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

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 other 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, and in their ceremonies, and so had no glory before he came, but were like the Moon when the Sun doth shine upon it, or like Rachel which despised ¹Leah, and became barren. And they despised the Gentiles light; like that son which was angry because ²his lost brother came home again; or like those labourers which checked the Lord of the vineyard, because ³he gave unto the other labourers as much as he gave unto them. But the Gentiles are like Leah, who being ⁴despised became fruitful. Simeon did rejoice in Christ, not only for that he was the glory of Israel, ⟨image 40⟩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 himself: 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 envy him for his gifts, if he have more knowledge, we envy him for his knowledge, if he have more zeal, we envy them for his zeal, if he have more riches, we envy him for his riches, and how can we rejoice when every bodies good is our evil and every bodies joy is our sorrow?