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…

What said I? Rejoice O young man in thy youth? I would say, Remember O young man in thy youth. So God mocks us while we sin, like Michaiah, which bad Ahab fight against Aram, and then forbade him again: so he bids them rejoice, and forbids them again. Rejoice not in thy youth, but repent in thy youth. One would think that Solomon should have given this Memorandum rather to old men then to young men, let them repent which look to dye. Oh saith Jeremiah,¹ it is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth: if it be good to suffer in youth, ⟨p. 455⟩it is better to learn in youth. Therefore if David wished that his tongue might cleave to the roof of his mouth,² if he forgot Jerusalem: what are they worthy which forget GOD the King of Jerusalem? Can a child forget his father? Is not GOD our Father? therefore who is too young to remember him, seeing the child doth know his father? As the deepest wounds had need to be first tented: so the unstablest minds have need to be first confirmed. In this extremity is youth, as Solomon shows them before he teacheth them. For in the last verse of the former chapter, he calleth youth vanity, as if he would speak all evil in a word, and say that youth is even the age of sin. Therefore when he had showed young men their folly under the name of vanity, like a good Tutor he taketh them to school, and teacheth them their duty: Remember thy Creator, as though all sin were the forgetfulness of God, and all our obedience came from this remembrance, that God created us after his own image, in righteousness and holiness, to serve him here for a while, and after to inherit the joys which he hath himself. Which if we did remember, doubles it would make us ashamed to think and speak, and do as we are wont. For what man doth remember his Creator, or why he was created, ⟨p. 456⟩while he sweareth and forsweareth, and maketh his trade of sin, as though there were no God to judge, nor hell to punish.

What sayd I? Reioyce O young man in thy youth? I would say, Remember O young man in thy youth. So God mockes vs while wee sinne, like Michaiah, which bad Achab fight agaynst Aram, and then forbad him againe: so hee bids them reioyce, and forbids them agayne. Reioyce not in thy youth, but repent in thy youth. One would thinke that Salomon should haue giuen this Memorandum rather to olde men then to young men, let them repent which looke to dye. Oh saith Ieremie,