A12406:951
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.
The third point is, that our life is but a short life: as many little skulls are in Golga•ha, as great skulls: for one apple that falleth from the tree, ten are pulled before they be ripe, and the parents mourn for the death of their children, as often as the children for the decease of their parents. This is our April and May wherein we flourish, our June and July are next when we shall be cut down. What a change is this, that within fourscore years not one of this assembly shall be left alive: but another preacher, and other hearers shall fill these rooms, and tread upon us where our feet tread now?
The third point is, that our life is but a short life: as many little skuls are in Golga•ha, as great skuls: for one apple that falleth from the tree, ten are pulled before they bee ripe, and the parents mourne for the death of their children, as often as the children for the decease of their parents. This is our Aprill and May wherein we florish, our Iune and Iuly are next when wee shall bee cut downe. What a change is this, that within fourescore yeares not one of this assemblie shall bee left aliue: but another preacher, and other hearers shall fill these roomes, and tread vpon vs where our feete tread now?
The Raven and the Phoenix, and the Elephant, and the Lyon, and the Hart fulfil their hundreds, but man dieth when he thinks yet his sun riseth, before his eye be satisfied ⟨p. 557⟩with seeing, or his ear with hearing or his heart with lusting, death knocks at his door, and will not give him leave to meditate an excuse before he come to judgement. To show the shortness of mans life, Moses used the shortest division in nature to express it by, he might have said, Teach me, O Lord, to number my months, or my years, but he speaks of days: so the Scripture is wont to number our life by days, and hours, and minutes, to show us that we shall give account for hours, as well as for days, for days as well as for weeks, for weeks as well as for months, for months as well as for years, which warneth us to make use of all our time, and every day to think upon the last.