Four Sermons, Title page 1 – Sermon 1

Four Sermons · Title page 1 – Sermon 1

IH̄S

FOVRE SERMONS PREACHED BY MASTER HENRY SMITH.

And published by a more perfect copie then heretofore.

ET VSQVE AD NVBES VERITAS TVA

AT LONDON Printed by P. S. for Cutbert Burby. 1599.

PS

The contents,

1 The trumpet of the soule.

2 The sinfull mans search.

3 Maries choyce.

4 Noahs drunkennes.

THE TRVMPET OF THE SOVLE SOVNDING TO IVDGEMENT.

By Henry Smith.

Ecclesiastes. 11. Chap. 9. verse.

The text.

Reioyce O young man in thy youth: and let thy hart be mery in thy young dayes: follow the wayes ofthine owne hart, and the lustes ofthine eyes: But remember for all these thinges thou must come to iudgement.

WHen I should hauehave Preached vnderunder the crosse, I mused what text to take in hand to please all, and to keepe my selfe out of daunger: and musing, I could not finde anie text in the scripture that did not reprooue sinne, vnlesse it were in the Apocrypha, which is not of the scripture: this text bids them that be voluptuous, be voluptuous still: let them that be vaine glorious, be vaine glorious still: let them that be couetous, be couetous still: let them that be drunkards, be drunkards still: let them that be swearers, be swearers still: let them that be wantons, bee wantons still: let them that be careles prelates, be careles still: let them that be vsurers, be vsurers stil: but saith Solomō, Remēber thy end, that thou shalt be called to iudgemēt at the last for altogether. This is the coūsell of Salomō the wisest then liuing: what a counsel is this for a wise man, such a one as was Salomon?

In the beginning of his booke he saith, All is vanitie, and in the end he saith, Feare God & keepe his commaundements, in the 12. Chapter he saith, Remember thy maker in the daies of thy youth. But heere hee sayth, Reioyce O yong man in thy youth. Here hee speaketh like an epicure, which saith, Eate, drinke, and be merrie: here he counsels, and heere hee mockes: yet not after the maner of scorners, although they deserued it in shewing their foolishnes, as it is in the first of the Prouerbes, He laughed at the wicked in derision: As in the 2. Psalme, God seeing vsus follow our owne waies. For when he bids vsus pray, wee play: and when he bids vsus runne, wee stand still: and when hee bids vsus fast, wee feast: and send for vanities to make vsus sport: then he laughes at our destruction. Therefore when Salomon giueth a sharpe reproofe, and maketh you ashamed in a word, he scoffinglie bids you do it agayne, like a Schoolemaster which beateth his Scholler for playing the truant, he biddeth him play the truant againe. O this is the bitterest reproofe of all. But least anie Libertine should misconster Salomon, and saie that he bids vsus be merry and make much of our selues, therefore he shutteth it vp with a watchword, and setteth a bridle before his lips, and reprooueth it as hee speaketh it before hee goeth any further, and sayth, But remember that for all these thinges, thou must come to iudgement. But if wee will vnderstand his meaning, hee meaneth when hee sayth, Reioyce, O young man, Repent, O young man in thy youth; and when he sayth, Let thy hart cheere thee, let thy sinnes greeue thee: for hee meaneth other-wise then he speaketh: he speaketh like Michal in the booke of Kinges 2. Chap. Go vp and prosper, or like as Ezechiell, Go vp and serue other Gods, or as Saint Iohn speaketh in the Reuelation, Let them that hee wicked, bee wicked still. But if there were no iudgement daye, that were a merrye world: therefore sayth Salomon, When thou art in thy pleasures flaunting in the fieldes, and in thy braue ruffes and amongst thy louers, with thy smyling lookes, thy wantō talke and merry iestes, with thy pleasant games and loftie lookes; Remember for al these thinges thou shalt come to iudgemēt.

