Letter 190: What the tongue speaks, let the mind first approve.
The things that belong to the Lord are profound and beyond easy comprehension, and they are spoken in the form of riddles so that they may be apprehended by reason. For since not all people perceive things in the same way, for this reason they are cast in the form of dark sayings. What then shall we do if the work is difficult? We must search diligently, not resting until we have found what is hidden, for the sacred writings have been given as a treasury of truth. Some turn away and refuse to believe the teaching that is proclaimed, and their labor is exhausted before it bears fruit, while those who persevere in searching eventually discover the pearls of wisdom hidden beneath the surface of the text. For Scripture is like a field in which a treasure is buried: the casual passerby sees only common ground, but the one who digs with patience and faith uncovers riches beyond measure. Therefore do not be discouraged by the difficulty of the divine writings, but approach them with humility, prayer, and persistence, knowing that the Spirit who inspired them also illuminates the minds of those who seek understanding with a pure heart.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
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