Verklaring van de evangelische parabolen

through reason and conviction. One pays attention to the inclination of the Spirit, who governs the spiritual understanding in a reasonable manner. One lights his candle at the Lamps of the Sanctuary, and considers himself fortunate to see something where others are blind. The truth, says an Arab, has its weight. Happy are those who have heavy weights with them to pull it up.

Therefore, I must say that the Translation of my Work, completed in necessary places by your Reverend and clarified with your own notes, has pleased me. I have found it more complete and cohesive than I had dared to imagine for myself. I firmly hold that our private insights and thoughts must yield to the great interest of the advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord, and of the progress in the knowledge of the truth unto Godliness Godfaligheid piety or devotion. I have as much yearning for this as anyone else. I also know that often simple Exercises on the Word of the Lord, separated from all the finery of literal wisdom, produce more fruit in the souls of men. They are accompanied with more grace of the Spirit than that which is sensually wrought through studious labor. Therefore, while your Reverend has judged that the Explanation of this part of the Divine Wisdom of our Lord, even as it appeared to your Reverend, could serve for the benefit of the public, and has been willing to take the trouble to arrange and prepare it for that purpose with necessary completions and additions: (something which my Exercises have long required of me): I pray the Lord that it may please Him to follow your Reverend and my Work with enough of His blessing. May He abundantly fulfill its deficiency with the light and comfort of His Spirit, and the influence of His grace, during the reading and use of the same. In the Books published for the time, for the common edification of souls and progress in the knowledge of the ways of God, one does not require as much accuracy as those compiled for the durable use of the Republic of Letters Gemeenebeft der Letteren the international community of scholars and for the advancement of learned studies. I expect, in addition, that

the deference and affection of those who have made use of some of our other Works will also meet us in this one, and not demand the last penny of perfection.

Meanwhile, it is true that in the decay of the times and under many offenses with which the Church is burdened, alongside few other good things remaining among us, we cannot thank the Lord enough that among the Congregations of the Netherlands there still is and remains an earnest yearning and desire for the investigation of the Word of the Lord. There is also the reading and diligent consideration of such kinds of Books that are designed for its explanation. Where the Word of the Lord is purely taught, preached, and explained, there is God Himself, representing Himself through His Spirit to the souls and consciences conscientien moral awareness of men. He who reads the Word of God with inward desire and a good conscience out of love for truth finds himself near God and in His communion. He is shone upon by His light. He walks in His radiance. He is surrounded by His glory. No one can love the Word of the Lord without loving God, because the Word of God is the true Image and expression of God, in which and from which He wants to be known by us. On the contrary, he who hates God hates His Word. He has an aversion to it. He shuns the hearing of it as much as he can. He avoids the reading and consideration of it as being contrary to the impurity and evil state of his heart. The Word of the Lord is a mirror in which everyone can behold his own form. Just as someone who is disfigured by obvious deformity and deficiencies will not easily show himself before the mirror, except with the goal of using this means to remove his defects: so it will not be possible for a natural man to behold himself with pleasure in the most pure mirror of this perfect Word, as long as he is not moved and touched by the Spirit of the Lord to learn his defects from it, in order to purify himself from them or to improve them.

Writing this, I remember very well (which your Reverend knows best) that not all investigation and consideration of the Word of the Lord comes from a good principle or leads to salvation. We know that there can be and

A small decorative printer's ornament consisting of four asterisks in a row appears here.