A12406:294
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 sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his corrected copies in his life time.The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his corrected copies in his life time.
London: printed by Richard Field for Thomas Man, 1593
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Thus if Christ were in thy body, and thou shouldest say as this woman: Blessed is the body that hath thee in it, nay would Christ say, Blessed is the heart that hath me in it. If Mary were no whit better for having Christ in her arms, nor for having her in her body, how much better art thou for having him in thy belly,1 where thou canst not see him? Must the sun needs come to us, or else cannot his heat and light profit us? nay it doth us more good, because it is so far off: so this Sun is gone from us, that he might give more light unto us, which made him say, It is good for you that I go from you: 2therefore away with this carnal eating of spiritual things.3 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou (saith Solomon) surpassest them all. So, many heretics have spoken absurdly, but this surpasseth them all, that Christ must be applied like physic, as though his blood could not profit us, unless we did drink it, and swallow it as a potion.
Thus if Christ were in thy body, and thou shouldest say as this woman: Blessed is the bodie that hath thee in it, nay would Christ say, Blessed is the heart that hath me in it. If Marie were no whit better for hauing Christ in her armes, nor for hauing her in her bodie, howe much better art thou for hauing him in thy bellie,1 where thou canst not see him? Must the sunne needs come to vs, or else cannot his heate and light profite vs? nay it dooth vs more good, because it is so farre off: so this Sunne is gone from vs, that hee might giue more light vnto vs, which made him saie, It is good for you that I go from you: 2therefore away with this carnall eating of spirituall things.3 Manie daughters haue done vertuously, but thou (saith Salomon) surpassest them all. So, manie heretikes haue spoken absurdlie, but this surpasseth them all, that Christ must be applied like phisicke, as though his blood could not profite vs, vnlesse we did drinke it, and swallow it as a potion.