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

When, J say, thou being a Jew, shalt tell them this, thus in despite revile (for so they will take it) thus utterly condemn them and their gods: will not the best of them mock and despise thee? will not the rest gnash their teeth at thee, be ready to tear thee in pieces, put ⟨image 60⟩thee to exquisite torments, condemn thee to some horrible death, or continue thee in intolerable pains, in a most bitter life? No question. Think not therefore that thy good God, thy most kind and tender father, will recompense thy faithfulness, with sending thee so far to sustain such misery: It were impiety to think he willed it, it is blasphemy, terrible blasphemy to think he commands it: for it is to condemn him of unkindness, for thou hast showed fervent love; of untruth, for he hath promised it should go well with the just; of injustice, for godliness should have the reward due only to wickedness. Yea he should seem contrary to himself, to charge thee cruelly to murder thy self, which hath commanded all to kill none, if he should will thee to provoke that bloody city so. But the very thing it self also argueth, God meant nothing less then to commit thee to such danger, or that thou shouldst do to the proud Ninevites such a message. For to what end shouldst thou so cry against that City? to make them fly, and so to free them from destruction? How shouldst thou then not be found a false Prophet, and God a liar? What then? To bring them to repentance & then to spare them? how should not God so again be found untrue, & thou his lying messenger? what then? To convert them, and so to destroy them? what justice were that? and how contrary to his promise to Solomon? 2. Sam. 7. 14. Therefore it is manifest, God meant not thou shouldst go and cry so against Nineveh, but signified that thou wert as good, for any good may be done here, to exclaim so like a frantic man against Nineveh, as to preach in Samaria any longer now. Men here are so hardened that they contemn all, part are so cloyed that they loath all, the best part little esteem all that is preached: of none is the word accounted precious, of none reverently heard: and therefore thou shouldest for a time, to make the word precious, and to sharpen mens affections towards it, give over preaching here, and where thou ⟨image 61⟩wilt refresh thy self a while. Now here thou mayest not be idle: