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…

so that if there be no communion between light and darkness,¹ & the word of God be a lantern unto our feet, & a light unto our paths; then it is evident that the Word hath no darkness in it. If we see not all things, the fault is not in the light, but in the eye; as Hagar could not see the water which yet was before her, & therefore our adversaries falsely charge the Scriptures of exceeding hardness and intricateness▪ When the spies were returned from Canaan they could not say,² but that it was a good ⟨p. 1025⟩land; but they said it was hard to come by: So the Papists must needs confess, that the Scripture is a good Word, and yet to dissuade the Lords people from a serious and diligent search of it; they bring up a slander and say; it hath many obscurities and bypaths. But as Elisha saw the horses and fiery chariots which his enemies could not see: So (beloved) if ye come with a faithful and a holy heart to the Word and to the Scripture, ye shall see that plainness and easiness in the doctrine which our adversaries cannot see. For the third point, that the Gospel is the only comfort and consolation of a faithful soul; The Prophet Jeremiah saith, Thy words were found by me, and I did eat them, ³and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. Thy testimonies have I taken for an heritage for ever: ⁴for they are the joy of my heart. As a man will be glad to be hired to a noble man: so David when he had gotten the milk of the Word, rejoiced as much as if he had been hired unto God: and therefore, in all the story of the Acts, we see joy and comfort to have followed the word, as Elisha followed Elijah, and would not leave him. So the wise men rejoiced exceedingly when they saw the star which should lead them to Christ: so ye have matter of great joy & comfort, when ye ⟨p. 1026⟩hear the word preached which shall carry you to heaven, like the chariots which conveyed Jacob into Egypt. There be many Micols in this land which have mocked King David for dancing before the Ark. There are many which term us heady and foolish men, because we come and throng, & press thus to a sermon: but as Christ said, Father forgive them, they know not what they do; So God forgive them, they know not what they say: