A12381:13
The sinful mans searchThe sinfull mans search
The sinful mans search: or seeking of God. Preached by Henry Smith, and published according to a true corrected copy, sent by the author to an honourable ladyThe sinfull mans search: or seeking of God. Preached by Henrie Smith, and published according to a true corrected copie, sent by the author to an honorable ladie
London: printed by T. Scarlet for Cuthbert Burby, 1592
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Eschew therefore idleness I beseech ye, and by the want ye find in others, learn instructions for your selves. Be not forgetful how busy your enemy is, if he find ye idle: first he putteth ye in mind of some vanity: then offereth opportunity to practise: then he craveth consent; and if ye grant him that, he triumpheth by adding practise: he leaveth no means unattempted, whereby he may subvert and bring ye to perdition.1 To one (as to Eva) he promiseth the knowledge of good and evil: Another he seduceth with lying speeches,2 as he did Pharaoh the king, whom he deceived by false Prophets. To the Jews he pretended the Temple of the Lord.3 To the Heathen he showed universalities and antiquities. And to omit particulars,4 he leaveth no mean unattempted, whereby he may entangle the souls of the simple, and wrap them in the snares of ⟨image 6⟩death. Fly idleness therefore, and seek virtue, and the way thereof: seek learning as for a jewel, make diligent search and inquisition after her: seek early and seek late. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening let not thy hand rest: seek him in the day of trouble, and he will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify him. Seek him; there is the commandment: he will deliver thee; there is the promise: and thou shalt glorify him; there is the condition. To disobey the commandment is rebellion, to distrust the promise is infidelity, to refuse the condition is vile ingratitude. Wherefore let us seek, and seek earnestly, with a fervent spirit, and humbleness of heart; and let us persuade our selves, that there is no seeking without finding, no opening without knocking.
Eschue therefore idlenesse I beseech yee, and by the want ye find in others, learne instructions for your selues. Be not forgetfull how busie your enemie is, if he finde yee idle: first hee putteth yee in minde of some vanitie: then offereth opportunitie to practise: then he craueth consent; and if yee graunt him that, hee triumpheth by adding practise: hee leaueth no meanes vnattempted, whereby he may subuert and bring yee to perdition.