A12406:122
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 sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his corrected copies in his life time.The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his corrected copies in his life time.
London: printed by Richard Field for Thomas Man, 1593
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.
We say that one is none, because he cannot ⟨p. 16⟩be fewer then one, he cannot be lesser then one, he cannot be weaker then one: and therefore the wise man saith;1 Woe to him which is alone, that is, he which is alone shall have woe. Thoughts, and cares, and fears, will come to him, because he hath none to comfort him, as thieves steal in when the house is empty; like a Turtle, which hath lost his mate, like one leg when the other is cut off, like one wing when the other is clipped, so had the man been if the woman had not been joined to him: therefore for mutual society God coupled two together, that the infinite troubles which lie upon us in this world, might be eased with the comfort and help one of another, and that the poor in the world might have some comfort as well as the rich,2 for The poor man (saith Solomon) is forsaken of his own brethren, 3yet God hath provided one comforter for him, like Jonathans armour-bearer,4 that shall never forsake him, that is another self, which is the only commodity (as I may term it) wherein the poor do match the rich:5 Without which some persons should have no helper, no comforter, no friend at all.
We say that one is none, because he cannot ⟨p. 16⟩be fewer then one, he cannot be lesser then one, he cannot be weaker then one: and therfore the wise man saith;1 Woe to him which is alone, that is, he which is alone shall haue woe. Thoughts, and cares, and feares, will come to him, because he hath none to comfort him, as theeues steale in when the house is emptie; like a Turtle, which hath lost his mate, like one legge when the other is cutte off, like one wing when the other is clipte, so had the man bene if the woman had not bene ioyned to him: therefore for mutuall societie God coupled two together, that the infinite troubles which lie vppon vs in this world, might be eased with the comfort and help one of another, and that the poore in the worlde might haue some comfort as well as the rich,