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…

Oh that here were a full end or conclusion of Vanities, but behold, a greater Vanity is behind:¹ for our Religion is Vanity, like the Scribes and Pharisees, as Matthew sayeth in the 23. Chapter, and 27. verse having a bare show of holiness, as he sayeth, ⟨p. 838⟩he could call it but a show of holiness, & scarce that: our vanity is vanity, but our holiness is but a show of holiness not worthy to be called holiness but like holiness: yet the most part have not so much as the show of holiness, as the Pharisees had, but are vain in show, inside and outside too. Thus we find nothing yet but vanity. I cannot lead you from one unto another, to show you the several vanities of every person, or every thing, because Solomon saith, All is vanity. How many sins then have we to condemn us, whose vanities are sprinkled in every thing? Which have not only so many vanities as there be things, but many vanities in every thing. As in our fare, how many vanities be there, which makes us rise sometime sick, sometime sleepy, sometime drunk? Yet are there more vanities: in our sports, our laughing, and swearing and jesting, and scoffing, and dallying, and playing with the Scriptures, which oftentimes leaves such a sting behind, that we had rather have lost our sport, than feel the worm that gnaws us for it. And yet there be more vanities in our apparel, ruff upon ruff, lace upon lace cut upon cut, 24. orders to the 3. and 4. degree, as though our apparel were apparelled, until the woman be not worth so much as her attire, that if we would see vanity her ⟨p. 839⟩self how she would go if she did wear apparel, she would even go like our women: for she could not go, nor speak, nor look vainer. Who doth not know that these are vanities, and that they might leave them, if they would? But that ye might see there is a heart within vainer than the apparel is without. Therefore when these vanities re worn out, they will have new, and still new, till all be spent upon vanity, and then they begin like the prodigal child to see how vain they were,² when they have bought Wisdom with sorrow. What would Solomon say, if he should see how vanity is grown since his time, what a height she is mounted, what a train follows her, that there is no prince in the world hath so many attendants as vanity?