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…

AT the last time which I spake of these words, In all things give thanks, & Quench not the Spirit: Touching the first, I showed you that it is an easier thing to obtain of God, than to be thankful to him:¹ for moe have gone away speeders, than have gone away thankers. Then how the wicked are beholding to God, as well as the just: and therefore it is said,² that the Sun doth shine upon the just and the unjust. Then how Jacob came ⟨p. 291⟩not so barely to Laban,³ when he brought nothing with him, but his staff in his hand: as man cometh into this world without strength or staff to sustain him, which made the Apostle to ask,⁴ What have you which you have not received? Therefore, to teach man to be thankful unto his maker, he was not made in Paradise the place of joy and happiness,⁵ but being made out of Paradise, he was brought into Paradise, to show how all his joy and happiness came from God, and not from nature, that he might know where to bestow his thanks. Therefore David to persuade all men unto thankfulness, saith, It is a good and pleasant thing to be thankful.⁶ If he had said no more but good, all which love goodness were bound to be thankful, but when he saith not only good but pleasant too, all which love pleasure are bound to be thankful, and therefore as Peters mother in law, so soon as Christ healed her of a fever, rose up immediately to minister unto him,⁷ so we so soon as Christ hath done any thing for us, should rise up immediately to serve him.⁸ And as Annah when she had received a son from God, did consecrate him to God again: so whatsoever we receive of God, we must give it to God again, that is, use it to his glory, and make it one of our means to serve him, for