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…

So they which are young, need not try the snares and allurements of the world, or the ⟨p. 452⟩issues and effects of sin, which old men have tried before them, but take the trial and experience of others, and go a nearer way to obtain their wished desires. That is this (saith Solomon) If thou wouldest have any settled peace or hearty joy in this vain or transitory world, which thou hast been seeking all the time since thou wert borne, thou must Remember thy Creator, which did make thee, which hath elected thee, which hath redeemed thee, which daily preserveth thee, which will for ever glorify thee: and as the kind remembrance of a friend doth recreate the mind, so to think and meditate upon GOD, will supply thy thoughts, dispel thy griefs, and make thee cheerful, as the sight of the Ark comforted David: for joy, and comfort, and pleasure is whereas God is, as light, and cheerfulness, and beauty is whereas the Sun is. Now, if thou wouldest have this joy, and comfort, & pleasure to be long, and wouldest escape those thousand miseries, vexations, and vanities, which Solomon by many weary and tedious trials sought to make naked before thee, & yet held all but vanity when he had found the way, thou must Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, at the first spring time, and then thy happiness shall be as long as thy life; and all thy thoughts while thou remainest ⟨p. 453⟩on earth, a foretaste of the glory of Heaven. This is the sum of Solomons counsel.

So they which are young, neede not trie the snares and allurements of the worlde, or the ⟨p. 452⟩issues and effectes of sinne, which olde men haue tried before them, but take the tryall and experience of others, and goe a neerer way to obtaine their wished desires. That is this (sayth Salomon) If thou wouldest haue any setled peace or heartie ioye in this vaine or transitorie worlde, which thou hast beene seeking all the time since thou wert borne, thou must Remember thy Creator, which did make thee, which hath elected thee, which hath redeemed thee, which daylie preserueth thee, which will for euer glorifie thee: and as the kinde remembrance of a friende doth recreate the minde, so to thinke and meditate vpon GOD, will supply thy thoughts, dispell thy griefes, and make thee cheerefull, as the sight of the Arke comforted Dauid: for ioye, and comfort, and pleasure is whereas God is, as light, and cheerefulnes, and beautie is whereas the Sunne is. Nowe, if thou wouldest haue this ioy, and comfort, & pleasure to bee long, and wouldest escape those thousand miseries, vexations, and vanities, which Salomon by many weary and tedious tryals sought to make naked before thee, & yet held all but vanitie when hee had founde the way, thou must Remember thy Creator in the daies of thy youth, at the first spring time, and then thy happynesse shall bee as long as thy life; and all thy thoughts while thou remainest