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

Thus you have heard how Zaccheus behaved himself in entertaining of Christ: now you shall see the behaviour of the Pharisees in disdaining at Christ. When all they saw it, they murmured saying, that he was gone in to lodge with a sinful man. Before, they hated Zaccheus for his vices, because he was covetous: now they envy him for his virtues, because he was given to hospitality. For the wicked will always have something to find fault with in the children of God, like the sons of Jacob, Gen. 37. that hated their brother Joseph because of his dreams: and like Saul that unhappy King, that envied David for his happy victories, 1. Sam. 18. 29. Thus the wicked when they cannot charge the godly with any grievous crime, they begin to grudge at their well doing: and therefore not only Zaccheus is hated for receiving of Christ, but Christ is hated also for being his guest: When they could not accuse Christ for sin, they accuse him for companying with sinners: For ⟨image 14⟩they must still be accusing some or other, for one thing or other, like their father the devil, that both by name, Revel. 12. 10. and by nature, Job. 16. 7. is a continual accuser of the brethren. It had been the duty of the Pharisees to have received Christ, and made much of him as Zaccheus did: but they are so far off from entertaining him themselves, that it grieveth them to see Zaccheus give him entertainment. And surely, such is the perverse nature of the wicked, that they will neither receive the grace of God when it is offered them, nor willingly suffer any other to embrace the same: like the wicked Jews Acts, 13. 50. that would neither believe the doctrine which Paul preached, nor could abide that the Gentiles should be brought to the faith of Christ. The high Priests thought themselves too high, to have poor humble Christ amongst them: The Scribes and the Pharisees, in their own conceit, were too good, too wise, and too holy to receive him into their company and not content to sequester and estrange themselves from Christ, they disdained also that he should be conversant with Publicans and sinners, as though he were not worthy to be conversant amongst them.