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.

CHAP. XLV. Of Miracles, and how God worketh without and with meanes, and how we ought to attend on the meanes.

THe Miracles that were wrought in the Church, were partly in mercie, and partly in* 1.1 iudgement, as in turning Iereboams hand into leprosie, and into cleane flesh againe: but the miracles against Aegypt were onely in iudgement.

2 Signes are giuen to confirme vs in the word, & are not more excellent than it; if then they draw vs from the word, we must hold them accursed as wel as the false Prophet, Deut. 12. That which Paul speaketh of tongues, 1. Corinth. chap. 14. is true of all miracles, which are signes to beleeuers, which may teach vs not to desire them: for if we beleeue not. Mo∣ses and the Prophets, neither would we beleeue if miracles were brought from heauen. So is it in the Sacramēts, which are ordained to nourish that faith which is ingendred in vs by the word, and therefore must not bee separated from the word, nor esteemed aboue the word. For we shall then profite truely by Baptisme, when we, in and by the word, shall be∣leeue* 1.2 the washing away of sinne, and get power to mortifie sinne daily within vs: and then shal we profit by the Lords Supper, when we beleeue all the promises of our Redemption,

wrought by Iesus Christ, and shall be vnited into his body daily more and more by the word.

3 Pharaoh did aske a signe, not for any purpose to yeeld thereunto, but if they could not doe any, he might haue the greater aduantage against Moses and the people. So the Scribes and Pharisies aske a signe of Christ, to whom he answered, the adulterous genera∣tion seeketh a signe: So many in these daies aske proofe of many things in religion, not that they minde to yeeld thereto, but if they cannot haue such proofe, as will stop their mouthes, they may more quietly continue in their error. We must learne to leaue this kinde of questioning, which is seldome graunted for good, & let vs so frame our requests, as that they may be reuerent, and we may haue a desire to rest in that which is graunted.

4 A wonder may moue vs for a time, but commonly it lasteth at the most, but for nine daies: and we shall neuer gather any fruite thereby, except it doth prepare vs to profite more effectually by the word.

5 Some think that the miraculous Manna was not so straunge, because it is to be found* 1.3 in these daies in other countries. I answere, not of that colour, not of that propertie: There∣fore this was a miracle, as may appeare by these reasons following. First, because it was neuer seene before, and then came at Gods commaundement. Secondly, because neither raine nor faire weather did let it. Thirdly, because as soone as they came to the borders of the promised Land it ceased. Fourthly, because if it were kept till the morning it stanke, but on the Sabbath day it continued sweet, albeit gathered the day before. Againe, when it was reserued in the Arke, it putrified not. Fiftly, because it followed the Israelites, whither soeuer they went. Sixtly, because it fell in such abundance, as that it sustained so great a multitude.

6 At what time the Lord first sent Manna, the children of Israel being rauished with the loue of it, called it Manna, that is meate prepared of the Lord: & herein they acknow∣ledged the goodnesse of the Lord. This Manna is first commended for the colour, it was as* 1.4 white as the precious stone called Bdellium. Secondly, for the taste, tasting like fresh oyle, Numb. 11. 7. Thirdly, for that it was Angels foode, or meate prepared by Angels. Psalm. 98. And yet for all this, when the people had beene accustomed to it, they loathed it, and set light by it, wherefore their sinne was the greater: The reason of it may be this. This Manna was giuen them, not onely to be foode for their bodies, but also to be a token vnto them, that seeing the Lord fedde them from heauen, they were not to settle themselues on the earth, but to looke for their inheritance in Heauen. So many therefore as did rest in the bodily foode, not respecting the thing spiritually signified by it, they were soone weary of it. So is it also with vs, for albeit all the blessings of God be very deare vnto vs, and of a great price at the first receiuing of them, yet when they are common, the best blessings are lightly regarded. If it be so in earthly things, which are agreeable to our nature, how much more will it be in spirituall things, which are so contrarie to our nature. And hereby the great corruption of mans heart is discouered, which will not be moued but with noueltie. As for example, the sunne if it were but seldome seene, how glorious a creature would it be accoūted, but because we haue the daily vse of it, therfore very few of vs regard it. Nay, the word of God which is his arme to draw vs to saluation, when it hath beene a little while a∣mong vs, it is a thing smally esteemed; wheras cōtrariwise in those places, where it is new∣ly recouered, they flocke together farre and neare; and will make it their talke and songes, and whole delights. The like reason is of the Sacraments, & other blessings of God, which while men doe vse of fashion and custome, or else doe rest in the outward thing, not loo∣king into them, nor beholding the spirituall grace offered by them, it cannot be but that they must needs fall into a superstitious abuse of them, or else despise and loath them.

