Two sermons preached by Master Henry SmithTvvo sermons preached by Master Henry Smith

O Lord, saith he, I desire now to be dissolved and free from the bondage of sin, which so long hath inhabited in my mortal body, for now he is come, by whom thou hast promised to free and set us at liberty, he is come by whom thou hast promised to break the Serpents head, and he is come that will heal our infirmities, and give strength against sin and satan by faith & peace towards God through love. And now, saith he, I have embraced him, and thankfully do receive him. I believe, & am persuaded that this is the same Messiah, whom the Father promised, and the Prophets fore-told, all Israel longed & expected for, who is the light of the Gentiles, the glory of Israel, and the God of the whole world. So they which love the truth of God, and wait with desire to be ⟨image 32⟩filled with the knowledge thereof, such shall not die until they have their harts desire with contemplation thereof. ¹For as Peter was sent to Cornelius, and Philip to the Eunuch: so the Lord will stir up such of his servants, as may be fit instruments to minister the same unto us. Judas indeed died before the time, and lived not to see Christ crucified, but the Disciples which loved Jesus, did see him die like an undefiled innocent Lamb, and that to their exceeding joy and comfort, when they understood how that he suffered death for love of them and for their redemption. Now if Christ cannot hide him from such as hunger after him through love, then what shall we say of our Fathers which lived in the time of ignorance, that longed to see his light, although they had a mist cast before their eyes? Surely, such died not till they saw Christ, and embraced him in their hearts. And this is our judgement concerning them that died in the time of Popery. And likewise as concerning the rest, which thought to be saved by Purgatory and Masses after that they are dead, we say that they which sleep without oil in their lamps they die ere they are aware of, and ere they wish for it, like the Philistines which sent for Sampson to laugh and mock at him, and to sport ²themselves, upon whom the house fell and destroyed them all: or the Egyptians, which thought that the waters had made passage for them aswell as for the Israelites, ³both which died in and for their security because they were not watchful, nor prepared against the Lord called them.