OfIneffeclual Hearing the Word. 2.By hearing thus from him,the mind aIfo comes to have a true Idea of God, as he reveals himfe!f in the Word. and Means by theSpirit, 'job 42. 5. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but nowmine eye feeth thee ; and this is the fliapehere fpoken of, not bodily and carnali. Now Chrift doth profeffe that they did want both. Carnal and unregenerate hearts, neither hear Gods voyce, nor have a right Idea of God in their minds , but become vain in their minds, though they have means of knowing, and their foolifh hearts are darkned ; the wifer they be, the more foolifh they grow. 2. At no time, i. e. neither at baptifm, nor die in any 2. mans Miniftery, nor in anyof the Scriptures whichyou read, and where the Lord (peaks. 3. But did they not hear the voice of God at Chrifis 3 baptifm, and at the Mount when Chrift preach'r, when the Scriptures were opened every Lords day, and at o- ther times amongft them? Anfw. No, they never heard it. It's a firange thing, Anfw: that each men that read, heard,preach'd, remembred the Scriptures, artdcould tell you myfteries in titles, never beard the voice ofGod ; and yet it is molt true. Obfervat. That many met may a long time together know Obferv. and hear the Wordof God written and f oken, yet never hear the Lord fpeaking that Word, no not fo much as one word, tittle or fy liable ; no not fo much at once, at any time. This was the eftate of the Jews, and this is theeftate of all un- regenerate men. Hence Chrift, Luke 19. 42. laments and weeps over Jerufalem, laying, Oh that thou hadit known in this thy day., mac. ,weft. How did the jewes hear, andyet not bear God Qe f i. fpedking ? Anfw. There is a twofold word, or rather a don- Anfw. ble declaraticn of the fame word. i.There is Gods exter- nail or outward word, containing letters and fyllables, and this is his externall voice. 2. There is God internal word and voice, which fecretly fpeaks to the heart, e- ven by the externall word, when that only fpeaks to the car. The firft the jewesdid hear,at Chrifls Baptifm, in ChriftsMinifiery,and in reading the Scriptures,and when they did hear it, it was Gods word they heard, full of glory, and fo they heard the word fpoken, but only man fpeaking it : the other comes to few, who hear not only the word fpoken, but God fpeaking the word, Rom, r:=-- - . --- --; ;-. -.-- . - ....,,,. ,_ n __ _ . _ ,. r., .::,
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