S .2 2 Chap. 4a. 4n Expofition upon the Book of J o B. Vert. 5, before, but his mind was not intent upon it; he heard only with the hearing of his ear, but his eye didnot fee; that is, he hadnot a clear fight or knowledge, which is an ïntelleefual fight of the things which he heard. But doubtlefs,job was no flight bearer of the word in former times ; he did not hear the word in the dayes of his profperity, as if he had only (as we fay) given it the hear- ing : for, had he not ferioufly hearkned to the voice of God in thofe dayes, he had never obtained fuch a teflimony as God gave of him, towards the end of thofe dayes ; yea, this very phrafe, I have heard of thee, by the hearing of the ear, implyeth fedora and attentive hearing. Secondly, Others who deny any vifible manifeflation of God to job, grant that the firff part of the verfe, notes ferious hearing and receiving of the word, the latter more ; fo that here,fay they, is a comparifon between that leffer light or knowledge which job 'had of the will of God before, and that fuller light which he got upon this difcourfe which the Lordhad with him ; the former be- ing but as of a matter heard, this as of things feed. The Scrip- ture fometimes calls clear knowledge fight : So that, look how much that which we fee with our bodily eyes, is clearer to us than that whereofwe have only heard the report;by fo much the know- ledge which jobhad now of the things of God, efpecially about the whole myfiery of Godsdealing withhim, was clearer and fuller than what he had before, even as if he now fawwhat be- fore he only heard. As we fay, One eye-witnefr, is better than ten ear-witneffes ; footle eying of the word of God (the eye of the mind fully and diflin&ly taken in what is heard) is better than Yen earings of is ; that is, when little or nothing is taken in at the ear, but a found of words: For then only we may be faid to know divine things, by the feting of the eye, whenwe know them not only from without by the report of others, but from experience within our felves. The Apofile faith of thofe, who took joyfully thefpoylingof their goods for the truths fake, They knew in themfefves, that they had in heaven a better andamore en- during fab¡tance (Hob. io, 34.) that is, they had even got a fight of that heavenly enduring fubflance. Hence in Scripture, vifion isafplied tofpiritual things heard; and we are faid to fee the Ward of God (jer. 2. 3 t.) Ogeneration, fee ye the Word of . the Lord; have Ibeen a wildernefs ? &c. As if the Lord had faid, re have
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