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…

This is the fierce messenger, which is sent to compel them to the banquet, which will not come when they are invited. Because we are naturally given to love the world, more then is good for us, therefore God hath set an edge of bitterness upon it, to make us to loath it, like a Nurse which layeth Mustard upon her breasts to wean the child from the dug: so Many are the troubles of the righteous, ¹to wean us from the dug of the world. The cross is one of our Schoolmasters in this life, and the best wisdom is deerest bought: prosperity seeketh for nothing, but necessity seeketh, and studieth, and laboureth, and prayeth for her wants. As the rod maketh the Scholar to apply his book, so all our knowledge is beaten into us: some learn their goodness of poverty, some of sickness, some of troubles: adversity is the fit time to learn the justice, mercy, power, and providence of GOD, a fit time to learn the patience, wisdom, faith, and obedience of man, a fit time to learn the subtlety, frailty, and misery of this world. All this thou buyest for troubles, yet they are but troubles, not plagues, nor curses, nor torments, but like the travels of a woman, when the birth is ripe, she is delivered, and straight she forgetteth all her pains, for joy that a ⟨p. 489⟩man child is borne into the world. So the servants of God travel but till the fruits be ripe. When the new man is borne, their travels are ended, and they forget all their troubles, because one is borne into the world, like the son of God. This is the difference between the afflictions of the righteous and the ungodly.

This is the fierce messenger, which is sent to compell them to the banquet, which will not come when they are inuited. Because we are naturally giuen to loue the world, more then is good for vs, therefore God hath set an edge of bitternesse vpon it, to make vs to loath it, like a Nurse which layeth Mustard vpon her breasts to weane the childe from the dug: so Many are the troubles of the righteous, ¹to weane vs from the dugge of the world. The crosse is one of our Schoolemasters in this life, and the best wisdome is deerest bought: prosperitie seeketh for nothing, but necessitie seeketh, and studieth, and laboureth, and prayeth for her wants. As the rodde maketh the Scholler to applye his booke, so all our knowledge is beaten into vs: some learne theyr goodnesse of pouertie, some of sicknesse, some of troubles: aduersitie is the fit time to learne the iustice, mercie, power, and prouidence of GOD, a fit time to learne the patience, wisedome, faith, and obedience of man, a fit time to learne the subtiltie, frailtie, and miserie of this worlde. All this thou buyest for troubles, yet they are but troubles, not plagues, nor cursses, nor torments, but like the trauels of a woman, when the birth is ripe, shee is deliuered, and straight shee forgetteth all her paynes, for ioye that a