The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…

Thus he withdraweth them, First, from the wrong way,¹ and then sets them in the right way to happiness, which he defineth at last, to Fear God and keep his Commandments. When he had gone through a thousand vanities, then that comes in at the end, even like our repentance which stays till death: So his drift is to show that mans happiness is not in these things which we count of, but in those which we defer: his reason is, they are all vanity: his proof is, because there is no stability in them, nor contentation of mind: his conclusion is, therefore contemn the world, and look up to Heaven from whence ye came, and whither ye shall go.

Thus hee withdraweth them, First, from the wrong way,¹ and then sets them in the right way to happines, which he defineth at last, to Feare God and keepe his Commaundements. When he had gone through a thousand vanities, then that comes in at the ende, euen like our repentance which staies till death: So his drift is to shew that mans happinesse is not in these things which we count of, but in those which we deferre: his reason is, they are all vanitie: his proofe is, because there is no stabilitie in them, nor contentatiō of minde: his conclusion is, therfore contemne the world, and looke vp to Heauen from whence ye came, and whither yee shall goe.

1. 1Eccl 12. 13

This is the scope which Solomon aims at, as though we did all seek happiness: but we go a wrong way unto it: Therefore he sounds a retire, showing that if we hold on our course, and go forwards as we have begun, we shall not find happiness, but great misery, because we go by vanity. Therefore to fright us out of this way, he ⟨p. 826⟩