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…

Here Absalom thought to be buried, as Nebuchadnezzar thought to dwell in his palace, but he was cast into a pit as Nebuchadnezzar was turned into the wilderness: So Shebna made his sepulchre in one Country, and was buried in another: for why should pride have the reward of humility? Humility (saith Solomon) goeth before honour, that is to say, honour is the reward of humility: & yet Nebuchadnezzar would be honoured for his pride. What had he, or Shebna, or Absalom done, that they should erect such monuments, to be praised after death, which were not worthy to be praised in their life? before the building Nebuchadnezzar had done nothing worth speaking of, for because he lived always like a beast, therefore GOD punished him like a beast, and did he deserve now to be spoken of in all ages, for heaping stones together? We may see that great men are proud of a small matter, and they look to be praised for every thing they do. But look how GOD overthwarteth them: for oftentimes in that they look to make their greatest glory, they shame themselves most of all, and that which they practise to exalt them doth disgrace them, & that which they ⟨p. 372⟩do to win them love, getteth them hatred, sin so deceiveth them like the blind Aramites, that they take a clean contrary way to their desires, as we may see in the eleventh of Genesis, they which built Babel, said they would build it to get them a name, but they got shame, for they could not finish it when they had begun it, but were confounded in such sort, that they knew not what they did, so suddenly they understood not what one another said. So when Nebuchadnezzar came to himself again, he showed that when he sought his own honour, honour departed from him, and he was made like a beast: but when he sought Gods honour, honour came to him again, and he was made a King.

Heere Absolom thought to bee buryed, as Nabuchadnezzar thought to dwell in his pallace, but he was cast into a pit as Nabuchadnezzar was turned into the wildernesse: So Shebna made his sepulchre in one Countrie, and was buryed in another: for why should pride haue the reward of humilitie? Humilitie (saith Salomon) goeth before honour, that is to say, honour is the reward of humilitie: & yet Nabuchadnezzar would bee honoured for his pride. What had he, or Shebna, or Absolom done, that they should erect such monuments, to bee praised after death, which were not worthy to be praised in their life? before the building Nabuchadnezzar had done nothing worth speaking of, for because he liued alwayes like a beast, therefore GOD punished him like a beast, and did hee deserue now to bee spoken of in all ages, for heaping stones together? Wee may see that great men are proude of a small matter, and they looke to bee praised for euerie thing they doe. But looke how GOD ouerthwarteth them: for oftentimes in that they looke to make theyr greatest glorie, they shame themselues most of all, and that which they practise to exalt them doth disgrace them, & that which they