Gods husbandry

Thirdly,¹ after hearing and reading, you must meditate and consider of that which you have heard, you must apply it to your selves, you must try your selves by it, you must duly consider, whether you perform the things which it declareth unto you, yea or no; and if you have been failing, provoke your selves to more carefulness; you must urge your selves to give credit unto the promises and threats, and to say within your selves, this good or evil, shall surely be performed unto me accordingly. And so mighty is the Word of God, that if it be thus hidden in the heart, it shall surely purge the heart, & make it good; if it be engrafted in the soul, it is able to save the soul; if it be covered with earth, it will bring forth a crop; neither is any branch so barren and unfruitful, but by thus applying the Word to it self in private meditation, it shall by little and little be made fruitful. But many men do want the power of the Word, because they content themselves barely to read or hear the Word; or if they mark it a little for the present, they esteem-that sufficient, never taking care to go alone, and lay it fast unto their own hearts. Take knowledge (I pray you brethren) of the true cause, why the Word of God doth not profit the most of your souls: you come hither to hear it, perhaps also you give some reasonable heed to it, and can ⟨p. 143⟩remember what was spoken, and can talk of it a little, if occasion serve: but the world with its businesses or delights, doth so bewitch and beguile you, that you can find neither heart nor time, neither will nor leisure to call again to mind, the things that you have heard; and to ask your selves, Do I this duty? am I guilty of this sin? doth not this reproof pertain to me? have I any part in this promise? and accordingly to strive with your own hearts to be either humbled or comforted, and so to resolve on amendment and reformation according to the Word. This is the cause that we have so too too many fruitless hearers. Hence it is, that so much is taught, so little practised.

Thirdly,¹ after hearing and reading, you must meditate and consider of that which you haue heard, you must apply it to your selues, you must trie your selues by it, you must duly consider, whether you performe the things which it declareth vnto you, yea or no; and if you haue beene failing, prouoke your selues to more carefulnesse; you must vrge your selues to giue credit vnto the promises and threats, and to say within your selues, this good or euill, shall surely be performed vnto me accordingly. And so mighty is the Word of God, that if it be thus hidden in the heart, it shall surely purge the heart, & make it good; if it be ingraffed in the soule, it is able to saue the soule; if it bee couered with earth, it wil bring forth a crop; neither is any branch so barren and vnfruitfull, but by thus applying the Word to it selfe in priuate meditation, it shall by little and little be made fruitfull. But many men doe want the power of the Word, because they content themselues barely to reade or heare the Word; or if they marke it a little for the present, they esteeme-that sufficient, neuer taking care to goe alone, and lay it fast vnto their owne hearts. Take knowledge (I pray you brethren) of the true cause, why the Word of God doth not profit the most of your soules: you come hither to heare it, perhaps also you gine some reasonable heede to it, and can