Chap. 3+ Expofstion upon the Book of J s. , Verf. 3 499 prefenttoheare : and yet he thatfpeakes had need to invite and preffe allto heare, yea to heare and give eare. The words of the wife aregoads to prLvoke andpricke-us on to 'heare the truth, as well as nayles to fallen it ( ecci: 12. r. ) Elihu having cal- ledwife men toheare or Bare his words, fl 'meth theufe or force of the care in thenext>verfe. - 'Verf. . For the ear tryeth words, ar the mouth teethMat. In this verfe Elilu givesthe reafon why he fo earneflly exhor- ted them toheare and give ear-; The ear tryeth words, that is, by the hearing of the ear, words are tryed. It is the office of the care to conveigh words to the: underlianding, that fo a judgement maybe made of them, before they are either received or re,7 jetted. The word whichwe tranflate to try,fignifies to try as gold is i1 perical tryed in the fire : the care is, as it were,a furnacewherein words fecit,probevut, are tryed, the ear will`difcover whether what is fayd be droCs or pure°naettal. The Prophet (Zach: t 3, cj.) fpeaketh of a third part of men that (hhould be brought thorow the lire and tryed ; as the fire of ailii6lion and perfecution tryeth perforas, fo man ha!h a fire and a touchPone in his care which tryeth words. The ear is given not only to heare a found of words, not only to underhand the general meaning of words whatthey lignifie in any language, but the eire is given to try the fenfe and foundnefs of words. And whenElihu faith words, (peaking indefinitely, he includeth all words of one fort or other ; it tryeth good words, and it try- eth bad words; it tryeth heavenly words, and it tryeth earthly words; it tryeth naturalswords, and it tryeth fpirirua;l 4vords, the truth or falihoad of words are brought to tryall, at the barre and tribunall of the Bare. But in what manner or after what fimi= Etude doth the care try words ? The anfwer followeth. , .ts the mouthtaieth meat, In the x zthChapter we had the fare'eaprefión, and there- fore I -(hall not flay upon it here. Only there the fentence is made up by a particle Copulative ;- The ear tryeth words, and the mouth tafleth meat. f Jere by a particle of lil:enefs ; Theare try., do words, zs the mouth tailéth_mear.,'There is a faire` analogy of S f f 2 pre-
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