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…

Again we know, that children are so greedily carried with a desire of the food, that when hunger assails them, they neither regard leisure, nor necessity, nor willingness of the mothers, but all excuses & business set apart, so soon as they cry for it, they must be fed; Even so we must not think it enough to desire the word, but we must be earnest and fervent, and importunate in calling and crying for it. A notable parable is in Luke,¹ how one called for bread in the night, the other answered that he was in bed; which seemed a reasonable answer, and yet it would not serve: So we have long called (my brethren) and we have a great while craved the bread of life, though it may seem a reasonable answer, that they cannot give it us without impoverishing themselves and their children, who are fat and enriched with the Ministers maintenance: yet we ought not to be daunted and discouraged so, but to continue asking still, as Peter continued knocking till the door was opened.² ⟨p. 1018⟩For as Jehu was known by his furious marching; so you may know a faithful and true Christian, by his zealous perfecting of holy purposes. The mother doth not always feed her child for love, but many times to keep it still and quiet, is constrained to leave all, and give it suck: So if our mother neither reverenced God, nor feared men, yet if we would be earnest and importunate with her, if we would continually cry and call for it, as babes do for the milk, she would feed us at last, if not of love, yet at least to be eased of us. It is an old saying, that he which asketh faintly teacheth us to deny him: If we will teach men to grant us, we must ask it with courage and constancy. And therefore as Jacob wrestled with the Angel and said, I will not let thee go until thou bless me: so must our requests wrestle with the Governors of our land, and say, I will not let you rest until you hear me.

Againe we knowe, that children are so greedily carried with a desire of the foode, that when hunger assayles them, they neither regarde leisure, nor necessitie, nor willingnes of the mothers, but all excuses & busines set apart, so soone as they crie for it, they must be fedde; Euen so wee must not thinke it enough to desire the worde, but we must bee earnest and feruent, and importunate in calling and crying for it. A notable parable is in Luke,