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 Jews read the Scriptures daily in their Synagogues to find Christ, but all in vain, because the veil is not taken away in reading them: Even so do we preach in vain, and you hear in vain, because the veil of sin which is drawn like a Curtain over your harts, hideth and eclipseth the glorious light of the Gospel from you. And therefore (beloved brethren) if you will have the Lord to bless your hearing, and to prosper our preaching, you must wash and rinse out the dregs of sin that are frozen in you, you must purge the leaven of maliciousness that soureth your souls, you must cast up your covetousness, & your pride, and your slothfulness, & your partial prejudice, like the serpent which spews up his poison when he goes to drink: For this is the cause why there are so many fruitlesse & non-proficient hearers, because there are so many sinful and wicked hearers. It is said of Christ,¹ that he did not many great works in his own country for their unbeliefs sake: so it may be said, that GOD concealeth many great mysteries of faith from us for our sins sake. Our wickedness stops Christs mouth that he will not speak, as the Jews incredulity chained his hands that he would not work. Will an Embroiderer teach an other mans servant his trade, if he know he ⟨p. 1008⟩will hurt him? No more will God teach the Devils servants his truth, because he knoweth they will offend him. The seed which fell into the thorny ground, sprang up very cheerfully for a time, that it might seem to give great hope of a joyful harvest: but because thorns grew up with it,² at length they choked it: so that unless we cut up the thorny sins which naturally sprout and spring up in us, they will overthrow all the good plants of holy doctrine that are grafted in us: and therefore the Prophet Jeremiah willeth us to break up the fallow ground, ³and not to sow among thorns, as if the heart must first be sanctified, and afterward instructed, as iron must first be heated, and afterwards be fashioned. In regard whereof, I beseech you (my beloved) in the fear and reverence of Gods blessed name, look to your feet when ye enter into the house of GOD: press not into this marriage feast without a Wedding garment, tread not into the holy Sanctuary to hear the word, with an unsanctified, and a defiled, and a filthy soul.