Pith in Exposition [pp. 619-636]

PITH IN EXPOSITION.
than in less formal productions. Thlere are men of high repute
who have allowed themselves, through hurry or preoccupation,
to be guilty of grievously afflicting honest readers by the
obscurities and uncouthnesses which they have published in
their Biblical works. It would be practical justice to corner one
of these excellent men, and compel him to listen for an hour or
two to selected passages of his own writing.
In fine, all considerations of this sort are rendered the more
cogent by the fact that in religious science as in other sciences
great talent for discovering truth is not always accompanied by
equal skill in the methodical and discriminating utterance of
truth. One would be ungrateful if he should complain of the
wNork done by the Biblical scholars of this generation. For
comprehensiveness, thoroughness, bold independence of re search, and richness of results, it is worthy of all praise. It is
just now fashionable to cry out upon the old fogyism of the
theologians, and their helplessness in the presence of enlightened.
skepticism. Yet the theologians may boldly challenge any other
science or group of sciences to show better work done, or more
of it, or richer results achieved, either in the confirming of the
great principles formerly known, or in the general and liberal
acceptance of the corrections of former mistakes. Surrounded
by these wonderful achievements one would be foolish and
wicked to rail at them. Still the richest works are often badly
digested. Just the treasure we need is probably there, but to
find it costs a laborious and vexatious search.
We are sometimes told, indeed, that ill-assorted helps, by
driving the student to hard study, are conducive to his mental
vigor. As compared with those that are easily mastered, be cause they contain nothing but common-place generalities, this
is undoubtedly true. But tough beef is more nutritious than
turnips, not because it is tough, but because it is beef. Tender
beef is better food than either. The muscles are strengthened
by exercising them, not by straining and wrenching them.
Effort is no less profitable when it is all utilized, than when it
is half wasted. It is poor economy to dull the workman's tools
for the sake of cultivating the workman's strength. There is no
fear that labor-saving machinery will leave people too little to
do to keep them out of mischief. A little book is none the less
conducive to mental vigor for being well digested and conveni
1874.]
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