A commentary upon the book of the Revelation Wherein the text is explained, the…A commentarie upon the book of the Revelation Wherein the text is explained, the…

yet, being of his particular and very intimate acquaintance, daily conversant with him, and withal his ordinary Hearer, being in a good providence Colleagued with him in the Ministry (though a most unequal yoke-fellow to so strong a labourer) I thought it my duty to give thee some brief hint both of himself (who loved always to be hid, except when it was necessary for him to appear) and of his Book, wherein thou wilt find that the spirit of Mr. Durham was not of an ordinary elevation; notwithstanding whereof, as, in Preaching the Gospel, he liked not to soar and hide himself from the Hearers in a cloud of words (it was not in the wisdom of words, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that he taught) So in his writing, he used the same plainness of speech; how low soever his stile seemeth to be, I nothing doubt but that every intelligent Reader will find such certainty of truth to satisfy the mind, and such sweetness of matter to engage the affections, that he will count the Author an Interpreter one among a thousand. And therefore, if at any time thou miss, as possibly thou mayest, that comptnesse and fineness of phrase which in this phrasing and wordy age is much in use, Know that he had so very sharp and pregnant an engine, and so exceeding rich and fruitful an invention, that they ordinarily did outstrip and go beyond his expression and pen, so that these could very hardly and but seldom hold foot with him: beside, if his expression was such as might make his meaning be conceived by the Hearers or Readers, he did not at all affect, neither could be stay, being so close in his pursuit of the matter, to chase, or follow after, fine words (so that I may here, without all ⟨image 3⟩complement, according to the proverb, say, Aquila non captat muscas;) yet none of his expressions were base and unsuitable to the matter, but, ordinarily, very massive, significant and expressive of his meaning, though plain and simple, and, it may be, sometimes not so beautifully situated, nor so adorning and out-setting of it, as possibly some would be at, which the Lord, in the depth of His wisdom, did so order, that, as the Author himself might be kept humble (and indeed he did exemplarily shine in humility) so no other should think of him above what was meet:

yet, being of his particular and very intimate acquaintance, daily conversant with him, and withall his ordinary Hearer, being in a good providence Coleagued with him in the Ministery (though a most unequal yoke-fellow to so strong a labourer) I thought it my duty to give thee some brief hint both of himself (who loved alwayes to be hid, except when it was necessary for him to appear) and of his Book, wherein thou wilt find that the spirit of Mr. Durham was not of an ordinary elevation; notwithstanding whereof, as, in Preaching the Gospel, he liked not to soar and hide himself from the Hearers in a cloud of words (it was not in the wisdom of words, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that he taught) So in his writing, he used the same plainnesse of speech; how low soever his stile seemeth to be, I nothing doubt but that every intelligent Reader will find such certainty of truth to satisfie the mind, and such sweetnesse of matter to engage the affections, that he will count the Author an Interpreter one among a thousand. And therefore, if at any time thou misse, as possibly thou mayest, that comptnesse and finenesse of phrase which in this phrasing and wordie age is much in use, Know that he had so very sharp and pregnant an ingine, and so exceeding rich and fruitfull an invention, that they ordinarily did outstripe and go beyond his expression and pen, so that these could very hardly and but seldom hold foot with him: beside, if his expression was such as might make his meaning be conceived by the Hearers or Readers, he did not at all affect, neither could be stay, being so close in his pursuit of the matter, to chase, or follow after, fine words (so that I may here, without all