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…

Thus you have heard what Nebuchadnezzar spake in secret, as though GOD would display the thoughts and pride of such builders. These are the meditations of Princes & noble men, when they behold their buildings, or open their coffers, or look upon their train swinging after them, they think as Nebuchadnezzar thought, Is not this great Babel? is not this great glory? is not this the train that maketh me reverenced in the streets? are not these the things which shall make my ⟨p. 374⟩children rich? is not this the house that shall keep my name, and cause me to be remembered, and make them which are children now speak of me hereafter, when they shall pass by and look up, and see these antics and knacks over their heads, they will say; oh he which built this was a great man, he bare a sway both in court and country, who but he while he lived?

Thus you haue heard what Nabuchadnezzar spake in secret, as though GOD would display the thoughts and pride of such builders. These are the meditations of Princes & noble men, whē they behold their buildings, or open their coffers, or lookvpon their traine swinging after them, they thinke as Nabuchadnezzar thought, Is not this great Babel? is not this great glorie? is not this the traine that maketh me reuerenced in the streets? are not these the things which shall make my ⟨p. 374⟩children rich? is not this the house that shall keepe my name, and cause me to be remembred, and make them which are childrē now speake of me hereafter, when they shall passe by and looke vp, and see these antikes and knackes ouer their heads, they will say; oh he which built this was a great man, he bare a sway both in court and countrie, who but he while he liued?

Although this king be dead & buried, yet his pride is escaped & come to us. Nebuchadnezzar hath children yet alive, which build as high as he, look as high as he, go as brave as he, spend as vainly as he, and are as proud as he, although they be not Kings nor Dukes, nor Earls, nor Knights, nor yet good Squires: look upon their palaces, and think whether they be of Nebuchadnezzars brood; Is not this great Babel? and is not Nebuchadnezzar Lord of it? Oh if they might live to walk in these galleries still, they would desire no other heaven, but Nebuchadnezzar hath showed the way before them, and they must all dance after him, though they were as mighty, though they were mightier than he, death will not take his kingdom for a ransom. Now what is Babel, and what is Nebuchadnezzar the King thereof? Now Babel is destroyed, and the King that built it laid in the dust, had it not been better to have built an house in