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 first lesson that John taught, was: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Math. 3. 2. The first lesson that the Disciples taught, was, Repent too, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, Matth. 10. And the first lesson that Christ taught, was repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, Matth. 4. 10. to teach us what we should do first. Repent was the first lesson to young and old: For what can ⟨p. 461⟩we owe God to morrow, which we are not indebted to day? Therefore David prayed, Teach me O Lord to number my days: ¹not years, nor my months, nor my weeks. but my days, showing that we shall answer for days as well as years, for to day as well as to morrow: and for our youth as straightly as our age, which made him cry, Remember not the sins of my youth: which he would not have spoken, if God did not mark the sins of youth as well as age. Therefore he calleth children unto him as Solomon doth, and saith, that he will teach them the fear of the Lord. For should children honour their father and not honour God. It was a sweet comfort, when the children went before Christ to his temple, and sang there Hosanna, to make their fathers ashamed, which did not know the Messiah when he came, when their little children knew him. It is written that when Christ heard a young man answer, that he had kept the commandments from his youth, Christ began to love him, which shows how Christ loveth these timely beginnings, when we make him our nurse, and draw our first milk from his breasts. There is not one confession for old men, and another for young men, the old man saith not, I did believe in God: the young ⟨p. 462⟩man saith not, I will believe in God, but both say, I do believe in God, for he which is called I am, in the third of Exodus, loveth, I am, and careth not for, I was, nor I will be. When Christ asketh Peter, Lovest thou me? he looketh that Peter should answer him, Yea Lord I love thee: and not drive him off as Felix did Paul, I will hear thee, I will love thee, when I have a convenient time. For he which will not come when God calls, whatsoever he say, it is impossible that he should resolve to come hereafter: for he which is evil, how should he resolve to be good? therefore now or never, now and ever, the tree which buddeth not in spring, is dead all the year.