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…

When a man sinneth, he thinketh with himself I will do this no more, after another sin promiseth as much profit as that, and he saith again I will do this no more, presently another sin promiseth as much profit as that, and he saith again, I ⟨p. 689⟩will do this and no more. There goeth strength and there cometh a wound, so the soul bleedeth to death and knoweth not her sickness till she be at the last gasp. Even as a man undresseth himself to bed, first he casteth off his cloak, and then his coat, and then his doublet: so when GOD rifleth our hearts, he pulleth away one feather after another: first he wounds his faith, after he strikes his love, then he blindeth his knowledge, then he shall have no delight to hear the word, after he shall grow to hate the Preachers of the word, at last he shall even hate the word it self. This is the bleeding of the soul, or the spiritual consumption, when graces drop away, as the hairs fall from an hoary head before death. Let Ahithophel be a spectacle for all to fear, he was counted a wise man and a deep Councillor, yet because it was the wisdom of the flesh, the story saith, that GOD turned his wisdom into folly, and that he might seem foolish (as he was in deed) God made him to hang himself, whereby his folly was more notorious then his wisdom. But most notable is the example of persecuting Saul, when he began to fall, he ran headlong. First he fell in hatred of David, then he fell in hatred of GOD, after God fell in hatred of him: Anon the spirit ⟨p. 690⟩departed from him: At last, he sought for help at Witches, which he had condemned before. This is the property of sin to spur a man forward, until he commit that which he condemneth himself, that he may be tormented of his own conscience. Now, if I might apply this scripture as Christ saith, are there no mo sinners but they, upon whom the Tower of Shiloh fell? So I may say, is the Talent taken from none but from him which hid it in the ground? Nay, Saul was but a type of many which should loose the spirit, Sampson was but a type of many which should lose their strength, Demas was but a type of many which should embrace the world: as David crieth, How are the mighty overthrown? So we may mourn and say, how are the zealous cooled, how are the diligent tired?

When a man sinneth, he thinketh with himselfe I will doe this no more, after another sinne promiseth as much profite as that, and hee saith againe I will doe this no more, presently another sinne promiseth as much profite as that, and hee saith againe, I