Whilest the theefe stealeth, the hempe groweth, and the hooke is couered within the baite: we sit downe to eate, and rise vp to playe, and from playe to sleepe, and a hundreth yeeres is counted little enough to sin in: but how many sinnes thou hast set on the score, so many kindes of punishments shall be prouided for thee. Howe manye yeares of pleasure thou hast taken, so many yeeres of payne: how many drams of delight, so many poundes of dolour: when iniquitie hath playd her parte, vengeance leapes vponupon the stage, the comedie is shorte, but the tragedie is longer: the blacke guarde shall attend vponupon you, you shall eate at the table ofsorrowe, and the crowne of death shall bee vponupon your heads, manye glistring faces looking on you, and this is the feare of sinners: when the deuill hath entised them to sinne, hee presumeth like the olde Prophet in the booke of Kings, who when he had entised the yong Prophet contrary to the commaundement of God, to turne home with him and to eate and drinke, he cursed him for his labour, because hee disobeyed the commaundement of the Lord, and so a Lyon deuoured him by the way. The foolish virgins thinke that their oile wil neuer be spent: so Dina stragled abroad, whilest she was defloured: what a thing is this to saie reioyce, and then repent? What a blanke to say, take thy pleasure, and then thou shalt come to iudgement? It is as if he should say, steale & be hanged, steale & thou darest, strangle sin in the cradle, for all the wisedome in the world will not help thee else: but thou shalt bee in admiration like dreamers which dreame strange thinges, and knowe not how they come. He saith, Remember iudgement: if thou remember alwaies, then thou shalt hauehave little list to sinne: if thou remember this, then thou shalt hauehave little list to fall downe to the diuell, though hee woulde giuegive thee all the world, and the glorie thereof. Salomon saith, the weede groweth from a weede to a cockle, from a cockle to a bramble, from a bramble to a brier, from a brier to a thorne: Lying breedes periurie, periurie breedes hautines of hart: hautines of hart breedes contempt: contempt breedes obstinacie and brings forth much euill. And this is the whole progresse of sinne, he groweth from a lyar to a theefe, from a theefe to a murtherer, and neuer leaueth vntill hee hauehave searched all the roomes in hell, and yet hee is neuer satisfied, the more hee sinneth, the more hee searcheth to sinne: when he hath deceiued, nay he hath not deceiued thee: assoone as he hath that he desireth, he hath not that he desireth: when he hath left fighting, hee goeth to fighting agayne: yet a little and a little more, and so wee flit from one sinne to another. While I preach, you heare iniquitie ingender within you, and will breake forth as soone as you are gone. So Christ wept, Ierusalem laughed: Adam brake one, and we breake ten, like children which laugh and crye, so as if wee kept a shop of vices, now this sinne, and then that, from one sinne to another. O Remember thy end sayth Salomon, & that thou must come to iudgement. What shall become of them that hauehave tried them most? be condemned most: Reioice O young man in thy youth. But if thou marke Salomon, he harpes vponupon one string, he doubles it againe and againe, to shewe vsus thinges of his owne experience, because we are so forgetfull thereof in our selues, like the dreamer, that forgetteth his dreame, and the swearer his swearing. So we begge of euerie vncleane spirit, vntill wee hauehave bumbasted our selues vp to the throat, filling euerie corner of our hartes with all vncleannes, and then wee are like the dogge that commeth out of the sinke, and maketh euerie one as foule as himselfe: therefore saith Salomon, If any one will learne the way to hell, let him take his pleasure. Methinke I see the dialogue betweene the flesh and the spirit, the worst speaketh first, and the flesh saith, Soule, take thine ease, eate, drinke, and goe braue, lye soft, what else should you doe but take your pleasure, thou knowest what a pleasant fellow I hauehave beene vntounto thee, thou knowest what delight thou hast had by my meanes: but the soule commeth in, burdened with that which hath been spoken before, and saith, I pray thee remember iudgement, thou must giuegive account for all these thinges, for vnlesse you repent, you shall surely perish: no saith the flesh, Talke not of such graue matters, but tell me of fine matters, of soft beds and pleasant things, and talke me of braue pastimes, Apes, Beares and Puppits, for I tell thee the forbidden fruite is sweetest of all fruites, for I doe not like of your telling mee of iudgement: but take thou thy iewels, thy instrument, and all the stringes of vanitie will strike at once, for the flesh loues to bee braue, and treade vponupon corkes, it cannot tell what fashion to be of, and yet to be of the new fashion.

Reioice O young man in thy youth.

O this goes braue, for while wickednesse hath cast his rubs, and vengeance castes his spurres and his foote, and thus shee reeles and now shee tumbles, and then shee falles, therefore this progresse is ended.

Pleasure is but a spurre, riches but a thorne, glorie but a blast, beautie but a flowre, sinne is but an hypocrite, honie in thy mouth, and poison in thy stomacke: therefore let vsus come againe and aske of Salomon in good sooth, whether he meaneth in good earnest, when hee spake these wordes, O (saith Salomon) it is the best life in the world to goe braue, lie soft, and liue merelie, if therewere no iudgement. But this iudgement mars all, it is like a dampe that puts out all the light, and like a box that marreth all the ointment: for if this be true, wee hauehave spunne a faire threed, that wee must aunswere for all, that are not able to answere for one: why Salomon maketh vsus fooles, and giueth vsus gawdes to play withall: what then, shall wee not reioice at all? yes, there is a godly mirth and if we could hit on it, which is called, Bee merrie and wise: Sara laughed, and was reprooued: Abraham laughed, and was not reprooued. And thus much for the first part.

