, and hee will not looke vpon them in mercy, but his face is set against them, the Lord vndoubtedly will heare vs, and looke vpon vs, and will confonud our enemies.

And I will keepe thy testimonies. Behold, the man of God promiseth thankefulnes, and if it pleaseth the Lord to free him from these euils, hee would keepe his law, not that we must thinke, that he before did breake them: but though the proude had him exceedingly in derision, Psal. 51. though the bands of the wicked had robbed him, 61. though the proude had imagined a lye against him, 69. though they had dealt wickedly and falsely with him, 78. though they had almost consumed him vpon the earth, 87. and he was like the bottle in the smoke; so that hee was wonder∣fully distracted in his calling: yet if the Lord would vouchsafe to free him from these euils, as before in part; so now in whole, he would bestow his life on the Lord.

We are then to learne, that in trouble wee are to desire to none other end to be deliue∣red,* 1.2 than the better and more freely to serue the Lord, and that when wee haue made so solemne a promise to the Lord, we throughly purpose in trueth to performe it. For though affliction of it selfe helpeth vs nothing vnto godlinesse, but is rather some hin∣drance why in our calling wee are lesse profitable; yet as it is sanctified in Christ, and re∣ceiueth a blessing from God to worke in vs, it keepeth vs from euill, and prouoketh vs the more to doe good. But wee, if we be in aduersitie, if wee haue trouble or losse of goods, or losse of friends, oppression of enemies, or such like, make large vowes and plentifull pro∣mises, and crie: Oh if I might be deliuered from this sicknes, if I might be freed from this trouble, if I might be vnburthened of this euill; I would surely serue the Lord, I would be∣come a new man, I would change my life, and enter the waies of repentance: but we looke not to performance.

This thankfulnes of heart made the Prophet, Psal. 116. 12. to cry out, What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me? I will take the cup of saluation, and call vpon the name of the Lord: I will pay my vowes vnto the Lord, euen now in the sight of all his people: Where wee* 1.3 see, that it was the custome of Gods people, to stirre vp themselues after their deliuerance vnto thankfulnes. We shall see now by examining our selues how it is so in vs. Oh (say we)

that I were recouered of my health; oh that the Lord would restore those things to me a∣gaine which I haue lost; then doubtles would I wholy giue my selfe to the Lord. But let vs see if in all these things wee bee not vow-breakers, and are rather growne worse than wee were: so greatly are we to feare our selues. God hath deliuered vs from our enemies, freed vs from war••es, saued vs from scarcitie, penurie, pouertie, plagues and sicknesse, and hath blessed vs with peace, abundance, plentie, health, and all other blessings, let vs see how we vse these things. We know the times haue been such, when we could not haue this liberty, to reade and heare the word of God; but wee are now freed from such miserie, and set in great libertie; whether doe wee vse this time to Gods glorie, and increase of our know∣ledge, and building vp of our faith, or not? We know that there is a vicissitude in all things, and one thing succeeedeth another; and as the Lord hath long time vexed other nations with trouble, and graunted to vs a long time of libertie and quietnes: so our course must come by the order and change of things to be vexed with troubles, and others shall be set at some libertie. Are we the better then for this benefit? If wee bee, all is well: if not, will it not, thinke wee, be laide to our charge, that what time the Lord had giuen vs, wherein we might reforme our selues, wee haue abused in being so little reformed, what our time hath been to set forth Gods glorie, how little glorie the Lord hath gained by vs.

We haue often heard, that our two principall props in trouble are faith in the promises* 1.4 of God, and a testimonie of a good conscience, which wee see often to be in this Prophet. Wherefore what doth fasten and comfort faith? euen a good conscience: what doth make it wither and wauer? euen because we haue been fruitles, and haue not done good workes. This then must be our comfort in trouble, that we suffer not as ill doers, that we may look for Gods promises. But if our sinnes accuse vs, and we suffer as ill doers, wee shall not bee able to feele any comfort in God his promises.

