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 Psalm was compiled by Moses, as ye may see by the title, at what time the Spies returned from the land of Canaan, and God for the murmuring of the people, pronounced, that all which were above twenty years old, should die in the wilderness, except Caleb and Joshua, that encouraged their brethren to go to Canaan.¹ Now when Moses heard the sentence of death pronounced against himself, and all the Jews which came out of Egypt, except only two Caleb and Joshua, that all should die before they came to the land which they sought, he prayeth thus for himself, and the rest. Teach ⟨p. 547⟩us, O Lord, to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom: that is, seeing we must needs die, teach us to think of our death, that we may die in thy fear to live again: showing us how the consideration of our mortality will make us apply our hearts to godliness. He which is tottering himself, had need to lean unto a stable thing; therefore a wavering man is commended here to constant wisdom. Man is mortal, wisdom is immortal, yet by wisdom man becomes immortal too: therefore Moses thinking of his death, runneth to wisdom as a remedy against death. I have chosen a text fit for the time,^* which warneth us how our years pass that when we think of the old year how soon it is gone, ye may see upon what a whirling wheel we are set: which putteth us in mind every day of that last day, which is coming for us, when we shall give account how every day was spent before it. So many years as are past; so many years we are nearer to the last: and though the old year be gone, and a new year come; yet whether another shall come after this, as this came after the former, no man (I think) hath any promise of him •hat made time: for even these two days since the old year went out, many have gone •he way which we all shall follow. Now why •re days, or weeks, or years, but for us? But ⟨p. 548⟩for man there should be no winter, no summer, no spring, no autumn; that we seeing how the seasons are renewed, at last with them we may learn to renew our selves: for to celebrate new years with old sins, is to let every thing go before our selves; and suffer the time to condemn us which was given to save us, God hath showed us new years, but he would have us show him new men. This is Gods new years gift,