470 Chap. Is. An Expofatron upon theBook of Jos. Ver f. I?. h any amongyou affil E7'ed ? let himpray, Jam.5.13. As he bath rea- fon to pray then, becaufe ofhis own need, fo hebath an encou- ragement topray then, becaufe he mayhave ftronger hopes to fpeed. God hears at all times with his ears when we pray with our hearts, but his ear is quickeft; when our wants are sharp eft. AffliEtions do fometimes hinder us from hearing counfel, vea, aifli1ions hinder force from hearing comforts (Exad.6.9.) 'And Mofes fpakefo unto _ the children of Ifrael (what fpake he ? Not the law which called them to obedience, but a promife which called them out of bondage;) but they hearl¿ned not unto Mofesfor anguàh (orfiraightnefs) offpirit, andfor cruetbondage. Their bondage íuffered them not to hear oftheir deliverance out of bondage.But though aff3ikionhinders many from hearing both counfel and comfort,yet theywho are in affli&ion think all bound to hear their complaints. Secondly, In that job cals fo often for attention ( for I told you this was his fecond preface : at the 6'1, verfe he bids them hear andhearken, now he bids them hear again. ) Hence Obferve, They who are at eafe themfelves are feldome fo fenfible as they ought of thofe that are in mifery. Their pains,theirprayers, their tears, are not laid to heart as they ought. The ground upon which the Apoftle affures the Saints that they ¡hall be. heard when they cry to Chriff, when they make declarations of their miferies and forrows before his throne, is, his fenfiblenefs of their forrows, (Heb. 4.13.) we havenot- anhigh 1 riefi which cannot be touchedwith the feeling of our infirmities, but was in allpoints tempted like as weare,yet with- oast fin : Chrift was under temptations, he feeleth ours, be- caufe he had many of his own to feel. But they who never had experience of forrows know not how to hear, efpecially not how tohear diligently the cries of thofe that are in forrow. See moreof this at the fifthverfe ofthe twelfth chapter. Here I ¡hall only add, that thereare two fortsof men mhoare ill hearers, Firit, Such as enjoy worldlypleafures and contentments to the fall, Secondly, Theywho are over-full or intangled with worldly cares and bufineffes : both thefe arevery ill hearers. And hence I conceive that Proverb (among us ) hath its original, when a fervant,or anyother we have to dowith,regards not or forgets what we fay ; wefay to fuchfurelyyouhear withyour harvefi ears. Harveft
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