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.

Haste, how it argueth vnbeliefe: and of Watching and waiting.

1 NOthing more bewrayes vnbeliefe, then not to stay the Lords leisure: as contrari∣wise, Watching and waiting on the Lord shewes Faith: for those hastie and vn∣quiet spirits, when they see not speedy redresse according to their expectation, they either murmure in impatiencie, or they will ease their griefe by seeking vndirect meanes. And sure as nothing in prosperitie is a greater token of Gods fauour then to feare our selues: so in aduersitie, this is a pleasant pledge of our patience, when wee can waite and attend on the Lorde, for the time, and the manner, and the measure of our deliuerance.

There be some principall properties of true wayting:* 1.1

The first is, to waite in our selues: for manie will not outwardly murmure, and yet in∣wardly* 1.2 they boyle and fret in themselues: and manie will abstaine from outward impa∣tiencie, which looke to the inward estate of their hearts but a little. But it is good for vs to beginne here: for if there bee a quietnes of the heart, there cannot be any great disqui∣etnes* 1.3 in the tongue, or in the hand. The second propertie is, to waite on the Worde. Ma∣nie will say, they waite on God, and yet they are maruellous impatient, if yee charge them with impatiencie: but weigh their waiting by the Word, and it will not abide the tryall, it will not goe for good. Looke what Faith wee haue to waite on God, vnlesse it be taught out of the Word, (which is as true as God himselfe) it is not found. Some will be con∣tent to waite on God, but it is not to haue their obedience and Faith in the Worde, but to obtaine some thing the sooner, which they desire. This is no true waiting, but to waite

rather for our owne profite, then for Gods glorie. Th•• third property is, to corti••ue in it.* 1.4 Euery man by nature can waite for a while, so he may know a certaine and definitiue time of his waiting: but to offer our obedience in waiting, and not know for how long or how little we shall waite, this is the ••ainting of the soule: for if it were determined to vs how many dayes, or moneths, or houres we should waite, the hope of the profit drawing neere, and of a terme drawing out, would sustaine vs: but to leaue all moments, and conditions to the Lord, and to bee in a continuall seruice and expectation, this is hard for flesh and blood. We must learne to amend this fault, by considering how iustly the Lord may sus∣pend his answere▪ and helping of vs, for that our sinnes are not sufficiently bewa••led, or our faith is not sufficiently purified, or his graces not sufficiently wrought in vs. The* 1.5 fourth and last propertie is, to continue waiting with a kinde of vehemencie: keeping vs from faultring or fainting in our hope, though it be long ere our suite be answered, or our dan∣ger be helped. To be vehement a while, or lesse importunate long, is little worth: but to haue our affections h••to; and for a good thing, and not to slake the heate in long con∣tinuance of time, and not to be made remisse or dead in the suit of our desires, though no appearance of our deliuerance appeare, is hard indeede. And here to meete with an ob∣iection, we say, vehemencie argueth faith, and vehemencie bewrayeth want of faith. Faith, when no deferring of our desire doth breake the power of our zeale: want of faith, when without all hope, we are greedie and rauenous to haue our request, or else we cast all off.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1
• * 1.2

  Properties of constant wai∣ting on God.
• * 1.3

  2
• * 1.4

  3
• * 1.5

  4