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…

Therefore now ask your hearts, whose they are, and how they are moved with these words; how many here will give to this collection? whose hart is gone up unto him since I began to speak? Here one and there one runs up the ladder,¹ like the Angels that Jacob saw in his dreams, and sing with David, My heart is prepared, ²my heart is prepared: and why not thou as well as he? Doth not he send for all alike? Wilt thou be the thorn or the stone,³ or the high way, where the seed doth loose his fruit? Why, hadst thou rather be compelled than invited,⁴ since thou art called to a banquet? How many hearts mo might we draw to God, if all that be here would go to him this day? but thus it stands, God hath sent unto us for our hearts, and we answer him as the husbands of the vineyard when he sent for fruits;⁵ or as Nabal answered David, when he sent for food,⁶ Who is David? or who is the Lord? that I should take my heart from ⟨p. 286⟩pleasure and sin, and give it unto him? Thus we demur upon the cause when we should give, whether we should give or no; and ask the flesh, and our lusts, and our pleasures: and if the devil will not give his assent, then we return an excuse, it is not mine to give, or if thou canst get the devils good will, I will not stand; or let sin and pleasure have it for a while, and when they have done with it, then God shall have it.

Therefore now aske your hearts, whose they are, and how they are moued with these wordes; how many here will giue to this collection? whose hart is gone vp vnto him since I began to speake? Here one and there one runnes vp the ladder,¹ like the Angels that Iacob saw in his dreames, and sing with Dauid, My heart is prepared,