A12406:527
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.
these are the riches at last which we must dwell with, when all the rest which we have lied for, and sworn for, and fretted for, and cozened for, and broken our sleep for, & lost many Sermons for, forsake us, like servants which change their masters: then Godliness shall seem as great gain to us as it did to Paul, and he which loved the world most, would give all that he hath for a dram of faith, that he might be sure to go to heaven when he is dead, though he went towards hell so long as he lived. Here then is an answer to them which ask,1 What profit is it to serve God? 2Howe happy was Barzillai that would not be exalted? What quiet had the Shunamite,3 which cared not for preferment?4 When did the Disciples seem so rich, as when they were willing to leave all? This shall be your gain, when you are Usurers of godliness. Is not the word gone forth yet, which hath killed covetousness, that I may end my Sermon? Either you go away contented, or else you go away condemned of your own conscience. Before you were vexed ⟨p. 231⟩with covetousness, but now the word shall vex you too; for you shall never covet, nor lye, nor deceive hereafter, but a sergeant shall arrest you upon it, and some sentence which you have heard, shall gnaw you at the heart with a Memorandum of hell, that ye shall wish; Oh that I could abandon this sin, or else that I had never heard that warning, that makes it a corrosive unto me before I can leave it. If they which are greedy still, could see what peace, and rest, and joy go home with them which are contented (although they may say with Peter,5 Gold and silver have I none) every man would be a suitor to Godliness, that he might have the dowry of contentation. If any here be covetous still, let him alway think why David prayeth, Turn my heart unto thy law, 6and not unto covetousness; he might have named pride, or anger, or lust: but to show that no sin did so keep his thoughts from the law, as covetousness when it came upon him, he saith, Turn my hart unto thy law, & not unto covetousness, as though a man could not be covetous, & have leisure to think upon any good.