But remember that for all these thinges thou shalt come to iudgement.

This verse is as it were a dialogue betwixt the flesh and the spirite, as the two counsellers: the woorst is first, and the flesh speaketh proudlie, but the spirit comes in burdened with that which hath beenespoken. The flesh goeth laughing and singing to hel, but the spirit casteth rubs in his way, & puts him in minde of iudgement, that for all these thinges: now endes reioyce, and heere comes in but: if this but were not, wee might reioyce still, if young men must for all the sportes of youth, what then shall olde men doe, being as they are nowe? surelie if Salomon liued to see our olde men liue now, as heere he saith of young men, so high as sinne rageth, yet vengeaunce fits aboue it, as high as high Babell. Mee thinkes I see a sword hang in the ayre by a twine threed, and all the sonnes of men labour to burst it in sunder. There is a place in hell where the couetous iudge sitteth, the greedie Lawyer, the griping Landlord, the carelesse Bishop, the lusty youth, the wanton dames, the theefe, the robbers of the common-wealth, they are punished in this life because they euer sin as long as they could, while merciemercy was offered vntounto them, therefore because they would not bee washed, they shall bee drowned. Now put togither reioice and remember: thou hast learned to be mery, nowe learne to bee wise: now therefore turne ouer a new leafe, and take a new lesson: for now Salomon mocketh not as he did before, therefore a checke to thy ruffes, a checke to thy cuffes, a checke to thy robes, a checke to thy gold, a checke to your riches, a checke to your beauty, a checke to your mucke, a checke to your graues: wo from aboue, wo from belowe, wo to all the stringes of vanitie: doest thou not nowe maruell that thou hadst not a feeling of sinne? for nowe thou seest Salomon saith true, thine owne heart can tell that it is wicked, but it cannot amende: therefore it is high time to amend: as Nathan commeth to Dauid after Belzebub, so commeth accusing conscience after sinne. Me thinks that euerie one should hauehave a feeling of sinne, though this day bee like yesterdaie, and to morrowe like to daie, yet one day will come for all, and then woe, woe, woe, and nothing but darkenesse: and though God came; not to Adam vntill the euening, yet hee came: although the fire came: not vponupon Sodome vntill the euening, yet it came and so comes the Iudge although hee be not yet come, though he hauehave leaden feete, hee hath iron handes: the arrow staieth and is not yet fallen so is his wrath: the pit is digged, the fire kindled, and all thinges are made readie and prepared against that day, onelie the small sentence is to come, which will not long tarrie. You may not thinke to be like to the theefe that stealeth and is not seene: nothing can be hid from him, and the Iudge followeth thee at the heeles: and therefore whatsoeuer thou art looke about thee, and doe nothing but that thou wouldest doe openlie, for all thinges are opened vntounto him: Sara may not thinke to laugh and not be seene: Geheza may not thinke to lie and not bee knowne: they that will not come to the banquet, must stande at the doore. What, doe you thinke that God dooth not remember our sinnes which we doe not regarde? for while wee sinne, the score runs on, and the Iudge setteth downe all in the table of remembrance, and his scrole reacheth vp to heauen.

Item for lending to Vsury. Item, for racking of rents. Item, for deceiuing thy brethren. Item for falshood in wares. Item, for starching thy ruffes. Item, for curling thy haire. Item, for painting thy face. Item, for selling of benefices. Item, for staruing of soules. Item, for playing at cardes. Item, for sleeping in the church. Item, for prophaning the Sabboth day. With a number more hath God to call to account, for eueryevery one must answere for himselfe. The fornicator for taking of filthie pleasure, O sonne, remember thou hast taken thy pleasure, take thy punishment. The careles Prelate for murthering so many thousand soules. The Landlorde for getting money from his poore Tenants by racking of his rentes: see the rest, all they shall come like a verie sheepe, when the Trumpet shal sound, and the heauen and earth sh…l come to iudgement against them: when the heauens shall vanish like a scrole, and the earth shall consume like fire, and all the creatures standing against them: The rockes shall cleaue a sunder, and the mountaines shake, and the foundation of the earth shall tremble, and they shall say to the mountaines, couer vsus, fall vponupon vsus and hide vsus from the presence of his anger and wrath, whome wee hauehave not cared for to offend: but they shall not be couered & hid: but then they shall goe the blacke way, to the snakes and serpents, to bee tormented of deuils for euer: O paine vnspeakeable! and yet the more I expresse it, the more horrible it is, when you thinke of a torment passing all tormentes, and yet a torment passing all that: yet this torment is greater then them, and passing them all.

