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…

I desire to be dissolved: he calleth his death not a destruction but a dissolution, for three causes. First he departeth from this life, and hath no more society with them that live upon the earth. Secondly, his soul departeth from the body until the day of resurrection, then she findeth her own body again, and they rejoice like friends which are met together. Thirdly, he departeth from this vale of misery, into the paradise of joy and all felicity, to live and reign with God for ever: in assurance whereof he saith, that he shall be with Christ, so that death is the way to Christ. As the Dove found no rest until she came to the Ark:¹ so the faithful find no rest till they come to Christ, they go through the wilderness like other men. Until the Jews arrived at Canaan,² all their life was spent in sinful Egypt, or in the dreadful desert, during the time of their journey they had no settled rest or continuing pleasure. Peace beginneth when the battle endeth, there is the prerogative ⟨p. 530⟩of the dead, least death should be too fearful to us. The best of Gods blessings are behind, that is, everlasting life, and the way to it is death, thou art going to joy, therefore look not for it until thou come to thy journeys end.³ If Canaan the land of peace, the land of plenty, the land of pleasure, be in the wilderness: stay here, march no further, whither do you go like the Pilgrims of Israel if Canaan be in the wilderness? But Paul looks for the crown at the goal: he is not with Christ, but trusts to be with Christ: he is not in heaven, but he hopes to come to heaven, and this hope led him through the wilderness, that he murmured not like the Israelites, but only longed for that day, when Christ shall say unto him as he said to the penitent thief: This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise. Thus you have heard the difference between the faithful and the wicked, how the one loatheth this life, and the other longeth after it.

I desire to be dissolued: he calleth his death not a destruction but a dissolution, for three causes. First he departeth from this life, and hath no more societie with them that liue vpon the earth. Secondly, his soule departeth from the bodie vntill the day of resurrection, then she findeth her owne bodie agayne, and they reioyce like friends which are met together. Thirdly, he departeth from this vale of miserie, into the paradise of ioy and all felicitie, to liue and reigne with God for euer: in assurance whereof he saith, that he shall bee with Christ, so that death is the way to Christ. As the Doue found no rest vntill she came to the Arke: