They see nothing,
alas, nothing at all but a truth; and, say they, Are you such fools
as to stand groaning to bear up that, or what is contained therein?
They see not the weight, the glory, the weight of glory, that is in
a truth of God; and therefore they laugh at them that will count it
worth the while to endure so much to support it from falling to the
ground.
Truths are often delivered to us, like wheat in full ears, to the
end we should rub them out before we eat them, and take pains about
them, before we have the comfort of them.
STYLE.
I could, were I so pleased, use higher-strains,
And for applause on tenters stretch my brains;
But what needs that? The arrow out of sight
Does not the sleeper nor the watchman fright:
To shoot too high doth make but children gaze,
'Tis that which hits the man doth him amaze.
Should all be forced their brains to lay aside,
That cannot regulate the flowing tide
By this or that man's fancy, we should have
The wise unto the fool become a slave.
Words easy to be understood do often hit the mark, when high and
learned ones do only pierce the air. He also that speaks to the
weakest, may make the learned understand him; when he that striveth
to be high, is not only for the most part understood but of a sort,
but also many times is neither understood by them nor by himself.
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