A12429:78
Four sermons preachedFoure sermons preached
Four sermons preached by Master Henry Smith. And published by a more perfect copy then heretoforeFoure sermons preached by Master Henry Smith. And published by a more perfect copie then heretofore
London: printed by P. Short for Cuthbert Burby and William Leake, 1599London: printed by P. Short for Cutbert Burby and William Leake, 1599
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.
Remember the example of David, whom the Lord chose and took from the Ewes great with young: that he might 1feed his people in Jacob, & his inheritance in Israel. Remember the example of Job, how the Lord turned the captivity 2of Job, as the rivers in the south, how he blessed the last days of Job more than the first, how he gave him sheep & camels & oxen, & she asses, in more abundance than he had before, how he increased him with sons and daughters, even to the fourth generation, so that he died being old and full of days. Remember even our own estate, for whom the Lord hath don great things already: as created us, and redeemed us, & sanctified 3us, and not long since delivered us from the gaping jaws of those that sought to suck our blood. Upon some he 4hath bestowed humility, whereby their minds are adorned with virtue: honour upon others, whereby their persons are invested with majesty: upon others comeliness, whereby the other two are graced: upon others orchards, which they planted not, or at least unto which they gave no increase: upon others increase of virtuous children, whereby their posterity is preserved: upon others, the free passage of his word, which ⟨image 17⟩a long time had been obscured by ignorance, the mother of devotion, as the shavelings call it, but under a stepdame of destruction, as we perceive it: & though he bestow but some one or two of his blessings upon us, yet how much are we bound for these blessings, to sing praise, & honour, and glory, unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever. But upon whom he hath bestowed all these blessings, O how strictly by good cause are they bound to magnify the Lord, and to rejoice in God their Saviour. Examine then your own consciences, I beseech ye, whether God hath bestowed all these blessings upon you or no: and if he have, O what great cause have ye to come before his face with praise, to sing loud unto him with Psalms, to 5worship & to fall down before him, to give unto the Lord the glory of his name, to bring an offering of thanksgiving, and to enter into his courts with praise. And yet who knoweth whether the Lord hath greater blessings for ye in store? ye may be sure he will pull down the mighty from their seat, and exalt the humble and meek.