Speaking for myself, for one assault that is made on my heart through my ear there are a thousand assaults successfully made through my eye.

Indeed, were my eye but stopped up; had I but obedience and courage and self-mortification enough to pluck both my eyes out, that would be half the cleansing and healing and holiness of my evil heart; or at least, the half of its corruption, rebellion, and abominable wickedness would henceforth be hidden from me.

I think I can see what led John Bunyan in his day and in this book to make that too strong statement about the ear as against the eye; but it is not like him to have let such an over-statement stand and continue in his corrected and carefully finished work.

The prophet Jeremiah, I feel satisfied, would not have subscribed to what is said in the _Holy War_ in extenuation of the eye.

That heart- broken prophet does not say that it has been his ear that has made his head waters.