A12406:854
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…
The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his corrected copies in his life time.The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his corrected copies in his life time.
London: printed by Richard Field for Thomas Man, 1593
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
It is an old saying; Repentance is never too late, but it is a true saying; Repentance is never too soon.1 Therefore we are commanded to run, that we may obtain, which is the swiftest pace of man.2 The Cherubins were portraited with wings before the place where the Israelites prayed, to show how quickly they went about the Lords business. The Hound which runs but for the Hare, girds forth, so soon as he sees the Hare start: the Hawk which flieth but for the Partridge, taketh her flight so soon as she spies the Partridge spring: so we should follow the word so soon as it speaketh, and come to our Master so soon as he calleth. For God requiring the first borne for his offering, and the first fruits for his service, requireth the first labours of his servants, and as I may say, the maidenhead of every man. Therefore so soon as man was created, a law was given him,3 to show that he should live under obedience from the day that he is borne. So soon as he is borne, he is baptized in the name of God, to show that when we cannot run to Christ, we should creep unto him, and serve him as we can in youth and age: so soon as he beginneth to pray, ⟨p. 460⟩he saith, Thy name be hallowed, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, before he ask his daily bread, to show that we should seek the will of God, before the food which we live by, much more before the sins and pleasures which we perish by: so soon as the Lord distributed the Talents, he enjoined his servants to use them. Who is so young which hath not received some talent or other: therefore youth cannot excuse him, because the talent requires to be asked of every one which hath it. So soon as God had created the man and the woman, he commanded them to increase and multiply: shall we increase and multiply in the flesh, before we increase and multiply in the spirit: the first thing which God did after he had created heaven and earth, he did separate light from darkness,4 to show us how we should separate good from evil, before our good become evil.
It is an olde saying; Repentance is neuer too late, but it is a true saying; Repentance is neuer too soone.