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…

Solomon speaking of wisdom, preferreth it before silver, to show, that we should desire it before silver: then before gold, to show that we should desire it before gold: then before precious stones, to show that we should desire it before precious stones. Therefore Solomon ⟨p. 986⟩prayed for wisdom, and Moses studied for wisdom, & the Queen of Sheba travelled for wisdom, to show that wisdom will requite all the labours and pains that are taken for her. As wisdom is excellent above all, so it is affected of all, as oil was, both of the wise Virgins and the foolish Virgins: Nay, the very name to be wise, is so plausible, that Paul saith the Grecians sought after wisdom, they whom God called a foolish nation,¹ The foolish nation (saith Paul) sought after wisdom, though he do not say that they found wisdom.² And in the second of Matthew we find, that the Gentiles called those men that were singular amongst them,³ by the name of wise-men, as we call them noble-men which are singular amongst us, showing that wise-men should be noble-men, or noble-men should be wise-men, according to the saying of David: ⁴Be wise ye which judge the earth. And likewise in Paul, we read that they which never knew what wisdom meant, yet named themselves Philosophers:⁵ that is Lovers of wisdom, as though there were such a thing behind which all men should love. Thus wisdom hath been a mark, which every man hath shot at, ever since Eve sought to be as wise as her maker. But as an hundred shoot, and not one hit the white: so some come short of wisdom, and some fly ⟨p. 987⟩over, and some go beside, like the arrows which Jonathan shot at David. Therefore Solomon speaking of wise men sayeth, I have scarce found one among a thousand. ⁶