The following is part 1 of a powerful sermon by a man who was described as “By far the greatest preacher of the Elizabethan age…”  His contemporaries surnamed him ‘the Silver-Tongued’ and regarded him as “perhaps the most eloquent preacher in Europe” of his day.

His day? Well, nothing is known of either his birth nor death, but, we do know he became Lecturer of St. Clements in 1587 and was known to have “ceased to be alive” in 1592. His name is Henry Smith.  There is more information on this man, if one desires to dig deep enough. But I am not posting this as a biography of a man, but as a message from God through a man used by Him.

What follows is taken from a rare 4 volume set of puritan writings compiled by James Hamilton, (D.D.) The Dedication of the first volume is dated “December 1, 1858.” -JT

Sermon:

“Methinks I see a sword hang in the air by a twine thread, and all the sons of men labour to burst it in sunder. There is a place in hell where the covetous judge sitteth, the greedy lawyer, the griping landlord, the careless bishop, the lusty youth, the wanton dames, the thief, the robber of the commonwealth: they are ever punished, because in this life they ever sinned, as long as they could, while mercy was offered unto them; because they would not be washed, they now shall be drowned. Now, put together ‘Rejoice’ and ‘Remember.’ Thou hast learned to be merry; now learn to be wise. As Nathan cometh to David after Beelzebub, so cometh accusing conscience after sin.

Though this day be like yesterday, and tomorrow like today, yet one day will come for all, and then woe, woe, woe and nothing but darkness.

Though God came not to Adam until the evening, yet He came: although the fire came not upon Sodom until evening, yet it came. And so the Judge, although He be not yet come. Though He have leaden feet, He hath iron hands. The arrow flieth, and is not yet fallen; the pit is digged, the fire kindled, and all things made ready and prepared against the day: only the final sentence is to come, which will not long tarry.

“You may not think to be like the thief that stealeth and is not seen. The Judge followeth thee at the heels, and nothing can be hid from Him; and therefore, whatsoever thou art, look about thee, and do nothing but that thou wouldst do openly, for all things are opened unto Him. Sarah may not think to laugh, and not be seen. Gehazi may not think to lie, and not be known. They that will not come to the banquet must stand at the door.

“What? Do you think that God doth not remember our sins, which we do not regard? For while we sin the score runs on, and the Judge setteth down all in the Table of Remembrance.  Item, for lending to usury; Item, for racking of rents; Item, for deceiving thy brethren; Item, for falsehood in wares; Item, for starching thy ruffs; Item; for starving of souls; Item, for sleeping in the church; Item, for profaning the Sabbath-day; with a number more, for which God will call thee into account. For everyone must answer for himself: the fornicator, for taking of filthy pleasure; ‘O son, remember, thou hast taken thy pleasure, take thy punishment’: the careless prelate, for murdering so many thousand souls: the landlord, for getting money from his poor tenants by racking of his rents. See the rests! They shall all come like very sheep when the trumpet shall sound, and the heaven and earth shall come to judgement against them; the rocks shall cleave asunder, and the mountains shake, and the foundations of the earth shall tremble, and they shall say to the mountains, Fall on us, and hide us from His wrath of whom we have not cared to offend. But they shall not be hid. They shall go the black way, to the snakes and serpents, to be tormented of devils forever. O pain unspeakable! and yet the more I express it, the more horrible it is.”