Then let vs see the fruit of this prayer. The Saints of God and deare Martyrs of Christ made this prayer before vs, the fruit and effect whereof is growne vnto vs. For their suffe∣rings were our prosperitie, their losse our gaine, their imprisonmēt our libertie, their death our life: as true as old is that saying proued, The blood of the Martyrs is the seede of the Church. For their blood h••th cried vp to heauen, with the blood of Abel, for our comfort, and brought downe vengeance on our enemies, and obtained mercy for vs. They did sowe in teares, and wee haue entred into their haruest with ioy, let vs beware least wee sow euill to our selues, and for others: they sowed comfort for their posteritie, let vs take heede that wee sow not discomfort for them that shall come after vs. And as their death hath stayed the wrath of God from heauen, that it is not fallen vpon the vine, & seeing many yeeres he hath planted among vs a vineyard, seeing he hath hedged it, and gathered out the stones* 1.5 of it, and hath planted it with the best plants, and hath built a tower in the middest there∣of, and made a wine-presse therein, and hath looked it should bring forth grapes, but it hath brought forth wilde grapes: so our sinnes so inkindle the wrath of God, that hee will take away the hedge thereof, and his vineyard shall bee eaten vp; hee will breake the wall thereof, and it shall be troden downe; he will lay it waste, and the wild bores shall enter in∣to it. What a thing is this, that the deare Saints and Martyrs of God should deserue so well of vs, and wee should deserue so ill of our selues and of our posterities? Seeing then Gods mercie hath been shewed by so many blessings, and we eate of their sweete of the haruest, who neuer haue tasted of the cold of the winter, nor heate of the summer; let vs feare, least for our vnthankfulnes, the Lord doth come to punish vs, and both for our want of religi∣on, and vngodly life cause the Lord to remoue the candlesticke, take away the Gospel, and bereaue vs of our talents. Wherefore wee haue great neede to pray to be reformed in our iudgement, & renued in our affections, that our thankfulnes may appeare in loue of sound religion, and obedience of godly life to the glory of our good God.

Thus we see it is not a strange thing for Gods children to suffer in this world, although God giueth vs sometime a breathing time, and maketh vs as children of the wedding; who, so long as the Bridegrome is with them, doe not lament nor mourne. And seeing euery one that will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution, and for a good con∣science, Minister, Magistrate, and master of an household shall finde trouble in his owne

flesh, hatred of the world, and persecution of Sathan; it is certaine that we often pur∣chase too much quietnes to our selues, because we doe not so labour for the mortifying of our flesh, for reproouing of sinne, and the beating downe of the kingdome of Sathan, as we ought to doe. Thus we see, the Prophet groundeth himselfe on Gods promises, who hath said, that the rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the godly: shewing vs that no temptation shall come to vs, but we shall haue either strength to beare it, or else the Lord will remoue the force of it: so that if he remoue the violent force of it, we shall neede but little strength to beare it; if our trouble be great, the Lord will giue vs great strength. Neither (as some doe) doth the man of God vse forgerie for forgerie, and deceit for deceit, but staieth himselfe onely and wholy vpon prayer. For Gods children haue no such spirit as the worldlings haue, who for the most part requite euil for euil, subtiltie with subtiltie, euill language with euill language: but by prayer onely they labour for helpe at Gods hand.

We haue heard, that insomuch as he protesteth to keepe the testimonies of the Lord, he meaneth that he will more throughly keepe them than before. We haue further learned, that it is our corruption to be godly in time of trouble, but afterward the case with vs is al∣tered. Wherefore our godlines then is to be suspected, and he is very vngodly, that at such* 1.6 times will not be godly. But herein is the difference betweene the regenerate and vnrege∣nerate, that the regenerate after their visitations are more godly, after sicknes they haue a greater zeale, after their deliuerance a further care of glorifying God, which is nothing with the vnregenerate. Now, seeing the Lord hath heaped benefit vpon benefit, yeare after yeare, mercy vpon mercy, whether hath God wonne some speciall glorie, or our br••thren some speciall benefit by vs or no? And as the Lord heard the mones of his Martyrs, their teares and their blood, and gaue them mercy: so let vs feare, least our sinnes crie for ven∣geance vnto him. All afflictions of themselues are tags of Gods vengeance, yet being sanc∣tified* 1.7 in Christ to God his children, they be turned into blessings, as all outward bles∣sings, not blessed of God, are turned to curses to the wicked. For as sicknes and aduersitie, by the Lord sanctifying them, are turned to blessings to Gods children: so health, peace, and prosperitie, are turned to ill to the vngodly, because of their abuse.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Christiā warfare.
• * 1.2

  The end of all deliuerances.
• * 1.3

  Thankfulnes
• * 1.4

  Two princi∣pall props in trouble.
• * 1.5

  Esay 5.
• * 1.6

  Godlinesse.
• * 1.7

  Afflictions.