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…

how should Solomon express all the vanity of the world,¹ to which all men have added more and more since the beginning?² Therefore as if he wanted words to express it, as he did see it, he breaks forth into an exclamation, and repeats the same often, Vanity of vanities: as if he ⟨p. 832⟩should say I cannot speak how vain the world is, but vain it is, and very vain, and nought but vain, speaking as if he had the feeling and sense of it, as though the world stood naked before him, and it grieved him to see, he cuts his words in chiding manner, & makes short riddance, as if it irked him to speak all that he knew, therefore that which he speaks he speaks roundly, that if they read no more, but sleep all the Sermon after: yet the first sentence shall strike a sting into their hearts, and leave a sound behind to waken them when they are gone, as many (you know) remember this sentence, which remember no sentence in all his book beside. Who hath not heard Vanity of vanities &c. Though few have conceived it? This is the phrase of Scripture, when the holy Ghost would commend the song of Solomon above all other songs, he calls it the song of songs, so called in the Hebrew and mentioned 1. King. 4. 32. When he would exalt the heavenly king above all, he calls him the King of kings, so when he would note a great vanity, and yet a greater, and a greater than that, which is the greatest of all, he calls it Vanity of vanities, as when we would note a great fool, we will say a fool of fools, a sin of sins, a servant of servants, These are scornful names to the world, ⟨p. 833⟩and homily titles, to give our pleasures, to call them Vanity of vanities, and again Vanity of vanities, and yet again Vanity, as though we would provoke them to fall out with us, like a man which sharpens his enemy with taunts, when he would egg him to fight. He might have mollified his terms, before he condemned the world thrice, but the world is no changeling that Solomon should change his judgement, but vain it was, vain it is, and vain it will be, and therefore a thrice vain world he may call it: First, Vanity, straight Vanity of vanities, and suddenly All is vanity What a transcendent is this?