Richard Baxter's dying thoughts upon Phil. I, 23 written for his own life and…

2. And when the Mind of the Speaker or Writer is no better informed by such Notions, but his conceptions ⟨p. 101⟩of Things are some false, some confused and undigested, what wonder if his words do no otherwise express his mind to others: When even men of clearest understanding find it difficult to have words still ready to communicate their conceptions with truth and clearness. To form true sentiments of Things into apt significant words, is a matter of mere Art, and requireth an apt Teacher, & a serious Learner, and long use: (And too many take their Art of Speaking in Prayer, Conference, or Preaching, to have more in it of Wisdom, and Piety, than it hath; and some too much Condemn the unaccustomed that want it.)

2. And when the Mind of the Speaker or Writer is no better informed by such Notions, but his conceptions ⟨p. 101⟩of Things are some false, some confused and undigested, what wonder if his words do no otherwise express his mind to others: When even men of clearest understanding find it difficult to have words still ready to communicate their conceptions with truth and clearness. To form true sentiments of Things into apt significant words, is a matter of meer Art, and requireth an apt Teacher, & a serious Learner, and long use: (And too many take their Art of Speaking in Prayer, Conference, or Preaching, to have more in it of Wisdom, and Piety, than it hath; and some too much Condemn the unaccustomed that want it.)

3. And if we could fit our words well to the Matter and to our Minds (with that double verity) yet still it is hard to fit them to the Reader or Hearer: For want of which they are lost as to him: And his information being our End, they are therefore so far lost to us. And that which is spoken most congruously to the Matter, is seldom fitted to the capacity of the receiver. And recipitur ad modum recipient is, & pro captu Lectoris, &c. Some Readers or Hearers (yea, almost all) are so used to unapt Words and Notions, obtruded on Mankind by the Masters of Words, that they cannot understand us if we change their terms and offer them fitter, and yet least understand those which they think that they best understand: And all men must have long time to learn the Art of Words, before they can understand them, as well as before they can readily use them. And the duller any Man is, and of less understanding, the more Words are necessary to make him understand: And yet his Memory is the less capable of retaining many. This is our difficulty not only in Catechizing, but in all our Writings and Teaching, a short Catechism, or a short Style, the ignorant understand not;