A12406:741
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…
The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his corrected copies in his life time.The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his corrected copies in his life time.
London: printed by Richard Field for Thomas Man, 1593
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
One would not think that a house were a matter to make a king proud, although it were never so fair; stone walls are not so precious, that he should repose all his honour upon lime and mortar. But this is a just thing with God, that vain hope, vain prosperity, vain comfort, and vain glory, that may deceive ⟨p. 369⟩them when they trust unto it: therefore as the faithful soul looketh up to GOD, or upon the word, or up to heaven, and saith to it self, is not this my hope, is not this my joy, is not this my inheritance? So the carnal man when he looketh upon his buildings, or his grounds, or his money, saith to himself, is not this my joy, is not this my life, is not this my comfort? So while he pores and gapes upon it, by little and little the love of it grows more and more in his heart, until at last he have mind on nothing else.
One would not thinke that a house were a matter to make a king proude, although it were neuer so faire; stone wals are not so precious, that he should repose al his honour vpon lime and morter. But this is a iust thing with God, that vaine hope, vaine prosperitie, vaine comfort, and vaine glory, that may deceiue ⟨p. 369⟩them when they trust vnto it: therefore as the faithfull soule looketh vp to GOD, or vpon the word, or vp to heauen, and sayth to it selfe, is not this my hope, is not this my ioy, is not this my inheritaunce? So the carnall man when hee looketh vpon his buildings, or his grounds, or his money, sayth to himselfe, is not this my ioye, is not this my life, is not this my comfort? So while he poares and gapes vpon it, by little and little the loue of it growes more and more in his heart, vntill at last he haue mind on nothing else.
This was the first dotage of Nebuchadnezzar: the second was, which I have built by the might of my power. What a vaunt was this to say, that he built Babylon, when all histories accord, that it was built by Semiramis before Nebuchadnezzar was borne, therefore why doth he boast of that which an other did?