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…

If the crown did lie in the mid way, then thou needest run but half the way: but to show that there is no reward for them that begin well, all the promises are made to him that continueth to the end. He is cursed not only which doth evil, but he which doth the work of the Lord negligently, or by halves, that is, he which offereth a maimed sacrifice for a sound, almost a Christian, for altogether. Therefore David before he prays, summoneth his thoughts, his speeches & actions, and saith: All that is within me praise the Lord, as a man giveth that which he thinketh will be accepted, that he may be welcome for it. If we did serve an ungrateful master: then we might think almost enough. But Christ did not love almost, when he shed his heart blood for us, & therefore he cannot ask more than he gave, and yet the inheritance of his blessings is behind: why shouldest not thou give as much for them as Abraham or David or Simeon, ⟨p. 948⟩which would have served God till this time if they had lived, & still reformed themselves, & yet thought they had done nothing, as Jacob counted his service for Rachel nothing, because he loved her: but thou thinkest that if thou givest thy pleasures, thou shalt want thy pleasures. No, as Abraham did not lose his son when he would have sacrificed his son, so God can keep his pleasures when thou resignest thy pleasures. Thou thinkest that God will not miss it, as Ananias thought that Peter would not miss it: but if Peter did miss it, will not God miss it? So we pare the offering like Eli's sons, which kept the best and fatest to themselves, which made the people abhor the sacrifices: and shall not God abhor such sacrifices? If Ely reproved his sons? how will God reprove them, which reproved Ely for not reproving them enough? A spiritual ear can hear GOD reproving this land, for this mincing of his worship. Can the preaching of the word, the signs of heaven, the shaking of the earth, the victory of your enemies, and all the blessings of God make you but almost Christians, almost religious, almost thankful?

If the crowne did lie in the midde way, then thou needest run but halfe the way: but to shew that there is no reward for them that begin well, all the promises are made to him that continueth to the end. Hee is cursed not onely which doth euill, but hee which dooth the worke of the Lorde negligently, or by halfes, that is, hee which offereth a maymed sacrifice for a sound, almost a Christian, for altogether. Therefore Dauid before hee prayes, summoneth his thoughts, his speeches & actions, and saith: All that is within mee praise the Lorde, as a man giueth that which he thinketh wil be accepted, that he may be welcome for it. If we did serue an vngratefull master: then we might thinke almost enough. But Christ did not loue almost, when he shed his heart bloud for vs, & therefore he cannot aske more than he gaue, and yet the inheritaunce of his blessings is behinde: why shouldest not thou giue as much for them as Abraham or Dauid or Simeon,