The Christian warfare wherein is first generally showed the malice, power and politic stratagems…The Christian warfare wherein is first generally shewed the malice, power and politike stratagems…

§. Sect. 3 But let not such poor mourning souls deprive themselves of that true comfort which of right belongeth to them:¹ and to this end let them know first that this is a usual complaint of those children of God which profit most in hearing of the word though in truth they do therein deceive themselves; for in complaining that they profit not, they show they profit. For whereas men naturally blinded with self love and carnal security never discern any such want and corruption in themselves, and therefore though they profit nothing by hearing the word of God yet it never troubles them, nay they imagine that it is sufficient to present their bodies into Gods assemblies and to hear Gods word with their outward ears, though they understand it not nor retain it in memory, nor bring forth any fruits thereof; these humbled souls by the hearing of the word are freed from this self love and carnal security, and have the blind eyes of their understandings opened so as they see their faults and corruptions, and have their hard hearts softened so as they are grieved and displeased with them, & their wills also are in some good measure sanctified, so that they earnestly desire to be freed from their corruptions, and to hear the ⟨p. 492⟩word of God with more profit, whereby it appeareth that though they cannot profit so much as they desire yet they have made a good progress, and the Lord in his good time will perfect that good work which he hath begun in them; and the same spirit of God which hath wrought in them this desire of profiting by hearing the word, will also accomplish it, & so open their dull ears and soften their hard harts that they shall profit and reap manifold fruits of the seed of the word which is sowed in the furrows of their hearts. In the mean while the Lord may in his heavenly wisdom feed them for a time with a sparing hand to the end that he may truly humble them under the sight and sense of their corruptions, and that he may hereby so sharpen their appetites that they may with more hungering desire, and earnest endeavour feed upon the heavenly manna of his word;

§. Sect. 3 But let not such poore mourning soules depriue themselues of that true comfort which of right belongeth to them:¹ and to this end let them know first that this is a vsuall complaint of those children of God which profit most in hearing of the word though in truth they doe therein deceiue themselues; for in cōplaining that they profit not, they shew they profitt. For whereas men naturally blinded with selfe loue and carnall securitie neuer discerne any such want and corruption in themselues, and therefore though they profit nothing by hearing the worde of God yet it neuer troubles them, nay they imagine that it is sufficient to present their bodies into Gods assemblies and to heare Gods worde with their outward eares, though they vnderstand it not nor retaine it in memorie, nor bring forth any fruits thereof; these humbled soules by the hearing of the worde are freed from this selfe loue and carnall securitie, and haue the blind eies of their vnderstandings opened so as they see their faultes and corruptions, and haue their harde hartes softened so as they are grieued and displeased with them, & their wills also are in some good measure sanctified, so that they earnestly desire to be freed from their corruptions, and to heare the