The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…

As the little birds perk up their heads when their dam comes with meat, and prepare their beaks to take it, striving who shall catch most; now this looks to be served, and now that looks for a bit, and every mouth is open until it be filled: so you are here like birds, and we the dam, and the word the food, therefore you must prepare a mouth to take it. They which are hungry will strive for the bread which is cast amongst them, & think this is spoken to me, this is spoken to me, I have need of this, and I have need of this: comfort go thou to my fear, promise go thou to my distrust, threatening go thou to my security, and the Word shall be like a perfume, which hath odour for every one.

As the little birds perke vp their heads when their damme comes with meate, and prepare their beakes to take it, striuing who shall catch most; now this lookes to be serued, and now that lookes for a bit, and euery mouth is open vntill it bee filled: so you are here like birds, and we the damme, and the worde the foode, therefore you must prepare a mouth to take it. They which are hungry wil striue for the bread which is cast amongst them, & think this is spoken to me, this is spoken to me, I haue neede of this, and I haue neede of this: comfort goe thou to my feare, promise goe thou to my distrust, theatning goe thou to my securitie, and the Word shall be like a perfume, which hath odour for euery one.

These are good remembrances for all hearers to think that the Word is an Epistle from God unto them, that it is the Will wherein their Legacies are written, that it is a charge from the Judge of life and death, that ⟨p. 656⟩it is the meat whereby they live, that it is the seed which if it grow they are fruitful, if it grow not they have no fruit, but these are general matters, my desire is to teach you a compendious way of hearing, which you have not heard before, that as the Word is called a brief word, so you may learn it briefly: for it is not gainful unto us as it is to Lawyers, Physicians and Surgeons, to keep you long in hand, but to heal you and dispatch you quickly as Christ healed the Lepers. This Age hath devised divers Methods to learn many things in shorter time than they were learned of old: A man may spend seven years in learning to write, and he may meet with a Scribe which will teach him as much in a month. A Prentice may spend nine years in learning a trade, and some master (if he were disposed) would teach him as much in a twelve month. A man may fetch such a compass that he may be a whole month in going to Berwick, and another which knoweth the way will go it in less than a week: so to every thing there is a farther way and a nearer way, and so there is to knowledge. You do not remember the hundred part of that which you have heard, & to morrow you will not remember the tenth note which you hear this day. It may be that some will remember more: and why not thou