Imagine you see a sinner going to hell, and his somner gape at him, his acquaintance looke at him, the Angels shoute at him, and the Saintes laugh at him, and the deuils raile at him, and many looke him in the face: and they that said they would liue and die with him, forsake him, and leaue him to pay all the scores. Then Iudas woulde restore his bribes. Esau would cast vp his pottage. Achan woulde cast downe his golde, and Gehezi woulde refuse his giftes. Nabuchadnezzar would be humbler. Balam would be faithfull, and the Prodigall sonne would be tame.

Me thinkes I see Achan running about, where shall I hide my golde that I hauehave stolne, that it might not be seene nor stand to appeare for a witnes against me?

And Iudas running to the high Priests, saying: hold, take againe your money, I will none of it, I hauehave betraied the innocent bloud.

And Esau crying for the blessing when it is too late, hauing sold his birthright for a messe of pottage.

Woe, woe, woe, that euer we were borne. O where is that Diues that would beleeue this, before hee felt the fire in hell, or that woulde beleeue the poorest Lazarus in the worlde, to bee better then himselfe, before that dreadfull day come when they cannot helpe it, if they woulde neuer so faine, when repentance is too late? Herod shall then wish that he were Iohn Baptist. Pharaoh woulde wishe that hee were Moses, and Saul would wish that hee had beene Dauid. Nabuchadnezzar, that he had beene Daniel. Hammon to hauehave beene Mardocheus. Esau would wish to bee Iacob, and Balam woulde wish hee might die the death of the righteous: then hee will say, I will giuegive more then Ezekias: crie more then Esau: fast more then Moses: pray more then Daniell: weepe more then Mary Magdalen: suffer more stripes then Paul: abide more imprisonment then Michai: abide more crueltie then any mortall man woulde doe, that it migh bee, Ite, goe ye cursed, might become yee blessed. Yea, I would giuegive all the goods in the worlde, that I might escape this dreadfull day of wrath and iudgement, and that I might not stand amongst the goe. O that I might liue a begger al my life, and a Leaper. O that I might indure all plagues and sores from the top of the head, to the sole of the foote, sustaine all sicknes and griefes, that I might escape this iudgement.

The guiltie conscience cannot abide this day. The sillie sheepe when shee is taken will not bleate, but you may carrie her and doe what you will with her, and she will bee subiect: but the swine, if shee be once taken, shee will roare and crie, and thinkes shee is neuer taken but to bee slaine. So of all things, the guiltie conscience cannot abide to heare of this day, for they knowe that when they heare of it, they heare of their owne condemnation. I thinke if there were a generall collection made through the whole worlde, that there might bee no iudgement day, then God woulde bee so rich, that all the world would goe a begging, and bee as a waste wildernes. Then the couetous Iudge woulde bring forth his bribes, then the craftie Lawyer woulde fetch out his bagges: the Vsurer would giuegive his gaine, and the idle seruant would dig vp his talent againe, & make a double thereof. But al the mony in the world vvil not serue for one sin, but the Iudge must answere for his bribes, hee that hath money, must answere how he came by it, & iust condemnation must come vponupon eueryevery soule of them, then shall the sinner bee euer dying and neuer deade, like the Salamander that is euer in the fire and neuer consumed.

But if you come there, you may say as the Queene of Saba said of King Salomon, I beleeued the report that I heard of thee in mine owne countrie, but the one halfe of thy wisedome was not tolde mee. If you came there to see what is done, you may say, Now I beleeue the report that was told me in mine owne countrie concerning this place, but the one halfe as now I feele, I hauehave not heard of: now chuse you whether you will reioyce, or remember: whether you wil stande amongst you blessed, or amongst you cursed: whether you will enter while the gate is open, or knocke in vaine when the gate is shut: whether you wil seek the Lord whilest he may be found, or be found of him when you would not be sought, beeing run into the bushes with Adam to hide your selues: whether you wil take your heauen now here, or your hell then there: or through tribulation to enter into the kingdome of God, and thus to take your hell now here, or your heauen then there in the life to come with the blessed Saints & Angels, so that heereafter you may lead a new life, putting on Iesus Christ and his righteousnesse.

FINIS.