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…

Now to the matter. Satan from whence comest thou? I come from compassing the earth. Here the Devil is called in like a Jailer, which keeps some in perpetual prison, and some are bailed, and some return to prison again, and some are executed. They which sin fearfully, stay as it were about the prison, but are not bound: they which sin wittingly, are under lock, they which sin greedily, are under lock and bolts, they which dye in their sin, are like them which are condemned: this is the bondage which we have brought our selves unto for a fair apple. When the tempter overcame us, we were removed out of Paradise, where we were seated: when we have overcome the tempter, we shall be translated into heaven, where he was seated: heaven door was wide, and the way was broad before the rebellion: but when we knocked at the cannell door, then the good door was shut: heaven is large, but the way to heaven must be narrow, therefore God hath set our enemies in the gate to fight with us before we enter, that this saying might be verified, The kingdom of heaven is caught by violence: so soon as we rise in the morning we go forth ⟨p. 1059⟩to fight with two mighty giants, the World and the Devil, and whom do we take with us but a traitor? this brittle flesh which is ready to yield us up to the enemy at every assault, only he which suffereth Satan to compass us, doth stay him from destroying us. When God asked Cain, where is thy brother? Cain lied and said, I cannot tell. When God asked Sarah why she laughed? Sarah lied and said, I laughed not: but when God asked the devil from whence he came, he answered truly, I come from compassing the earth, & yet he which speaketh truth himself, taught them to lye, as he is called the father of liars, because he teacheth all others to lye. How then? Was Cain worse then the devil, because he lied and the other told trueth? By this you may see that carnal men do not know so much of God as the very devil knoweth, for he knew that GOD could tell where he had been, but Cain doubted whether God could tell what he had done, and therefore he made a lye. Thus, thus the Devil teacheth his scholars to do worse sometimes then he will do himself, even as he would bring them (if it were possible) into a worse plight than he is himself.

Nowe to the matter. Satan from whence commest thou? I come frō compassing the earth. Here the Diuel is called in like a Iaylor, which keepes some in perpetuall prison, and some are bayled, and some returne to prison again, and some are executed. They which sinne fearfully, stay as it were about the prison, but are not bound: they which sinne wittingly, are vnder locke, they which sinne greedily, are vnder lock and bolts, they which dye in their sinne, are like them which are condemned: this is the bondage which we haue brought our selues vnto for a fayre apple. When the tempter ouercame vs, we were remoued out of Paradise, where we were seated: when we haue ouercome the tempter, we shal be translated into heauen, where he was seated: heauen doore was wide, and the way was broad before the rebellion: but when we knockt at the cannell doore, then the good doore was shut: heauen is large, but the way to heauen must be narrow, therefore God hath set our enemies in the gate to fight with vs before we enter, that this faying might be verified, The kingdome of heauen is caught by violence: so soone as we rise in the morning we goe forth