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 doth man hang in a balance, like ⟨p. 268⟩a young virgin which hath many suitors: some she fancieth for parentage, some for personage, some for friends, some for wealth, some for wit, some for virtue, and after all, chooseth the worst of all; so the heart hath so many suitors besides God, that sometime she marrieth with one, sometimes with another, the world keeps her, the flesh keeps her, the devil keeps her, which have no more interest in her, than Herod to his sister,¹ but seek her spoil, like them which marry for riches, are glad when one dies, that another may come. These suitors are like Absalom, which did not seek the hearts of the people like David, but stole them with flattery and lies:² but God would have thee give thy heart.

Thus doth man hang in a ballance, like ⟨p. 268⟩a yong virgin which hath manie sutors: some she fancieth for parentage, some for personage, some for friends, some for wealth, some for wit, some for vertue, and after all, chooseth the worst of all; so the heart hath so many suters besides God, that sometime she marrieth with one, sometimes with another, the world keeps her, the flesh keeps her, the deuil keeps her, which haue no more interest in her, than Herod to his sister,¹ but seeke her spoile, like them which marrie for riches, are glad when one dies, that another may come. These suters are like Absolon, which did not seeke the hearts of the people like Dauid, but stole them with flatterie and lies:² but God would haue thee giue thy heart.

1. 1Mat. 14. 4.
2. 2