A73175:84
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
THE SECOND SERMON OF THE SONG OF OLD FATHER SIMEON. › Which thou hast prepared.
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.
A light to be revealed to the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
A light to be reuealed to the Gentilos, and the glorie of thy people Israell.
You have heard Simeon showing the cause why the Son was sent from the Father, why he became man which reigned before in Paradise. What moved God to leave his joy and his bliss, and suffer more then all the world could suffer together? A great cause it is that would make a king leave his kingdom and fall to beggary. A great and wonderful cause it was that made Jehovah to come down from heaven to suffer misery upon the earth. Two causes Simeon showeth why this Messiah came from heaven. The first, that he might enlighten the Gentiles, which sate in darkness, and the second, that he might be the glory of Israel, which gloried in their sacrifices & in their ceremonies, and so had no glory before he came, but ⟨p. 49⟩were like the Moon when the Sun doth shine upon it, or like Rachel which despised Lea and became barren. And they despised 1the Gentiles light, like that son which was angry because his lost brother came home 2again, or like those labourers which checked the Lord of the vineyard, because he gave unto the other labourers more then he 3gave unto them. But the Gentiles are like 4Lea, who being despised became fruitful. Simeon rejoiced in Christ, not only for that he was the glory of Israel, but also for that he was the light of the Gentiles. Shall the head be sorrowful because the hand is well? nay rather the hand should be glad because the head is well, and the head because the hand is well. The father should be glad because his son is stronger then himself, the mother should be glad because her daughter is wiser then her self, the brother should be glad because his brother is richer then him self, the mistress should rejoice because her maid is a better housewife then her self. But we envy our brethren and our neighbours, because they are better then we, and because God hath blessed them with temporal or spiritual things above us: if we see that they have learning, then we envy them for their learning, if he have more gifts, we