2r Reafon r. ofIneffectual Hearing the Word. Rim. i o. "18, ;9. ' Ifrael didhear, but Ifrael didnot know. Chrift fpeaks in parables; Hence in feeing they did notfee, Luke 8. to. And this is one way, how 'tis" true that Chrift fayes, They never heard his voice. As 'tis with a painted Sun on the wall, you fee the Sun and Stars, but there is a difference between feeing this and the Sun and Starres themfelves, wherein is an admirableglory : go to a painted Sun, it gives you no hear, nor cherifhethyou not; to it is here, &c. 2 This inward word is double. i. Ineffeauall, (though inward.) 2. Effeaual. 1.. Ineffeauall, is that which hath Tome inward operationupon the heart,but it attains not Gods end to bring a man into a flare oflife ; and thus, Heb. 6. 2, Many rafted of the good wordof God, yet fell array. And fuch a heart is compared toa field which a man plowes and fowes, and rain falls onit, and yet the end is not attained, it brings forth thiftles; and this many Jewes did hear, and hence had fomekind offaith inChrifl. 2. Effeaual, is that which bath inch an inward efficacyupon menshearts, as that Godattains his end thereby, Ifa. 55. rt. and brings men to a fiate of life, of whichChrift fpeaks, John 6. 45. and this voice none but the Elea hear ; and of this Chrift fpeakshere, as appears, v. 38' Himwhom hefent,ye beleeve not. Hence it is you have heard God at no time. Hencehe (peaks of fuch a hearing& knowing,fuch a hearing outwardly, as is accompanied with fuch a hearing inwardly,,oh.14. i ?r fo that many men may hear the word fpoken outwardly,but never inwardly : they may hear it inwardly,but never ef-' feauall t,.. tranflating them from {late to flare, fromdeath to life, from life to life and glory. No fenfe ofthe Maje- fty of God fpeaking, nor effec call hearing of the word fpoken. ` When the Sun is down the Moon may arife,but yet a man is cold and dark ; but when the Sun arifeth, oh it warms, nourifheth and cherifheth, &c. nothing is hid from it 5 fo iris here, when the Lord fpeaks . inwardly and effetually to the heart. Reaf. i From that great durance and in5nite fepara- tion of mens foulsfrom God, that though God cals, yet they can't hear no more than men a 1000 mileoff: Eph. 2. 1 men are dead in f n. Now,what is fpirituaIl death, but feparation ofthe foul from God, and God from it. A dead man cannot hear one word at no one time, he was not dead if he could. Mens minds are far from God,and hearts
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