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…

the world will win the flesh, and the flesh will win the spirit, and one sin will cry to another as the Moabites did at the river, Now Moab to the spoil, now sins to your spoil: then thy knowledge shall fly as though it were afraid to be taken captive of ignorance, thy love shall not abide thy hatred, thy humility shall not abide thy pride, thy temperance shall not abide thy concupiscence. As thou seest the leaves fall from the trees in a boisterous wind: so thy graces shall drop away one after another, as though thou were in a consumption. As the Ark would not stay with the Philistines, so the grace of GOD will not stay with sinners, but flieth from them like persecutors. David was not so ready to fly from Saul, but the spirit was as ready to fly from him too. This must come upon all which sin like Sampson, their strength must depart from them until they learn like Nebuchadnezzar from whence it came.¹ This sentence is such a meditation, that he ⟨p. 686⟩which would preach it to the quick, had need to have an eye in all mens hearts, to see how one virtue dieth after another, until the soul die too. As there is a fall of leaves, and an Eclipse of the sun, and a consumption of the body: so there is a fall of gifts, and an Eclipse of knowledge, & a consumption of the spirit. It is strange to see, how wisdom, and knowledge, and judgement do shun the wicked, as though they were afraid to be defiled. As Barak would not go, unless Deborah would go with him: so knowledge will not stay unless virtue will stay with her. To this Jeremiah pointed when he mocked the Jews for saying,² Knowledge shall not depart from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet: to this Isaiah pointed when he saith,³ The wisdom of the wise men shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall be hid: as if he should say, one day Christ will tell you, that Whosoever hath not, from him &c. And when you hear that saying, then remember these examples how he hath fulfilled it before. After come the apostles, and they show some hardened some bewitched, some blinded. Paul tells how Demas fell away, and John showeth how many fell away. Thus the Prophets and Apostles on either side, and Christ in the mids hold up