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 best man is but a man, the worst are worse then beasts, no man is untainted but Christ, they which had greater gifts than we, they which had deeper roots then we, they which had stronger hearts then we, they which had more props then we, are fallen like a bird which is weary of her flight, and turned back like the wind in the twinkling of an eye. 2. Kin. 8. 13. ⟨p. 1087⟩Who would have mocked him, that should have said sometime as Elisha said to Hazael, what wickedness he should do in time to come, that he should slay and trample men, women and children, Hazael blushed to hear thus of him, and said, Am I a dog that I should do this? as if he would never do it while he were a man, but count him a dog when he comes to that: so they which are changed like Hazael, blush to hear thus of him, and would have scorned sometime at him which should once have said, when they were zealous and studious preachers, and persecuted for their preaching, that the time would come when they should be loiterers, time-servers, lovers of the world, and greedy wolves, devourers of their flocks, and persecutors, they would have said, Am I a dog? Am I a beast? Am I a reprobate, that I should do this? they would never believe this till it came to pass, and being fallen, they say they sinned like Hazael, which blushed before he sinned, and was impudent after. Therefore let no man say what he will be, before he have examined what he is, but run his course with a trembling fear, always looking down to the rubs which lye before him, and the worthies which are slain already, and remember when any spectacle of frailty is in thine eye, this is my warning, for no man hath more privilege than another. ⟨p. 1088⟩This is the profit we should make of other mens faults, like a pearl which is taken out of the serpent: when we see our brothers nakedness, it should move us to compassion of him, and a fear of our selves, for when we rejoice at others fall, like Ham, as the leprosy went from Naamā to Gehezie, so God turneth his wrath from them, and it lighteth upon us, Prou. 24. 18. and such as have despised others without remorse, have fallen in the like, or more shamefully themselves, and never rose again. What shall we do then when we hear of other mens faults? not talk as we do, but beware by them, and think, Am I better then he? Am I stronger then Sampson?