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 Poets need feign no more, that men are transformed into beasts, for if they were living now, they should see men like beasts: some like Lyons, some like Wolves, some like Foxes, some like Bears, some like Swine: who is the beast, when the beasts satisfy nature, and man satisfieth appetite? when the beasts keep measure, and man exceeds measure? when the beasts are sound labouring, and man found surfeiting? who is the beast? I have read of a bird which hath the face of a man, but is so cruel of nature, that sometime for hunger she will set upon a man and slay him: after, when she comes for thirst unto the water to drink seeing the face in the water, like the face of him whom she devoured, for grief that she hath killed one like her self, takes such sorrow, that she never eateth nor drinketh after, but beats and frets and pines her self to death. What wilt thou do then which hast not slain one like thy self, but thy self, thy very self, with a cup of wine, and murderest so many graces & virtues in an hour?

The Poets neede fayne no more, that men are transformed into beasts, for if they were liuing now, they should see men like beasts: some like Lyons, some like Wolues, some like Foxes, some like Beares, some like Swine: who is the beast, when the beasts satisfie nature, and man satisfieth appetite? when the beasts keepe measure, and man exceedes measure? when the beasts are sound labouring, and man found surfetting? who is the beast? I haue read of a bird which hath the face of a man, but is so cruell of nature, that sometime for hunger shee will set vpon a man and slaye him: after, when shee comes for thirst vnto the water to drinke seeing the face in the water, like the face of him whom shee deuoured, for griefe that shee hath killed one like her selfe, takes such sorrowe, that shee neuer eateth nor drinketh after, but beates and frets and pines her selfe to death. What wilt thou doe then which hast not slaine one like thy selfe, but thy selfe, thy verie selfe, with a cup of wine, and murtherest so many graces & vertues in an houre?

As Esau sold his land and living for a ⟨p. 594⟩mess of pottage, so the drunkard selleth his sense, and wit, and memory, and credit, for a cup of wine. Thou hast not murdered thy brother like Cain, but thou hast murdered thy self, like Judas: as the Rechabites abstained from wine, as Jonadab bad them, obtained the blessing which God had appointed to the Israelites: so let us take heed least they which we account Idolaters; whilst they fast and watch, and obtain the blessing that GOD hath appointed for us, get away the blessing, while we sit down to ear and […] to play. Therefore as Christ said, Remember Lots wise: so I say, remember Lot: one hour of drunkenness did him more hurt, the all his enemies in Sodom. Remember Noah, one hour of drunkenness discovered that which was hid six hundred years.