"
But, brave soul, pray tell me what the things are that discourage
thee, and that weaken thy strength in the way.
"Why, the amazing greatness of this my enterprise. I am now pursuing
things of the highest, the greatest, the most enriching nature, even
eternal things; and the thoughts of the greatness of them drowned
me: for when the heat of my spirit in the pursuit after them is a
little returned and abated, methinks I hear myself talking thus to
myself: Fond fool, canst thou imagine that such a gnat, a flea as
thou art, can take and possess the heavens, and mantle thyself up in
the eternal glories? If thou makest first a trial of the
successfulness of thy endeavors upon things far lower, more base,
but much more easy to obtain, as crowns, kingdoms, earldoms,
dukedoms, gold, silver, or the like, how vain are these attempts of
thine, and yet thou thinkest to possess thy soul of heaven. Away,
away! by the height thereof, thou mayest well conclude it is far
above, out of thy reach; and by the breadth thereof, it is too large
for thee to grasp; and by the nature of the excellent glory thereof,
too good for thee to possess. These are the thoughts that sometimes
discourage me, and that weaken my strength in the way."
ANSWER. The greatness of thy undertakings does but show the
nobleness of thy soul, in that it cannot, will not be content with
such low and dry things as the base-born spirits that are in the
world can and do content themselves withal.
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