A12406:425
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.
It is a miserable occupation to live by sin, and a great comfort to a man when he looketh upon his gold and silver, & his heart telleth him; all this is well gotten, and when he lieth upon his death-bed, and must leave all to his children, he can say unto them, I leave you mine own: but the Usurer cannot say, I leave you mine own, but I leave you other mens; therefore the Usurer can never die in peace, because if he die before he make restitution, he dieth in his sin.
It is a miserable occupation to liue by sinne, and a great comfort to a man when he looketh vpon his gold and siluer, & his heart telleth him; all this is well gotten, and when he lieth vpon his death-bed, and must leaue all to his children, hee can say vnto them, I leaue you mine own: but the Vsurer cannot say, I leaue you mine owne, but I leaue you other mens; therefore the Vsurer can neuer die in peace, because if he die before hee make restitution, he dieth in his sinne.
When Christ raised Lazarus from death, after he had lain four days in the grave, he wept so over his Sepulchre, that the standers about said one to another:1 See how he loved him: As it may be said of Christ, see how he loveth us, so it should be said of us, see how they love one another. For Christ said to his Disciples:2 Love one another as I have loved you: but it may be said of the Usurer, see how he hateth other, & loveth himself. For when ⟨p. 170⟩he saith that he lendeth for compassion, he meaneth for compassion of himself, that he may gain by his pity. The Usurer loveth the borrower, as the Ivy loveth the Oak: the Ivy loveth the Oak to grow up by it, so the usurer loveth the borrower to grow rich by him. The Ivy claspeth the Oak like a lover, but it claspeth out all the juice and sap, that the Oak cannot thrive after: so the usurer lendeth like a friend, but he covenanteth like an enemy, for he claspeth the borrower with such bands, that ever after he diminisheth, as fast as the usurer increaseth.