7 Our Sauiour Christ giueth two notable titles and commendations to the exercises of the Church, Matthew chapter 7. verse 6. he calleth them, holy, and precious. First for holines, we know there is no sound holines, but in the Lord, or of the Lord, and therefore it was said, holines to the Lord; it was the inscription of Aarons miter. And it is said in the Gospell, that none is good but God, that is, none is essentially good but God: the word, the Angels & so forth, are holy, but in respect rather of some thing receiued than of their own nature;

and so the word is holy after a double manner, either for that it commeth from God, who is perfitly holy, and it is of the nature of him; or else for that by it we receiue holines and are made holy. For the first it is sure, that the law-giuer doth alwaies impart to the lawe something of his owne nature, and therefore among the heathen, looke what kind of men set downe the lawes, the law had a smacke of their disposition. Solon a very moderate man, his lawes were very moderate, and tasted much that way. Draco his lawes were seuere like to himselfe, and therefore they were said to be written with blood: So are the Lord his or∣dinances, they comming from the holiest of all, carie frō him in them a sensible rellish of holines, and are vnited to the nature of God. And as the law commeth from one holy, and so teacheth holy things, likewise cōmeth holines into our hearts by applying them there∣vnto, our hearts of themselues not being holy; and so the law hauing a qualitie of God himselfe, it hath it not for it selfe alone, but for vs. In this respect as the law is liuely, so it is a quickning law making aliue; as the word is wise, so it maketh wise; as it is holy, so it is a sanctifying law making vs wise. For preciousnes the Scriptures sticke not and cease not to set a price of the word, as Psalme 19. and 119. Dauid compares it to spoiles, a thing full of precious things, wherein are things of great price. And yet for that in spoiles are things of all value, some more, some lesse precious, after he compares it to gold, then to fined gold, afterward to much fined gold, yea to thousands of gold and siluer: and not contenting himselfe he ioyneth to gold, precious stones; and least yet he might say too little, he com∣pares it to all manner of riches. The reason hereof is this, that for as much as the soule of a man euen of him that perisheth, is precious, and the soule of euery good man more preci∣ous; then the soule of the holiest, Christ Iesus is most precious. Now for as much as the Gospell hath it foundation in opening of the signe of the blood of Christ: therefore the Gospell in a singular degree of excellencie must needs be most precious.

7 When some penitent sinners are executed for theft, we see they are more grieued fo•• whoredome, than for theft, because it brought them to theft, but most of all they sorrow for neglect of the word, which hath made them most loose in al their life. Seeing then this is warranted by the experience of our times, let vs take heed we neglect it not, but see the* 1.5 want and neglect of these meanes to be the cause of other sinnes; but if we will not doe this, the Lord will punish sinne by sinne, which is most feareful: for this is the only meanes to keepe vs from sinne, to heare the word, pray, giue thankes, heare admonitions, receiue the sacraments, with reuerence and in truth. As these meanes doe keepe vs from sinnes, so do they recouer vs from them when we are fallen thereinto, as when great trouble is vpon vs, pouertie, disquietnes: & against these the word of God doth giue a remedie, teaching vs, that as it came by Gods prouidence, so he must take it away, contrarie to the familie of loue, who denying the prouidēce of God attribute it to outward causes. Example of a man which sayd his sicknes came by Gods visitation, they replyed vnto him, did you not take cold? he answered, that is but a meanes to serue his prouidence, so the familie left him. For we take cold often, and yet are not sicke, because the Lord hath all things in his hand, to dispose at his pleasure, and then shall we rest in this, when we are certainely perswaded of this doctrine. Psalme 32. The Prophet saith, that before he acknowledged his sinne, moy∣sture was turned into drought, but when he confessed, his punishment was taken away; so Iob. 33. when men wil not profite by his word, then the Lord wil seale this former doctrine by a correction, which if we profite not by, it will lie so long on a man, that his bones shall sticke out: being in this case, if the Lord reueale him this, he shal be restored to his former state. It is plaine, that the cause of these corrections is the neglect of the instruction of God in his word, which if we would throughly giue ouer our selues vnto, we might be sure that no presumptuous sinne should preuaile against vs. But if we esteeme not the word of God, or receiue it so as that we profit not by it, then let vs not maruaile though the Lord doe visite vs, and that in great mercy too, if we can be brought so highly to esteeme of the word and of prayer, as of nothing more.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. King. 13. 5. 6 His hand was dried vp, and restored to him againe. Signes which drawe men from the true God and his word.
• * 1.2

  2. Thess. 2. 10. 11.
• * 1.3

  Manna mi∣raculous.
• * 1.4

  Manna.
• * 1.5

  Meanes to keepe vs from sinne.