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…

Therefore no doubt but as Job thought that his sons might offend in their feastings, so he taught them, even when they were feasting, and when they sate ⟨p. 1052⟩at the table, and when they drank one to another, to think oftentimes we may sin as our father told us, which bridled their mirth, & stopped many words at the door, even when sin was at the tongues end: you are not Jobs sons, but you are come to be Jobs scholars, therefore learn, that which his children learned. If a man did but carry this watch-word with him, whensoever he eateth or speaketh, or bargaineth, it would cut off a thousand idle words, and wicked acts in one year for which he shall give account. The second lesson which Job seems to point us unto, is to prepare our selves before we eat the communion, that is, to sanctify our selves, & our meats, as Christ did when they had nothing but a few fishes and bare bread, yet there was prayer before they did eat. For as Paul saith, All the creatures of God are sanctified unto us by prayer and thanksgiving. He which doth not pray to God for his daily bread, nor thank him for it, doth not receive the creatures of God, but steal them from him, as a man which taketh a thing without asking or thanking. There is a kind of men which I speak of, which hold it too sad a matter, to say a short grace before they fall to meat, least it should forspeak their mirth, & keep them in a sober mind till they rise again. I have heard many ⟨p. 1053⟩say, that they cannot be merry, unless they swear and whoop, & carouse, & dally, & gibe: therefore if they can choose they will never be a guest where any godly man is present, lest his countenance or words should dash their sport; & if any matter of God happen to come in while they are in the vain, it is like a damp which puts out their lights, and turns their mirth into heaviness, as the hideous hand which wrote upon the wall cast Belshazzar into a dump. These men had need to leave their feasting, and go to praying, for they deserve to die, like the Jews with the quails in their mouths. It may be (thought Job) that my sons have a spice of this vanity.

Therefore no doubt but as Iob thought that his sonnes might offend in their feastings, so hee taught them, euen when they were feasting, and when they sate ⟨p. 1052⟩