A73175:282
Six sermons preachedSixe sermons preached
Six sermons preached by Master Henry Smith at Clement Danes Church without Temple bar. With two prayers of the same author hereunto annexed.Sixe sermons preached by Maister Henry Smith at Clement Danes Church without Temple barre. VVith tvvo prayers of the same author hereunto annexed.
London: printed by Richard for Robert Dexter, 1592
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.
Many of you come to hear the word, & 1here you fall a sleep when you have most need to be waking, but I am glad I have now gotten a text to waken you, for now I can not read my text, but I must say, what meanest thou ô sleeper? arise: but I pray you, have not I wakened you, and yet you sleep again? If you mark what is said unto you, you are a sleep though your eyes be open, and if you were as wise as Jonah, you would not sleep here in the sight of all the people, but would rather get you to sleep in some corner, for Jonah went under the hatches to sleep, and would not sleep in the sight of the mariners. If you were as wise as Jonah, you would thank him that wakened you. Solomon saith, that he which reproveth, shall have more favour of a wise man, than he which flattereth. The Lord Jesus saith, woe be unto that servant, that when his master cometh he shall find sleeping, canst thou not watch one hour, saith he to Peter can you not wake while I speak unto you? You all would be ⟨p. 152⟩found in the Church when the Lord cometh, but you would not be found sleeping in the Church, you are watched (I see you not below) and none of you can steal a nap & not be spied, but when your eyes be most shut and see least, then most eyes be upon you, and I can as well stand in this pulpit unseen, as you can sit and sleep there and not be espied. I marvel how you can sleep having so many eyes looking on you, so many clamours in your ears, and God him self speaking unto you. Shall I continue jogging till you be wakened? how long shall I preach afore I can convert the usurer, the extortioner, the drunkard, or the blasphemer, seeing I speak thus long? for I can not convert you from your sleeping. What would you do if I read some Homilies unto you, whereas you cannot waken, while I preach unto you and speak against you? If you should see a traitor sleep upon the hurdle, or if you should see men sleep with meat in their mouths, would you not marvel? yet even so do you while I denounce the great judgements of God against you, and while I am feeding some of you, you fall a sleep, and so I preach in vain. There is a country whereof it is said, that it is night with them, when it is day with ⟨p. 153⟩us, I think that country be here, for how many are here that have lost their eyes and their ears since they came hither?