And so shall the matter require well of itself indeed.  For in these words of the prophet, “The truth of God shall compass thee round about with a shield from the arrow flying in the day,” I understand the arrow of pride, with which the devil tempteth a man, not in the night (that is, in tribulation and adversity), for that time is too discomfortable and too fearful for pride, but in the day (that is, in prosperity), for that time is full of lightsome pleasure and courage.  But surely this worldly prosperity in which a man so rejoiceth and of which the devil maketh him so proud, is but a very short winter day.  For we begin, many full poor and cold, and up we fly like an arrow shot into the air.  And yet when we be suddenly shot up into the highest, ere we be well warm there, down we come unto the cold ground again.  And then even there stick we still.  And yet for the short while that we be upward and aloft—­Lord, how lusty and how proud we be, buzzing above busily, as a bumblebee flieth about in summer, never aware that she shall die in winter!  And so fare many of us, God help us.  For in the short winter day of worldly wealth and prosperity, this flying arrow of the devil, this high spirit of pride, shot out of the devil’s bow and piercing through our heart, beareth us up in our affection aloft into the clouds, where we think we sit on the rainbow and overlook the world under us, accounting in the regard of our own glory such other poor souls as were peradventure wont to be our fellows for silly poor pismires and ants.

But though this arrow of pride fly never so high in the clouds, and though the man whom it carrieth up so high be never so joyful thereof, yet let him remember that, be this arrow never so light, it hath yet a heavy iron head.  And therefore, fly it never so high, down must it needs come, and on the ground must it light.  And sometimes it falleth not in a very cleanly place, but the pride turneth into rebuke and shame and there is then all the glory gone.

Of this arrow speaketh the wise man in the fifth chapter of the book of Wisdom, where he saith in the person of them that in pride and vanity passed the time of this present life, and after that so spent, passed hence into hell:  “What hath pride profited us?  Or what good hath the glory of our riches done unto us?  Passed are all those things like a shadow . . . or like an arrow shot out into the place appointed; the air that was divided is forthwith returned unto the place, and in such wise closed together again that the way is not perceived in which the arrow went.  And in like wise we, as soon as we were born, are forthwith vanished away, and have left no token of any good virtue behind us, but are consumed and wasted and come to naught in our malignity.  They, lo, that have lived here in sin, such words have they spoken when they lay in hell.”