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…

Thus holy men have kept their sessions at home, and made their hearts the fore-man ⟨p. 137⟩of the jury, and examined themselves as we examined others, the fear of the Lord stood at the door of their souls, to examine every thought before it went in, and at the door of their lips, to examine every word before it went out, whereby they escaped a thousand sins which we commit, as though we had no other work. So thou shouldest sit in judgement of thy self, and call thy thoughts, and speeches, and actions, to give in evidence against thee, whether thou be a Christian, or an infidel, a son, or a bastard, a servant, or a rebel, a Protestant, or an hypocrite: if thou find not faith, nor fear, nor love, nor zeal, when thou examinest thy self, let no man make thee believe that thou art holy, that thou art sanctified, that thou art a Christian, that thou art a believer, that thou art a Gospeller, because thou art worse then thou seemest thy self, for every man is partial to himself when he is most humbled.

Thus holie men haue kept their sessions at home, and made their hearts the fore-man ⟨p. 137⟩of the iurie, and examined themselues as wee examined others, the feare of the Lord stood at the doore of their soules, to examine euerie thought before it went in, and at the dore of their lips, to examine euery word before it went out, wherby they escaped a thousand sinnes which we commit, as though wee had no other worke. So thou shouldest sitte in iudgement of thy selfe, and call thy thoughts, and speeches, and actions, to giue in euidence against thee, whether thou be a Christian, or an infidell, a sonne, or a bastard, a seruaunt, or a rebell, a Protestant, or an hypocrite: if thou find not faith, nor feare, nor loue, nor zeale, when thou examinest thy selfe, let no man make thee beleeue that thou art holie, that thou art sanctified, that thou art a Christian, that thou art a beleeuer, that thou art a Gospeller, because thou art worse then thou seemest thy selfe, for euery man is partiall to himselfe when he is most humbled.